Rev vs Shmeetings
Local AI meeting assistant vs professional transcription service
What is Rev?
A good analogy for Rev is a "file converter." You upload an audio file into their server and they deliver back a text file either via a human or AI transcription.
Rev uses a combination of both human and artificial intelligence transcription services. They are most effective at providing you with a highly-accurate (99%+) transcript from the human transcription service that was developed for purposes like creating written versions of legal depositions, medical records and so forth; however, the AI transcription service is faster and less expensive, but also slightly less accurate compared to human transcription service.
Rev is best used for transcribing pre-recorded audio and/or video files, such as podcasts, interviews and recorded meetings. It will not assist in transcribing live meetings or events.
The Core Difference
Rev provides a basic transcription service. This means that you upload an audio file to them, and they provide you with a text version of what you said during that meeting. There is no additional summary or meeting action items generated. Rev does not analyze your text.
Shmeetings is a meeting assistant that runs on your computer. Shmeetings automatically records meetings in real time, uses local AI to transcribe the audio, generates meeting summaries, meeting action items and custom insights based upon the conversation. What you receive is more than just a transcript of the meeting. What you receive is a processed form of the meeting's intelligence.
One of the largest differences is privacy. When you upload your audio files to Rev, the files must go onto Rev's servers. Shmeetings, on the other hand, runs the entire process on your computer. Your conversations are never uploaded.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shmeetings | Rev |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | 100% Local | Upload Required |
| Real-Time Recording | Yes | No (Upload Files) |
| Meeting Transcription | Yes | Yes |
| AI Summaries | Yes | Basic Only |
| Custom Prompts | Unlimited | No |
| Human Transcription | No | Yes (99% Accuracy) |
| Speaker Identification | No | Yes |
| Account Required | No | Yes |
| Pricing Model | $39 Once | $0.25/min |
Privacy and Your Meeting Data
In order to use Rev, you upload your audio files to Rev's servers, and Rev processes your audio files using their system. In order to obtain a human-generated transcription, Rev has actual humans who listen to your audio recordings, but there is also an option to process the audio using only AI. Regardless of how you choose to have your meeting transcribed, your meeting conversations are outside of your control once you upload them.
This is acceptable in many situations — podcast episodes, public interviews, articles to be published. However, if you are having confidential business meetings with clients, or you are holding internal company meetings, etc., uploading your meeting recordings to third-party companies exposes you to risk.
Shmeetings operates entirely on your Mac. All of the functions of Shmeetings occur on your computer — including the recording of your meeting, the transcription of your meeting, and the AI analysis of your meeting. None of these functions require that you upload anything to a remote server. This structural difference makes Shmeetings a better choice for professionals who handle confidential and sensitive material.
Who Should Use Each Tool?
Choose Shmeetings if you:
- Need privacy for confidential meeting content
- Want real-time recording and processing
- Need AI summaries and custom analysis
- Have frequent meetings (predictable cost)
- Don't want to upload audio to third parties
Choose Rev if you:
- Need maximum accuracy (human transcription)
- Have existing audio files to transcribe
- Need speaker identification labels
- Transcribe infrequently (pay-per-use works better)
- Work with non-English languages
Pricing Comparison
| Usage (10 hrs/month) | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmeetings | $39 | $39 | $39 |
| Rev AI ($0.25/min) | $1,800 | $5,400 | $9,000 |
| Rev Human ($1.50/min) | $10,800 | $32,400 | $54,000 |
* Rev pricing based on 10 hours of meetings per month. AI: $0.25/min ($15/hr). Human: $1.50/min ($90/hr).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rev's transcription more accurate than Shmeetings?
Rev's human transcription service is able to achieve 99%+ accuracy, which is greater than any AI tool currently available. While Rev's AI transcription service is similar to Shmeetings' AI transcription service, if you need to ensure 100% accuracy when working with critical data (i.e. legal or medical) Rev's human transcription service may be your better choice. Otherwise, the AI transcription service they should be sufficient for normal meeting note taking.
Can I use Rev for live meetings?
Rev is primarily a file-upload service. After you record your meeting, you must then upload the audio file to Rev before they can begin to transcribe it. Shmeetings, on the other hand, records meetings in real time and begins to transcribe them as soon as you start speaking. If you require a live meeting assistant, Shmeetings is likely a better fit.
Does Shmeetings identify different speakers?
As of now, Shmeetings does not label individual speakers by name. While Rev's human transcription service is capable of identifying and labeling individual speakers, doing so costs more.
When does Rev's pay-per-minute pricing make sense?
If you only occasionally transcribe a few hours of audio each year, Rev's per-minute pricing model can be less expensive than Shmeetings' one-time payment. However, if you regularly transcribe 10+ hours of audio per month, Shmeetings' one-time payment of $39 will be significantly less expensive than Rev's per-minute pricing model.
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