Minutes and Tana are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Minutes: Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents. Tana: AI workspace with a bot-less meeting notetaker that transcribes and summarizes meetings directly into a connected knowledge base. 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 Minutes when building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query matters most, and Tana when transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents.
Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extractionLocal transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio uploadmacOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode
Minutes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Tana is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Local transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio upload
Bot-less meeting capture using computer system audio
Standout feature
Speaker diarization to attribute who said what
Transcription and AI summaries for online and in-person meetings
Team usage
Plain-markdown output with YAML frontmatter stored on your own disk
Action items pushed directly to task boards in the workspace
Integrations
MCP server exposing tools so AI agents can query meeting history
Links meeting notes to relevant people and projects
Languages & capture
Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction
Automatic meeting detection on Mac
Best-fit workflow
macOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode
60+ language support with automatic detection
Best for
Minutes
Choose Minutes if you need building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query — strengths include fully local-first and mit licensed, keeping conversation data private and portable.
Tana
Choose Tana if you need transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call — strengths include captures meetings without adding a bot to the call.
Pros & cons
Minutes
+ Fully local-first and MIT licensed, keeping conversation data private and portable
+ Markdown-on-disk format syncs through existing cloud-drive tools and avoids lock-in
- Desktop app is macOS-only; Windows and Linux are limited to the CLI
Tana
+ Captures meetings without adding a bot to the call
+ Meeting notes flow into a connected, structured knowledge base
- Requires the Tana desktop app and adopting its outliner workflow
FAQ
Is Minutes or Tana better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Minutes is strong for building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query, while Tana is strong for transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Minutes and Tana compare on price?
Minutes is a free tier with paid upgrades and Tana 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 Minutes and Tana?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.