Bee vs Screenpipe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bee and Screenpipe share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and Bee starts cheaper, at $11.99 a month against $21 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bee grades higher on platforms. Screenpipe grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bee
Wearable AI recorder that summarizes conversations and suggests to-dos
Screenpipe
Records your screen and audio locally so AI can use your history
Which one is for you
Pick Bee if
- Fits if you want everyday conversations recorded without a phone in your hand
- Works for people who want summaries of calls and chats, not only meetings
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 14 days of history, with desktop capture and integrations locked
- Pricey if you add the device: $74.99 or more, on top of $11.99 a month for Pro
- Watch out: Bee Eclipse is listed as coming soon at $99.99
- Skip it if you want a web dashboard, since Bee runs through its apps
- Watch out: the site carries an Amazon copyright notice, and the vendor says audio is processed in memory and deleted
Pick Screenpipe if
- Fits if you want your work history searchable, on your own device
- Works for people who already use Claude or Codex and want it to see their day
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want only meeting notes, as it records the whole screen and audio
- Tight if you stay free, as searchable history is limited
- Watch out: it lists about 30 GB of storage a month at default settings
- Pricey if you want a team: shared context isn't on Business, only Enterprise
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as only desktop systems are listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABeeFair | 2.2GPAScreenpipeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$11.99 a month for Bee Pro, the middle of the category's range, or $99.99 a year. The wearable is a separate buy, $74.99 for Frontier. | C$21 a month for Basic, or $250 a year, above the category's $15 and below its dearest tenth. Business is $42 a seat. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free tier with conversation summaries and 14 days of history. New devices come with 30 days of Pro. | BFree on one device for macOS, Windows or Linux, with limited searchable history and limited scheduled workflows. |
| Features | CSummaries, search, suggested to-dos, a timeline and desktop capture for online meetings. The desktop app and integrations need Pro, and the listing shows no web dashboard. | CScreen, audio and meeting capture, local search and an MCP server. It's a work-history tool rather than a meeting recorder, and shared team context needs Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You buy a device, pair it with the app and connect accounts. | CNo store rating on record. It's a local app that records everything, and getting value means connecting it to AI tools through MCP. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android, Mac and Windows, with Gmail, Calendar, Outlook and Alexa connections, but no web app. | CDesktop only, for macOS, Windows and Linux, with a local API and an MCP server. |
| Best for | a wearable that records conversations and suggests to-dos | a searchable record of your screen and audio |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bee and Screenpipe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bee starts at $11.99 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Screenpipe starts at $21 a month and scores 2.0.
Bee scores higher and starts $9.01 a month lower. Of the other AI meeting note takers on the chart, 23 score higher than Bee for less, and 51 score higher than Screenpipe for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bee also covers chat assistant and tasks.
- Screenpipe also covers screen recording.
At a glance
| Bee | Screenpipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11.99 per month, billed monthly ($99.99 billed yearly) | $21 per month ($250 per year billed annually) |
| Free plan | Conversation processing and summaries with 14 days of history. | Capture screen, audio and meetings on one device, search recent work and share selected context with AI tools. History is limited. |
| Free trial | 30 days of Bee Pro free with every new Bee device | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Amazon.com, Inc. | Negentropy Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | bee.computer | screenpipe.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bee
- Wearable devices are bought separately, from Amazon, and the page says select features need Bee Pro.
- Unlimited history, Bee for Desktop and integrations need Bee Pro at $11.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
- Bee Eclipse is listed as coming soon at $99.99, and Bee runs through its apps, with no web dashboard listed.
- The vendor says audio is processed in memory and then deleted; the site carries an Amazon copyright notice.
Screenpipe
- It records the whole screen and audio, not only meetings, and the site lists about 30 GB of storage a month at default settings.
- Searchable history is limited on the free plan; full history needs Basic at $21 a month.
- Shared context across teammates is not included on Business and needs Enterprise.
- System requirements list macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 or later and Linux, with 600 MB to 4 GB of RAM.
Key features
Bee
- Wearable capture
- Bee Frontier ($74.99) clips to clothing or wears on the wrist; Bee Eclipse ($99.99) attaches to a phone and records calls.
- Summaries and search
- Conversations become summaries and takeaways you can search; the free tier keeps 14 days, Pro keeps all of it.
- Suggested to-dos
- Follow-ups and action items are pulled from daily conversations and can become emails or calendar events.
- Bee for Desktop
- Mac and Windows app that saves Zoom, Meet and other online meetings, including on headphones. Needs Bee Pro.
- Personal timeline and patterns
- A daily timeline of conversations and places, and insights that the vendor says grow the more it is used.
- Amazon and Google connections
- Pro connects Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Photos, Health, Alexa and Amazon Shopping.
Screenpipe
- Screen and audio capture
- Combines accessibility data, screen frames with OCR as a fallback, and audio transcripts, stored in a local database on your device.
- Searchable history
- Search what you saw or heard, or scrub back through your day to the exact screen, document or conversation.
- Use with Claude, Codex and other AI tools
- A local REST API and MCP server give your own agents access to the history, so summaries and follow-ups can draw on meetings.
- Privacy controls
- You can exclude apps, windows and URLs and redact sensitive fields on the device before anything is stored.
- Scheduled workflows
- Install recurring workflows grounded in what is captured. Basic and above allow unlimited scheduled workflows; the free plan has a limited number.
- Source-available code
- The site describes the project as source-available and links to GitHub, with commercial source builds licensed under Enterprise.
Plans
Bee
Free$0
Conversation summaries with 14 days of history; Pro features such as integrations are locked.
Bee Pro$11.99
per month, billed monthly ($99.99 billed yearly)
Unlimited history, daily summaries, templates, suggested to-dos, app integrations and Bee for Desktop.
Screenpipe
Free$0
Start on one device for macOS, Windows or Linux with limited searchable history and limited scheduled workflows.
Basic$21
per month ($250 per year billed annually)
Full searchable local history across apps, meetings and audio, MCP context for AI tools, and unlimited scheduled workflows you install.
Business$42
per seat / month ($500 per seat per year billed annually)
Adds personal device sync, centralized billing and managed seats. Max and Ultra capacity tiers are offered. Shared team context is not included.
EnterpriseCustom
Shared team context, SSO, device and retention controls, dedicated support and a commercial license for source builds. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Bee
- Annual discount
Save over 30% with yearly Bee Pro
Bee's Pro page says the yearly plan at $99.99 saves over 30% against paying $11.99 a month.
Screenpipe
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
Basic is $250 a year against $21 a month, saving $50. Business is $500 per seat a year against $42 a month, saving $100.
- Education
50% off the first month for students and faculty
Students, researchers and faculty get 50% off the first month of an individual subscription.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bee or Screenpipe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bee is cheaper to start with: $11.99 a month, against $21 a month for Screenpipe. Bee starts at $11.99 per month, billed monthly ($99.99 billed yearly), and Screenpipe starts at $21 per month ($250 per year billed annually).
Which has a free plan, Bee or Screenpipe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bee and Screenpipe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Bee and Screenpipe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Bee lists iOS and Android apps and only Screenpipe lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.