NoteOwl vs Bluedot

A Bluedot alternative that keeps meeting notes on your Mac

NoteOwl is a Bluedot alternative for Mac that keeps your meetings on your computer: like Bluedot, no bot joins the call, but NoteOwl transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself.

It works the same with or without internet, recognises voices in any call app and adds free dictation into every app — and you pay once instead of subscribing.

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What did you promise in your last meeting? NoteOwl remembers (0:51).
Read the transcript

Quick question. What did you actually promise in your last meeting? …Yeah. Me neither.

This is NoteOwl. It’s a Mac app that takes notes on your calls. And no, there’s no bot joining your meeting.

The second the call ends, it’s written everything up. What got decided. Who’s doing what. And by when.

All those promises end up in one list. What you owe people… and what they owe you.

And here’s the part that got me. You can just ask it. “What changed on the Ferncastle pilot?” And it shows you exactly where that came from.

The whole thing runs on your Mac. Nothing gets uploaded. It even works with the Wi-Fi off.

NoteOwl. It’s free to download. Try it on your next call.

Why choose NoteOwl over Bluedot?

Because your meetings never leave your Mac, everything works the same with or without internet, and you pay once. On top of that you get free dictation in every app, voices recognised in any call, and a memory you can ask — offline.

  • Your meetings stay on your Mac

    Recording, transcription, summaries and chat all run on your Mac with on-device AI models, and nothing is uploaded. Bluedot stores meetings on AWS and uses AI providers for its AI features.[1]

  • The same online or offline

    Every feature works with Wi-Fi off, Chat included, after the one-time model download.

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. Bluedot Basic is $14 a month per user, billed annually.[2]

  • Voices recognised, on your Mac

    Speakers are separated in any call app. Name a voice once and it’s recognised in every meeting after; the voice profile stays on your Mac.

  • Nothing to cancel

    Pay once, and your recordings, transcripts and notes stay in a folder on your Mac. Bluedot says that if you cancel, you lose access to your recordings, and a month later they’re deleted.[2]

  • Free dictation in every app

    Tap fn and talk in Mail, Slack, Notion or your code editor. Your words type at the cursor as you talk, and one tap polishes them in the right tone for each app — free and unlimited.

  • Ask every meeting, even offline

    Chat answers from your own meetings and cites the passage it used — or tells you when nothing matches.

  • Every promise, and everyone you meet

    A board of what you owe and what you’re owed, a profile for everyone you meet, and prep pages from your Mac’s Calendar — Apple Calendar included.

An AI meeting summary in NoteOwl on a Mac: key decisions and action items by owner, with Summarize as above them
The notes for a four-minute client call, with three speakers labelled.
NoteOwl's commitments board: I owe (13) and Owed to me (12), each promise with a due label, the person, and the meeting it came from
Commitments: what you owe and what you’re owed, sorted by what’s due.

How is NoteOwl different from Bluedot?

Both can take meeting notes without a bot. The difference is where the work happens: Bluedot stores meetings on AWS and uses AI providers for its AI features[1]; NoteOwl does all of it on your Mac, with nothing uploaded.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
BluedotNone by default: a Chrome extension or the desktop app captures the meeting from your computer; an optional bot can join instead[3,4]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
BluedotIn the cloud: data is stored on AWS and AI features use AI providers; the Chrome extension’s “Local Processing” option sets where a recording is stored while it’s processed[1,5]
Where meetings are stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
BluedotBluedot’s cloud on AWS; EU data stays in Frankfurt[1,6]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
BluedotNever, by Bluedot or its vendors[1,7]
Works offline
NoteOwlEverything, after the one-time model download
BluedotThe iOS app “works offline”, and a mobile recording uploads when you save it[6,8]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
BluedotBasic $14 per user per month billed annually, or $18 billed monthly (audio only, up to 1 hour per recording); Pro $20 per user per month billed annually, or $25 billed monthly[2]
Free to use
NoteOwlDictation and voice notes free forever; every Pro feature free for 7 days, no card
BluedotThe free plan records your first 5 meetings; after that you can view and share recordings only[2,3]
If you cancel
NoteOwlNothing to cancel: you pay once, and recordings and notes stay in a folder on your Mac
BluedotAccess to your recordings ends; a month later they’re permanently deleted[2]
Meeting length
NoteOwlNo limit; audio is saved to disk as you record
BluedotBasic: up to 1 hour per recording; Pro: no limit[2]
Import recordings
NoteOwlMP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files
BluedotMP4, MP3, M4A and other files, from your computer, Google Drive or the mobile app; the pricing page lists imports from Pro up[2,3,9]
Speaker names
NoteOwlSpeakers separated in any call app; name a voice once and it’s recognised in later meetings; voice profiles stay on your Mac
BluedotRecognised automatically, depending on how the audio is captured: the desktop app covers Meet, Teams and Zoom; the Chrome extension covers Meet and Teams[10]
Chat with your meetings
NoteOwlAnswers from your own meetings and notes, citing the passage; works offline
BluedotAI chat on one recording or across collections of recordings[11]
Dictation into other apps
NoteOwlYes, free and unlimited; one tap polishes it in the right tone for each app
BluedotNot listed on Bluedot’s pricing page or in its Help Center[2,12]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
BluedotTranscripts as PDF or TXT; recordings as WebM, or as MP4 through an edit-and-save step[13,14,15]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
BluedotChrome extension (also Arc, Brave and Edge), Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and Apple Watch[2,16]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
BluedotmacOS 12.3 or later, Apple silicon only[17]
Bluedot’s column is taken from Bluedot’s own website and Help Center, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

