A Fireflies alternative for Mac that saves every call on your Mac first
Record a call from your menu bar, get the notes when it ends, and add its follow-ups to your to-do list in one click.
Last checked
Pick Fireflies if you want
a free plan, a notetaker that joins your calls on any major platform, apps for Windows, iPhone and Android, 100+ integrations and transcription in 100+ languages.
Pick SwitchDesk if
you want each call saved on your Mac first as ordinary files, its follow-ups suggested as to-dos in the list you dictate into, and screen videos with share links in the same subscription.
TL;DR
Both can record without a bot: Fireflies with its desktop app, SwitchDesk on every call.
Fireflies keeps recordings in its cloud (400 minutes per team on Free). SwitchDesk saves the audio, transcript and notes in a folder on your Mac.
Fireflies now bundles free dictation (Fireflies Talk). SwitchDesk adds a to-do list your calls feed, and screen videos with share links.
Try it: press Stop on the pill.
A call between Joe Raman and Sam Rivera with no third participant, and SwitchDesk’s recording pill at the bottom of the screen. Press Stop on the pill to end the recording and see the suggested to-dos.
A video call window with Joe Raman and Sam Rivera. No meeting bot in the participant list.
Lumora kickoff
JRJoe Raman
SRSam Rivera
SwitchDesk’s meeting recording pill: Recording · Lumora kickoff, 12:01, with Open, Stop and Cancel buttons.
Recording · Lumora kickoff12:01
SwitchDesk’s pill: “Generating to-do items…” after the call ends.
Generating to-do items…
SwitchDesk’s end-of-call popup for “Lumora kickoff”: 4 suggested to-dos — Send Lumora the revised proposal, Set up the pilot workspace, Share the pilot pricing with Lumora, Book a pilot check-in with Joe — each with an Add button, plus Not now and Add all.
Suggested after every call. “Add all” files them in your to-do list, under the right category.
Action items in the AI summary, and an action items and task manager on paid plans.
Before · During · After
Record on your Mac, press Stop, add the follow-ups.
Nothing joins the Lumora kickoff: SwitchDesk records your mic and the call’s audio as two tracks. Press Stop and it suggests the to-dos it heard, ready to file under Fernhill.
During: transcribed live. Names come from Google Meet’s captions; on other call apps, lines read “You” and “Them”.
After: notes, decisions and action items, with suggested to-dos you add in one click.
SwitchDesk doesn’t announce itself in the call, so tell people you’re recording. Laws vary by place.
Three steps on Sam’s Mac. Before the Lumora kickoff, the countdown pill offers Open Meeting and Record. During the call, the recording pill shows the time with Stop. After Stop, the action-items popup suggests four to-dos; Add all files them under Fernhill in the to-do list.
A video call window with Joe Raman and Sam Rivera. No meeting bot in the participant list.
Lumora kickoff
JRJoe Raman
SRSam Rivera
SwitchDesk’s meeting countdown: Lumora kickoff starts in 4:32.
Lumora kickoff·4:32
Lumora kickoff
SwitchDesk’s meeting recording pill: Recording · Lumora kickoff, 12:01, with Open, Stop and Cancel buttons.
Recording · Lumora kickoff12:01
SwitchDesk’s pill: “Generating to-do items…” after the call ends.
Generating to-do items…
SwitchDesk’s end-of-call popup for “Lumora kickoff”: 4 suggested to-dos — Send Lumora the revised proposal, Set up the pilot workspace, Share the pilot pricing with Lumora, Book a pilot check-in with Joe — each with an Add button, plus Not now and Add all.
