Shadow and Speakr are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. Speakr: Self-hosted web app for transcribing meeting recordings with diarization, summaries, action items, per-recording chat, and library-wide semantic search. 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 Shadow when capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining matters most, and Speakr when privacy-conscious teams self-hosting transcription and summaries for internal meetings matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant.
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participantCaptures on-screen content in addition to spoken audioCustomizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Self-hosted web app for transcribing meeting recordings with diarization, summaries, action items, per-recording chat, and library-wide semantic search.
Configurable AI models compatible with OpenAI, OpenRouter, and local modelsCustomizable summaries plus an action-items view for decisions and tasksMulti-user support with SSO, group workspaces, and admin dashboard
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Speakr is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant
Self-hosted transcription with automatic language detection
Standout feature
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
Optional AI-powered speaker diarization
Team usage
Speaker identification during transcription
Customizable summaries plus an action-items view for decisions and tasks
Integrations
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Per-recording chat and an Inquire Mode for semantic search across the whole library
Languages & capture
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
System and browser-tab audio capture
Best-fit workflow
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
Multi-user support with SSO, group workspaces, and admin dashboard
Best for
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.
Speakr
Choose Speakr if you need privacy-conscious teams self-hosting transcription and summaries for internal meetings — strengths include runs entirely on the user's own infrastructure for full data control.
Pros & cons
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
Speakr
+ Runs entirely on the user's own infrastructure for full data control
+ Action-item extraction and per-recording chat go beyond plain transcripts
- Current releases are alpha-stage and may not be production-stable
FAQ
Is Shadow or Speakr better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining, while Speakr is strong for privacy-conscious teams self-hosting transcription and summaries for internal meetings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Shadow and Speakr compare on price?
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades and Speakr 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 Shadow and Speakr?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.