Meeting transcription apps, compared

Some apps transcribe on your computer, others upload every meeting to a server. Local is private by default and works offline. Cloud apps can lean on bigger models and do more with the transcript afterward.

A bot that joins the call is visible to everyone and needs an invite. Apps that record your computer's audio work with any call app, and nobody sees a notetaker in the participant list.

Speaker labels are what make a transcript readable. Check whether they come from a real diarization model or only split you from everyone else, and whether that runs on your computer.

Notetakers like Granola, Otter and Fireflies are built around AI summaries. Transcription apps like Glimpse and MacWhisper are built around an accurate, searchable transcript you can export and use however you like.

If you also want to talk instead of type the rest of the day, an app that does both saves you a second subscription and a second shortcut to remember.

You want meetings and dictation in one open-source app on Mac and Windows, all on your computer, with NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Diarization for speaker labels. Dictation is free and recording is a one-time license. You don't get AI summaries.

You're on a Mac and mostly transcribe files, with watched folders, translation and lots of export formats. It uses the same speaker model as Glimpse. Glimpse vs MacWhisper.

You want an open-source app with dictation, meetings and AI notes, including on Linux, and don't mind a monthly cap on free meeting hours.

You want polished AI modes for dictation and meetings, on desktop and phone. Glimpse vs Superwhisper.

You're fine with the cloud and want dictation and a notetaker on every device, phone included. Glimpse vs Wispr Flow.

You want AI meeting notes, summaries and action items more than the transcript itself, and you're happy for your meetings to be processed in the cloud.

Glimpse, MacWhisper and OpenWhispr can transcribe meetings and label speakers locally. Superwhisper has local models for transcription. Wispr Flow, Granola, Otter and Fireflies transcribe in the cloud. Krisp depends on your plan and language.

Glimpse, MacWhisper, OpenWhispr, Superwhisper, Wispr Flow, Granola and Krisp record your computer's audio, so nothing joins the call. Otter and Fireflies join with a bot by default, and their desktop apps can also record without one.

Glimpse and MacWhisper both label speakers with NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Diarization, running on your computer, for up to 8 speakers. Glimpse runs it on Mac and Windows, and MacWhisper on Mac with a Pro license.

Glimpse and OpenWhispr are both open source and run on Windows. Glimpse keeps dictation free and unlimited, and recording meetings comes with a two-week free trial, then a one-time license. OpenWhispr's free plan includes 5 hours of meetings a month.

Glimpse, MacWhisper, OpenWhispr, Superwhisper and Wispr Flow do both. Glimpse is the one that's open source, runs on Mac and Windows, and keeps dictation free and unlimited, with transcription and speaker labels on your computer.