At a glance
| Steno | Zoom AI Companion | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio processing | On your Mac, always | Zoom’s cloud (US) |
| Transcription / summaries | On-device | Cloud |
| Meeting coverage | Any call or in-person (system audio + mic) | Zoom-hosted meetings (Meeting Summary) |
| Account required | No | Yes — a paid Zoom plan + admin enablement |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Price | Free (personal & team) | Included with paid Zoom plans (e.g. Pro ~$15.99/user/mo) |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No |
| Platform | macOS only | Zoom Workplace (Mac, Windows, mobile, web) |
The core difference: ecosystem and location
Zoom AI Companion’s meeting summaries work for meetings hosted in Zoom by a licensed user on a paid plan, with the feature enabled by an account admin. Processing happens in Zoom’s cloud. Steno is not tied to any meeting platform. It records the audio your Mac plays — Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, a browser call, or an in-person conversation through the microphone — and transcribes and summarizes it on your device by default. There is no account, no admin, and no meeting content is uploaded unless you opt into a cloud summarization model. (Steno does send anonymous usage analytics by default — no meeting content — with an opt-out in Settings.)Cost
Zoom AI Companion is included at no extra charge with paid Zoom accounts, but it requires one — it is not available on the free Zoom Basic plan (Zoom Workplace Pro is about $15.99/user/month as of 2026). Steno is free for personal and team use and open source and works regardless of your Zoom plan.Where Zoom AI Companion is stronger
- Native to Zoom — no separate app; summaries and in-meeting Q&A are built into the Zoom client.
- Broad language support and features across Team Chat, Phone, Whiteboard, and Mail.
- Cross-platform — wherever Zoom Workplace runs.
When to choose Steno
- Your meetings are not all in Zoom (Teams, Meet, in-person, or mixed)
- You want processing to stay on your Mac, with no cloud upload
- You do not have — or do not want to pay for — a qualifying Zoom plan
- You want free, open-source software
When to choose Zoom AI Companion
- Essentially all your meetings are hosted in Zoom
- You already pay for a qualifying Zoom plan and your admin has enabled it
- Cloud processing within the Zoom ecosystem is acceptable
- You want AI features across the wider Zoom Workplace suite
Does Zoom AI Companion work for non-Zoom meetings?
Does Zoom AI Companion work for non-Zoom meetings?
Its Meeting Summary feature covers Zoom-hosted meetings. Zoom’s separate “My notes” feature claims broader coverage, but it is a distinct feature. Steno works with any meeting or in-person audio on your Mac, regardless of platform.
Is Zoom AI Companion free?
Is Zoom AI Companion free?
It is included with paid Zoom plans but is not available on the free Basic plan and must be enabled by an admin. Steno is free for personal and team use and open source and does not depend on your Zoom subscription.