# Shadow

> Bot-free Mac meeting recorder that runs your own AI prompts

Shadow is a Mac app that records meetings in the background without sending a bot into the call, transcribes them on the device and takes screenshots of what is shown. Reusable prompts called Skills turn a meeting into notes, action items or a follow-up email, and Action Skills run from a keyboard shortcut in any app for jobs such as voice typing. Meetings are saved as Markdown files in a folder on the Mac.

- **Category:** AI Meeting Notes
- **Made by:** Taper Labs, Inc.
- **Website:** https://www.shadow.do
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

Shadow has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8 per month, billed annually.

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** Unlimited on-device transcription, audio recording and Smart Screenshots. AI meeting notes, Skills and AI chat are listed as unlimited only on Plus.
- **Free trial:** 2 weeks of Plus included free with the download, no card required.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | Unlimited transcription, unlimited audio recording and unlimited Smart Screenshots, described as free forever. |
| Plus | $8 per month, billed annually; $12 billed monthly | Everything in Free, plus unlimited AI meeting notes, Meeting Skills, Action Skills and AI chat. |

Read from https://www.shadow.do/pricing on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Shadow before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Annual billing lowers Plus to $8 a month** (Annual discount): The pricing page's billing toggle shows Plus at $8 a month on annual billing and $12 a month on monthly billing, about a third less. Source: https://www.shadow.do/pricing

## Key features

- **Bot-free capture with Autopilot:** Shadow records the microphone and system audio from the Mac, so nothing joins the call. Autopilot detects supported meetings and starts and stops listening on its own.
- **On-device transcription:** Transcription and speaker labeling run on the Mac, and raw audio is not sent to an outside provider. The vendor lists around 100 languages and says English works best.
- **Smart Screenshots:** Shadow finds the meeting window and captures it as the visuals change, so questions asked afterwards can cover what was shown as well as what was said.
- **Meeting Skills:** Each Skill is an editable prompt that produces notes, action items, a follow-up email or a BANT breakdown. A Skill can run automatically after a meeting and send its result to a webhook.
- **Action Skills and voice typing:** A keyboard shortcut in any app runs a Skill on what you say, what is on screen or the text you selected, then pastes the result at the cursor.
- **Local Markdown vault:** Transcripts and Skill outputs are saved as Markdown files, with media, in a vault folder you choose on the Mac. You can keep or discard meeting audio.

## Good for

- Mac users who want meeting notes without a bot in the call
- People who want to write their own prompts for notes and follow-ups
- Keeping transcripts as Markdown files on their own disk
- Using one app for meeting notes and voice typing

## Worth knowing

- Mac only: it requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14.2 or later. Windows and other devices are on a waitlist.
- Data is stored only on the one Mac. Sync across devices is on the roadmap but not available.
- The Free plan lists transcription, recording and screenshots; unlimited AI meeting notes, Skills and AI chat need Plus.
- Skills, Ask and automatic titles send transcripts or screen context to OpenAI, Google or Anthropic. Capture, transcription and storage stay on the Mac.

## Works with

Google Calendar, Zapier, n8n, Make

**Tags:** Meeting notes, Transcription, AI features, Local-first, Dictation, Chat assistant, Markdown

## Alternatives

- [Granola](https://toolgpa.com/tools/granola): AI notepad that transcribes meetings from device audio, no bot. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/granola-vs-shadow)
- [Jamie](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jamie): Bot-free AI note taker with EU data hosting. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jamie-vs-shadow)
- [Quill Meetings](https://toolgpa.com/tools/quill-meetings): Local-first AI meeting notes recorded without a bot. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/quill-meetings-vs-shadow)
- [Anarlog](https://toolgpa.com/tools/anarlog): Open-source, local-first AI meeting notepad with no bot. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/anarlog-vs-shadow)
- [Meetily](https://toolgpa.com/tools/meetily): Open-source meeting recorder that transcribes on your device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/meetily-vs-shadow)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://www.shadow.do/
- https://www.shadow.do/pricing
- https://www.shadow.do/download
- https://www.shadow.do/help/quick-start
- https://www.shadow.do/help/meeting-skills
- https://www.shadow.do/help/privacy-and-data
- https://www.shadow.do/help/calendar-and-settings

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/shadow
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).