NoteOwl vs Cluely

A Cluely alternative for meeting notes on your Mac

NoteOwl is a Cluely alternative for meeting notes on your Mac: no bot joins the call, and NoteOwl transcribes, summarizes and answers questions about your meetings on the Mac itself.

Nothing is uploaded, everything works the same with or without internet, and you pay once instead of subscribing — with speaker labels, tracked commitments and free dictation into every app.

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An AI meeting summary in NoteOwl on a Mac: key decisions and action items by owner, with Summarize as above them
The summary of a four-minute client call, written on the Mac when the call ended.

Why choose NoteOwl over Cluely for meeting notes?

Because your meetings never leave your Mac, NoteOwl records sound and nothing else, 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 NoteOwl records sound only — no screenshots. Each Cluely AI request includes a screenshot of your screen.[3]

  • The same online or offline

    Every feature works with Wi-Fi off, Chat included, after the one-time model download. Cluely’s transcription needs an internet connection.[6]

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. Cluely Pro is $11.99 a month, 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.

  • Keeps your recordings

    Replay any line, edit the transcript, transcribe again — or drag in recordings you already have.

  • 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.

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.

What is Cluely, and how is NoteOwl different?

Cluely is an AI meeting assistant for Mac, Windows and iPhone that helps during calls and writes meeting notes, using online transcription and AI[1,6,7,13]. NoteOwl takes meeting notes with no bot too, but records, transcribes and summarizes on your Mac.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
CluelyNone; captures your microphone and your computer’s audio while a session runs[1,3]
Screen capture
NoteOwlNone; NoteOwl records sound only and takes no screenshots
CluelyEach AI request includes a screenshot of your current screen, plus the call’s transcript when Listen is on; screen context is always used from version 1.89.0[3,4]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
CluelyOnline: transcription uses a third-party partner and needs an internet connection, and your data is sent to AI features run by Cluely or third parties[5,6,7]
Where your data is stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
CluelyMay be stored in any country where Cluely has facilities or uses service providers[8]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
CluelyIts privacy policy says Cluely doesn’t train on your data; its terms, dated the same day, let Cluely and its sub-processors train on Free and Pro customers’ data (not Enterprise)[7,8]
Works offline
NoteOwlEverything, after the one-time model download
CluelyTranscription needs an internet connection[6]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
CluelyPro $11.99 a month billed annually, or $19.99 billed monthly[2]
Meeting notes
NoteOwlThe summary, decisions and action items with owners when the call ends; rewrite it in any of 22 templates, or ask NoteOwl to draft a follow-up
CluelyNotes, action items and a drafted follow-up email after each session[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
CluelyThe desktop transcript separates what you say from your computer’s audio[3]
Import recordings
NoteOwlMP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files
CluelyUploads are for context documents: PDF, .docx and .txt files[10]
Chat with your meetings
NoteOwlAnswers from your own meetings and notes, citing the passage; works offline
CluelyAsk AI about all your past meetings, or chat with one meeting’s notes and transcript[2,11]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
CluelyCopy the transcript or the summary, or share the summary as a public link[3,11,12]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
CluelyMac, Windows 11 and iPhone[12,13,14]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
CluelymacOS 10.15 or later on its download page, or macOS 13 or later in its Help Center; Apple silicon or Intel[13,14]
Cluely’s column is taken from Cluely’s own website, policies and Help Center, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

Cluely pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Cluely?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. Cluely Pro is $11.99 a month, billed annually — $143.88 a year and $431.64 over three years — or $19.99 a month, billed monthly.[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.

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Cluely Pro, billed annually$143.88

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Cluely Pro, billed annually$287.76

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Cluely Pro, billed annually$431.64
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. Cluely pricing: Pro is $11.99 a month for one person, billed annually, or $19.99 a month, billed monthly.[2] Cluely’s US-dollar list prices, checked 27 September 2026; yearly totals are $11.99 × 12.

