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 private, on-device AI for meeting notes and transcriptions without cloud reliance. It securely records live meetings or processes uploaded audio/video files, offering AI-generated summaries and searchable notes. Your conversations remain offline and private, never shared or used for model training.

Highlights
  • On-device secure and private note-taking
  • Offline meeting recording and transcription
  • Automatic AI-generated summaries
  • Searchable transcripts and export options
  • Hands-free recording with Siri Shortcuts
  • Support for over 60 languages
  • Choice of transcription models (Apple/WhisperKit)
Features
Read full description

Basil is a private AI note taker for meetings. Recording, transcription and summaries all run on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no server holding your conversations. 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, and summaries are generated locally by Apple Intelligence. There is no account to create, no subprocessor list, and no server to subpoena. 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, and nothing leaves your Mac. • Import existing audio or video files. Basil extracts the audio locally. TRANSCRIPTS AND SUMMARIES • A fast live transcript while you record, then a refined, higher-accuracy pass right after the session. • Transcripts include speakers names and are fully exportable. • Summaries, action items, decisions and follow-ups, generated on device. • 60+ languages. • Full-text search across everything you have recorded. BASIL FOR LAW A legal edition for attorneys and firms: • Privilege attestation — an on-device provenance record documenting that a recording was captured and processed locally. • Consent log — a timestamped attestation, built to the strictest all-party-consent standard so one workflow works in every state. • 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: your client conversations never leave your device. ACROSS YOUR DEVICES A universal app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your library syncs through your own iCloud account — your iCloud, not our servers. EXPORT Send notes to Apple Notes, Calendar, Reminders and Files. 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 6 days against Private Notes's every 3 weeks. Private AI Note Taker also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Private AI Note Taker against 5.0 for Private Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 11 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Private AI Note Taker's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 6 days, Private Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Private AI Note Taker versus Private Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate AI Note TakerPrivate Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (24 ratings)5.0 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 6 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
Size22 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael StajerApp Incubator Inc.

Customer experience

Private AI Note Taker

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.8%

Private Notes

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

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Private AI Note Taker

Subscriptions5
  • Basil AI Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Basil AI Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Basil for Law Monthly3 Days trial$19.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Basil AI Pro Yearly (Save 17%)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • 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 and Private Notes are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 24 and 11 ratings respectively.
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 6 days, and Private Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Private AI Note Taker was updated on October 15, 2026 and Private Notes on September 29, 2026.

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