Meetingnotes and StenoAI 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. StenoAI: Open-source desktop app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings entirely on-device with no bots, subscriptions, or cloud processing. 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 StenoAI when capturing and summarizing confidential meetings without sending audio to the cloud 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
Open-source desktop app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings entirely on-device with no bots, subscriptions, or cloud processing.
25 European languages live, up to 99 languages via Whisper after recordingLocal LLM summaries through Ollama, with remote Ollama server supportMarkdown export of transcripts and summaries
Meetingnotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); StenoAI 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
On-device transcription with Parakeet TDT v3 (Apple Silicon) or Whisper models
Standout feature
Real-time transcription using the OpenAI API
System audio and microphone capture via native Core Audio Tap (no bots)
Team usage
AI summaries that combine transcripts with manual notes
Real-time on-screen speaker labels distinguishing you from others
Integrations
Customizable system prompts for personalized note-taking
Local LLM summaries through Ollama, with remote Ollama server support
Languages & capture
Local storage of notes and transcripts for privacy
25 European languages live, up to 99 languages via Whisper after recording
Best-fit workflow
Search, copy, and delete management for stored notes
Markdown export of transcripts and summaries
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.
StenoAI
Choose StenoAI if you need capturing and summarizing confidential meetings without sending audio to the cloud — strengths include fully local, bot-free capture with no cloud processing or subscriptions for core use.
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
StenoAI
+ Fully local, bot-free capture with no cloud processing or subscriptions for core use
+ MIT-licensed and open source, with active 2026 releases
- Primary support is macOS on Apple Silicon; Windows build is alpha and Intel Mac support ended at v0.3.8
FAQ
Is Meetingnotes or StenoAI better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Meetingnotes is strong for privacy-focused engineers recording and summarizing local meetings, while StenoAI is strong for capturing and summarizing confidential meetings without sending audio to the cloud. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Meetingnotes and StenoAI compare on price?
Meetingnotes is a free tier with paid upgrades and StenoAI 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 StenoAI?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.