Where are Cluely meeting notes processed and stored?

Online, with third parties. Cluely’s terms send your data to AI features run by Cluely or third parties, transcription needs a connection, and its privacy policy allows storage in any country where Cluely or its providers operate.[5,6,7,8]

Cluely, in its own words

“Customer acknowledges and agrees that Customer Data will be transmitted to and processed by such AI Features”[7]
“Cluely captures one screenshot of your current screen and (if Listen is on) includes any active audio transcript to infer what you need help with and reply.”[3]
“Check your internet connection (transcription requires connectivity)”[6]

On training, its privacy policy and terms, both last updated 10 June 2025:

“Cluely does not sell your data or train on your data.”[8]
“For Free Services and Pro Tier Services, except as otherwise agreed to by Cluely, Customer expressly grants Cluely and its authorized sub-processors permission to use Customer Data to train Cluely's and its authorized sub-processors' artificial intelligence and machine learning models.”[7]

NoteOwl

Recording, transcription, speaker detection, summaries, search and chat all run on the Mac. NoteOwl records sound only — your microphone and your Mac’s audio — and takes no screenshots. 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

When is Cluely the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. Cluely transcribes your calls and writes its notes with online providers, on Mac, Windows and iPhone. If you want your meeting notes on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.[6,7,13]

Can you switch from Cluely to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac, with no bot. 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 . Cluely facts are quoted or summarised from Cluely’s own website, policies and Help Center, using US-dollar list prices. Plans and policies change; check them before you decide.

  1. [1]Cluely, Home page and FAQ
  2. [2]Cluely, Pricing
  3. [3]Cluely Help Center, How to Use Cluely’s Dashboard App
  4. [4]Cluely Help Center, How to Use Cluely
  5. [5]Cluely Help Center, Audio Capture Error when using Listen mode
  6. [6]Cluely Help Center, How to test your microphone before a call
  7. [7]Cluely, Terms — last updated 10 June 2025
  8. [8]Cluely, Privacy Policy — last updated 10 June 2025
  9. [9]Cluely blog, What Is an AI Notetaker?
  10. [10]Cluely Help Center, How to Customize Cluely
  11. [11]Cluely Help Center, How to Copy Transcript
  12. [12]Cluely Help Center, How to Use Cluely Mobile
  13. [13]Cluely, Download
  14. [14]Cluely Help Center, What are the system requirements?

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and Cluely

Is there a Cluely alternative for meeting notes that runs on your Mac?

Yes. NoteOwl takes meeting notes with no bot in the call, like Cluely, but runs its transcription, summaries and chat on your Mac with on-device AI models, so nothing is uploaded and everything works offline after a one-time model download. Cluely’s transcription and AI features run online, through Cluely and third parties.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Cluely?

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. Cluely Pro is $11.99 a month, billed annually — $143.88 a year, or $431.64 over three years — or $19.99 a month, billed monthly. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Does Cluely take meeting notes?

Yes. Cluely writes notes, action items and a drafted follow-up email after each session, with its transcription and AI features run online. NoteOwl Pro writes the summary, the decisions and the action items on your Mac when the call ends, can rewrite the summary in any of 22 templates, and drafts a follow-up email when you ask.

Does NoteOwl capture my screen?

No. NoteOwl records sound only: your microphone and your Mac’s audio. It asks for Screen Recording access because macOS needs it to capture your Mac’s audio, and it takes no screenshots. Cluely includes a screenshot of your screen with each AI request.

Does NoteOwl join my calls?

No. Like Cluely, 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 Cluely train on my data?

Cluely’s own documents differ. Its privacy policy says Cluely does not train on your data, while its terms, last updated the same day (10 June 2025), give Cluely and its sub-processors permission to train on Free and Pro customers’ data. NoteOwl uploads nothing, so there is nothing to train on.

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. Cluely’s transcription needs an internet connection.

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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Take 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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