Best AI meeting note takers
AI note takers record, transcribe and summarize your Zoom, Meet and Teams calls. The big differences are free-plan limits, price per seat and whether a bot joins the call.
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How this page was made: this is a research-based comparison built from official pricing pages, product documentation and vendor announcements. We haven’t tested these tools ourselves or run hands-on benchmarks for this page, and we don’t invent scores. Our methodology.
Quick answer
AI note takers record, transcribe and summarize your Zoom, Meet and Teams calls. The big differences are free-plan limits, price per seat and whether a bot joins the call. Best free plan: Fathom, from $16/mo. Best for live transcription: Otter, from $8.49/mo. Best for teams and integrations: Fireflies.ai, from $10/mo. Best bot-free notes: Granola, $14.
Last updated Pricing checked Oct 2026
Key facts at a glance
| Pick | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best free plan | Fathom | Best free plan | Free; Premium $16/mo yearly ($20 monthly); Team $15/user yearly |
| Best for live transcription | Otter | Live transcription | Free (300 min/mo); Pro $8.49/mo yearly ($16.99 monthly) |
| Best for teams and integrations | Fireflies.ai | Teams and integrations | Free; Pro $10/mo yearly ($18 monthly); Business $19/mo yearly |
| Best bot-free notes | Granola | Bot-free notes | Free (Basic); Business $14/user; Enterprise $35/user |
Always tell meeting participants when you’re recording, and follow your local consent laws.
Which should you buy? Our quick picks
How do they compare?
| Tool | Paid plans | Free plan | Bot joins call? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom | Premium $16/mo yearly ($20 monthly); Team $15/user yearly (2-seat minimum); Business $25/user yearly | Unlimited recordings and transcripts | Bot or bot-free (beta, Mac) | Best free plan |
| Otter | Pro $8.49/mo yearly ($16.99 monthly); Business $24–$30/user | 300 minutes a month | Yes (OtterPilot) | Live transcription |
| Fireflies | Pro $10/mo yearly ($18 monthly); Business $19 yearly ($29 monthly); Enterprise $39 | Yes, with limits | Yes | Teams and integrations |
| Granola | Business $14/user; Enterprise $35/user | Basic, with limited history | No, records device audio | Bot-free notes |
The picks in detail
1. Fathom
Best for: Best free planFathom’s free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription, instant AI summaries, clips and search across calls, which is unusually generous. Premium ($16/mo billed yearly, $20 monthly) adds advanced summaries, AI action items and a conversational assistant. Fathom now offers bot-free capture in beta on Mac.
Pricing (Oct 2026): Free; Premium $16/mo yearly ($20 monthly); Team $15/user yearly Source
Pros
- Unlimited free recordings
- Simple, fast summaries
- Bot-free option (beta)
Cons
- Advanced summaries and action items need Premium
- Team plan requires 2 seats
- Bot-free capture is Mac-only beta
2. Otter
Best for: Live transcriptionOtter is one of the best-known transcription tools, with live captions and notes during meetings. The free Basic plan includes 300 minutes a month. Pro ($8.49/mo billed yearly, $16.99 monthly) raises that to 1,200 minutes with up to 90 minutes per meeting; Business allows 4-hour meetings.
Pricing (Oct 2026): Free (300 min/mo); Pro $8.49/mo yearly ($16.99 monthly) Source
Pros
- Low-cost Pro plan on yearly billing
- Live transcript during the call
- Mobile app for in-person recording
Cons
- Minute caps on Free and Pro
- 90-minute meeting limit on Pro
- Bot joins the call
3. Fireflies.ai
Best for: Teams and integrationsFireflies records and summarizes calls and pushes notes into CRMs and project tools. Pro is $10/mo billed yearly ($18 monthly), Business is $19 yearly ($29 monthly), and Enterprise is $39.
Pricing (Oct 2026): Free; Pro $10/mo yearly ($18 monthly); Business $19/mo yearly Source
Pros
- Wide range of integrations
- Searchable meeting library
- Affordable yearly pricing
Cons
- Bot joins every call
- Video recording and some features need higher tiers
- Monthly billing costs much more
4. Granola
Best for: Bot-free notesGranola takes a different approach: it captures audio from your computer instead of sending a bot into the call, then combines its transcript with the notes you type. That makes it less intrusive in client calls. A Basic plan is free with limited history; Business is $14 per user and Enterprise $35.
Pricing (Oct 2026): Free (Basic); Business $14/user; Enterprise $35/user Source
Pros
- No meeting bot
- Works with any call app on your computer
- Enhances your own notes
Cons
- No shared recording for people who weren’t there
- Free plan has limited history
- You still need to tell people you’re transcribing
Also considered
Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams all include AI summaries on some paid plans, which may be enough if your company already pays for them. For writing up notes afterward, see our ChatGPT vs Claude for writing.
Bot or no bot?
Most note takers join the call as a visible participant. That’s clear to everyone, but some clients find it off-putting. Bot-free tools like Granola, and Fathom’s beta mode, record audio from your own device instead. Either way, get consent before recording.
Recording podcasts instead?
Meeting tools aren’t built for broadcast-quality audio. For podcasts and interviews, see Riverside vs Descript.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best free AI note taker?
Do AI note takers work with Zoom, Google Meet and Teams?
Is it legal to record meetings with AI?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Oct 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Fathom pricing (fathom.ai)
- Otter pricing (otter.ai)
- Fireflies pricing (fireflies.ai)
- Granola pricing (granola.ai)
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