Shadow and TeamRetro 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. TeamRetro: Purpose-built online tool for running agile retrospectives, team health checks, and planning poker with AI-assisted idea grouping and summaries. 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 TeamRetro when running sprint or project retrospectives for distributed agile teams 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
Purpose-built online tool for running agile retrospectives, team health checks, and planning poker with AI-assisted idea grouping and summaries.
Action-item tracking carried across sessionsAI-assisted automatic grouping of similar ideas into themesAI-generated retrospective summaries (when enabled by the organization)
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); TeamRetro 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
Guided retrospective workflow with anonymous input, grouping, and dot voting
Standout feature
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
AI-assisted automatic grouping of similar ideas into themes
Team usage
Speaker identification during transcription
AI-generated retrospective summaries (when enabled by the organization)
Integrations
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Recurring team health checks with trend and sentiment tracking over time
Languages & capture
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Large library of retrospective templates and icebreaker activities
Best-fit workflow
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
Action-item tracking carried across sessions
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.
TeamRetro
Choose TeamRetro if you need running sprint or project retrospectives for distributed agile teams — strengths include purpose-built for retrospectives rather than a repurposed generic whiteboard.
Pros & cons
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
TeamRetro
+ Purpose-built for retrospectives rather than a repurposed generic whiteboard
+ AI grouping and summaries reduce facilitation overhead during retros
- Focused on agile retrospectives and team health, so it is narrower than a general meeting assistant
FAQ
Is Shadow or TeamRetro 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 TeamRetro is strong for running sprint or project retrospectives for distributed agile teams. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Shadow and TeamRetro compare on price?
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades and TeamRetro 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 TeamRetro?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.