OpenOats and StenoAI are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. OpenOats: Open-source macOS meeting note-taker that transcribes calls locally and surfaces relevant talking points from your own notes in real time. 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 OpenOats when getting live, context-aware prompts from your own notes during sales or customer calls 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.
Open-source macOS meeting note-taker that transcribes calls locally and surfaces relevant talking points from your own notes in real time.
Auto-saved transcripts and session logs to local filesLive retrieval of relevant talking points from your own notes during meetingsMIT-licensed, self-hostable Swift application
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
OpenOats 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.
Real-time local transcription of both sides of a conversation on Apple Silicon
On-device transcription with Parakeet TDT v3 (Apple Silicon) or Whisper models
Standout feature
Live retrieval of relevant talking points from your own notes during meetings
System audio and microphone capture via native Core Audio Tap (no bots)
Team usage
Window hidden from screen sharing by default for privacy on calls
Real-time on-screen speaker labels distinguishing you from others
Integrations
Auto-saved transcripts and session logs to local files
Local LLM summaries through Ollama, with remote Ollama server support
Languages & capture
Works fully local via Ollama or with cloud models (OpenRouter, Voyage AI)
25 European languages live, up to 99 languages via Whisper after recording
Best-fit workflow
MIT-licensed, self-hostable Swift application
Markdown export of transcripts and summaries
Best for
OpenOats
Choose OpenOats if you need getting live, context-aware prompts from your own notes during sales or customer calls — strengths include local on-device transcription keeps meeting audio private.
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
OpenOats
+ Local on-device transcription keeps meeting audio private
+ Real-time note surfacing acts as a meeting copilot, not just a passive recorder
- Restricted to Apple Silicon Macs on recent macOS versions
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 OpenOats or StenoAI better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. OpenOats is strong for getting live, context-aware prompts from your own notes during sales or customer calls, while StenoAI is strong for capturing and summarizing confidential meetings without sending audio to the cloud. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do OpenOats and StenoAI compare on price?
OpenOats 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 OpenOats and StenoAI?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.