Meetily vs omi
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Free, open-source meeting notes app for macOS and Windows that transcribes and summarizes locally.
Open source · MIT
Open-source app that captures your screen and conversations, then summarizes them and answers questions about
The short answer
Choose Meetily if you need…
- People who want meeting notes without sending recordings to a cloud service
- Professionals handling sensitive conversations who need control over where data is stored
- Users on macOS or Windows who want a free, MIT-licensed alternative to paid note takers
- Teams with their own OpenAI-compatible AI infrastructure who want to point summaries at it
Choose omi if you need…
- People who want a searchable record of their meetings and conversations
- Developers who want to build or modify a wearable AI product
- Professionals who want automatic summaries and action items
- Users comfortable with a cloud-backed app that records audio and screen content
Side-by-side
| Meetily | omi | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 32.4k | 13.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Rust | Python |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Meetily
Meetily is a desktop app that records your meetings, turns the audio into a live transcript, and can generate summaries. The README says transcription runs on your own device using Whisper or Parakeet models, so audio and transcripts are meant to stay local. Summaries can use a local model through Ollama or a cloud provider you choose, such as Claude, Groq, OpenRouter, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
omi
Omi records your screen and conversations, transcribes them in real time, and creates summaries and action items. It includes an AI chat that can answer questions about what you have seen and heard. It runs on desktop, phone, and an optional wearable device, and the project is published under the MIT license.
Best for
Meetily
- People who want meeting notes without sending recordings to a cloud service
- Professionals handling sensitive conversations who need control over where data is stored
- Users on macOS or Windows who want a free, MIT-licensed alternative to paid note takers
- Teams with their own OpenAI-compatible AI infrastructure who want to point summaries at it
omi
- People who want a searchable record of their meetings and conversations
- Developers who want to build or modify a wearable AI product
- Professionals who want automatic summaries and action items
- Users comfortable with a cloud-backed app that records audio and screen content
Strengths
Meetily
- Transcription is designed to run on the local device, which the README describes as a core privacy feature
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Supports multiple AI providers, including fully local ones through Ollama
omi
- Open source under the MIT license, with the full source code on GitHub
- Works across macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and a wearable device
- Active project with a large community and extensive developer documentation
Not ideal for
Meetily
- Linux users who want a packaged installer, since the README says Linux requires building from source
- People who need cloud-only convenience and do not want to manage local models or providers
- Users who need speaker diarization now, since the README says it is planned for the paid PRO edition and the free build's status is not clearly stated
omi
- Anyone who needs fully local, offline recording: the quick start connects to a cloud backend
- People uneasy about constant screen and audio capture, since the README describes exactly that
- Users who want a simple one-click install without developer tools: the Windows and full setups require Node.js, Xcode, or build steps
Trade-offs
Meetily
- Linux requires building from source, which takes more technical effort
- The README mentions GPU acceleration differs by platform and build, so performance depends on your hardware; Windows needs an AVX2-capable x64 CPU
- Some features, such as speaker diarization and advanced exports, are mentioned as PRO or planned items, so the free edition may not include everything the marketing copy describes
omi
- Records screen and audio, so privacy depends on how you configure and trust the cloud backend
- Setup from source is multi-step and requires developer tools; the README points to prebuilt downloads for most users
- The README is truncated and does not fully explain data storage or the self-hosting process
Getting started
Meetily
Clone the repository (Linux build from source)
git clone https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meeting-minutesInstall frontend dependencies (Linux build)
pnpm install --frozen-lockfileomi
Clone and run the macOS app
git clone https://github.com/BasedHardware/omi.git && cd omi/desktop/macos && ./run.sh --yoloWindows: install dependencies
npm installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Meetily and omi?
Meetily: Free, open-source meeting notes app for macOS and Windows that transcribes and summarizes locally. omi: Open-source app that captures your screen and conversations, then summarizes them and answers questions about . Meetily suits people who want meeting notes without sending recordings to a cloud service, while omi suits people who want a searchable record of their meetings and conversations.
Are Meetily and omi free?
Meetily: Free and open source. omi: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Meetily or omi?
Meetily is easier to get started with (rated beginner); omi is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Meetily or omi more popular?
Meetily has more GitHub stars (32.4k) than omi (13.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Meetily and omi?
Other options people compare them with include whisper.cpp, OpenWhispr, Voicebox, Notepads.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.