Screenshots: Otter, Fathom, Fireflies and Google official pages
I have worked in IT for about twenty years, and the question I hear most after "which video call app should we use" is "which AI notetaker should we let into the meeting?" My answer starts with a boring detail. It is not the summary quality, it is who is in the call, what they agreed to, and where the transcript ends up. This guide follows the searches people run next on Google (free tools, downloads, Bluedot, Jamie and built-in options) and gives one straight answer for each, based on the vendors' own pricing pages, Microsoft and Google help pages, and dated reviews.
Quick answer- Best free start: Fathom. Its pricing page lists unlimited recordings and transcription with instant AI summaries on the free plan, and TechRepublic (September 28, 2026) named it best overall.
- High-volume teams and CRM work: Fireflies. Live transcription and searchable history: Otter.
- No visible bot in the call: Granola, which lists bot-free capture from device audio on its free plan.
- Already pay for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365: check Google Meet and Microsoft Teams recap first, but both need specific plans or licenses.
Jump to: Best overall | Free | Built in | Download | Bluedot | Jamie | Phone and in person | Consent and privacy | Comparison | Final pick | FAQ
Best AI Meeting Notes Tool for Most People
Image: Fathom (official page)
TechRepublic's September 28, 2026 roundup of six meeting note takers picked Fathom as best overall for its generous free plan, strong team features and both bot and bot-free capture. It named Fireflies best for high-volume teams, Otter best for live transcription and searchable notes, and Granola best for bot-free capture. The same article says it had not ranked transcription accuracy because the six products were not tested under one comparable setup, so treat the picks as feature and price judgments, not a sound-quality test. (TechRepublic's page blocked my direct request, so I read it through a search excerpt.)
Two other roundups I read are written by vendors, so read them with that in mind. Jamie's blog (September 30, 2026) says it installed the desktop apps of five tools and tested them on free plans, and it names Otter and Fireflies for teams and CRM work and Granola and Jamie for solo, simple use. A post on the alfred_ blog (updated October 19, 2026) scores seven tools out of 25 and gives Fathom 24, Fireflies 21, Otter 18 and Granola 17. Both companies sell a competing product, and the scoring methods are theirs. What they share with TechRepublic is that Fathom comes out strong on the free plan and Fireflies on integrations.
Image: Fireflies (official page)
On the vendors' own pages, Fireflies lists unlimited transcription and a Chrome extension that records without its bot. It also lists integrations, conversation intelligence on Business and SOC 2 Type II compliance. Otter lists live notes and captions for Google Meet and Zoom, plus sync to Salesforce or HubSpot.
Image: Otter (official page)
Who should pick which Best overallFathom if you want the most you can use for free and mostly meet on Zoom, Google Meet or Teams. Fireflies if you need integrations and team analytics. Otter if you want live captions while the meeting runs. Skip Otter's free plan for long meetings, because its pricing page lists 30 minutes per conversation on Basic.
My take (20 years in IT): Pick the tool that sits where your meetings already happen, then judge it on one real week. A mediocre tool you actually leave switched on beats a perfect one you forget to start.
Best Free AI Meeting Note Taker
Image: Fathom (official page)
"Free" means very different things here, so read the limit that will actually bite you. Below is what each pricing page says (read October 25, 2026).
| Tool | Free plan, per its pricing page | Limit to watch |
|---|
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings and transcription, instant AI call summaries, clips, playlists and search | Advanced summaries and AI action items are on Premium ($16 per user per month billed annually) |
| Fireflies | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team, 20 AI credits | Summaries and storage are limited; Pro lists $10 per seat per month billed annually |
| Otter | Basic: 300 transcription minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, 25 most recent conversations kept | Short caps and limited history |
| Granola | Basic $0: AI notes, bot-free capture, 30 days of meeting history | History is 30 days; Business is $14 per user per month |
| Bluedot | Free $0: 5 meetings lifetime, Chrome extension, desktop and mobile apps | Best seen as a trial; Basic starts at $14 per user per month |
| Jamie | Free: 10 AI notes per month, 30-minute meeting limit | Prices on the page are in euros |
Image: Otter (official page)
Reading the table, Fathom has the least restrictive free plan on paper because recordings and transcription are not capped. Fireflies is similar for transcription but limits summaries and storage. Otter and Jamie put hard caps on minutes, notes or length, and Bluedot's free plan is five meetings for the life of the account. Granola's free plan keeps notes for 30 days.
