In short
tl;dv started as a recorder that joins your Google Meet, Zoom and Teams calls as a bot, and now also offers a desktop app that records from your computer's audio without one.
Notey only records from the computer: it takes your microphone and your Mac's audio as two tracks, transcribes them on the Mac, and keeps the audio on your disk.
The main difference is where the meeting lives afterwards. tl;dv keeps recordings in a library in its cloud, hosted in Europe, where a team can search and share them. Notey keeps them on your Mac and sends only transcript text, only when you ask for AI notes.
This comparison describes tl;dv from its own website as of September 2026. Check tl;dv's site for the current state before deciding.
At a glance
| tl;dv | Notey | |
|---|---|---|
| Joins the call as a bot | Yes, one of two modes | Never |
| Records without a bot | Yes, desktop app | Yes, always |
| Meeting apps | Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams | Any app on the Mac |
| Platforms | Chrome extension; desktop for Mac (M-series and Intel) and Windows | Mac only (Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later) |
| Where data is kept | tl;dv's cloud, data centres in Europe | Your Mac |
| Works with no account or network | No | Recording, transcription and search do |
| Transcription languages | Over 30, per its site | 10 live; the after-meeting improvement is English only |
How each one captures a meeting
tl;dv's bot "joins your calls automatically — recording, transcribing, and summarising on your behalf even when you're not there." Its desktop app "records directly from your system audio, with no meeting bot required", for Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and saves recordings to your library in tl;dv. (tl;dv for Google Meet, tl;dv desktop app)
The bot's advantage is that it can attend without you. Its cost is that it is a visible participant: the host admits it or not, and some organisations block it. How meeting bots work explains why bots get stuck in waiting rooms or removed.
Notey records your microphone and the sound your Mac plays as two separate tracks, so it works with any app and knows your side from theirs by which track the audio came in on. It notices calls in Zoom, Teams, Slack, FaceTime and in Chrome, Safari, Arc and Edge when the browser uses the microphone, and asks before saving anything. It cannot attend a meeting you are not in. Bot-free meeting notes covers the trade-offs in general.
Where your data goes
tl;dv
- Location: "All our data centers are located in Europe", using GCP, AWS and Hetzner. Recordings are stored encrypted with AES-256. (tl;dv security)
- Training: "No customer data is used to train the AI." tl;dv says it uses Anthropic and describes steps it takes before sending meeting content, such as anonymising metadata.
- Its homepage lists GDPR and SOC 2.
Notey
- Audio is written to your Mac and never uploaded, including for transcription.
- Transcription runs on the Mac with Apple's speech recognition.
- AI notes send transcript text only, to Notey's service and on to OpenAI as a processor, when you ask or when a meeting ends if write-ups are on. Not used for training and not retained by Notey. (Notey's privacy policy)
- With no account, nothing leaves the Mac.
For organisations that require EU hosting for a cloud notetaker, tl;dv's documented European data centres answer that directly. For those that do not want meeting recordings with any third party, Notey's model avoids the question.
Where tl;dv is stronger
- It can attend without you, through its bot.
- Platforms. A Chrome extension, Windows, and Intel Macs as well as Apple silicon. Notey needs Apple silicon and macOS 26.
- A shared library. Recordings live in one place that a team can search and share. Notey has no shared workspace.
- Integrations. tl;dv's site says it connects to thousands of tools, including CRMs, Slack, Notion and HubSpot. Notey has none.
- Languages. Over 30 for transcription, per its site.
Where Notey is different
- Any app. Notey records whatever the Mac plays, including calls in apps tl;dv does not list, a phone on speaker, or a webinar.
- Nothing is uploaded to record or transcribe, and the audio is kept on your disk as two tracks you can replay.
- No account needed to record, transcribe, search and read back.
- AI output labelled as AI-generated wherever it appears; your edits are marked.
Pricing
tl;dv has a free plan and paid plans; see its pricing page. Notey's recording, transcription and search are free with no account, and AI notes are paid by the hour; see Notey's pricing.
Which one fits
tl;dv is likely the better fit if:
- you want a recorder to attend meetings you cannot;
- your team wants a shared, searchable library of calls;
- you use Windows or an Intel Mac;
- you need a cloud vendor that hosts in Europe.
Notey is likely the better fit if:
- bots are blocked or unwelcome in your meetings;
- your meetings must not be stored by a third party;
- you record calls in many different apps, not just Meet, Zoom and Teams;
- you want recording and transcription to work with no account and no network.
For the wider field, see the best AI notetakers for Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Does tl;dv need a bot to record?
No longer. tl;dv's bot joins Google Meet, Zoom and Teams calls, and its desktop app for Mac and Windows records from your system audio with no bot in the call.
Where does tl;dv store data?
tl;dv's security page says all its data centres are in Europe and that recordings are stored encrypted. Notey stores recordings and transcripts on your Mac.
Does tl;dv run on Intel Macs?
Its desktop app page offers Mac versions for M-series and Intel. Notey runs only on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 26 or later.
Does tl;dv use my meetings to train AI?
tl;dv's security page says no customer data is used to train the AI.