The options, side by side
Checked against each project's own site, documentation, and releases on October 26, 2026:
| App | Linux | Windows | Transcription | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LokalBot | Native app, alpha: .deb, .rpm, Arch package, or archive | Native app, alpha | On your computer by default | GPLv3 |
| OpenWhispr | Native app: AppImage, .deb, .rpm, or archive | Native app | On your device or in the cloud; setup recommends its cloud | MIT |
| Anarlog (formerly Hyprnote) | Native app, beta | Native app, beta | On your device only on Macs; elsewhere a cloud service or a server you run | MIT, with commercial enterprise parts |
| Meetily | Build from source; a Pro Linux app is in development | Native app | On your device | MIT for the Community Edition; Pro is commercial |
| Screenpipe | AppImage | Native app | On your device by default | Source-available; commercial use needs a license |
| Granola | None; the web app can't record | Native app | Cloud | Proprietary |
| Otter | Web app and Chrome extension | Native app | Cloud | Proprietary |
| Fireflies | Web app and Chrome extension | Native app | Cloud | Proprietary |
All of them can record without a bot joining the call. Otter and Fireflies send a notetaker bot by default; their desktop apps and browser extensions record without one.
What to check before you choose
- Where transcription runs by default. Some apps are local only on a Mac, and some recommend their cloud during setup. If audio must stay on your computer, check the setting for meetings, dictation, and file uploads separately.
- What's free. Speaker labels, meeting detection, longer meetings, and MCP access for AI tools are paid features in some apps.
- How agents reach your notes. A local MCP server reads the library on your computer. A hosted one needs your notes in the vendor's cloud.
- Open source or source-available. MIT and GPLv3 let anyone use, change, and share the code; a source-available license can restrict commercial use.
- Your desktop. On Linux, Wayland limits what any app can do with global shortcuts, typing into other apps, and screen capture. Check what works on your desktop before you rely on it.
Where LokalBot fits
LokalBot records, transcribes, and summarizes on your computer by default, and asks before any context goes to a remote server. Speaker separation, meeting detection, cited answers, and a local read-only MCP server are free, and the same app keeps a timeline of your day, dictation, and autocomplete. Its Windows and Linux apps are in alpha: see Linux and Windows for what works today.