Compare
How TotalRecalls stacks up against the two realistic alternatives: each provider's official download, and do-it-yourself scripts.
| Feature | Official downloads | DIY scripts | TotalRecalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formats | JSON dump (machine-only) | Whatever you write | Markdown + JSON (human + machine) |
| Bulk download | Manual, one provider at a time | You maintain the script | All eight providers in one app |
| Setup | Per-provider download flows | Hours of scripting + debugging | Unzip and run (Windows) |
| Migration | Not supported | Up to you | Unified Library folder, portable anywhere |
| Full-text search across providers | No | Possible with extra tooling | Planned (optional upgrade) |
| Folder sync (cloud / NAS) | No | Manual | Planned — today: sync the folder yourself |
| Cost | Free (data locked in) | Free (your time) | $24USD one-time (data fully yours) |
Head-to-head, by provider
See exactly what each provider's official export gives you — and what TotalRecalls adds on top.
ChatGPT vs. OpenAI's JSON dump Claude vs. Anthropic's export Perplexity vs. the official backup Gemini vs. Google Takeout Grok vs. manual saving DeepSeek vs. manual saving Mistral vs. manual saving Qwen vs. manual saving Pricing what the alternatives cost Why Local your data, your machine Why Multi-Assistant one library, eight providers