Comparison

Private AI Note Taker vs PiMark

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

PiMark

Features
Read full description

PiMark -- The Smart Markdown Viewer PiMark is a beautifully crafted, native Markdown viewer designed for developers, writers, and knowledge workers. Open any .md file and instantly see it rendered with rich formatting, math equations, diagrams, and more. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with a private, local-first workflow. All core features are available after download; optional tips simply support ongoing development. -- CORE FEATURES -- * Rich Markdown Rendering - Full CommonMark + GitHub Flavored Markdown support - Syntax highlighting for 10+ programming languages - Tables, task lists, footnotes, and extended syntax (==highlight==, ^superscript^, ~subscript~) * Math & Diagrams - LaTeX math equations rendered via KaTeX (inline and block) - Mermaid diagrams (flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts) - PlantUML support for technical diagrams * Presentation Mode - Turn any Markdown file into a slideshow with --- separators - Full-screen presentations powered by reveal.js - LaTeX and Mermaid rendering within slides - Export to PPTX for Keynote/PowerPoint (Mac) * AI-Powered Assistant - Built-in AI sidebar (Claude, Kimi, GLM, DeepSeek, Doubao) - Explain, translate, summarize, rewrite, or ask questions about your content - Bring your own API key -- your data stays private * Export & Share - PDF export with A4 pagination (Mac) - HTML export with GitHub-style CSS (Mac) - Share rendered content via system Share Sheet (iOS) - Word (.docx) and PNG export (Mac) * Platform-Native Experience - Mac: QuickLook extension, Finder thumbnails, Spotlight integration - iPad: Split-view sidebar with recent files, drag & drop - iPhone: Optimized single-column layout, file picker - All: Dark mode, multiple themes, adjustable fonts * Reading Experience - 4 built-in themes (Light, Dark, Sepia, GitHub) - Adjustable font size and zoom - Table of Contents sidebar (Mac) - Mini-map and Zen reading mode (Mac) - Pull-to-refresh for live file updates (iOS) PiMark is built with Swift and SwiftUI, runs natively across all Apple devices, and respects your privacy -- no telemetry, no tracking, no account required. Optional in-app tips do not change feature access; they only support continued development.

Screenshots

Private AI Note Taker4 screens
PiMark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Private AI Note Taker at every 6 days against PiMark's every 6 weeks. PiMark's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 PiMark sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 6 days, PiMark every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Private AI Note Taker versus PiMark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate AI Note TakerPiMark
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (31 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews92.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings31 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTONSOR LLCPERSONAL ASSISTANT INTELLIGENCE PTE. LTD.

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

PiMark

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Supporter Tip$2.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99

Questions

Is Private AI Note Taker free?
Private AI Note Taker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PiMark free?
PiMark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Private AI Note Taker or PiMark have ads?
Neither Private AI Note Taker nor PiMark shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private AI Note Taker or PiMark?
Private AI Note Taker ships an update every 6 days, and PiMark every 6 weeks. Most recently, Private AI Note Taker was updated on October 19, 2026 and PiMark on September 19, 2026.

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