Earkeep
The MacWhisper alternative built for meetings
Last updated: · Reviewed quarterly
MacWhisper turns an audio file or a live mic feed into text, fast, on your device. Earkeep runs the same models just as locally, but is already listening when the meeting happens.
14-day full trial, no account required.
- Already recording before you remember to
- Meetings marked after they end
- Whisper on your device, same as MacWhisper
The honest verdict
For a transcript of a recording you have, MacWhisper is excellent. For 8-15 meetings a week you never remember to record, it can't help. Both are local, account-free and pay-once (MacWhisper's Gumroad edition): the difference is workflow, not trust.
Why people look for a MacWhisper alternative
Always-on capture, not a file you drag in
MacWhisper needs a file or a mic session you started. Earkeep records mic and system audio continuously and transcribes locally with Whisper or Parakeet, no Pro tier needed for system audio.
Meetings you can go back to, not raw transcription
MacWhisper has no concept of a meeting or a day. In Earkeep a meeting is a span you or your calendar carve out of a continuous timeline.
Your agents can read the record, meeting by meeting
Earkeep runs agents in-app against your meetings, plus an MCP server for Claude Desktop or Cursor. We found neither in MacWhisper.
Side by side
| Capability | Earkeep | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Always-on background capture | Continuous | No background capture mode |
| Bot-free | No participant joins | Not a meeting tool at all |
| Audio processed on your device | In memory, never written to disk | Yes to transcribe; Pro AI summaries call a cloud API |
| Transcribes files you already have | Live audio only, nothing to drag in | Drag in any file, and batches of them |
| Retroactive meeting spans | Select the span on the timeline afterward | No meeting boundaries, just raw transcription |
| Captures system audio | Continuous | Pro only, and real-time rather than persistent |
| AI summary when it ends | No, but an agent you connect writes them from the transcript | Pro, through a cloud API |
| Labels who said what | Not yet | Speaker diarization on Pro |
| Your own agents can read it | ACP agents plus an MCP server | None found |
| Free tier that doesn't expire | 14 days free, then €39 once | The basic app is free |
| One-time purchase | €39, one device | $69 Pro, or $99.99 lifetime on the App Store |
| Pricing | €39 one-time, one device | Free basic, $69 one-time Pro (Gumroad); $29.99/yr or $99.99 lifetime (App Store) |
| Platform | macOS 13+, Windows 10+ | macOS |
Built inNo, but an agent you connect canPartlyNot available
Adding it takes an afternoon
- Install it, then forget about it for a day. Earkeep listens from launch. There is nothing to migrate: it cannot import MacWhisper's files or transcripts.
- Mark yesterday, or connect a calendar. Drag a span where a meeting was, or let Google, Apple, Outlook or any ICS calendar title the spans.
- Keep MacWhisper for the files. The two fees buy different products: $69 Pro for file work, €39 for always-on capture. Running both is normal.
Which one fits you
Choose Earkeep if
Your problem is the conversations nobody recorded.
- You never remember to hit record
- You want a day as a timeline, with meetings marked on it
- Calls and desk conversations should be captured the same way
- Your calendar should name the meetings
- Your own agents should read your meetings, in-app or over MCP
Choose MacWhisper if
Your job is files, where MacWhisper is simply the right tool.
- You have audio files to transcribe (interviews, lectures, voice memos): Earkeep takes no files
- You caption podcasts, with batch processing and SRT/VTT export
- You want dictation into any app, which Earkeep does not do
- You want every Whisper model size to choose per file
- You need who said what, which MacWhisper Pro does and Earkeep does not yet
Other tools people weigh this against
Frequently asked questions
Is Earkeep a good MacWhisper alternative?
For meetings you forget to record, yes. For files, no: Earkeep has no file input, dictation, SRT/VTT export or speaker labels.
Can I use MacWhisper and Earkeep together?
Yes, they don't overlap: Earkeep for meetings, MacWhisper for files you already have.
Does Earkeep replace MacWhisper's dictation or file transcription?
No. It is built for continuous capture and meetings marked afterwards, not one-off file jobs.
Is Earkeep's audio processing as local as MacWhisper's?
Yes. Earkeep never writes audio to disk. MacWhisper also transcribes locally, though its Pro AI summaries call a cloud API.
Why is Earkeep a one-time price like MacWhisper?
Because it respects the buyer: €39 once for one device, no tiers, the pay-once model MacWhisper's Gumroad customers say they value.
Try it yourself
14-day full trial, no account required.