AI note taker for Mac: five options, and where each one keeps your meetings
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
An AI note taker listens to a meeting and writes the notes for you. On a Mac the real differences between them are not the summaries. They are whether a bot joins your call, whether the recording stays on your Mac, and what the free plan stops at. This page compares five on those points, using what each maker says on its own pages.
I built YapToText, a dictation app for the Mac. It is not a note taker: it does not join calls or record meetings. I include it only for the one job it does here, turning a recording into text on the Mac. Facts about the others come from their own help pages, linked from the pages named below.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The five, side by side
Each row is from that maker's own help pages, on the dates given on the linked pages here (October 5 to 11, 2026).
| Note taker | Joins as a bot | Where the meeting is kept | Speakers | Cost note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter | Yes, from your calendar | Otter's servers | Yes | Basic: 300 minutes a month, 30 per conversation |
| Granola | No. It listens to your microphone and system audio | See Granola's own pages | See Granola's own pages | See Granola's own pages |
| Wispr Flow Notetaker | Not described as a bot. It records on your computer | Wispr's cloud, with no opt-out | See its page here | Part of Wispr Flow, in beta |
| MacWhisper | No | On your Mac | Pro. Other participants are one speaker for now | Pro is a one-time license |
| superwhisper | No | On your Mac | Identify Speakers, with Pro | Pro |
Three questions to ask first
- Is a bot acceptable in your meetings. A bot that joins is visible to everyone and can be removed by the host. Some workplaces do not allow them. Otter's bot can be limited to meetings you pick.
- May the recording leave your Mac. Otter and Wispr Flow Notetaker store meetings on their servers. MacWhisper and superwhisper keep them on the Mac. Otter's own privacy answers are worth reading before you choose.
- Do you need notes, or a transcript. Notes with decisions and action items are what note takers add. If a transcript is enough, you do not need one.
The route with no note taker at all
Record the meeting in Zoom, Teams or Meet, with everyone's knowledge, and transcribe the file on your Mac afterward. YapToText does that for free, with no account and no minute limit, and gives plain text without speaker labels. You can then run the text through its Note mode to tidy it. The meeting transcription guide walks through it.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
A note taker and a dictation app are different tools
A note taker remembers what was said in a meeting. A dictation app types what you say, into any app, the rest of the day: the follow-up email, the ticket, the document. They do not conflict, and many people run one of each. Dictation against transcription explains the line between them.
The short version
- Most hands off. Otter, with a bot and a cloud copy.
- No bot. Granola, MacWhisper or superwhisper.
- Stays on the Mac. MacWhisper or superwhisper.
- Free and local. Record, then transcribe the file.
- Before you start. Tell people they are being recorded.
If one of these note takers changes, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360049722894-Otter-Quick-Start-Guide (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360047538094-Conversation-import-and-app-limits-on-the-Basic-free-plan (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/taking-notes/transcription (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/getting-more-from-your-notes/granola-chat-dictation-vs-transcription (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/managing-your-account/subscriptions-and-billing (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/consent-security-privacy/security-privacy-data-faqs (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://wisprflow.ai/pricing (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://www.macwhisper.com (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://docs.wisprflow.ai/articles/3665250541-getting-started-with-notetaker-beta (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.wisprflow.ai/articles/9238501024-recording-a-meeting-with-notetaker-beta (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.wisprflow.ai/articles/9319084321-notetaker-settings-explained-beta (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.wisprflow.ai/articles/1761520520-transcript-retention-syncing-and-deleting-meetings-in-notetaker-beta (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.wisprflow.ai/articles/9559327591-flow-plans-and-what-s-included (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/30-record-meetings (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
What is the best AI note taker for Mac?
It depends on where the meeting may be stored. Otter is the most automatic and keeps meetings on its servers. MacWhisper and superwhisper record on the Mac.
Is there an AI note taker for Mac that works without a bot?
Yes. Granola listens to your microphone and system audio, and MacWhisper and superwhisper record on the Mac. None of them joins the call as a participant.
Is there a free AI note taker for Mac?
Otter has a free Basic plan with 300 minutes a month. For a free local route, record the meeting and transcribe the file on your Mac.
Which AI note takers keep meetings on my Mac?
MacWhisper and superwhisper, by their own help pages. Otter and Wispr Flow Notetaker store meetings on their servers.
Is YapToText an AI note taker?
No. It is a dictation app that also transcribes audio and video files on the Mac. It does not record or join meetings.