independent tool
vs. platform feature
Zoom AI Companion is built into Zoom and only works within the Zoom ecosystem. Migas works with any meeting platform, processes audio locally, and is invisible to everyone on the call.
Zoom AI Companion is a capable AI assistant bundled with paid Zoom plans. It provides meeting summaries, in-meeting questions, and a growing set of agentic features, but it only works in Zoom. Migas is a standalone tool that captures and transcribes any meeting on your Mac, regardless of platform. It runs locally, stays invisible, and requires no account. If you live entirely in Zoom, AI Companion is already included in your plan. If you use multiple platforms, or want privacy and platform independence, Migas is the better fit.
feature comparison
| Migas | Zoom AI Companion | |
|---|---|---|
| works with any meeting platform | ✓ | ✗ |
| audio stays on your device | ✓ | ✗ |
| invisible to other participants | ✓ | ✗ |
| works offline | ✓ | ✗ |
| no account required | ✓ | ✗ |
| real-time transcription | ✓ | ✓ |
| live speaker identification | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI chat with transcript | ✓ | ✓ |
| meeting summaries | ✓ | ✓ |
| captions / multi-language | English only | 46 languages |
| no additional cost | free tier available | included with paid Zoom |
| in-meeting questions to AI | ✓ | ✓ |
| works in Google Meet | ✓ | ✗ |
| works in Microsoft Teams | ✓ | ✗ |
Migas AI chat sends transcript text (not audio) to the cloud when you ask for summaries. Transcription, speaker identification, and all audio processing happen entirely on your Mac. Zoom AI Companion features vary by plan tier; some advanced features require paid add-ons.
platform independence
This is the fundamental difference. Zoom AI Companion is a feature of Zoom. Migas is a standalone tool.
the lock-in problem
Zoom AI Companion only works inside Zoom meetings. If you have a call on Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, or any other platform, AI Companion is not available. Most people don't control which platform their meetings happen on. Clients, partners, and other teams all have their own preferences. A meeting assistant that only works on one platform leaves gaps.
how Migas solves this
Migas captures system audio on your Mac regardless of what app is producing it. Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex, Discord, phone calls through your Mac, even in-person conversations captured by your microphone. One tool, every platform, no integration required.
privacy and visibility
Zoom AI Companion is visible
When AI Companion is active, all participants are notified. A visible indicator shows that AI features are being used, and the host's settings determine whether features like summary and transcription are enabled. This is transparent by design, but it means everyone knows the meeting is being processed by AI. Zoom states they do not use customer content to train AI models.
Migas is invisible
Migas captures audio at the system level on your Mac. There is no notification to other participants, no bot in the attendee list, and no platform integration required. Audio is transcribed locally using on-device models and never leaves your device. Nobody on the call knows Migas is running unless you tell them.
pricing
The pricing comparison here is unusual because Zoom AI Companion is bundled with Zoom, not sold separately.
| Migas | Zoom AI Companion | |
|---|---|---|
| free tier | unlimited transcription, 50 AI requests | limited summaries & queries |
| paid plan | $14/mo | included with Zoom Pro ($13.33/mo) |
| requires existing subscription | ✗ | ✓ |
| works without any account | ✓ | ✗ |
If you already pay for Zoom Pro or higher, AI Companion is included at no extra cost. If you don't use Zoom, or use Zoom's free tier, AI Companion's features are significantly limited. Migas works independently of any platform subscription.
where Zoom AI Companion is the better choice
If you're already paying for Zoom and most of your meetings happen there, AI Companion has real advantages:
- No additional cost: it's included with your existing Zoom subscription
- Deep integration with the Zoom ecosystem (Zoom Chat, Zoom Docs, Zoom Phone)
- Captions and transcription in 46 languages
- Transparent to all participants, which may be preferred in enterprise and compliance contexts
- Agentic features: personal workflows, content generation, and deep research mode
- Admin controls and enterprise governance through Zoom's existing admin console
- No separate app to install or manage
For organizations standardized on Zoom with enterprise governance requirements, AI Companion is the path of least resistance.
where Migas is the better choice
Migas solves problems that a platform-native tool structurally cannot:
- Works with every meeting platform: Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex, Discord, phone calls, in-person
- Invisible to other participants: no notification, no consent prompt, no AI indicator
- Audio stays on your device: no cloud processing, no data retention policy to evaluate
- Works offline: transcription runs without an internet connection
- No account or subscription required: download, open, start transcribing
- Independent of any platform's pricing decisions or feature changes
the bottom line
Zoom AI Companion is a solid choice if you're already in the Zoom ecosystem and most of your meetings happen there. But most people's meeting lives span multiple platforms, and a tool locked to one of them will always have blind spots. Migas works everywhere, stays private, and doesn't depend on any platform's roadmap.
choose Migas if
You use multiple meeting platforms. You want audio to stay on your Mac. You want a private, invisible assistant that works regardless of what tool the other side of the call chose.
choose Zoom AI Companion if
You're already paying for Zoom and most of your meetings happen there. You want deep integration with Zoom's broader workspace tools. You prefer visible, transparent AI usage.
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