Best AI Meeting Assistants for Mac in 2026 (Tested & Ranked)

Why Mac Users Need Different Meeting Tools

If you're a Mac user looking for AI meeting assistants, you've probably noticed something frustrating: most "best AI meeting tools" lists are written for Windows users. They recommend tools that either don't have native Mac apps, run poorly on macOS, or weren't designed with Mac users in mind.

I spent the past two months testing every major AI meeting assistant on my M2 MacBook Pro. I ran them through real client calls on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. I checked Apple Silicon performance, battery drain, Safari compatibility, and how well they integrate with the Mac ecosystem.

This guide covers what Mac users actually need to know: which tools have native macOS apps, which work best on Apple Silicon, and which ones you should avoid if you care about a genuine Mac experience.

What Mac Users Should Look For

Before diving into rankings, here's what separates good Mac meeting tools from mediocre ones:

Native macOS App vs. Electron Wrapper vs. Browser-Only

• Native Swift apps feel responsive and integrate with macOS features (menu bar, notifications, Spotlight)
• Electron apps work but often feel sluggish and drain battery faster
• Browser-only tools work but miss keyboard shortcuts and system integration

Apple Silicon Optimization

• M1/M2/M3 native apps are significantly faster and use less battery
• Rosetta 2 apps work but aren't optimized
• Some tools still don't support Apple Silicon at all

Bot-Free vs. Bot-Based

• Bot-free tools capture audio directly from your Mac (no one sees anything)
• Bot-based tools join your meeting as a visible participant
• Mac users tend to prefer privacy-focused, bot-free approaches

Local Processing vs. Cloud Processing

• Local processing keeps your data on your Mac
• Cloud processing uploads audio to external servers
• For privacy-conscious Mac users, local is usually preferred

The 10 Best AI Meeting Assistants for Mac (2026)

1. Convo — Best Overall for Mac Users

Native macOS App: Yes (Swift, Apple Silicon optimized)
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: $20/month

Convo is built specifically for Mac—and only for Mac. It's a native Swift app that runs in your menu bar and captures audio directly from your device. No bot joins your meetings, and other participants never know you're using it.

What sets Convo apart is that it helps during the meeting, not just after. When someone asks a tough question and you freeze, Convo shows you suggested responses in real-time. It also pulls context from previous conversations with the same person, so you walk into every call prepared. It's like having a brilliant colleague whispering the right words in your ear.

Why Mac users love it:

• Built exclusively for Mac—not a Windows port, but Mac-first engineering
• Native Swift app with full Apple Silicon optimization
• Real-time suggestions during calls, plus summaries afterward
• Pulls context from past conversations before each meeting
• Bot-free: completely invisible to other participants
• Works with Safari, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and Slack Huddles

Limitations:

• Focused on real-time assistance—if you just want transcripts, simpler tools exist
• Premium pricing reflects the real-time AI capabilities

Best for: Mac users who want to perform better during meetings, not just document what happened afterward.

2. Granola — Best for Minimalist Mac Users

Native macOS App: Yes
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: Free for 25 meetings, then $10/month

Granola is a beautiful, Mac-native meeting notes app that feels right at home on macOS. It captures audio directly from your Mac and generates AI summaries, but with a unique twist: you can guide the AI by adding your own notes during the meeting.

The app has a thoughtful design—from the traffic light buttons to calendar-based notifications—everything feels native to Mac.

Why Mac users love it:

• Beautiful Mac-native design that feels like an Apple app
• Bot-free: captures system audio directly
• Works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack, and WebEx
• Collaborative AI: you guide the summary with your own notes
• Available on iOS for mobile follow-up

Limitations:

• No audio/video playback (doesn't record media)
• Limited integrations (no API, no MCP server)
• Not built for enterprise governance or compliance

Best for: Mac users who want a clean, simple meeting notes app without complexity.

3. Jamie — Best for Multi-Language Mac Users

Native macOS App: Yes
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: Free tier available, paid plans from $24/month

Jamie runs as a native desktop app on Mac and captures system audio directly. It's bot-free, works across any meeting platform, and supports 99+ languages—making it excellent for international teams.

Why Mac users love it:

• Native macOS and iOS apps with cross-platform sync
• Bot-free operation across any meeting tool
• Supports 99+ languages with speaker recognition
• Works for in-person meetings too (just record)
• GDPR-compliant with Frankfurt-based servers

Limitations:

• Higher price point than some alternatives
• No real-time suggestions during calls

Best for: Mac users with international teams or multilingual meetings.