Image: Fireflies (official page)
My take (20 years in IT): The free plan that looks generous can still fail you on the day you need it. Before you trust one, run a long meeting through it and then try to find the notes a month later. History limits and per-meeting length caps are where free plans quietly stop being useful.
Meeting Minutes AI Free Inside Google Meet, Teams and Zoom
The searches for "meeting minutes AI free" often end at the apps you already use. They are not always free, but they avoid adding another vendor, so here is what the official pages say.
Image: Google (official page)
Google Meet. Google's help page says "Take notes for me" needs an eligible Google Workspace edition or a Google AI plan. It is available for spoken English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, one language at a time. Notes are saved as a Google Doc in the organizer's Drive in a "Google Meet" folder, late joiners can use "Summary so far", and Meet tells all participants that notes are being taken. The page recommends meetings of at least 15 minutes. A Workspace admin can require everyone's explicit consent before notes, recording or transcription start (off by default). The same page notes you can also use it for in-person meetings or on the go.
Image: Google (official page)
Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Support (September 23, 2026) says intelligent recap is part of Teams Premium and also part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and that AI summaries need the event to be transcribed. It lists five minutes as the minimum length, while a Microsoft Learn admin page (May 2026) lists a ten-minute minimum for intelligent recap, so test with your own tenant. A newer Support page (October 22, 2026) says scheduled meetings can get an AI summary without saving a recording or transcript if attendees have Copilot licenses. The summary is stored as a Word document in the organizer's OneDrive "Meetings" folder, expires on a timeframe your IT admin sets, and the organizer can delete it. That page says instant meetings are not supported for this mode.
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
Zoom. Zoom's AI page now presents its assistant as ZoomMate. The page says "My Notes" captures conversations on Zoom, in person, on mobile and across third-party platforms, and that you can create your own summary formats. It also says ZoomMate needs a license and runs on a credit system, with some features available without credits. I did not find a price on that page, so check the plans link there.
Image: Zoom (official page)
Image: Zoom (official page)
My take (20 years in IT): Built-in tools win on administration. Your IT admin already controls retention, sharing and consent for them, and that matters more than a slightly nicer summary. If you are the admin, set the retention and sharing defaults before anyone turns notes on.
AI Meeting Notes Tool Download, Desktop App, Browser Extension or Meeting Bot
People who search "download" usually want to know how the tool gets into the call. There are three routes, and they feel very different to the other people in the meeting.
Image: Fireflies (official page)
- Meeting bot. A named participant joins the call. Fireflies, Fathom and Otter offer this. It is obvious to everyone, which helps with consent but can feel intrusive in client calls.
- Browser extension. Fireflies lists a Chrome extension that records without its bot, and Bluedot lists a Chrome extension plus desktop and mobile apps on its free plan.
- Bot-free desktop capture. Granola lists bot-free, device-audio capture with desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps. Fathom's page lists a bot-free option that is in beta on Mac, and Jamie says it records from your device.
Image: Fireflies (official page)
Image: Granola (official page)
Image: Otter (official page)
For the app route, the vendors' own sites are the safest place to download. Use the official links in the table below rather than a search ad or a lookalike site.
My take (20 years in IT): A visible bot is a feature, not a flaw. It tells people they are being recorded. A bot-free tool is quieter for you, so it is your job to tell people. Say it out loud at the start of the call, every time.
Bluedot AI Note Taker
Image: Bluedot (official page)
Bluedot describes itself on its site as capturing online calls in the background. Its pricing page lists a free plan with 5 meetings for the life of the account, a Chrome extension, desktop and mobile apps, and Slack, Notion, Zapier and Make integrations. Paid plans start at $14 per user per month for Basic (audio only, unlimited meetings, up to one hour per recording), $20 for Pro (video, unlimited length, custom note templates) and $32 for Business (CRM and ATS integrations, SSO and SCIM, custom data retention). The page also shows a second, higher set of prices ($18, $25 and $39). I did not find which billing term each set applies to, so check before you buy. I did not find an independent hands-on review of Bluedot among the sources I read, so I am not rating its summary quality.
Image: Bluedot (official page)
Who should pick Bluedot Audio-first notesYou want a Chrome extension and apps with Slack, Notion and Zapier connections, and you are fine paying for audio-only notes. Skip it if you need a long free trial, because the free plan is five meetings in total.
