What is the best AI meeting note taker?

In our initial editorial ratings, Otter.ai and Fathom tie at 8.5/10, followed by Fireflies.ai and Granola at 8.0. The right one depends on whether you need a free tier, integrations or bot-free notes.

Is there an AI note taker that doesn't join the meeting?

Granola takes notes without a bot joining, which is why it's on this list.

Are these scores from tests?

Not yet. They are initial editorial ratings; hands-on testing is in progress.

TaskRank / Guides

Ranking guide

Best AI meeting notes tool

AI meeting note takers record or listen to a call, transcribe it and write a summary with action items. The four below are the ones we rate highest for now. They differ less in transcript quality than in how they fit your workflow: whether a bot joins the call, how good the free plan is, and where the notes end up.

Initial editorial ratings, testing in progress. These are initial editorial ratings, not benchmark results. Hands-on testing is in progress, and scores will be replaced by test results as each category is tested. Sponsors never affect scores. Features and pricing change often, so check each vendor's site before you buy.

Best AI for Meeting notes: the ranking

#	Tool	Rating	Why
1	Otter.ai	8.5/10	Mature transcription, live notes
2	Fathom	8.5/10	Generous free tier, fast summaries
3	Fireflies.ai	8.0/10	Strong integrations & search
4	Granola	8.0/10	Notes without a bot joining

SPONSOR SLOT · AVAILABLEFeature your product here

How to choose

Otter.ai is the most mature of the group, with live notes you can follow during the call. Fathom stands out for a generous free tier and fast summaries, a good default for individuals. Fireflies.ai earns its place through integrations and searchable call history, which matters for teams. Granola takes notes without a bot joining the meeting, which some clients and colleagues prefer.

Questions to ask before you pick

Will a visible bot in the call be a problem for your clients? Do you need notes pushed to a CRM or task tool? Is a free tier enough, or will the whole team need seats? How long does the vendor keep recordings, and can you opt out of training? These questions usually decide it faster than feature lists.

Turn notes into action

Summaries are only half the value. Our sister site has a recipe that sends transcripts to an LLM and creates tasks in Asana or Notion: meeting notes to tasks.

Run your own two-tool trial

A ranking narrows the field; a short trial decides it. Pick the top two tools that fit your answers above. Choose three real tasks from your own work, not demo prompts, and run each task in both tools on the same day. Note how long it took to get a usable result, how much you had to fix, and whether anything about the setup, permissions or data settings bothered you. Most tools here have a free tier or trial that's enough for this.

Score each result on a simple 1 to 5 scale and write one sentence on why. After three tasks, the better fit is usually obvious. If it isn't, pick the cheaper one or the one that fits the tools you already use; the gap is small enough not to matter.

Free tiers, privacy and lock-in

Before you commit, check three things on the vendor's own site. First, what the free plan actually includes and what triggers an upgrade. Second, the data settings: how long your content is kept and whether you can opt out of it being used for training. Third, how easy it is to export your work if you switch later. These change more often than features do, which is why we re-check them when we re-score.

How we score

When we test, every tool gets the same task set per category: output quality (40%, blind-rated on 10 standardized real-world tasks), speed and reliability (20%), ease of use (15%), value (15%) and privacy and trust (10%). Ratings are re-tested quarterly. Sponsors never affect scores; sponsored placements are labeled. See the full methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI meeting note taker?: In our initial editorial ratings, Otter.ai and Fathom tie at 8.5/10, followed by Fireflies.ai and Granola at 8.0. The right one depends on whether you need a free tier, integrations or bot-free notes.
Is there an AI note taker that doesn't join the meeting?: Granola takes notes without a bot joining, which is why it's on this list.
Are these scores from tests?: Not yet. They are initial editorial ratings; hands-on testing is in progress.

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