Shadow and toruno 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. toruno: Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings. 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 toruno when japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations 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
Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings.
AI-generated summaries with customizable minutes templatesCombined transcription, audio recording, and screen capture of meetingsEnterprise security: two-factor authentication and IP restrictions
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); toruno 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
Combined transcription, audio recording, and screen capture of meetings
Standout feature
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
Real-time transcription via Windows desktop app, plus iPhone and file-upload capture
Team usage
Speaker identification during transcription
AI-generated summaries with customizable minutes templates
Integrations
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Japanese-first transcription with English and Chinese support on higher plans
Languages & capture
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Enterprise security: two-factor authentication and IP restrictions
Best-fit workflow
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
Per-user permission management over transcriptions
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.
toruno
Choose toruno if you need japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations — strengths include screen capture alongside transcript preserves visual context from meetings.
Pros & cons
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
toruno
+ Screen capture alongside transcript preserves visual context from meetings
+ Backed by Ricoh with enterprise security and administration controls
- Real-time transcription is tied to the Windows desktop app
FAQ
Is Shadow or toruno 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 toruno is strong for japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Shadow and toruno compare on price?
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades and toruno 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 toruno?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.