Best AI Note Takers for Meetings of 2026
Nine AI meeting note takers ranked on published prices, free plan limits, languages, CRM sync and whether a bot joins your call.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Fathom is the best AI note taker for most people in October 2026. Its free plan records, transcribes and summarizes every meeting with no monthly cap, it holds a 5.0 on G2 from 7,085 reviews, and paid seats start at $16 a month on annual billing. Fireflies is the better buy for teams that need integrations, and Granola wins if you never want a bot in the call.
Our top picks
How to choose
Every tool on this list does the basic job: it captures a meeting, writes a transcript and turns it into a summary with action items. The differences that matter show up in four places.
How it captures. Most note takers send a bot that joins the call as a participant. That is reliable and gives you a video recording, but some guests find it intrusive and some companies block it. Bot free tools (Granola, Krisp, Otter's desktop app, Fathom's Mac beta) listen through your computer's audio instead. They are invisible in the participant list, but they usually skip the video.
What the free plan really allows. Free plans range from genuinely usable (Fathom, tl;dv) to a sampler (Notta's 3 minute sessions, Read AI's 5 meetings a month). The limit is rarely the headline number. It is storage (Fireflies keeps 400 minutes per team), history (Granola shows 30 days, Otter keeps your last 25 conversations) or AI usage (tl;dv writes AI notes for 10 meetings).
Where the notes go. If your notes need to land in Salesforce or HubSpot, check which plan unlocks it. Avoma includes five CRMs on every plan. Fathom keeps CRM field sync for Business at $34 per user monthly. Granola keeps Salesforce for Enterprise.
Languages. Otter transcribes six languages. Fireflies lists 100+, Avoma 70+, Notta 58 and Granola 31 on desktop. If any of your meetings are in Portuguese, Hindi or Korean, this decides it for you.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $20 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- Unlimited recordings, transcripts and basic AI summaries
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams; bot free capture in beta on Mac
- Languages
- Not published
Fathom's free plan records and transcribes every meeting with no monthly cap and still writes an instant summary, which no other big name matches. It carries a 5.0 on G2 from 7,085 reviews, and the Team plan is $15 per user on annual billing.
Pros
- Free plan records and transcribes every meeting with no monthly cap, per the pricing page
- 5.0 on G2 from 7,085 reviews, the largest review base in the category
- Team plan at $15 per user annual is cheaper than most rivals' team tiers
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA listed on the homepage
Cons
- Action items, advanced summaries and the full Ask Fathom assistant are paid features
- Automatic CRM field sync needs Business at $34 per user monthly ($25 annual)
- Bot free capture is a Mac beta; everyone else gets a bot in the call
- Supported languages are not listed on the pricing page
Skip it if you need CRM field sync on a budget (Business is $34 per user monthly) or more than a Mac beta for bot free capture.
- Starting price
- $18 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- Unlimited transcription with auto join, 400 minutes of storage per team, limited AI summaries
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, desktop app, mobile app, Chrome extension
- Languages
- 100+ languages
Pro is $10 per seat on annual billing and adds unlimited summaries, video, downloads and unlimited integrations including Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive. Transcription covers 100+ languages on every plan.
Pros
- Pro at $10 per seat on annual billing is one of the lowest paid tiers in the category
- Transcription in 100+ languages on every plan
- Video recording, downloads and unlimited integrations from Pro
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA listed; HIPAA is on Enterprise
Cons
- Free plan storage is 400 minutes for the whole team, so history fills fast
- AI features draw from a monthly AI credit balance (20 on Free and Pro)
- Unlimited free transcription only applies with calendar auto join on; invite only mode limits you to 3 transcriptions
- The bot joins the call by default
Skip it if you want to stay free for long: the free plan stores only 400 minutes per team.
- Starting price
- $14 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- No daily transcription limit; only the last 30 days of notes are visible in the app
- Platforms
- Bot free on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in person; macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple Watch
- Languages
- 31 on desktop, 17 on mobile
Granola never joins the call. It listens through your device audio, enhances the notes you type and works across Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles and in person, with no daily transcription limit even on the free plan.
