A useful meeting note should help you remember the conversation without leaving you wondering where the recording went. Start with your privacy requirements, then choose the workflow that fits.
This is a criteria-led shortlist, not a claim that one app is the market's most private or an independent review. We are lilMONSTER, the maker of lilKiTTY. Our product facts cover release 1.8.1.[1] Competitor details come from documentation accessed on 17 October 2026, not hands-on accuracy or security tests. Cloud options appear here as alternatives with different privacy boundaries, not as equivalents to on-device processing.
The criteria to check first
Before comparing AI features, write down your non-negotiables:
- Processing: must both audio and transcript stay on your device, or can an approved provider process them?
- Retention: do you want replayable recordings? When should recordings, transcripts and deleted notes disappear?
- Training: distinguish permission to process a meeting from permission to use it for model improvement.
- Sharing: who can open the note, and what happens when you export it or connect another service?
- Capture: test your actual setup, including headphones, room microphones and the device you will use.
- Review: check names, decisions and action owners before treating AI output as the meeting record.
Compare the same workflow on both sides. Offline recording is not proof of offline transcription, and encrypted cloud storage is not the same promise as no cloud processing.
At-a-glance comparison
These are documented capabilities and editorial fit judgments. An unverified feature should not be read as an absent feature.
| App or configuration | Processing boundary | Useful fit | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| lilKiTTY 1.8.1 | Encrypted on-device audio; on-device transcription.[1] | Apple capture, templates and confirmed actions.[1] | Live transcript requires iOS 26+; Apple Intelligence features depend on availability.[1] |
| Minutes, configured locally | Local transcription and a selectable local summarizer.[3][4] | Markdown ownership and configurable tools.[2] | Cloud summarizers are optional; inspect your configuration.[4] |
| Apple Notes, iOS 26 | Records and transcribes; Apple Intelligence can use Private Cloud Compute.[5][7] | An Apple Notes workflow you already use. | Check account, backup and AI settings.[6][7] |
| Granola | External transcription/AI providers; cloud-stored notes and transcripts.[8] | Notes without retained meeting-audio playback.[8] | Own-model training settings need review.[9] |
| Otter.ai | Cloud processing and stored recordings/transcripts.[10] | Meeting-bot or desktop bot-free capture.[11][18] | Policy permits proprietary model training; transcripts may contain personal information.[10] |
| Fireflies.ai | Cloud processing; default US storage.[12] | Teams choosing cloud capture workflows.[14] | No-training policy is not a no-storage promise.[12][13] |
| Notion AI Meeting Notes | External processing within a workspace workflow.[15] | Agenda-aware summaries with transcript citations.[15] | Requires an eligible plan; no offline support.[15] |
The shortlist, by use case
lilKiTTY: for an Apple-focused local workflow
lilKiTTY records meetings and voice notes, transcribes on-device after saving, and needs no account. It has no cloud processing of audio or transcripts and no analytics.[1]
Meeting templates, related meetings, folders and saved questions help organise the record. Tasks, reminders and calendar events are created only when you confirm. Apple Watch supports instant capture.[1] Apple Intelligence titles and enhancement are available where supported; don't assume every device has them.[1]
Minutes: for people who want configurable local tools
Minutes here means the open-source silverstein/minutes project.[2] It documents Markdown records and command-line tooling.[2] Local transcription and local Ollama summarization offer a local configuration, while other summarizer choices can send authorised context to external providers.[3][4] The configuration and summarization sources describe revision 468b353fa717a7e641f89a2a6fc90ae4992d7afd, not a hands-on test of every release.[3][4]
It deserves a place beside commercial apps, especially if file ownership and configuration matter more to you than avoiding technical setup. Review the selected endpoint rather than relying on the phrase "local-first" alone.[4]
Apple Notes: for an existing notes habit
On iOS 26, Apple Notes records and transcribes audio, with recording summaries when Apple Intelligence is enabled.[5] Try that workflow before adding another app if it covers your needs.