Bluedot pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Bluedot?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. Bluedot Basic is $14 per user per month, billed annually — $168 a year and $504 over three years — and Bluedot Pro is $20 per user per month, billed annually.[2]

And you can start free: dictation and voice notes are free forever, and every Pro feature is free for 7 days in the app, with no card. Bluedot’s free plan records your first 5 meetings; after that you can view and share recordings only.[2,3]

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Bluedot Basic, billed annually$168

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Bluedot Basic, billed annually$336

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Bluedot Basic, billed annually$504
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. Bluedot pricing: Basic is $14 per user per month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly), audio only, with each recording up to 1 hour; Pro, with no length limit, is $20 per user per month, billed annually.[2] Bluedot’s US-dollar list prices, checked 27 September 2026; yearly totals are $14 × 12.

Where does Bluedot process and store your meetings?

In the cloud. Bluedot stores data on AWS and uses AI providers for its AI features[1]. Its Chrome extension also has a “Local Processing” option, which Bluedot describes as where a recording is stored while it is processed.[5]

Bluedot, in its own words

“Data is stored in AWS with network isolation”[1]
“No AI provider retention: Data is not stored, logged, or retained by AI providers after generation.”[1]
“The third point gives you the option to choose where your recording will be stored while it is being processed”[5]

NoteOwl

Recording, transcription, speaker detection, summaries, search and chat all run on the Mac. Recordings, transcripts and notes are never uploaded to NoteOwl or anyone else, and the app has no analytics or telemetry.

The only network use: the one-time model download, update checks and, for Pro, signing in and an occasional licence check — none of which sends what you record. How NoteOwl takes meeting notes without a bot

NoteOwl Chat answering “What changed on the Ferncastle pilot since the kickoff?”: budget cut from $120,000 to $90,000, personal accounts only, 12 weeks to 8, with the meeting it came from and the passages it cites
A real answer in NoteOwl’s Chat, with the meeting and passages it came from.

When is Bluedot the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. Bluedot records from a browser extension and from desktop and mobile apps, and keeps your meetings in its cloud on AWS. If you want your meetings on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.[1,2]

Can you switch from Bluedot to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

Your notes are never locked in: copy any note into any app, or export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT — or all of your data at once as plain files.

Sources

Last checked . Bluedot facts are quoted or summarised from Bluedot’s own website and Help Center, using US-dollar list prices. Plans and policies change; check them before you decide.

  1. [1]Bluedot, Security
  2. [2]Bluedot, Pricing
  3. [3]Bluedot, Home page and FAQ
  4. [4]Bluedot Help Center, How to Record Meetings with a Bot
  5. [5]Bluedot Help Center, Recording Settings Overview
  6. [6]Bluedot, iOS app
  7. [7]Bluedot, Terms
  8. [8]Bluedot Help Center, Getting Started with the Bluedot Mobile App
  9. [9]Bluedot Help Center, How to Import Files from Google Drive
  10. [10]Bluedot Help Center, Speaker Recognition Overview
  11. [11]Bluedot Help Center, AI Chat Overview
  12. [12]Bluedot, Help Center — all 103 English articles
  13. [13]Bluedot Help Center, How to Export a Transcript as PDF or TXT
  14. [14]Bluedot Help Center, How to Download a Recording
  15. [15]Bluedot Help Center, How to Download a Recording as an MP4 File
  16. [16]Bluedot, Integrations
  17. [17]Bluedot, Desktop app

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and Bluedot

Is there a Bluedot alternative that runs on your Mac?

Yes. NoteOwl takes meeting notes with no bot, like Bluedot, but runs its transcription, summaries and chat on your Mac with on-device AI models, so your meetings are never uploaded and everything works offline after a one-time model download. Bluedot stores meetings on AWS and uses AI providers for its AI features.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Bluedot?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once, with a 7-day free trial and no card, and NoteOwl’s dictation is free forever. Bluedot Basic is $14 per user per month, billed annually — $168 a year, or $504 over three years — and records audio only, up to 1 hour per recording; Bluedot Pro is $20 per user per month, billed annually. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Does NoteOwl join my calls?

No. NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so no bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call. Nothing tells the other people that you are taking notes, so tell them yourself — it is the right thing to do and, in many places, the law.

Does NoteOwl work offline?

Yes. NoteOwl records, transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on your Mac, so every feature works offline after a one-time model download, Chat included. Your meetings are never uploaded, with or without a connection.

Does Bluedot use my meetings to train AI?

No. Bluedot’s terms say neither Bluedot nor its vendors use customer content to train AI models. The difference with NoteOwl is where your meetings go: Bluedot stores them in its cloud on AWS, while NoteOwl keeps them on your Mac and uploads nothing.

Can I switch from Bluedot to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

Does NoteOwl have a free plan?

Yes. Dictation into any app and voice notes are free forever, with no limit. Meeting notes, chat and the rest of Pro are free for 7 days in the app, with no card; after that Pro is $79 once.

Does NoteOwl run on Windows or iPhone?

No. NoteOwl is a Mac app for macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon with 16 GB of memory. Its AI runs on the Mac itself, which is what keeps your meetings off the cloud.

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How NoteOwl does it

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Keep your next meeting’s notes on your Mac

Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.

Download free

macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended

About NoteOwl

NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.

NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds

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