HumlaThe free, standalone Notion AI alternative
Notion's meeting notes live inside a $20/seat workspace and can't tell you who said what. Humla is free, standalone, and labels every speaker.
Free · Open source · macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon)
Which should you pick?
- Switch to Humla if you want a free, local, open-source alternative that keeps meetings on your Mac.
- Stick with Notion AI if your team already lives in Notion and you want notes to flow straight into that workspace.
Why people leave Notion AI.
Why people look for a Notion AI meeting-notes alternative — the reasons that come up most.
- You can't buy just the notes. Notion AI Meeting Notes is bundled into the $20/member/month Business plan (paid-only since 2025).
- No speaker labels. The transcript is one unlabelled block — you can't tell who said what.
- It's cloud-only and closed. Transcripts live in Notion's cloud; raw audio isn't even user-accessible.
- You have to adopt the whole workspace for the notes to be useful.
What Humla does instead.
Humla is the standalone, local notepad that labels every speaker.
- Real speaker labels. On-device diarization with colour-coded pills — and it handles in-person meetings, not just calls.
- Standalone and free. No $20 seat, no workspace to adopt — the app is free and MIT-licensed.
- Runs on your Mac. Transcription and summaries can run entirely on-device; audio never has to leave the machine.
- Yours to keep. Notes live in local SQLite on your disk; optional team sync is $5/user/month, or self-host it free.
- Open source. Audit the “nothing leaves your Mac” claim line by line.
- Speaks your language. Around 99 languages via Whisper — on-device or with your own key — plus a dedicated Norwegian model and per-language routing.
See a meeting become a note.
New note, record, summary — that's the whole workflow. The cleanup afterwards is none, on a five-minute meeting or an hour-long one.
When Notion AI is still the better pick.
Humla isn't for everyone. Stick with Notion AI if:
- Your team already lives in Notion and you want notes to flow straight into that workspace.
- You need cross-platform and mobile access — Humla is macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon) only.
FAQ
Is there a Notion AI meeting-notes alternative that shows who said what?+
Yes — Humla does on-device speaker diarization with colour-coded labels, including for in-person meetings. Notion's transcript is one unlabelled block.
Can I get meeting notes without paying for Notion Business?+
Yes. Humla is free and standalone — no $20 seat and no workspace required. Optional team sync is $5/user/month, or self-host it free.
Does Humla keep my notes off the cloud?+
Yes — with on-device transcription and local SQLite storage, notes and audio stay on your Mac. Cloud engines are optional with your own key.