ExtraBrain: A Local-First AI Copilot for Interviews and Meetings

ExtraBrain is a free desktop application designed to help engineers, students, and professionals during live conversations. It acts as an invisible assistant that listens to meetings, interviews, and lectures while keeping data private on the user's computer. The tool helps users prepare answers, summarize discussions, and organize notes without needing to join the call as a participant.

Benefits

ExtraBrain offers several key advantages for anyone needing support during high-stakes conversations.

• Privacy First:The app is built to keep your data safe. By default, it runs locally on your Mac, meaning your transcripts and notes stay on your device. You can choose to use cloud services only if you want, but you are never forced to send sensitive information away.
• Flexible AI Options:Users can choose their own AI engine. The app supports local models like Google Gemma 4 for maximum privacy or allows you to connect your own API keys from providers like OpenAI or Anthropic.
• Real-Time Support:While a conversation is happening, the app can generate clarifying questions, outline trade-offs, and provide structured responses instantly.
• Smart Context Awareness:The tool understands what is on your screen. This helps it grasp the context of the meeting or interview without needing you to manually describe the situation.
• Post-Session Analysis:After a call ends, ExtraBrain creates detailed summaries, lists action items, and highlights unresolved risks or important facts for future reference.

Use Cases

This tool is designed for specific scenarios where clear thinking and organization are critical.

• Coding Interviews:It helps candidates summarize coding prompts, identify edge cases, and outline clean baseline solutions for platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.
• System Design Discussions:The app can transform complex requirements into component lists, discuss trade-offs, and suggest follow-up questions.
• Behavioral Interviews:It assists users in preparing structured responses and handling clarifying questions from interviewers.
• Product Meetings:During team meetings, ExtraBrain extracts key decisions, identifies risks, and assigns owners to tasks automatically.
• Lectures and Research:Students and researchers can use it to convert spoken explanations into concepts, examples, and review questions.
• Customer Research:It highlights pain points and direct quotes from customers to help build better product roadmaps.

Pricing (ONLY include if available)

ExtraBrain uses a tiered pricing model that starts completely free.

• Free Tier:The core application is always free. It includes live workflow support, local transcription options, and the ability to set up your own AI providers. You also get access to help guides and setup resources.
• Pro Tier:This costs $6.99 per month or $79 per year. A lifetime option is available for $149. The Pro version adds custom profiles for reusable prompts, richer session history, and advanced workflow controls.
• Enterprise Tier:Companies can purchase custom pricing for team rollouts, security reviews, and dedicated support.

Vibes (ONLY include if available)

The public reception of ExtraBrain focuses heavily on its privacy features and flexibility. Users appreciate that it does not join meetings as a bot and remains hidden during screen sharing. The ability to run entirely offline on a Mac is a major selling point for those concerned about data security. Reviews and community feedback suggest that the tool is well-suited for developers and students who value control over their data while needing AI assistance.

Additional Information (ONLY include if available)

ExtraBrain is currently available only for Mac computers, including Apple Silicon chips like M1, M2, M3, and M4 as well as Intel Macs. Windows and Linux versions are planned for future release. The project has received funding through a grant from the Open Source Institute, which supports open-source software development. The team emphasizes responsible use, reminding users to follow the policies of the platforms they are working with and to use the tool as a support aid rather than a replacement for their own skills.