Last updated: October 2026. Prices are in USD unless marked CAD. Canadian cards are usually charged in USD and converted by your bank, plus GST/HST.
AI note takers record your meetings, transcribe them and write summaries with action items. Fathom is the best free AI note taker, Fireflies is best for teams and integrations, and Granola is the best “botless” option that does not join your call as a visible bot.
Fathom
Unlimited free recordings and transcripts for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, with AI summaries. Paid from $16/month.
AI note takers compared
| Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Joins as bot? | Works with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings | $16/month (annual) | Yes | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Fireflies.ai | Unlimited transcription, limited storage | $10/month (annual) | Yes | Zoom, Meet, Teams + many integrations |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/month (30-min meetings) | $8.33/month (annual) | Yes | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Granola | 25 meetings trial | $14/user/month | No | Any call (Mac, Windows beta, iOS) |
| Read.ai | 5 meetings/month | $15/month (annual) | Yes | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| tl;dv | 10 meetings with AI notes | $18/month (annual) | Yes | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Notion AI Meeting Notes | Trial only | Notion Business plan | No | Any call |
| Zoom AI Companion | — | Included in paid Zoom | Built in | Zoom only |
| Teams Premium / Copilot | — | Microsoft business add-ons | Built in | Teams only |
1. Fathom — best free note taker
Fathom’s free plan records and transcribes unlimited meetings and gives AI summaries, with advanced summaries on a handful of calls a month. Ideal for freelancers and small businesses.
2. Fireflies.ai — best for teams
Searchable meeting library, CRM and Slack integrations, and topic tracking across calls. The free plan transcribes without limit but stores only a few hundred minutes.
3. Otter.ai — best live transcription
Strong real-time captions you can follow during a meeting. The free plan caps meetings at 30 minutes.
4. Granola — best botless option
Granola listens through your computer’s audio instead of joining as a bot, then merges your own notes with the transcript. Great when a bot in the call feels awkward with clients.
5. Read.ai, tl;dv and Notion
Read.ai adds meeting analytics; tl;dv is popular for sales calls; Notion AI Meeting Notes suits teams already using Notion.
Built-in options
If your company pays for Zoom or Microsoft 365, check Zoom AI Companion or Teams intelligent recap first: you may already have an AI note taker at no extra cost.
Pros
- No more manual note taking
- Searchable transcripts of every call
- Automatic action items and follow-up emails
- Strong free plans (Fathom, Fireflies)
Cons
- Visible bots can make clients uneasy
- Accuracy drops with accents and crosstalk
- Free plans limit storage or summaries
- Sensitive meetings need careful data settings
How to choose
- Free and simple: Fathom.
- Team knowledge base and CRM sync: Fireflies.
- No bot in the call: Granola.
- Live captions: Otter.
FAQ
What is the best free AI note taker?
Fathom, thanks to unlimited free recordings and transcripts.
Can AI take notes without joining the meeting?
Yes. Granola and Notion AI Meeting Notes capture audio from your device, so no bot joins the call.
Do AI note takers work with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Fathom, Fireflies, Otter, Read.ai and tl;dv all support Teams, and Microsoft offers its own recap features.