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A MacWhisper alternative built for meetings
MacWhisper is a transcription workbench. Trace is a meeting recorder. Both stay on your Mac; the difference is the workflow.
MacWhisper has a deserved reputation. It turns audio into text on your Mac using Whisper, handles batches of files, YouTube links and subtitle exports, and keeps everything local. If your work is transcribing audio you already have, it is an excellent fit.
Trace narrows the job to one thing. You are in a meeting, you press a hotkey, and when you stop you get a clean markdown transcript ready to copy or open. It records your mic and the call audio as two separate tracks, shows a live recap while you talk, and lets you star key moments mid-call with a note attached.
Both apps transcribe on-device, so this is not a privacy argument. It is a workflow one. If you want a general transcription workbench, MacWhisper is the stronger tool. If you record meetings every day and want the shortest path from call to transcript, that is exactly the shape of Trace.
How they compare
| Feature | Trace | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Meetings, end to end. | Transcribing audio and video files of any kind. |
| Speech engine | Whisper large-v3-turbo by default, with two faster Parakeet options; all on-device. | Whisper models, on-device. |
| Meeting capture | One hotkey records mic and call audio as separate tracks. | System audio recording is one feature among many. |
| Live in meeting | Live recap, plus starred key moments with notes. | Real-time transcription of system audio. |
| Summary | Optional on-device summary from Trace’s own local model, folding in your key moments. | Optional AI features, including cloud integrations you choose. |
| Pricing | One-time purchase (from £29). | Free tier; Pro is a separate one-time unlock. |
| Output | Markdown you can copy or drag out, plus PDF, Word, HTML and subtitle exports, with the raw session files yours to keep. | Exports to text, subtitle and other formats. |
FAQ
Is MacWhisper private too?
Yes. MacWhisper transcribes on-device, like Trace. This comparison is about workflow rather than privacy. Trace is built around recording meetings as they happen; MacWhisper is built around transcribing audio you already have.
Why choose Trace over MacWhisper for meetings?
The whole app is shaped around the call. One hotkey starts recording, your mic and the meeting audio stay on separate tracks so who said what is clear, a live recap runs while you talk, and the markdown transcript is one click from your clipboard the moment transcription finishes.
Can Trace transcribe audio files I already have?
Yes. Trace imports audio and video files (wav, mp3, m4a, mp4, mov and more) and transcribes them on-device just like a recording, summary included. Live meetings are still the main event, but your existing files are covered.
Is Trace a subscription?
No. Trace is a one-time purchase, from £29 direct or £39 on the Mac App Store, with no recurring fee.
Get Trace
Built for the meetings you are already in. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Compare
- Otter alternative: Record on your Mac with no bot in the call, transcribed on-device.
- Offline transcription for Mac: Everything stays on your machine, and it works with the network off.
- Granola alternative: The same record-the-meeting simplicity, without the cloud notebook.
- No-bot transcription: Capture system audio with no extra participant in Zoom, Meet or Teams.
- Fireflies alternative: No notetaker joining your calls, and nothing sent to a cloud.
- Record Zoom meetings: A hotkey instead of recording permissions, transcribed on-device.
- Transcribe Teams meetings: No admin policies, no notification banner, transcribed on your Mac.
- Transcribe Google Meet: Works on any Meet call, any plan, straight from the browser tab.
Related guides
- Transcribe a recording you have: Turn an existing audio or video file into text, without uploading it.
- How accurate is transcription?: What modern speech models get right, what trips them up, and how to improve the result.
- All guides: the full library of how-tos and explainers.