NoteOwl vs tl;dv

A tl;dv alternative with no bot in your call

NoteOwl is a tl;dv alternative for Mac that takes your meeting notes with no bot in the call: it records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, then transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself.

Nothing is uploaded, it works the same with or without internet, meetings have no length limit, and you pay once instead of paying per seat — with free dictation into every app on top.

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Meeting notes without a bot joining your call (0:45).
Read the transcript

You know that moment when a bot joins your call… and everyone gets a little weird?

Yeah. NoteOwl doesn’t do that.

It’s a Mac app that takes your meeting notes right on your computer. Nothing leaves your Mac.

When you hang up? Summary, decisions, action items. All done.

Every promise gets tracked, so nothing slips through.

And you can chat with all your past meetings. Even offline.

NoteOwl. Free to download. Your next call’s the test.

Why choose NoteOwl over tl;dv?

Because no bot joins your call, your meetings never leave your Mac, everything works offline, and you pay once, with no limit on meeting length. On top of that you get voices recognised in any call, every promise tracked, and a memory you can ask — offline.

  • No bot joins your call

    NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so nothing joins your Zoom, Teams or Google Meet call. tl;dv’s default is its bot, which joins as a meeting attendee and, with auto-recording on, can record meetings you don’t attend.[4,5]

  • The same online or offline

    Transcripts, summaries and chat all work with Wi-Fi off, after the one-time model download. tl;dv transcribes and writes its AI notes in its cloud.[6,9]

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. tl;dv Pro is $18 a month per seat, billed annually.[1,2]

  • 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. tl;dv’s bot-free desktop mode saves each recording to your tl;dv library, where it is transcribed and turned into AI notes.[6]

  • Meetings of any length

    NoteOwl Pro records meetings of any length and imports as many recordings as you like. tl;dv limits recordings and uploads to 3 hours each, on every plan.[1,8]

  • Voices recognised, on your Mac

    Speakers are separated in any call app and in recordings you import. Name a voice once and it’s recognised in every meeting after; the voice profile stays on your Mac. tl;dv labels speakers in uploads Speaker 1, Speaker 2.[13]

  • Ask every meeting, even offline

    Chat answers from your own meetings and notes and cites the passage it used, with Wi-Fi on or off — and ⌘K searches every meeting, note and person.

  • 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 summary of a four-minute client call, written on the Mac when the call ended.
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.

What is tl;dv, and how is NoteOwl different?

tl;dv records meetings and writes AI notes in its cloud: its bot joins Google Meet, Zoom and Teams calls by default and records video, and its desktop app can record audio without it[1,4,6]. NoteOwl uses no bot and does all the work on your Mac.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
tl;dvA bot, by default: the tl;dv bot joins Google Meet, Zoom and Teams calls as a meeting attendee and, with auto-recording on, can record meetings you don’t attend. A bot-free desktop mode on Mac and Windows records audio only[4,5,6]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
tl;dvIn tl;dv’s cloud; it may use large language models from Anthropic, and parts of transcripts are processed in the EU or the US, depending on the AI hosting location set in your account[6,10]
Where recordings and notes are stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
tl;dvtl;dv’s cloud, in data centres in Europe[9,10]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
tl;dvtl;dv says neither it nor its AI providers use customer content to train AI models[10,19]
Sharing by default
NoteOwlNothing is shared or emailed; a note leaves your Mac only when you copy, export or share it
tl;dvRecordings are shared automatically with meeting participants from your own organisation[11]
Works offline
NoteOwlEverything, after the one-time model download
tl;dvTranscription and AI notes run in tl;dv’s cloud; the mobile app records offline and uploads when it’s back online[6,17]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
tl;dvPro $18 per seat per month billed annually, or $29 billed monthly; Business $29 per seat per month billed annually, or $39 billed monthly[1,2,3]
Meeting length
NoteOwlNo limit; audio is saved to disk as you record
tl;dvUp to 3 hours per recording or upload, on every plan[1,8]
Import recordings
NoteOwlMP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, AAC and MP4 files, with speaker labels and no monthly limit
tl;dvUploads, in beta: audio and video files up to 3 hours each, unlimited on paid plans[1,13]
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
tl;dvAutomatic speaker detection and manual labels on every plan, voice prints from Pro; uploads show Speaker 1, Speaker 2[1,12,13]
Notes after the call
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
tl;dvAI notes templates and follow-up email drafts[1,19]
Chat with your meetings
NoteOwlAnswers from your own meetings and notes, citing the passage; works offline
tl;dvAsk tl;dv AI about one meeting or many, over 100 at once[14]
Dictation into other apps
NoteOwlYes, free and unlimited; one tap polishes it in the right tone for each app
tl;dvNot listed on tl;dv’s pricing page or in its Help Center[1,20]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
tl;dvTranscripts copy to the clipboard on paid plans; recordings download on Pro or Enterprise; no bulk export[15,16]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
tl;dvWeb app, Chrome extension, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android[1,7,17,18]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
tl;dvApple silicon and Intel builds; no minimum macOS version published on tl;dv’s site or in its Help Center[7,20]
tl;dv’s column is taken from tl;dv’s own website, Help Center, privacy policy and blog, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

tl;dv pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than tl;dv?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. tl;dv Pro is $18 per seat per month, billed annually — $216 a year and $648 over three years — or $29 a month, billed monthly.[1,2,3]

