Comparison

Private AI Note Taker vs Private Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Private AI Note Taker

This app provides on-device AI-powered transcription and summarization for meetings, ensuring your conversations remain private. It records audio from in-person meetings or computer calls, generates transcripts in over 60 languages, and offers features like action item extraction. Specialized versions are available for legal professionals.

Highlights
  • On-device AI transcription and summarization
  • Records in-person and computer-based meetings
  • Transcripts in 60+ languages
  • Identifies speakers and action items
  • Full-text search of recordings
  • Export transcripts and notes
  • Legal-specific features for attorneys
Features
Read full description

Basil is a private AI note taker for meetings. Recording, transcription and summaries run on your device. Basil has no server, and Basil never receives your meetings. WHY ON-DEVICE MATTERS Most AI note takers send your audio to a cloud service to be transcribed and summarized. Basil doesn't. Transcription runs on the Neural Engine. Summaries are generated on your device by Apple Intelligence, on devices that support it. There is no Basil account to create. RECORD ANY MEETING • In Person — capture the room with your microphone. • Computer (Mac) — capture both sides of a Zoom, Teams or Meet call without putting a bot in the meeting. Nothing joins your call. • Import existing audio or video files. Basil extracts the audio on your device. TRANSCRIPTS AND SUMMARIES • A fast live transcript while you record, then a more accurate final pass right after the session. • Transcripts show who spoke. Name a speaker once and Basil recognizes them next time. • Summaries, action items, decisions and follow-ups, generated on your device. • Transcription in 60+ languages. • Full-text search across everything you have recorded. • Export your transcripts and notes. BASIL FOR LAW A legal edition for attorneys and firms: • Privilege attestation — an on-device provenance record of how a recording was captured and processed. • Consent log — a timestamped attestation, built to the strictest all-party-consent standard. • Matters and clients — organize by matter rather than by date. • Privileged & Confidential labeling on recordings, transcripts and exports. These are record-keeping tools for legal professionals. They are not legal services or legal advice, and no software can guarantee a privilege outcome. Basil's contribution is architectural: Basil never receives your client conversations, and AI processing runs on your device. ACROSS YOUR DEVICES A universal app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. iCloud Sync is on by default. It keeps your library in your own iCloud account so your other devices can use it. Apple stores it; Basil does not receive it. Basil shows what sync sends before anything moves. Turn it off any time in Settings › iCloud. YOUR CHOICES • Live transcription runs on your device by default. If you turn that setting off, some languages use Apple's speech service for the live preview, and for the final transcript when no on-device engine can make it. • No analytics and no ad SDKs in the app. EXPORT Share a transcript and its notes as text to Notes, Files, Mail and other apps. Pro adds JSON and CSV export. SUBSCRIPTIONS Basil Pro unlocks unlimited recording. Basil for Law adds the legal feature set above. Free trials are available on both. Current pricing and trial length are shown on the subscription screen in the app. Privacy Policy: https://basilai.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://basilai.app/terms

About

Private Notes

This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.

Highlights
  • 100% on-device processing
  • Real-time transcription
  • AI-powered summaries
  • Multilingual support (10 languages)
  • Offline functionality
  • Export in Markdown
Features
Read full description

Your meetings stay private. Every word, every summary, every action item - processed entirely on your device. No servers. No uploads. No accounts. Just you and your notes. COMPLETELY OFFLINE - TRULY PRIVATE Unlike other AI notetakers that upload your audio to cloud services, Private Notes - AI Note Taker processes everything using Apple Intelligence directly on your iPhone. Your sensitive work discussions, confidential calls, and personal voice memos never leave your device. No internet required (except for time you subscribe). Sync is off by default. No data collection. Period. REAL-TIME TRANSCRIPTION Watch your words appear instantly as you speak. Private Notes - AI Note Taker uses Apple's speech recognition for real-time transcription with minimal latency. AI-POWERED SUMMARIES Stop wasting hours reviewing recordings. When your meeting ends, Apple Intelligence instantly generates: • Comprehensive narrative summary • Key points and highlights • Important decisions made • Action items with assignees • Main topics and themes discussed • Handles recordings of any length with full context preserved. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT Transcribe in 10 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. DESIGNED FOR PRIVACY FROM DAY 1 • Zero data collection - we literally cannot access your data • No account required - start recording in seconds • Audio never leaves your device - all processing happens on-device • Optional encrypted iCloud backup - sync transcripts across devices • Works in airplane mode - recording and AI work fully offline • Encrypted local storage - iOS-level security built in • No analytics or tracking - your usage is your business SIMPLE AND POWERFUL FEATURES • One-tap recording with elegant, intuitive interface • Background recording - switch apps without stopping your session • Full searchable transcript with accurate timestamps • Beautiful dark mode support • Compact app size - no bloated AI models to download • Export transcripts and summaries in Markdown DEVICE REQUIREMENTS AI summaries require Apple Intelligence enabled device. Speech transcription works on all devices. WHY PRIVATE NOTES - AI NOTE TAKER Most AI notetakers and voice recorder apps process your voice on remote servers. That means your confidential discussions - therapy sessions, doctor visits, legal consultations, salary negotiations, business strategies - travel through the internet and sit on someone else's computer indefinitely. Private Notes - AI Note Taker is different. We built this offline note taker from the ground up to be 100% local and on-device. No compromises. No "mostly private" half-measures. Paid users who want backup can enable optional iCloud sync - encrypted by Apple, with no third-party access. Sync is off by default, and we still can't see your data. When you delete a recording, it's gone forever - because we never had access to it in the first place. PERFECT FOR • Lawyers and legal professionals • Business professionals who value confidentiality • Students and academic researchers • Journalists and content creators • Anyone who wants AI without surveillance FREE TO TRY Start recording with Private Notes - AI Note Taker for free and experience truly private AI note-taking. No account required, no time limits. Start recording with Private Notes for free — no account required, no time limits. Get 3 recordings per month, real-time transcription, AI summaries, and export features - all processed 100% on your device. When you're ready for more, upgrade to Premium: • Unlimited recordings • Full export and sharing • Optional encrypted iCloud sync • Monthly or yearly subscription options — cancel anytime Download Private Notes - AI Note Taker and experience the future of note-taking — intelligent, instant, and completely private. Terms of Use: https://privatenotes.app/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Private AI Note Taker4 screens
Private Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Private AI Note Taker at every 5 days against Private Notes's every 3 weeks. Private AI Note Taker also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Private AI Note Taker sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Private AI Note Taker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Private AI Note Taker's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 5 days, Private Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Private AI Note Taker versus Private Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate AI Note TakerPrivate Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (41 ratings) — better4.8 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews94.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTONSOR LLCApp Incubator Inc.

Customer experience

Private AI Note Taker

All ratings41 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.9%

Private Notes

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Private AI Note Taker

Subscriptions4
  • Basil AI Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Basil for Law Monthly3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Basil AI Pro Yearly (Save 17%)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Basil for Law Yearly7 Days trial$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • Basil AI Pro Lifetime$199.00
3 purchases

Private Notes

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Private AI Note Taker free?
Private AI Note Taker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Notes free?
Private Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Private AI Note Taker or Private Notes?
Private AI Note Taker is rated higher. Private AI Note Taker averages 5.0 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Private Notes averages 4.8 from 12 ratings.
Do Private AI Note Taker or Private Notes have ads?
Neither Private AI Note Taker nor Private Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private AI Note Taker or Private Notes?
Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 5 days, and Private Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Private AI Note Taker was updated on November 6, 2026 and Private Notes on October 30, 2026.

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