4. Krisp — Best for Noisy Environments

Native macOS App: Yes (requires M1 or later)
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: Free tier (60 min/day), Pro $8/month

Krisp started as noise cancellation software and evolved into a full AI meeting assistant. The Mac app requires Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and creates virtual audio devices for both microphone and speaker noise cancellation.

Why Mac users love it:

• Excellent noise cancellation (best in class)
• Native Apple Silicon app
• Bot-free meeting transcription
• Creates virtual Krisp Microphone/Speaker devices
• Free tier includes 60 minutes/day of noise cancellation

Limitations:

• Requires M1 Mac or later (no Intel support)
• Limited meeting notes on free tier (2/day)
• Focused more on noise cancellation than AI features

Best for: Mac users in noisy environments (coffee shops, co-working spaces, home offices).

5. Radiant (by Supernormal) — Best Free Mac Option

Native macOS App: Yes (M1 or later only)
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: Free (open beta)

Radiant is a new Mac-only app from Supernormal that's completely free during its open beta. It captures all your meetings, generates notes and summaries, then suggests next steps and can even execute them in your favorite work tools.

Why Mac users love it:

• Completely free during beta
• Mac-native with beautiful design
• Bot-free with fast local processing
• Can execute suggested actions in Gmail, Slack, Linear, Cursor
• SOC 2 certified with GDPR compliance

Limitations:

• Mac-only with M1 requirement (no Intel, no Windows)
• English only (for now)
• Still in beta—features may change

Best for: Mac users who want a free, Mac-native meeting assistant.

6. Fireflies.ai — Best for Sales Teams on Mac

Native macOS App: Yes (launched November 2025)
Bot Joins Meeting: Yes (bot-free coming soon)
Pricing: Free tier, Pro $10/user/month

Fireflies recently launched a native Mac desktop app with Apple Silicon support. It's primarily known for CRM integrations and conversation analytics, making it popular with sales teams.

Why Mac users love it:

• Native Mac app (macOS 12.0+, M1 required)
• Deep CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
• Conversation analytics (talk time, sentiment)
• 800 min/month free tier
• Bot-free recording coming soon

Limitations:

• Currently uses meeting bots (bot-free is "coming soon")
• Primarily cloud-processed
• Can feel overwhelming with features

Best for: Mac-using sales teams who need automatic CRM updates.

7. Otter.ai — Best for Teams Needing Archives

Native macOS App: Yes (launched October 2025)
Bot Joins Meeting: Optional (can record without bot)
Pricing: Free tier, paid from $17/month

Otter's new macOS desktop app lets you record without their Notetaker bot joining—a major upgrade for Mac users who found the bot intrusive.

Why Mac users love it:

• Native Mac app with Apple Silicon and Intel support
• Can record without bot (system audio capture)
• Works with headphones during meetings
• Excellent searchable meeting archive
• Slack Huddle auto-detection

Limitations:

• Bot-free mode relatively new
• Higher price point than competitors
• Heavy cloud processing

Best for: Mac users who need searchable meeting archives across their organization.

8. Read AI — Best for Cross-Platform Teams

Native macOS App: Yes
Bot Joins Meeting: Optional
Pricing: Contact for pricing

Read AI offers a Mac desktop app that can capture and transcribe without bots. It works across meetings, emails, and messages with SOC II certification.

Why Mac users love it:

• Native Mac desktop app
• Bot-free capture option
• Works across 20+ languages
• Selected as Zoom Essential App
• Integrates with many work tools

Limitations:

• Pricing not transparent
• Primarily enterprise-focused

Best for: Mac users in enterprises that need cross-platform meeting intelligence.

9. Fathom — Best Free Option (But Has Bots)

Native macOS App: Yes (via desktop drawer)
Bot Joins Meeting: Yes
Pricing: Free for individuals

Fathom offers free unlimited recording and transcription for individuals. The Mac app provides quick access via a desktop drawer, though it uses bots for recording.

Why Mac users love it:

• Completely free for individuals
• Fast summaries (often ready before meeting ends)
• SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant
• Works with Zoom, Meet, and Teams

Limitations:

• Visible bot joins your meetings
• Limited Microsoft Teams compatibility
• No real-time assistance

Best for: Budget-conscious Mac users who don't mind visible meeting bots.

