Meetingnotes and Spinach are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Meetingnotes: Free, open-source macOS app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings locally using your own OpenAI API key. Spinach: AI meeting assistant for agile teams that helps run standups, takes notes, and creates summaries and tickets. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
For ai-meeting-assistants workflows, shortlist Meetingnotes when privacy-focused engineers recording and summarizing local meetings matters most, and Spinach when daily standups and sprint planning matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Free, open-source macOS app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings locally using your own OpenAI API key.
AI summaries that combine transcripts with manual notesCustomizable system prompts for personalized note-takingLocal storage of notes and transcripts for privacy
Meetingnotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Spinach is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Records both microphone and system audio for meeting capture
AI notes and summaries for recurring meetings
Standout feature
Real-time transcription using the OpenAI API
Standup, retro, and planning support
Team usage
AI summaries that combine transcripts with manual notes
Drafts tickets and updates for project tools
Integrations
Customizable system prompts for personalized note-taking
Recording and transcription
Languages & capture
Local storage of notes and transcripts for privacy
Integrations with project-management tools
Best-fit workflow
Search, copy, and delete management for stored notes
AI notes and summaries for recurring meetings
Best for
Meetingnotes
Choose Meetingnotes if you need privacy-focused engineers recording and summarizing local meetings — strengths include completely free and open-source with no subscription.
Spinach
Choose Spinach if you need daily standups and sprint planning — strengths include built specifically for agile ceremonies.
Pros & cons
Meetingnotes
+ Completely free and open-source with no subscription
+ Local-first storage keeps meeting data on the user's device
- macOS only, with no Windows or mobile version
Spinach
+ Built specifically for agile ceremonies
+ Connects meeting outcomes to project tools
- Most valuable for agile/software workflows specifically
FAQ
Is Meetingnotes or Spinach better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Meetingnotes is strong for privacy-focused engineers recording and summarizing local meetings, while Spinach is strong for daily standups and sprint planning. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Meetingnotes and Spinach compare on price?
Meetingnotes is a free tier with paid upgrades and Spinach is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Can I use both Meetingnotes and Spinach?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.