Memento vs Trace
Trace is the app closest to Memento: a Mac meeting recorder with no bot, no account and on-device transcripts and summaries. The differences are in the price, the extras and how you get your meetings into other tools.
| Memento | Trace | |
|---|---|---|
| No bot joins the call | ✓ Records the Mac's audio | ✓ Records the Mac's audio |
| Audio and transcript stay on your Mac | ✓ Transcript, summary and search run on the Mac | ✓ Transcripts and summaries on the Mac |
| Works without an account | ✓ No sign-up | ✓ No sign-up |
| Price | $9.99 once, 7 days free | $39.99 once on the Mac App Store; also on Setapp |
| Your AI assistant can read your meetings (MCP) | ✓ Local, no account: Claude, Codex, Cursor, LM Studio | ✗ Not listed; has a command-line tool and Shortcuts |
| Live notes during the call | ✓ Live transcript, notes and insights | ✓ Flagged moments and a live recap |
| Platforms | Mac only (Apple silicon) | Mac only (Apple silicon, macOS 14.4 or later) |
Where Trace fits better
- Your Mac runs macOS 14 or 15: Memento needs macOS 26.
- You want exports to Word, PDF or subtitles and to send sessions to Obsidian, Bear or Things.
- You want an app that sends no usage data at all (Memento sends anonymous counts you can turn off).
Why people pick Memento
- $9.99 once instead of $39.99.
- Claude, Codex, Cursor or LM Studio can search and read your meetings directly (MCP), not just a copied transcript.
- A live view during the call: transcript, your notes and insights every minute. Plus people, projects and tasks sent to Reminders.
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 Prices and features change; if something is out of date, write to unaigaraymaestre@gmail.com.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: Trace on the Mac App Store, setapp.com/apps/trace. Trace is a trademark of its owner. Memento is not affiliated with it.