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. tl;dv’s free plan keeps recordings for 3 months and includes AI notes for 10 meetings.[1,8]

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    tl;dv Pro, billed annually$216

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    tl;dv Pro, billed annually$432

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    tl;dv Pro, billed annually$648
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. tl;dv pricing: Pro is $18 per seat per month, billed annually ($29 per seat per month billed monthly), with each recording up to 3 hours.[1,2,3,8] tl;dv’s pricing page lists these amounts in euros; tl;dv’s blog gives them in US dollars and says “Euro pricing matches the dollar figures.” Checked 27 September 2026; yearly totals are $18 × 12.

Where does tl;dv process and store your meetings?

In tl;dv’s cloud. tl;dv says its data centres are all in Europe; it may use large language models from Anthropic, and parts of transcripts are processed in the EU or the US, depending on the AI hosting location set in your account.[9,10]

tl;dv, in its own words

“With auto-recording enabled, the ‘tl;dv bot’ will join each of your scheduled meetings as a virtual meeting attendee to record the session.”[4]
“All recordings are saved to your tl;dv library, where they are automatically transcribed …”[6]
“… limited portions of meeting transcripts may be processed either: within the European Union … or within the United States of America depending on the AI hosting location that you select in your account’s preferences.”[10]
“By default, tl;dv automatically shares your recordings with meeting participants that belong to your organization.”[11]

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.

Nothing is shared or emailed on your behalf. When you want a follow-up, ask NoteOwl to draft one, then send it yourself.

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 tl;dv the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. tl;dv records with its bot or its desktop app, then transcribes and writes its AI notes in its cloud and keeps your meetings there. If you want your meetings on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.[4,6,10]

Can you switch from tl;dv 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.

When the call ends you have the summary and the action items; Summarize as rewrites the summary in any of 22 templates, and NoteOwl drafts a follow-up when you ask. 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 . tl;dv facts are quoted or summarised from tl;dv’s own website, Help Center, privacy policy and blog. Dollar prices are from tl;dv’s blog; its pricing page lists the same amounts in euros. Plans and policies change; check them before you decide.

  1. [1]tl;dv, Pricing
  2. [2]tl;dv blog, tl;dv vs Bluedot — US-dollar prices
  3. [3]tl;dv blog, Honest review — US-dollar prices; “Euro pricing matches the dollar figures”
  4. [4]tl;dv Help Center, Why do we use a bot?
  5. [5]tl;dv Help Center, Auto-record
  6. [6]tl;dv Help Center, Recording without a bot
  7. [7]tl;dv, Desktop app
  8. [8]tl;dv Help Center, What are the limits of the Free plan?
  9. [9]tl;dv, Security commitment
  10. [10]tl;dv, Privacy policy
  11. [11]tl;dv Help Center, How to auto-share recordings with meeting invitees
  12. [12]tl;dv Help Center, Speaker identification in transcript
  13. [13]tl;dv Help Center, Uploads
  14. [14]tl;dv Help Center, How to use Ask tl;dv AI
  15. [15]tl;dv Help Center, How to download transcripts
  16. [16]tl;dv Help Center, How to download your recording
  17. [17]tl;dv Help Center, Mobile app
  18. [18]tl;dv Help Center, Chrome extension
  19. [19]tl;dv, Home page
  20. [20]tl;dv, Help Center — all 102 articles, searched for dictation and a minimum macOS version

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and tl;dv

Is there a tl;dv alternative without a bot?

Yes. NoteOwl is a Mac app that takes meeting notes with no bot in any call app: it records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, then transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself, so everything works offline after a one-time model download. tl;dv’s default is a bot that joins the call as a meeting attendee.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than tl;dv?

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. tl;dv Pro is $18 per seat per month, billed annually — $216 a year, or $648 over three years — or $29 per seat per month billed monthly. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Can tl;dv record without a bot?

Yes. tl;dv’s desktop app for Mac and Windows can record without a bot, capturing audio only, and saves each recording to your tl;dv library, where it is transcribed and turned into AI notes in tl;dv’s cloud. NoteOwl records without a bot too, but transcribes and summarizes on your Mac and uploads nothing.

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 have a meeting length limit?

No. NoteOwl Pro has no meeting length limit; audio is saved to disk as you record. tl;dv limits each recording or upload to 3 hours, on every plan. Checked on 27 September 2026.

Does tl;dv train AI on my meetings?

tl;dv says neither it nor its AI providers use customer content, such as recordings and transcripts, to train AI models. The difference with NoteOwl is where your meetings go: tl;dv processes and stores them in its cloud, while NoteOwl keeps them on your Mac and uploads nothing.

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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Take your next meeting’s notes on your Mac, with no bot

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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