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LokalBot vs Hyprnote

Hyprnote is the closest cousin on this list: open-source, local-first meeting notes — it helped prove the category. In 2026 the app was renamed anarlog, and the team's newest product is Char, a separate cloud-era notepad in private beta (hyprnote.com now lands on char.com). The open-source notetaker remains maintained, and it's good. Here's how LokalBot differs.

Last verified July 2026 · spot something outdated? Open an issue.

Feature	LokalBot	Hyprnote (anarlog)
Scope	Workspace: meetings + dictation + day timeline + autocomplete + chat + CLI	Meeting notetaker with markdown notes
Local transcription	Neural Engine — Granite, Parakeet, or Whisper-family	On-device
Summaries / LLM	Local llama.cpp built in — works with no keys and no setup	Bring your own: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter — or local via Ollama / LM Studio
Cloud path	None by default — no account, no API keys	Optional cloud LLMs through your own API keys
Notes on disk	SQLite library with full-text and vector search	Markdown files — easy to sync or put in git
System-wide dictation	Hold ⌥ Space in any app	No
Day timeline	Opt-in screenshots + OCR with app tracking	No
Writing autocomplete	Cotyping ghost text	No
License	GPLv3 — every fork's improvements stay open	MIT — permissive; forks may go closed
Direction	Independent, on-device only	Maintained; the company's focus now includes Char, a cloud notepad in private beta
Platforms	macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon	Releases per platform on GitHub

Pick Hyprnote (anarlog) if…

A kindred project with different choices — all defensible.

Markdown files on disk are your organizing principle — sync via git, iCloud, anything
You already run Ollama or have LLM API keys you like
You prefer the MIT license, or you're not on an Apple Silicon Mac

Pick LokalBot if…

Local AI with the batteries included, and a wider brief.

You want zero setup: recommended models in-app, no keys, no separate LLM runner
You want meetings plus dictation, a day timeline, and autocomplete
Copyleft matters: GPLv3 keeps every fork's improvements open
You want everything searchable in one place — transcripts, notes, and your screen

Questions

The short answers.

Aren't you basically the same project?

We overlap on the part that matters — local, bot-free meeting notes — and that's a good thing; the category needs more of it. We differ on scope (a workspace vs a notetaker), on shipped local AI vs bring-your-own model, and on license.

What's Char?

The new product from Hyprnote's team, backed by Y Combinator: an AI notepad in private beta at char.com. It's separate from the open-source anarlog app, which the team says remains maintained.

Why GPLv3 instead of MIT?

Copyleft. Anyone can fork LokalBot, but improvements have to stay open. For an app that hears your meetings and reads your screen, we want the audit path to survive every fork — the code you can read should always be the code you run.

Download

Local AI, batteries included.

Free and open source. Models download on first use; built-in inference then works offline.

Download for macOS

.dmg installer · all releases and notes

Hyprnote, anarlog, and Char are trademarks of their owners; LokalBot is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Details are based on their public repository and sites as of July 2026 — if something here is wrong or out of date, open an issue and we'll fix it.