Pros
- No bot joins the call; capture runs on your device audio
- No daily transcription limit on any plan, per the help center
- Works across any meeting app plus in person, with desktop and mobile apps
- 31 transcription languages on desktop
Cons
- Free plan hides notes older than 30 days until you upgrade
- No annual discount on Business; annual billing is Enterprise only
- Salesforce sync and HIPAA are Enterprise only, from $35 per user
- No video recording listed on any plan
Skip it if you need video recordings or annual billing below Enterprise; Business is $14 per user, monthly only.
- Starting price
- $16.99 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- 300 minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, last 25 conversations
- Platforms
- Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet; bot free capture on Mac and Windows desktop
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese
Otter Pro is $8.33 per user on annual billing with 1,200 minutes a month, a live transcript and Salesforce and HubSpot sync. Bot free capture works on its Mac and Windows desktop apps.
Pros
- Pro at $8.33 per user on annual billing is the lowest annual paid tier among the big names
- Live transcript during the call plus bot free desktop capture
- Salesforce and HubSpot integrations start on Pro
- Business removes the minute cap for $19.99 per user annual
Cons
- Free plan caps each conversation at 30 minutes and keeps only the last 25
- Six transcription languages, far fewer than Fireflies or Notta
- Pro still caps you at 1,200 minutes and 90 minutes per conversation
- Class action over recording without consent survived a motion to dismiss in August 2026
Skip it if you meet in languages beyond its six, or if the pending privacy class action is a dealbreaker for your legal team.
- Starting price
- $29 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- Unlimited recordings; AI notes on 10 meetings; data kept up to 3 months
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, iOS and Android apps
- Languages
- 30+ languages
tl;dv keeps unlimited video recordings with unlimited storage on its free plan, and hosts data in the EU with GDPR and SOC 2 listed. Paid plans add unlimited AI notes, an API, webhooks and an MCP server.
Pros
- Free plan keeps unlimited video recordings with unlimited storage
- GDPR, SOC 2 and EU hosting listed on the pricing page
- Pro adds unlimited AI notes, API, webhooks and an MCP server
- Business adds sales coaching (playbooks, objection handling) without usage fees
Cons
- Free AI notes stop after 10 meetings and data retention is up to 3 months
- Monthly Pro at $29 per seat is above Fireflies ($18) and Otter ($16.99)
- Weekly web recording caps apply (40 on Free, 80 on Pro)
- Each recording is capped at 3 hours
Skip it if price per seat matters most: Pro is $29 monthly or $18 annual, above Fireflies and Otter.
- Starting price
- $16 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- No free plan; 7 day free trial
- Platforms
- Bot free on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and other voice apps; Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Languages
- 17+ languages
Krisp pairs a bot free note taker with its noise cancellation, so the transcript starts cleaner. Core is $8 per user on annual billing with unlimited notes, transcription and recording.
Pros
- Bot free capture through a virtual microphone and speaker
- Noise cancellation included, which no other pick here offers
- Core at $8 per user annual is among the lowest paid tiers
- 4.7 on G2 from 1,612 reviews
Cons
- No free plan, only a 7 day trial
- Salesforce needs Advanced at $30 per user monthly
- 10 GB storage cap on Core
- 17+ languages, fewer than Fireflies or Notta
Skip it if you want a free plan; Krisp offers a 7 day trial only.
- Starting price
- $29 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- No free recorder plan; 14 day trial, free view only seats
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, plus dialers like Aircall, Dialpad, RingCentral and Zoom Phone
- Languages
- 70+ languages
Every Avoma plan syncs to Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive and Copper, covers 70+ languages and records dialer calls from Aircall, Dialpad and RingCentral. Viewer seats are free.
Pros
- CRM sync to five CRMs on the entry plan
- 70+ transcription languages
- Dialer coverage (Aircall, Dialpad, RingCentral, Zoom Phone) for phone calls
- Free viewer seats, so you only pay for people who record
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 42001 AI management certification
Cons
- No free plan for recorders
- Coaching and forecasting are add ons at $29 to $35 per seat
- Monthly Startup at $29 is above most general note takers
- Built for sales workflows, more than a solo user needs
Skip it if you are a solo user; there is no free recorder plan and coaching is a paid add on.
- Starting price
- $19.75 per user per month
- Free plan limit
- 5 meeting transcripts per month
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome
- Languages
- 20+ languages
Read AI summarizes meetings, email and messages in one assistant, with SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA listed. Pro is $15 per user on annual billing with Salesforce and HubSpot.
