Comparison

Private AI Note Taker vs basalt

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

basalt

Features
Read full description

Write notes with AI suggestions as you type. basalt is a private notebook for drafts, ideas and journal entries, powered by Apple Intelligence on your device. GET HELP WHILE YOU WRITE Suggestions and questions appear alongside your note. Change the assistant’s prompt to ask for the kind of response you want. FIND YOUR NOTES Search your writing and browse short automatic summaries in the note list. Your recently edited notes appear first. KEEP YOUR WRITING LOCAL Notes are stored on your device. No account is required, and your writing is not sent to a developer-run AI service. AI features require a compatible device with Apple Intelligence enabled and its on-device model available. Availability depends on your device, language and region. AI suggestions may be inaccurate. Create two notes for free. basalt Pro unlocks unlimited notes with a weekly or yearly subscription. Prices and any eligible introductory offers are shown before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in App Store account settings. Introductory offers are available only to eligible subscribers. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hekec.notion.site/terms-privacy-policy-290a809cee65801882d9d13fc40c24b7

Screenshots

Private AI Note Taker4 screens
basalt4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Private AI Note Taker at 3 against basalt's 1. On price, update cadence, 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 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and basalt sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 6 days, basalt every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Private AI Note Taker versus basalt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate AI Note Takerbasalt
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (37 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTONSOR LLCIgor Diachuk

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
2 purchases

basalt

Subscriptions2
  • Basalt Weekly3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Basalt Yearly7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Private AI Note Taker free?
Private AI Note Taker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is basalt free?
basalt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Private AI Note Taker or basalt have ads?
Neither Private AI Note Taker nor basalt shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private AI Note Taker or basalt?
Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 6 days, and basalt every 10 days. Most recently, Private AI Note Taker was updated on October 29, 2026 and basalt on October 16, 2026.

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