MeetInk vs tl;dv: a local-first alternative for Mac

tl;dv is a meeting recorder built around video: it records Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls, transcribes them, writes AI notes and lets you cut clips to share. MeetInk covers the notes side of that job with a different architecture. Here is how they compare, and when tl;dv is the better pick.

How tl;dv works

tl;dv is a cloud service with a web app and a desktop app for Mac and Windows.

• Bot or no bot. On Zoom, Meet and Teams it can join as a recorder in the call. Its desktop app can also record without a bot by capturing your microphone and your computer's system audio. tl;dv's help docs note that bot-free recordings are audio only, and that any other sound playing on your computer during the meeting is recorded too.
• Processed in its cloud. Recordings go to your tl;dv library, where they are transcribed and turned into AI notes.
• Built for sharing. Teams get a shared library, clips and highlights, Ask tl;dv across meetings, and integrations with CRMs, Slack, Notion and thousands of apps through Zapier.

tl;dv offers a free plan and per-seat Pro and Business plans; which AI features, multi-meeting questions and integrations you get depends on the plan, so check tl;dv's current pricing.

How MeetInk works

MeetInk is a Mac app that never joins the call and never uploads your audio.

• No bot, only the meeting. It records your microphone and the meeting app's audio — meeting apps and browsers, not music or videos in other apps. Echo cancellation keeps things clean if you take the call on speakers.
• Transcribed on your Mac. Speech recognition and speaker separation run on the Mac's Neural Engine. Audio is never uploaded.
• Your library is on your Mac. Recordings, transcripts and notes are stored locally. No account is needed; Google sign-in is optional.
• You choose the AI. Google Gemini (free tier, recommended), Claude or OpenAI with your own key — only the transcript text is sent, directly from your Mac — or a local model through Ollama, fully offline. See security for the details.

Notes shaped by the kind of meeting

MeetInk detects 16 meeting types and writes notes to match: standups, sprint planning, roadmap reviews, design reviews written up as decision records, incident reviews, client calls, sales discovery with a MEDDIC scorecard, sales demos, interviews, 1:1s, knowledge transfers, team updates, presentations, brainstorms and more.

Every line links to the moment it was said. Decisions and action items come out with owners and due dates, and any action item opens as a prefilled Linear issue. Your own notes and bookmarks steer the summary, and "Write…" recipes turn a meeting into a follow-up email, a Slack update, a decision record or a status recap.

Asking questions across meetings

tl;dv's Ask feature works on its cloud library. In MeetInk, Ask AI works on one meeting (answers cite [mm:ss] moments you can play), a folder, or all your meetings. Search runs on your Mac, by meaning and keywords, using an embedding model that runs locally.

Your AI tools can read your meetings too: a one-click, read-only local connector works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop and Cursor.

Pricing: per seat vs one-time

tl;dv has a free plan and monthly or annual per-seat subscriptions — check their site for current prices and limits.

MeetInk is a one-time license: $29, with 12 months of updates included. Try every feature free for 14 days; after that it stays free for 5 meetings a month. See pricing.

Side by side

	tl;dv	MeetInk
Meeting bot	Optional — bot or bot-free desktop recording	No
Video recording	Yes, with the bot	No, audio only
What bot-free mode captures	Microphone and all system audio	Microphone and only the meeting app's audio
Where audio is transcribed	tl;dv's cloud	Your Mac
Where notes live	tl;dv's cloud	Your Mac
Account required	Yes	No
AI that writes notes	tl;dv's	Gemini (free tier), local Ollama, Claude or OpenAI, with your own key
Clips and highlights	Yes	No — bookmarks and timestamp links
Team library	Yes	No — share to Slack, a folder or a webhook
CRM integrations	Native, plan-dependent	Through a Zapier / Make / n8n webhook
Platforms	Web, plus Mac and Windows desktop apps	Mac (macOS 15 or later)
Languages	Many — check their site	English
Pricing	Free plan + per-seat subscription	One-time license + free tier

Where tl;dv is the better choice

• You want video. If you share recordings, cut clips for coaching or review screen shares later, tl;dv records video; MeetInk does not.
• Your team works from one shared library. tl;dv is built for teams to search, share and comment together. MeetInk is personal, with sharing through Slack, folders or webhooks.
• You live in your CRM. tl;dv offers native CRM syncing on its paid plans. With MeetInk you would build that through a webhook.
• You use Windows or a browser. MeetInk is Mac-only.
• Your calls are in several languages. MeetInk transcribes English only today.

Why choose MeetInk instead

Choose MeetInk if you want bot-free notes without your audio leaving your Mac, if you would rather not keep client calls in a vendor's cloud, or if you want notes written for standups, sales discovery and client commitments for a price you pay once. Nothing leaves your Mac unless you pick a cloud notes engine or set up an integration yourself.

The bottom line

tl;dv is a strong pick for teams that want video recordings, clips and a shared cloud library. MeetInk is for people who want the notes without the bot or the cloud: transcribed on your Mac, kept on your Mac, written by the AI you choose.

Frequently asked questions

Does MeetInk record video like tl;dv?

No. MeetInk records audio only and focuses on the transcript and notes. Every line of the notes links to the moment it was said so you can play it back.

Will a music tab or notification end up in the recording?

No. MeetInk captures your microphone and only the meeting app's audio, so music and videos in other apps are left out.

Do I need to tell people I am recording?

Yes, wherever the law or your company requires it. No bot joins, so nothing appears in the call — see recording consent.

Try MeetInk

Download it and use it on your next call. Every feature is free for 14 days, no account needed, and you keep 5 meetings a month free after that.