Memento vs MacWhisper
MacWhisper is a popular Mac app for transcribing anything: audio and video files, dictation and, in the Pro version, meetings. Transcription runs on your Mac; for AI summaries you can use a local model or connect a cloud provider with your own API key.
| Memento | MacWhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| No bot joins the call | ✓ Records the Mac's audio | ✓ Records the Mac's audio (Pro) |
| Audio and transcript stay on your Mac | ✓ Transcript, summary and search run on the Mac | ✓ Transcribes on the Mac; cloud AI only with your own key |
| Works without an account | ✓ No sign-up | ✓ No sign-up |
| Price | $9.99 once, 7 days free | Free version; Pro €64 once on its site; App Store version by subscription |
| Your AI assistant can read your meetings (MCP) | ✓ Local, no account: Claude, Codex, Cursor, LM Studio | ✗ Not listed; has a command-line tool and webhooks |
| Live notes during the call | ✓ Live transcript, notes and insights | Live dictation; meeting notes after the call |
| Platforms | Mac only (Apple silicon) | Mac, plus an iPhone and iPad app |
Where MacWhisper fits better
- You mostly transcribe files: podcasts, interviews, videos.
- You also want dictation in any app.
- You want to plug transcripts into Notion, Zapier, n8n or your own scripts.
Why people pick Memento
- Built around meetings: summary, tasks with owners, people, projects and Ask across your whole archive.
- Claude, Codex, Cursor or LM Studio can read your meetings directly, with no API key or cloud account.
- $9.99 once, all features included.
Free for 7 days · $9.99 onceChecked on November 3, 2026 against their public pages. Prices and features change; if something is out of date, write to unaigaraymaestre@gmail.com. Sources: macwhisper.com. MacWhisper is a trademark of its owner. Memento is not affiliated with it.