Pros
- Covers meetings plus email and messages in one assistant
- SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR and HIPAA listed
- Salesforce and HubSpot on the first paid tier
- Desktop, mobile and browser apps for in person capture
Cons
- Free plan is capped at 5 meeting transcripts a month and 1 hour per meeting
- Audio and video playback needs Enterprise at $29.75 monthly
- HIPAA needs Enterprise+ with a 5 license minimum
- No refunds, per its pricing FAQ; cancel before renewal
Skip it if you want to stay free; the free plan stops at 5 meeting transcripts a month.
- Starting price
- $13.99 per seat per month
- Free plan limit
- 120 minutes per month, up to 3 minutes per conversation, 10 AI summaries
- Platforms
- Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex; web, mobile, Chrome extension
- Languages
- 58 languages
Notta transcribes 58 languages, sells bilingual transcription and translation add ons and handles uploaded recordings up to 5 hours. Pro is $8.17 per month on annual billing.
Pros
- 58 transcription languages, the widest named list among these picks after Fireflies' 100+
- Pro at $8.17 per month on annual billing
- Up to 5 hours per recording on paid plans
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA listed
Cons
- Free plan sessions are capped at 3 minutes, per the pricing page
- Pro still caps minutes (1,800) and AI summaries (100) per month
- CRM and video recording wait for Business
- No G2 rating could be verified this month
Skip it if you want a usable free plan; free sessions are capped at 3 minutes, per its pricing page.
What it costs
Prices below are per seat per month as listed on each pricing page in October 2026. Annual prices are the monthly equivalent when you pay for the year.
| Tool | Monthly billing | Annual billing | 10 seats per year, annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krisp Core | $16 | $8 | $960 |
| Notta Pro | $13.99 | $8.17 | $979.90 |
| Otter Pro | $16.99 | $8.33 | $999.60 |
| Fireflies Pro | $18 | $10 | $1,200 |
| Granola Business | $14 | Not offered | $1,680 |
| Fathom Team | $19 | $15 | $1,800 |
| Read AI Pro | $19.75 | $15 | $1,800 |
| tl;dv Pro | $29 | $18 | $2,160 |
| Avoma Startup | $29 | $19 | $2,280 |
The annual discount is large in this category. Otter's Pro seat drops 51% from $16.99 to $8.33, Krisp's drops 50% and Fireflies' drops 44%. If you know the tool works for you, monthly billing roughly doubles your bill.
The CRM sync math. For a 10 person sales team that needs notes in Salesforce, the cheapest qualifying tier changes the ranking. Otter Pro ($999.60 a year) and Fireflies Pro ($1,200) both include Salesforce. Read AI Pro is $1,800 and Krisp Advanced is $1,800. Avoma Startup is $2,280 but includes five CRMs plus dialers. Fathom Business is $3,000 a year on annual billing, and Granola needs Enterprise at $35 per user, or $4,200 a year.
The minute cap math. Otter Pro includes 1,200 minutes a month, about 20 hours of meetings. Notta Pro includes 1,800 minutes. A manager on six hours of calls a day will exceed both. Fireflies, Fathom, Granola, tl;dv, Krisp and Avoma have no published minute caps on paid plans.
For other volumes, the cost calculator and the Price Index use the same per seat numbers.
Bot vs bot free note takers
The bot question is the biggest practical split in this category.
A meeting bot joins as a named participant. Fathom, Fireflies, Otter, tl;dv, Read AI, Avoma and Notta all use one by default. You get video, speaker names from the meeting platform and recording that keeps running even if your laptop sleeps. The costs are social (guests see "Notetaker" in the list and some ask you to remove it) and administrative (some IT teams block unknown bots, and a few tools auto join every calendar event unless you change the setting).
A bot free tool captures audio on your device. Granola and Krisp work this way on every plan, Otter's desktop apps can, and Fathom offers it as a Mac beta. Nothing appears in the meeting, it works on any app including Slack huddles and phone calls, and it covers in person meetings through the phone app. The tradeoffs: usually no video, and speaker labels depend on the tool's own detection.
Neither approach removes your legal duty to get consent. Bot free just means nobody sees the recorder.
Red flags
- Auto join defaults. Fireflies grants unlimited free transcription only when calendar auto join is on. Check which meetings it joins before you connect your calendar, especially with external guests.
