# I Built a Free, Offline CLI Alternative to Otter.ai Using Python and Local AI

> Source: <https://dev.to/yalnz/i-built-a-free-offline-cli-alternative-to-otterai-using-python-and-local-ai-2cp8>
> Published: 2026-06-18 18:15:47+00:00

#
🎙️ LocalScribe PRO: Free, Private, Offline AI Meeting Assistant

Hey developers! 👋

I just finished building **LocalScribe PRO**, a 100% free alternative to Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai that runs entirely on your laptop.

##
Why I Built This

I was tired of seeing people pay $20/month ($203/year!) for meeting transcription tools that:

- Upload all your private data to the cloud
- Have monthly minute limits
- Require internet connection

So I built something that:

- ✅ Runs 100% offline on your laptop
- ✅ Costs $0 (forever free)
- ✅ Never uploads your data
- ✅ Has unlimited usage

##
Features

- 🎤
**Record meetings** from your microphone
- 🎧
**System audio recording** - Record Zoom/Teams calls directly!
- 🎬
**Real-time transcription** - See text as you speak
- 🤖
**Local AI (Ollama)** - 100% offline, free, and private
- ☁️
**Cloud AI Support** - Plug in OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google APIs
- 📋
**Auto-summaries** - Automatically generates meeting summaries
- ✅
**Action items** - Extracts tasks automatically
- 🔒
**Zero-knowledge** - Your data NEVER leaves your computer

##
Tech Stack

-
**Python** - Core language
-
**Ollama** - Local AI (phi3 model)
-
**faster-whisper** - Speech-to-text
-
**sounddevice** - Audio recording
-
**OpenAI/Anthropic/Google APIs** - Optional cloud AI

##
Cost Comparison

| Tool |
Cost |
| Otter.ai |
$203/year |
| Fireflies.ai |
$120/year |
**LocalScribe PRO** |
**$0 (FREE)** |

##
How to Use