Aside

Aside is a macOS application that records calls without a bot, transcribes audio on-device and generates meeting notes.

Aside is a macOS application designed to record and transcribe calls directly on your Mac without sending audio to servers. It captures audio from your microphone and system sound, meaning no recording bot ever joins your meetings on platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, or FaceTime. The app processes speech locally using an on-device speech model and offers optional live guidance to help you navigate conversations with prepared answers and goals that fill in as you speak. When the call ends, Aside produces a summary, reaches goals, lists next steps, and drafts a follow-up email. Users can also type quick notes during the call that integrate directly into the transcript. Audio and voiceprints remain on the device and are never used to train artificial intelligence models.

Aside at a glance

Best for: Founder, Sales, Support
Runs on: macOS
Pricing: Free plan; Pro $15/month or $12/month billed yearly; Team coming soon at $16 billed yearly from 3 people
Released: October 2026
Category: AI productivity tool
Website: asidehq.app

Key features

Record calls on your Mac without a bot
Transcribe audio on-device
Provide live call guidance
Add quick notes timed to the second
Generate summaries and follow-up emails
Suggest speaker names from audio clues
Sync transcripts and notes to your account

Use it for

Taking meeting notes without a bot joining the call
Getting live guidance and answers during sales calls
Generating call summaries and follow-up emails
Transcribing conversations locally on a Mac

Alternatives to Aside

Listener — On-device transcription and summaries using Apple Intelligence with no cloud servers
Meetily — It keeps all transcription and audio processing 100% local on your device.
Otter — Live transcription with speaker labels, free to start
Assist — It runs invisibly in your MacBook notch to handle live meeting transcripts.
Fathom — Unlimited free recordings and summaries, with bot-free capture
SpeechShield — Provides answers from your resume and notes hidden from screen shares.
Parrot — Records calls locally with no bot and suggests answers from documents mid-call.
Off the Record — Reshapes your voice locally so people hear you normally while AI gets unreadable output.
MeetNote — Runs fully on-device or with your own AI API key with no account required.
Remind — It takes over every display at meeting time with an unavoidable full-screen alert and briefing.
Granola — Meeting notes without a bot, mixed with the user's own notes
getcta.store — It keeps your eyes near the camera lens and follows your voice automatically.

All Aside alternatives