JesRecap vs Zoom AI Companion
Zoom AI Companion is part of Zoom. It is switched on in the account, it works on Zoom meetings, and the processing happens in Zoom's cloud. JesRecap sits one layer lower: it records whatever audio your computer is playing, so the meeting platform is irrelevant, and it transcribes on the same machine rather than sending anything upstream.
| JesRecap | Zoom AI Companion | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | On your device, with local Whisper-family models | In Zoom's cloud, as part of the Zoom platform |
| Where recordings and transcripts live | Your Mac or PC — WAV files plus a local SQLite library | The Zoom account, subject to its admin settings |
| Bot in the meeting? | No — silent local capture | No separate bot; it is built into the meeting itself |
| Account required | No — a license key, no sign-up | Yes, a Zoom account, and the feature must be enabled |
| Works offline | Yes, once the model is downloaded | No, it is part of a cloud service |
| Pricing model | From €34.95 once — tiers for 1, 2, 4, or 8 devices | Included with eligible paid Zoom plans |
| Platforms and coverage | macOS 14.2+ and Windows 10/11 — any meeting app, or in person | Wherever Zoom runs, for Zoom meetings |
| Built-in AI summaries | Optional, on-device only — a local model writes the note, or one click copies a prompt for the AI you already use | Yes, generated by Zoom in the cloud |
When Zoom AI Companion is the better choice
- Every meeting you care about happens in Zoom, and the feature is already part of the plan you pay for. Nothing to install, nothing extra to buy.
- The host enables it once and everyone benefits, whatever device they joined on — including people who never installed anything.
- You want it woven into Zoom's own surfaces: the recording, the chat, the follow-up in the same place as the meeting.
When JesRecap is the better choice
- Your meetings are spread across Teams, Meet, Webex, Slack huddles and plain phone calls. JesRecap records the audio your computer plays, so all of them look the same to it.
- Cloud processing of call content is hard to approve where you work, or your admin has the AI features switched off. Local transcription is designed to support your compliance process instead of adding another processor.
- You want your own copy, not the account's copy: two separate WAV tracks, a local transcript, and exports as Markdown, text, JSON, SRT or VTT that outlive any subscription.
- You are not the host, and you still need notes from the conversation you took part in.
Questions
Does JesRecap need permission from the Zoom host?
Technically no — it records the audio your own computer plays, using Core Audio process taps on macOS or WASAPI loopback on Windows, so it does not touch the meeting platform. Legally and socially, telling the other participants you are recording is still on you, and rules vary by country and employer.
Will it capture people who joined by phone or from a room system?
Yes, as long as their audio comes out of your computer. JesRecap records the system audio as one track and your microphone as another, then mixes a playback track afterwards.
Can I run both?
Yes. Zoom's assistant can handle routine internal calls while JesRecap keeps a local record of the ones that should not be processed in a cloud.
What about macOS permissions?
macOS 14.2 or newer, and the system Audio Capture permission, which you grant once. Apple Silicon Macs are both supported, along with Windows 10 and 11.
Every meeting app. One recorder.
JesRecap captures the audio your computer already plays and transcribes it on the device. From €34.95 once.