Jamie AI Meeting Notes
Image: Jamie (official page)
Jamie lists a free plan with 10 AI notes per month and a 30-minute meeting limit. Pro is listed at 39 euros per month and Team at 33 euros per seat per month, both billed annually. Its pricing page also lists in-person meetings, notes in 99+ languages, hosting in the EU with GDPR compliance, "no model training on your data", a consent email on every plan and ISO 27001, with SOC 2 Type II marked as pending. Those are the vendor's claims, so ask for its security documents if you handle sensitive client work. Jamie's own blog says it records the audio on your device, which is why it lists support for every meeting platform.
Who should pick Jamie In-person and multilingualYou switch between video calls and in-person meetings, or you work in several languages. Skip it if you want the most generous free plan, because the free tier is capped at 10 notes a month.
Best AI Meeting Note Taking App for Phone and In-Person Meetings
Image: Granola (official page)
If your meetings are not all on a screen, look at what each tool says about phones and rooms. Granola lists iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps on every plan. Zoom says My Notes works in person and on mobile. Jamie lists in-person meetings on every plan, and Google's Meet help page says its note taking can be used in person or on the go. Otter lists iOS and Android apps with recording from the built-in mic, Bluetooth and AirPods.
Image: Granola (official page)
Image: Zoom (official page)
Image: Granola (official page)
In a room, microphone placement matters more than the app. Put the phone near the people talking, not in your pocket, and say who is speaking at the start so speaker tags have something to work with. I did not find any source that tested in-person accuracy across these apps, so I cannot say which is best.
Recording Consent, Laws and Privacy Before You Press Record
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
This is general information, not legal advice. Federal law, as summarized by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, requires the consent of at least one party to record a conversation, and about 11 states primarily require all parties to consent (that guide was published in 2021). Justia's 50-state survey, last reviewed in September 2024, lists California and Massachusetts among all-party states, and describes Nevada as one-party for in-person talk but all-party for phone calls. Washington's statute (RCW 9.73.030) requires the consent of all participants, and it says consent is considered obtained when one party announces to everyone that the conversation is about to be recorded. For calls that cross state lines, the Reporters Committee advises erring on the side of the stricter law.
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
Tools differ in how they help you tell people. Google says Meet shows all participants that notes are being taken, and admins can require explicit consent. Granola's pricing page lists a setting to let people know you are using it, which is per-user on Basic and Business and admin-enforceable on Enterprise. Jamie lists a consent email on every plan. Otter's pricing page lists a recording disclaimer email under administration features, but I could not tell from the page text which plans include it.
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
On data use, here is what vendors say on their own pages. Granola lists audio deleted after transcription, SOC 2 Type II, and a model training opt-out that is per user on Basic and Business and workspace-wide on Enterprise. Fireflies says "your data is never used for AI training" and lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 42001, GDPR and HIPAA options on Enterprise. Fathom's page lists HIPAA with a signed BAA and custom data retention for higher tiers. For Teams, Microsoft says the live data used for summaries without transcription is held in a cache nobody can access and is deleted automatically. I did not read data-use pages in detail for Otter, so ask it directly before using it with regulated information.
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
My take (20 years in IT): Treat the transcript like email. Decide who can read it, how long it lives, and where it syncs, before the first meeting. Turn off auto-sharing to a whole company folder, check what calendar and CRM access you gave the tool, and set an auto-delete period if the plan offers one.
My take (20 years in IT): Summaries are drafts. Spot-check names, numbers and action items against the transcript before you send them to a client. TechRepublic itself says to test a tool against real meetings and weigh bot permissions, consent, retention and admin controls as much as the transcript.