10. Cluely — Real-Time AI Coaching

Native macOS App: Yes (macOS 12+)
Bot Joins Meeting: No
Pricing: Free tier, Pro $20/month

Cluely is a real-time AI assistant that provides live coaching during video calls. It displays a floating panel with AI suggestions positioned outside your shared screen area, so it's invisible to other participants. Popular for sales calls and client meetings where real-time support helps.

Why Mac users love it:

• Native Mac app with real-time AI coaching
• Bot-free and invisible to other participants
• Works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and more
• Transcribes and generates notes with action items
• Can draft follow-up emails and reports

Limitations:

• Marketing leans into "cheating" angle, which some find off-putting
• Some companies prohibit its use in job interviews or assessments
• Pro tier ($20/mo) required for advanced AI models
• No pre-meeting context from past conversations (unlike Convo)

Best for: Mac users who want real-time coaching for sales calls, client meetings, or presentations. Check your company's policies before using in interviews or assessments.

Comparison Table: Mac AI Meeting Assistants

Tool	Native Mac App	Apple Silicon	Bot-Free	Starting Price	Best For
Convo	✅ Swift	✅ Optimized	✅	$20/mo	Real-time help
Granola	✅	✅	✅	$10/mo	Minimalist notes
Jamie	✅	✅	✅	$24/mo	Multi-language
Krisp	✅	✅ M1+ only	✅	$8/mo	Noise cancellation
Radiant	✅	✅ M1+ only	✅	Free beta	Budget option
Fireflies	✅	✅ M1+	⏳ Coming	$10/mo	Sales teams
Otter	✅	✅	✅	$17/mo	Team archives
Read AI	✅	✅	✅	Contact	Enterprise
Fathom	✅	✅	❌ Bot	Free	Budget + bot
Cluely	✅	✅	✅	$20/mo	Real-time coaching

What I Actually Recommend

After testing all these tools, here's my honest take for different Mac users:

If you want real-time help during meetings: Use Convo. It's the only tool that helps you during the call with live suggestions. Every other tool just documents what happened afterward.

If you want beautiful, simple meeting notes: Use Granola. It's the most Mac-like app on this list and the design is genuinely thoughtful.

If you're on a tight budget: Use Radiant (free beta) or Fathom (free for individuals). Radiant is Mac-native and bot-free. Fathom has bots but is completely free.

If you're in sales and need CRM integration: Use Fireflies. The CRM integrations are unmatched, and the new Mac app finally makes it feel native.

If you have noisy environments: Use Krisp. The noise cancellation alone is worth it, and the meeting notes are a nice bonus.

If you need multi-language support: Use Jamie. 99+ languages with speaker recognition is impressive.

The Mac User's Bottom Line

Most AI meeting assistants were built for Windows first, then ported to Mac as an afterthought. That's why so many feel sluggish, drain battery, or lack basic macOS integration.

The tools at the top of this list—Convo, Granola, Jamie, Krisp, and Radiant—were either built for Mac first or have genuinely native Mac apps. They feel right on macOS, integrate with system features, and respect the Mac user experience.

My top recommendation? Start with Convo if you want real-time help during meetings—it's the most Mac-native tool I tested and the only one that actually helps you in the moment, not just afterward. If you just need clean meeting notes, Granola is a close second with its beautiful design.

Whatever you choose, make sure it has a native Mac app. Browser-based tools and Electron wrappers just don't cut it for Mac users who care about their experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best AI meeting assistant for Mac? Convo is the best overall for Mac users who want real-time help. It's built specifically for macOS with Apple Silicon optimization. For simple meeting notes, Granola offers the most Mac-native experience.

Do AI meeting assistants work with Apple Silicon Macs? Most modern tools do. Convo, Granola, Jamie, Krisp, and Radiant all have Apple Silicon-optimized apps. Some tools like Krisp and Radiant require M1 or later.

Can I use AI meeting assistants without bots joining? Yes. Convo, Granola, Jamie, Krisp, Radiant, and Otter all offer bot-free recording that captures audio directly from your Mac. Other participants won't know you're using them.

What's the best free AI meeting assistant for Mac? Radiant (by Supernormal) is completely free during its beta and has a native Mac app. Fathom is also free for individuals but uses meeting bots.

Do these tools work with Safari? Native Mac apps like Convo capture system audio, so they work with any browser including Safari. Browser-based tools like tl;dv require Chrome extensions.

Which AI meeting assistant has the best transcription on Mac? Most tools achieve 90-95% accuracy in good conditions. Otter.ai and Fireflies are known for particularly strong transcription quality.