Jamie vs Shmeetings
Comparing two invisible AI meeting assistants: offline privacy vs cloud convenience
What is Jamie?
Jamie is a silent AI meeting assistant that does not appear on-screen as a visible bot during meetings. It silently records audio from your computer, sends it to its cloud servers for processing, and then returns to you a summary and meeting actions. Since Jamie is an invisible participant, others attending the meeting will not receive a "Jamie is recording" alert.
Jamie's main objective is to provide a simple way to use meeting recording capabilities — it does not require any calendar integration or management of a bot. To use Jamie, simply initiate it before a meeting and it will take care of the rest; Jamie will record all audio from your meeting regardless of the meeting platform being used.
Jamie has pricing plans that range from $24-$48 per month based upon the number of hours of meetings you conduct each month. The number of hours of meetings you have will dictate how many minutes of audio you can send to Jamie's cloud server. Once Jamie receives your meeting audio, it will process it at their cloud servers, enabling fast transcription, however, this also means that your meeting recordings are leaving your computer.
The Core Difference
Jamie and Shmeetings function similarly in that they both silently capture the system audio during your meeting (and do not join in visibly as a bot). Where your meeting audio goes after Jamie captures it is where the functions of Jamie and Shmeetings diverge.
When you initiate Jamie, it sends your meeting audio to cloud servers, where it is processed and summarized into actionable meeting notes. Since Jamie utilizes the powerful computing resources available in their cloud infrastructure, the time it takes to generate meeting summaries is significantly shorter compared to local processing, however, since your meeting audio exists on Jamie's servers, you do not have complete control over where your meeting recordings go.
When you initiate Shmeetings, it captures all system audio from your Mac, but unlike Jamie, it processes everything locally on your Mac (i.e., it never sends your meeting audio to any servers); your meeting content remains completely private and secure.
While both Jamie and Shmeetings address the need to generate meeting notes without requiring a visible bot to participate in your meeting, Jamie addresses the issue through the lens of providing the most convenient and fastest way to create meeting notes, while Shmeetings provides the solution through the lens of providing the most private and controlled environment to create meeting notes.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shmeetings | Jamie |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | 100% Local Processing Never leaves your computer | Cloud-based Audio sent to Jamie's servers |
| Visible Bot in Calls | No Invisible to participants | No Invisible to participants |
| Account Required | No Just install and use | Yes Email signup required |
| Works Offline | Yes No internet needed | No Requires constant internet |
| Custom Prompts | Unlimited Any prompt, any format | Limited Pre-defined templates |
| Usage Limits | Unlimited No hour restrictions | Hour Limits Based on plan tier |
| Pricing | $39 once Lifetime license | $24-$48/month Recurring subscription |
Privacy and Your Meeting Data
Jamie's invisible nature allows meeting attendees to avoid the awkwardness of visible bots during meetings, but "invisible to meeting attendees" does not equate to "invisible to Jamie." Your audio is still sent to Jamie's cloud servers to process.
Jamie's invisible nature is sufficient for generating meeting notes for meetings where the sole objective is to obtain meeting notes without the awkwardness of visible bots. However, if the meetings involve sensitive business strategy, sensitive personnel matters, or confidential client discussions, the fact that recordings exist on Jamie's servers may raise concerns regarding confidentiality and security.
Shmeetings provides the exact same invisible experience as Jamie, with one key difference: your audio is never sent outside of your Mac. The AI models are run locally on your Mac, so there are no servers, no uploads, and no data retention policies for you to worry about. Your meetings remain on your hard drive.
Many companies require IT approval prior to allowing their employees to utilize cloud-based transcription services. Shmeetings is a software product that resides on your own machine and requires no such approvals.
Who Should Use Each Tool
Choose Shmeetings If You:
- Want invisible transcription that's also private
- Handle sensitive conversations regularly
- Don't want to create another cloud account
- Need unlimited transcription without usage caps
- Prefer one-time purchase over subscription
- Want fully custom prompts and outputs
Choose Jamie If You:
- Are comfortable with cloud processing
- Want faster processing than local models
- Need cross-device sync and mobile access
- Prefer a managed service over self-hosted
- Have company approval for cloud AI tools
- Don't mind monthly subscription costs
Pricing: One-Time vs Subscription
Jamie charges $24 per month for its basic subscription plan (10 hours), and $48 per month for its Pro subscription plan (40 hours). While heavy meeting users may find themselves reaching these hour limits, annual billing may offer some savings, yet it is still a recurring expense.
Shmeetings is priced at $39 once. There are no monthly fees, no usage limitations, and no renewal date. If you were to subscribe to Jamie's Starter Plan ($24/month) for 2 months, you would have spent more money than what Shmeetings costs for life.
| Plan | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmeetings | $39 | $39 | $39 |
| Jamie Starter | $288 | $864 | $1,440 |
| Jamie Pro | $576 | $1,728 | $2,880 |
* Jamie pricing is per month with usage limits. Shmeetings is a one-time purchase with unlimited use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental difference between Jamie and Shmeetings?
Both tools are invisible to meeting attendees — what is the actual difference? Both capture system audio without joining calls as bots. The difference is where your audio goes afterwards. Jamie sends your meeting audio to cloud servers for processing. Shmeetings processes it locally on your Mac. They both provide the exact same end-user experience — the only difference is the level of privacy provided to you.
Is Shmeetings slower than Jamie?
Whether or not Shmeetings is slower than Jamie will depend on the local processing capabilities of your Mac. M1/M2/M3 Macs are capable of efficient processing. While cloud-based processing may be faster for extremely lengthy meetings, for typical meetings, the difference will be negligible. The tradeoff is privacy vs speed.
Will Jamie store my meeting recordings indefinitely?
Check Jamie's current Privacy Policy to determine whether they store meeting recordings in perpetuity. Cloud-based services often retain data for processing purposes and may retain it for service development and/or improvement. Shmeetings retains all meeting-related content locally on your hard drive — you are in control of when to delete it.
May I utilize Shmeetings for in-person meetings?
Yes. Shmeetings captures all audio your Mac is capable of capturing — microphone input for in-person meetings or system audio for video meetings. Since Shmeetings operates entirely offline, you may use it anywhere — regardless of whether you have an active Internet connection.
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