Screenshot: Microsoft Support
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best for | Cost notes (official pages, read Oct 25, 2026) | Watch out for | Website |
|---|
| Fathom | Free all-rounder on Zoom, Meet, Teams | Free plan; Premium $16 per user per month billed annually | Bot-free mode is a Mac beta | Visit site |
| Fireflies | Teams, integrations, analytics | Free plan; Pro $10 per seat per month billed annually | Free summaries and storage are limited | Visit site |
| Otter | Live captions and searchable notes | Basic: 300 minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation | Short caps on the free plan | Visit site |
| Granola | Bot-free notes, phone and watch apps | Basic $0 (30 days of history); Business $14 per user per month | History limit on free | Visit site |
| Bluedot | Audio notes with a Chrome extension | Free: 5 meetings lifetime; Basic from $14 per user per month | Two price sets on the page | Visit site |
| Jamie | In-person and multilingual notes | Free: 10 AI notes per month; prices in euros | Free tier is small | Visit site |
| Google Meet notes | Google Workspace teams | Needs an eligible Workspace edition or Google AI plan | One language at a time | Visit page |
| Teams intelligent recap | Microsoft 365 teams | Needs Teams Premium or a Microsoft 365 Copilot license | Different minimum lengths on two Microsoft pages | Visit page |
| Zoom ZoomMate | Zoom-first teams | License and credits; see Zoom plans | Credit-based use | Visit site |
How to Choose an AI Meeting Notes Tool
- Where do you meet: Zoom, Google Meet or Teams? Check the built-in notes first, then third-party tools.
- Bot or bot-free: pick based on who is on the call, and plan how you will tell them.
- The limit that bites: minutes, history, meeting length or number of notes, depending on the plan.
- Where the notes go: Docs, Notion, Slack, a CRM. Count the integrations you really need.
- Admin controls: retention, sharing and training opt-outs, especially for client work.
Final Recommendation
- Start here for free: Fathom, then compare it with Fireflies on a week of real meetings.
- Live captions: Otter.
- No bot in the call: Granola, with a spoken heads-up at the start.
- In-person or several languages: Jamie.
- Google or Microsoft shop: ask your admin about Meet notes or Teams recap before you add a vendor.
- Audio-only with a Chrome extension: Bluedot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a good free AI meeting notes tool?
Yes, but the limits differ. Fathom lists unlimited recordings and transcription on its free plan, Fireflies lists unlimited transcription with limited summaries, and Otter lists 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute cap per conversation. Granola keeps 30 days of history, Bluedot gives 5 meetings in total, and Jamie gives 10 AI notes per month.
Do I need everyone's consent to record a meeting with an AI notetaker?
It depends on where participants are. Federal law needs at least one party's consent, and about 11 states primarily require all parties to consent according to a 2021 Reporters Committee guide. Washington's law says consent is considered obtained when one party announces the recording to everyone. When in doubt, announce it at the start. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should I use a meeting bot or a bot-free tool?
A bot makes the recording obvious to everyone, which helps with consent. Bot-free tools such as Granola and the Fathom Mac beta are quieter, so you need to tell participants yourself.
Can I get AI meeting notes without paying for another tool?
Sometimes. Google Meet notes need an eligible Workspace edition or a Google AI plan, Teams intelligent recap needs Teams Premium or a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and Zoom's ZoomMate needs a license and credits. Check your plan before you count on it.
How accurate are AI meeting notes?
The sources I read do not give one trustworthy ranking. TechRepublic says it did not rank transcription accuracy because the six tools were not tested under one comparable setup, and the other roundups are written by competing vendors. Review the summary against the transcript before you share it.
Sources
- TechRepublic, 6 Best AI Meeting Note Takers for 2026 (September 28, 2026, read through a search excerpt)
- Jamie, I tested 5 Best AI Note Takers in 2026 (September 30, 2026, vendor blog)
- alfred_, Best AI Meeting Notetakers 2026 (updated October 19, 2026, vendor blog)
- Otter, Pricing
- Fireflies, Pricing
- Fathom, Pricing
- Granola, Pricing
- Bluedot, Pricing
- Jamie, Pricing
- Google Meet Help, "Take notes for me"
- Microsoft Support, Recap in Microsoft Teams (September 23, 2026)
- Microsoft Support, Intelligent recap without transcription (October 22, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn, Intelligent recap for Teams calls, meetings, and events (May 2026)
- Zoom, ZoomMate AI assistant
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reporter's Recording Guide (2021)
- Justia, Recording Phone Calls and Conversations, 50-State Survey (last reviewed September 2024)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 9.73.030
I read the vendor pricing pages on October 25, 2026, and prices and plans change often. Microsoft's Support and Learn details come from search excerpts of those pages. Screenshots and images come from each maker's official page, are cropped and framed here, and belong to their owners. This guide has no affiliate links and is not legal advice.
Last updated: October 25, 2026. Sources read October 25, 2026.
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