Action itemsLumora kickoff
Send Lumora the revised proposalFernhill45 min
Set up the pilot workspaceFernhill35 min
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill20 min
Book a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill10 min
scroll for more
All added
Today's Todo
1.Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planReply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planFernhill
2.Prep pricing slides for ThursdayPrep pricing slides for ThursdayFernhill
1 category hidden
Fernhill
Send Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdaySend Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdayFernhill
Send Lumora the revised proposalSend Lumora the revised proposalFernhill
Set up the pilot workspaceSet up the pilot workspaceFernhill
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraShare the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill
Book a pilot check-in with JoeBook a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill
Today's Todo
1.Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planReply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring planFernhill
2.Prep pricing slides for ThursdayPrep pricing slides for ThursdayFernhill
1 category hidden
Fernhill
Send Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdaySend Joe the pilot timeline by ThursdayFernhill
UrgentBlocked
Send Lumora the revised proposalSend Lumora the revised proposalFernhill
Set up the pilot workspaceSet up the pilot workspaceFernhill
Share the pilot pricing with LumoraShare the pilot pricing with LumoraFernhill
Book a pilot check-in with JoeBook a pilot check-in with JoeFernhill
SwitchDesk to-do window, Beige theme: Today's Todo: Reply to Daniel about the Q4 hiring plan (in progress); Prep pricing slides for Thursday. Fernhill: Send Joe the pilot timeline by Thursday; Send Lumora the revised proposal; Set up the pilot workspace; Share the pilot pricing with Lumora; Book a pilot check-in with Joe.
After: all four suggested to-dos added under Fernhill.
Try it: press Record on the pill, then Stop, then Add all.
Rows landing in the list: animation added for this page.
Where your calls go
What stays on your Mac, and what’s sent.
The recording files stay on your Mac. During the call, audio streams to our transcription provider; after it, the transcript goes to an AI model for the notes, suggested to-dos and Ask.
Stored on your Mac
Lumora kickoff · saved on this Mac
Meeting audio: your mic and the call, two tracks
The transcript
Notes, in Markdown
Sent — when, and why
During the call
Your mic and the call’s audio stream to our transcription provider for live captions and the transcript. The recording files stay on your Mac.
After the call
The transcript, with speaker names when they were identified, goes to an AI model for the notes, suggested to-dos and Ask.
To-dos you add
Synced through our servers to your other devices; a shared category also goes to the teammates you share it with.
Meeting exports
Only the calls you pick, to destinations you set up, signed and relayed by our server.
Fig. — Where the Lumora kickoff goes.
Ask across meetings
Ask what you promised Lumora, then jump to the moment.
AskFred also answers across meetings. Here, each part of the answer cites its call, and a source opens the transcript at that line.
Plan: Essential 15 questions/mo, Pro UnlimitedEssential15 questions/moProUnlimited
Ask across all past meetings: "What have we promised Lumora so far?" — answered "A 12-seat pilot for their support team starting next month, a revised proposal by Thursday, and the security questionnaire you said you'd send after the intro call." Sources: Lumora kickoff · Today · 8:41; Lumora kickoff · Today · 12:11; Lumora intro call · Thu last week · 5:12.
All meetings
Ask about any past meeting
Answers come from all your recorded calls, read oldest to newest, with a link to every moment they cite.
What’s the latest with Lumora?What did I commit to last week?Which calls discussed pricing this month?
No. SwitchDesk records your mic and your Mac’s audio as two tracks, so nothing appears in the participant list. It doesn’t announce itself, so tell people you’re recording. Laws vary by place.
Where are my recordings stored?
On your Mac, in a folder for each meeting: the audio, the transcript and the notes in Markdown. During the call, audio streams to our transcription provider; after it, the transcript goes to an AI model for the notes. The recording files stay on your Mac.
Can I import my Fireflies meetings?
No. There’s no importer. Keep what you need from Fireflies; SwitchDesk starts with your next call.
Does it transcribe calls in other languages?
Not today. Meeting notes and dictation are English only.
Can my notes reach a CRM or project tool?
Yes, through a webhook. On Pro, a meeting export sends the calls you choose to Zapier, Make, n8n or your own server. Set it up in Settings → Meeting exports.
Is there a free plan?
No. There’s a 14-day free trial of Pro. After that, Essential is $12/mo billed yearly, or $15 monthly.
Does it run on Windows?
No. SwitchDesk is a Mac app for macOS 14.6 or later.