- Training on your data. The Otter.ai case turns on this point: the plaintiffs allege the notetaker kept meeting data to train AI models without consent from non subscribers. Read each vendor's data use terms, and prefer tools that state an opt out (Granola lists model training opt out on its free plan).
- Hidden history limits. Granola hides notes older than 30 days on Basic, Otter keeps the last 25 conversations, tl;dv keeps data up to 3 months and Fireflies stores 400 minutes per team. Your archive can disappear behind a paywall.
- Per conversation caps. Otter's free plan stops at 30 minutes per conversation and Notta's at 3 minutes. A one hour client call will not fit.
- AI credits. Fireflies meters AI features with monthly credits (20 on Free and Pro, 30 on Business). Unlimited transcription is not the same as unlimited AI.
- Compliance on the wrong tier. HIPAA sits on Enterprise at Fireflies and Granola, on Enterprise+ with a 5 license minimum at Read AI, and as an add on at Otter. Healthcare teams should price the compliant tier, not the starter one.
How we picked
We started with the nine note takers that appear most across the top search results, Reddit threads and review marketplaces for this query, then read each vendor's pricing page, help center and G2 listing in October 2026. We compared published facts only: price per seat on monthly and annual billing, free plan limits, supported platforms and languages, CRM sync, storage and compliance. We did not run our own recording trials.
Each tool is scored on five factors (value, features, ease, integrations and trust) using our published rubric. Trust includes verified review counts and any legal or regulatory issues we found; Otter's score reflects the class action that a federal court allowed to proceed in August 2026. Ranked order is editorial: the best fit for most readers on the facts above. No vendor paid for placement, and some links may earn us a commission, as explained in our disclosure.
We left out Zoom's own AI assistant because its paid pricing was not shown on the product page we checked, and built in assistants only work inside one platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI note taker for meetings?
Fathom, for most people. Its free plan records and transcribes every meeting with no monthly cap and adds instant summaries, it holds a 5.0 on G2 from 7,085 reviews, and paid plans start at $16 per user on annual billing. Teams that want broad integrations should look at Fireflies, and anyone who dislikes bots should look at Granola.
Is there a free AI note taker with no limits?
Fathom comes closest: unlimited recordings, transcription and basic summaries on the free plan, per its pricing page. tl;dv also keeps unlimited recordings free but caps AI notes at 10 meetings and retention at 3 months. Fireflies transcribes without a cap when auto join is on but stores only 400 minutes per team. See our [free AI note taker guide](/best-ai-note-taker-free) for each plan's limits.
Which AI note taker doesn't join the meeting?
Granola and Krisp capture audio from your device, so no bot appears in the participant list. Otter's Mac and Windows desktop apps can also capture without a bot, and Fathom offers bot free capture as a Mac beta. Bot free tools still record people, so you still need consent where the law requires it.
Which AI note taker is the cheapest?
On annual billing, Krisp Core is $8 per user, Notta Pro is $8.17, Otter Pro is $8.33 and Fireflies Pro is $10. On monthly billing, Notta Pro at $13.99 and Granola Business at $14 are the lowest. Ten seats on annual billing run from $960 a year on Krisp to $2,280 on Avoma Startup.
Is Otter or Fireflies better?
Fireflies, for most teams. It covers 100+ languages to Otter's six, includes video and unlimited integrations from Pro, and has no minute cap on paid plans. Otter is cheaper on annual billing ($8.33 versus $10) and has the better live transcript. Read our full [Otter vs Fireflies comparison](/otter-vs-fireflies).
Are AI note takers legal to use?
Usually, with consent. Recording laws vary by state and country, and some require every participant to agree. In August 2026 a federal court in California let privacy claims against Otter.ai proceed, including wiretap and Illinois biometric claims tied to its notetaker and speaker profiles. Announce the recorder, use consent notices and check your vendor's data training terms.
Do AI note takers work for in person meetings?
Several do. Granola, Read AI, Fireflies, tl;dv and Krisp all have mobile apps, and Granola specifically lists in person and walking meetings. Notta also records on mobile and transcribes uploaded files up to 5 hours long on paid plans.
Which AI note taker syncs with Salesforce or HubSpot?
Avoma syncs with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive and Copper on every plan. Otter and Read AI add Salesforce and HubSpot on their first paid tier, Fireflies from Pro, and Fathom offers CRM field sync on Business. Granola has HubSpot on Business but keeps Salesforce for Enterprise.