A quick, honest comparison of the popular AI note takers, and where an on-device, no-bot option fits if privacy matters to your team.
Tools like Otter.ai, Fireflies and Fathom are polished and popular. They also send a bot into your call and store your conversations on their servers. Granola dropped the bot, but still processes in the cloud. If privacy is the priority, that's the gap.
Backchannel is the on-device option: no bot, transcription and speaker labels on your Mac, and notes written to a location you own with an AI model you choose.
| Feature | Backchannel | Otter.ai | Fireflies | Fathom | Granola |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No bot joins the call | ✓ On-device audio | — Bot (OtterPilot) | — Bot | — Bot | ✓ On-device audio |
| Audio stays on your device | ✓ | — Cloud | — Cloud | — Cloud | — Cloud |
| Notes saved to a location you own | ✓ | — | — | — | Partly |
| Bring your own AI model / key | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Captures the shared screen | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Platform | macOS | Web/Mac/iOS | Web | Web | Mac/iOS |
Competitor details are summarized from public information and can change — check each vendor for the latest. Backchannel is in active development.
Otter, Fireflies and Fathom all have free tiers but record in the cloud via a bot. Backchannel is the on-device, no-bot option; it's in development — register for availability.
Granola and Backchannel both avoid a meeting bot. Backchannel goes further by keeping transcription and audio on your Mac.
One that processes on-device. Backchannel keeps recording, transcription and speaker labels local, and only sends notes to an AI model you choose.
Backchannel is in active development. Leave your details and we'll tell you the moment you can try it — no spam, just the launch.