Comparison
A Fireflies alternative that never uploads the call
This page is written by the people who make one of the two products, so read it accordingly. It describes what ours does and leaves any claim about anyone else’s to them.
The short version
Private Recap records a meeting from your browser, whether the call runs in a tab or a desktop app, and writes the recap on the same machine. No audio is uploaded. In exchange you lose the always-on convenience of an assistant that shows up to calls by itself.
Nothing joins your meeting
There is no bot in the participant list, because there is no bot. Your own browser records the call’s sound: from the meeting tab, or from what your computer plays when the call is in a desktop app.
People notice the side effect: the other side does not see a third-party recorder in the call. That comes with an obligation, though. You still have to tell people you are recording, and in many places you have to ask.
Starting a recording is a deliberate act every time. Some people find that a nuisance; others think it is the whole point.
What stays local and what needs a connection
| Item | Does it leave your machine? |
|---|---|
| Meeting audio | No |
| Transcript text | No |
| Generated notes, action items and emails | No |
| Your templates and prompt instructions | No |
| Model files on first use | Downloaded in, never sent out |
| Email address and subscription status | Yes, if you make an account |
| Page view counts | Yes, anonymous and cookie-free |
The trade-offs, stated plainly
- Your laptop does the work, so a long call occupies some of it for a few minutes.
- The first recap waits on a download of about 300 MB.
- Meetings live on one machine. No sync, no team search, no mobile.
- Chrome or Edge on a desktop, and the tab has to stay open while it runs.
- Desktop apps need Chrome or Edge on Windows, or on a Mac with macOS 14.2 or later and Chrome or Edge 142 or later.
What a security reviewer will ask
- Where is the audio stored? In the browser’s own storage on the user’s device.
- Who can reach the transcript? Whoever can unlock that computer.
- What reaches the vendor? An email address and a billing status, and only if the user signs up.
- Is a data processing agreement needed for meeting content? There is no meeting content to process.
Your audio, transcript and notes stay on your computer. The app goes online for three things only: the one-time model download, your account and billing if you choose to have one, and anonymous page counts.
How to test it this week
Pick one internal meeting where nothing is at stake. Record five minutes, generate the recap, and read the action items. If they match what you would have typed, the rest is detail.
Try it on your next call
Recording a five-minute internal call costs nothing and settles the question faster than a trial plan.
Record a meeting — freeWorks in Chrome or Edge. The first recap downloads about 300 MB of models with the defaults, once. New to it? Read how it works first.