Kai for Chrome and MacParakeet are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Kai for Chrome: A Chrome extension that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely on-device in the browser, with no bot, no account, and no upload. MacParakeet: Free, open-source local voice app for Apple Silicon Macs offering on-device meeting recording, live transcripts, dictation, and file transcription powered by NVIDIA Parakeet. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, ai-transcription, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
For ai-meeting-assistants, ai-transcription workflows, shortlist Kai for Chrome when privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome matters most, and MacParakeet when capturing and transcribing meetings locally on a mac without a bot matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
A Chrome extension that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely on-device in the browser, with no bot, no account, and no upload.
Free, open-source local voice app for Apple Silicon Macs offering on-device meeting recording, live transcripts, dictation, and file transcription powered by NVIDIA Parakeet.
Kai for Chrome is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); MacParakeet is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Kai for Chrome | MacParakeet |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Fully on-device transcription in the browser via Whisper on WebGPU or WebAssembly | On-device meeting recording with live transcript preview and note-taking |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture from Google Meet, Zoom web, Teams, and any Chrome audio tab | Meeting calendar integration via macOS EventKit with optional auto-start |
| Team usage | No account or sign-up required to start transcribing | System-wide dictation with hotkey and push-to-talk modes |
| Integrations | Keyboard-shortcut recording with a live transcript side panel | File and URL transcription on the device |
| Languages & capture | Local summaries with decisions, topics, and assigned action items | Local NVIDIA Parakeet TDT speech recognition with no cloud STT |
| Best-fit workflow | One-click optional email sharing of finished notes | Text cleanup pipeline including filler removal and custom replacements |
Kai for Chrome
Choose Kai for Chrome if you need privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome — strengths include audio and transcription stay on-device for strong privacy.
MacParakeet
Choose MacParakeet if you need capturing and transcribing meetings locally on a mac without a bot — strengths include free and open source with on-device speech recognition.
Kai for Chrome
MacParakeet
It depends on your workflow. Kai for Chrome is strong for privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome, while MacParakeet is strong for capturing and transcribing meetings locally on a mac without a bot. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Kai for Chrome is a free tier with paid upgrades and MacParakeet is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.