MeetKeep vs MacWhisper

These two are the closest pair on this site: both transcribe locally on Apple Silicon, neither sends a bot, both are one-time purchases, and MacWhisper does detect meetings too (in beta — it notifies you and you click record). The difference is what happens after the call. MacWhisper hands you a transcript. MeetKeep hands you a library: recording that starts and stops itself, traceable notes with owners and due dates, voiceprints that carry between meetings, and search across all of it.

Facts verified on 2026-08-26

It records, rather than asking you toMacWhisper’s meeting detection is in beta: it shows a notification that dismisses itself after ten seconds, and its docs suggest recording important meetings manually. MeetKeep just starts, then stops and processes once everyone leaves.

Notes, not just a transcriptMeetKeep extracts decisions, action items, owners and due dates, each clickable back to the exact second of audio, plus a one-glance visual summary. MacWhisper gives you the transcript.

Voiceprints across meetingsMacWhisper Pro separates speakers, but “Speaker 1” and “Speaker 2” mean nothing outside that one transcript. MeetKeep enrols a voiceprint once and names that person in every meeting after.

Head to head

Feature	MeetKeepLocal meeting notetaker for MacFacts verified on 2026-08-26 ↗	MacWhisperLocal transcription, one-timeFacts verified on 2026-08-27 ↗
Privacy & data
No bot joins the call	YesCaptures system audio, never joins	YesRecords system audio (App Audio is Pro)
Where audio is transcribed	On-device (never uploaded)	On-device
Works offline	Yes	Yes
Audio/transcripts used for training?	NoData never leaves your Mac	NoData never leaves the Mac
Pricing
Pricing model	$39 one-time	€65 one-time (Pro)Site says €64; Gumroad charges €65
First-year cost (individual paid tier)	$39	€65
Every year after	$0 — free updates forever	€0 — lifetime updates
Free tier	14-day full trial	Free forever (mic only, no speaker separation)
Transcription & notes
Speaker separation	Yes	YesPro tier; on-device needs an M-series Mac
Voiceprint recognition across meetings	YesLocal voiceprints; any platform, and in person	Not verified
Notes traceable back to the audio	Yes	Not verified
Transcription languages	Chinese, English + 25 European languages	Not verified
Platform
Native Mac app	YesApple Silicon, macOS 15+	YesmacOS only
Mobile app	No	PartialiOS is a separate app (Whisper Transcription, subscription)
Bring your own AI key (BYOK)	YesAny provider; only text is sent	PartialAI features can use your own services
Individuals can buy directly	Yes	Yes

Prices and features belong to their vendors. Each column shows when it was last verified — spot something stale and we would like to hear about it.

Which one is for you

Choose MeetKeep if…

You want the notes waiting when the meeting ends, not a transcription job to run.

You need decisions and action items extracted and traceable back to the audio.

You want the same person named automatically across meetings.

You want a searchable meeting library, not a folder of transcripts.

Try MeetKeep free for 14 days

MacWhisper is the better fit if…

Your day is transcribing all kinds of audio and video, not just meetings. That is its home turf, and it is very good at it.

You want a free-forever tier to start with (microphone only, no speaker separation).

You want finer control over transcription: model choice, batch jobs, subtitle formats.

You transcribe on iPhone or iPad. There is a separate iOS app, sold by subscription.

Where they win, we say so. An all-green table is worth nothing.

What three years cost

MeetKeep$39

One purchase. Updates free forever.

MacWhisper≈$70

€65 at checkout (the site lists €64), also with lifetime updates.

Both are one-time purchases, so this compares single payments. The euro figure is converted roughly, for scale only.

Questions

Both run locally — is there any privacy difference?

For transcription there is no meaningful difference — neither sends audio off your Mac, and we are happy to say so. Two things worth knowing: capturing system audio is a Pro feature in MacWhisper (the free tier records only the microphone), and its on-device speaker recognition needs an M-series Mac, otherwise it routes through ElevenLabs or Deepgram. For the AI notes step both bring your own key and send only text.

I already own MacWhisper — is this worth it?

If your routine today is record it, run the transcription, then read it through and write it up, MeetKeep removes all three steps. If you only transcribe the occasional file, MacWhisper already covers you, and there is no reason to buy twice.

Is the $39 really the whole price?

$39 once, two Macs, free updates forever, a 14-day trial and a 14-day refund. AI notes use your own API key — only text is sent to the provider you choose, never audio.

Your next meeting, just show up

14-day full-featured trial. No credit card, no subscription.

Download for Mac See all 12 tools compared

macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon · $39 once