Kai for Chrome and Shadow 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. Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, 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 workflows, shortlist Kai for Chrome when privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome matters most, and Shadow when capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining 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.
A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant.
Kai for Chrome is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Kai for Chrome | Shadow |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Fully on-device transcription in the browser via Whisper on WebGPU or WebAssembly | Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture from Google Meet, Zoom web, Teams, and any Chrome audio tab | On-device (local) transcription on macOS |
| Team usage | No account or sign-up required to start transcribing | Speaker identification during transcription |
| Integrations | Keyboard-shortcut recording with a live transcript side panel | Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio |
| Languages & capture | Local summaries with decisions, topics, and assigned action items | Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails |
| Best-fit workflow | One-click optional email sharing of finished notes | Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools |
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.
Shadow
Choose Shadow if you need capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining — strengths include does not add a visible bot to meetings.
Kai for Chrome
Shadow
It depends on your workflow. Kai for Chrome is strong for privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome, while Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Kai for Chrome is a free tier with paid upgrades and Shadow 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.