Spinach and StenoAI are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Spinach: AI meeting assistant for agile teams that helps run standups, takes notes, and creates summaries and tickets. 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 Spinach when daily standups and sprint planning 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.
Spinach 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.
On-device transcription with Parakeet TDT v3 (Apple Silicon) or Whisper models
Standout feature
Standup, retro, and planning support
System audio and microphone capture via native Core Audio Tap (no bots)
Team usage
Drafts tickets and updates for project tools
Real-time on-screen speaker labels distinguishing you from others
Integrations
Recording and transcription
Local LLM summaries through Ollama, with remote Ollama server support
Languages & capture
Integrations with project-management tools
25 European languages live, up to 99 languages via Whisper after recording
Best-fit workflow
AI notes and summaries for recurring meetings
Markdown export of transcripts and summaries
Best for
Spinach
Choose Spinach if you need daily standups and sprint planning — strengths include built specifically for agile ceremonies.
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
Spinach
+ Built specifically for agile ceremonies
+ Connects meeting outcomes to project tools
- Most valuable for agile/software workflows specifically
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 Spinach or StenoAI better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Spinach is strong for daily standups and sprint planning, while StenoAI is strong for capturing and summarizing confidential meetings without sending audio to the cloud. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Spinach and StenoAI compare on price?
Spinach 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 Spinach and StenoAI?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.