The privacy boundary takes care: "On My iPhone" notes can be included in iCloud device backups, and Apple Intelligence can route complex requests to Private Cloud Compute.[6][7] Apple's general privacy documentation does not establish the route taken by a particular Notes summary.[7]
Granola: for notes without an audio archive
Granola says it does not retain meeting audio for playback, while notes and transcripts remain cloud-stored.[8] External services handle transcription and AI processing.[8] That distinction matters if your concern is a retained recording rather than all remote processing.
Its third-party providers cannot train on customer data under its stated policy.[9] Granola may use anonymised Free/Business data for its own model improvements by default; users can opt out, and Enterprise is opted out by default.[9]
Otter.ai: for flexible cloud capture
Otter documents both a meeting notetaker that joins calls and bot-free desktop capture.[11][18] Choose it for those documented capture options if your organisation accepts its processing terms, not because a missing bot implies local AI.
Its privacy policy allows proprietary model training on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions, which it warns may contain personal information.[10] Its security FAQ separately says it de-identifies user data before training its own models and prohibits AI-service-provider training.[19] Do not treat those different statements as a blanket guarantee that every transcript is anonymous. Read the applicable agreement alongside your workplace requirements before using it for sensitive conversations.
Fireflies.ai: for cloud workflows with a no-training policy
Fireflies states that meeting content does not train internal or external AI models.[13] That is a meaningful policy commitment, but its own service still stores meeting data.[12] Its privacy policy directs business customers to separate agreements governing their User Content; review the terms that apply to your organisation.[13]
Capture mode changes the record: its bot-free desktop system-audio mode produces transcripts and summaries without saving separate audio/video files.[14] Enterprise storage options also need careful reading: the documentation says EU-stored data is still processed in the US.[12]
Notion: for teams already working in its workspace
Notion's summaries can use agenda notes and include citations that jump to transcript lines.[15] Those are useful reasons to prefer it when reviewing a meeting together.
Meeting Notes requires Business, Enterprise or an eligible mobile subscription including Notion AI; it uses external processing and has no offline support.[15] Notion says customer data is not used for model training by default.[16] Check page permissions and optional participant auto-sharing before assuming a meeting note is private to its creator.[15]
Who should pick which
- Choose lilKiTTY if encrypted local audio, on-device transcription and user-confirmed actions match your Apple workflow.[1]
- Prefer Minutes if configurable summarizers and owned Markdown files matter most.[2][4]
- Try Apple Notes first if its recording and transcript workflow is enough for you.[5]
- Prefer Notion for transcript-linked summaries inside an existing workspace; consider Granola when you specifically do not want retained audio playback.[15][8]
- Consider Otter or Fireflies when their documented cloud capture options fit your organisation's approved workflow.[18][14]
Ask before recording
Explain what will be captured, how it will be processed, who will receive it and how long you intend to keep it. Ask everyone involved; if anyone objects, stop and use ordinary notes. This is our conservative recommendation, not a statement that every jurisdiction has identical consent rules.
Check applicable law and workplace policy separately. Australian privacy guidance specifically discusses AI meeting minutes and recommends seeking consent as best practice because sensitive information can arise unexpectedly.[17]
FAQ
Which app should I shortlist if transcripts must stay local?
Start with lilKiTTY's documented release facts and Minutes configured with local transcription and a local summarizer.[1][3][4] Check the entire workflow, including exports and any connected destinations.
Does bot-free mean private or offline?
No. Granola uses external processing despite device capture, and Fireflies offers bot-free desktop capture within its cloud service.[8][14] Capture method and processing location are separate questions.
Does a no-training promise mean nothing is retained?
No. Fireflies states a no-training policy while documenting stored meeting data.[13][12] Check retention, deletion and model-training terms separately.
Can Apple Notes replace a dedicated meeting app?
It may cover your needs: iOS 26 supports audio recording, transcription and Apple Intelligence summaries where available.[5] Compare your real workflow and review backup and AI settings before deciding.[6][7]
Which app has the most accurate transcription?
This comparison cannot establish that. We did not run a like-for-like accuracy test. Try an authorised sample with your language, microphone and meeting setup, then inspect names, decisions and action owners yourself.
Sources
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