Key Takeaways
- Almost every AI note taker review compares features. Features have converged: they all transcribe, they all summarise, they all extract action items. What still differs is whether a bot appears in your call, and where your audio is processed. Those are the two things that get a tool rejected by a security review.
- Three capture models exist. A bot joins the call as a visible participant (Otter, Fireflies, Read AI). The app captures system audio on your own device (Granola, Krisp, meetergo Log). Or the platform records itself from the inside (Zoom AI Companion).
- Bot-free is no longer rare. Fathom shipped bot-free capture in beta in 2026. Treat "no bot" as a feature to check, not a differentiator to trust.
- "Local" and "private" are not the same claim. Several tools capture locally and then upload the audio for processing. The question to ask a vendor is not "is it local" but "does the audio leave the device, and to whose servers".
- Need the most generous free tier? Fathom. Deepest CRM integration? Fireflies. Nothing leaving your laptop? The list is short.
The question this comparison is built around
Ask ten review sites for the best AI note taker and you get ten near-identical feature tables: transcription accuracy, summary quality, integrations, price. Those tables were useful in 2023. In 2026 the tools have converged hard. The transcription is good everywhere, the summaries are good everywhere, and everyone integrates with the same handful of CRMs.
What has not converged is the plumbing. And the plumbing is what people actually get stuck on:
- A salesperson finds their notetaker bot sitting in a client call labelled with the company name, and the client noticed.
- An IT team discovers that recordings of internal meetings have been leaving the country for eighteen months.
- Someone runs a workshop under an NDA and cannot use their normal tool at all.
None of those are feature problems. All three are capture-model problems, and none of them show up in a feature table.
So this comparison is organised around capture model first and features second. Pricing was verified on 29 August 2026. Check it yourself before you buy, because every vendor here changes plans more often than they change products.
The three capture models
A bot joins the call. The tool connects to your calendar, dials into the meeting as a participant, and records from inside like any other attendee. Everyone sees it in the participant list. This is how Otter, Fireflies and Read AI work by default.
It is the most reliable model. It does not care what device you are on, whether your laptop is asleep, or whether you turned up at all. It is also the most visible, and visibility is the whole problem for some meetings.
The app captures system audio on your device. No extra participant. The app records what your computer plays and what your microphone hears. Nobody in the meeting can tell from the participant list. This is how Granola, Krisp and meetergo Log work.
Whether the audio then stays on the device or gets uploaded for processing varies by tool, and that distinction is the one most commonly glossed over in marketing copy. Capturing locally and processing in the cloud is a completely normal architecture. It is just not the same claim as processing locally, and the difference matters to exactly one audience: the person who has to sign the data protection paperwork.
The platform records itself. Zoom AI Companion is inside Zoom. There is no third party, because the meeting host already is the processor. Excellent if your world is entirely one platform, useless the moment a client sends a Google Meet link.
Comparison
| Tool | Bot in the call? | Where audio is processed | Trustpilot | Free tier | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
meetergo Log | No | On your own device; optional cloud in Germany | 4.2 (54) | Unlimited local transcription, no account | €9.90/user/mo |
Toolmeetergo Log Bot in the call?No Where audio is processedOn your own device; optional cloud in Germany Trustpilot4.2 (54) Free tierUnlimited local transcription, no account Paid from€9.90/user/mo | |||||
Otter.ai | Yes | Otter's cloud (US) | 3.6 (622) | 300 min/mo, 30 min per conversation | $8.33/user/mo annual, $16.99 monthly |
ToolOtter.ai Bot in the call?Yes Where audio is processedOtter's cloud (US) Trustpilot3.6 (622) Free tier300 min/mo, 30 min per conversation Paid from$8.33/user/mo annual, $16.99 monthly | |||||
Fireflies.ai | Yes ("Fred") | Fireflies' cloud | 4.4 (743) | 400 min storage per team | $10/seat/mo annual, $18 monthly |
ToolFireflies.ai Bot in the call?Yes ("Fred") Where audio is processedFireflies' cloud Trustpilot4.4 (743) Free tier400 min storage per team Paid from$10/seat/mo annual, $18 monthly | |||||
Granola | No | Device capture, cloud processing | no reviews | Basic $0 | $14/user/mo |
ToolGranola Bot in the call?No Where audio is processedDevice capture, cloud processing Trustpilotno reviews Free tierBasic $0 Paid from$14/user/mo | |||||
Fathom | Optional, bot-free in beta | Fathom's cloud | 4.8 (274) | Unlimited recordings and transcripts | $16/user/mo annual, $20 monthly |
ToolFathom Bot in the call?Optional, bot-free in beta Where audio is processedFathom's cloud Trustpilot4.8 (274) Free tierUnlimited recordings and transcripts Paid from$16/user/mo annual, $20 monthly | |||||
Krisp | No | Device capture | 3.1 (411) | Yes | Check current pricing |
ToolKrisp Bot in the call?No Where audio is processedDevice capture Trustpilot3.1 (411) Free tierYes Paid fromCheck current pricing | |||||
Read AI | Yes | Read's cloud | 1.3 (107) | Yes | Check current pricing |
ToolRead AI Bot in the call?Yes Where audio is processedRead's cloud Trustpilot1.3 (107) Free tierYes Paid fromCheck current pricing | |||||
Zoom AI Companion | No, built in | Zoom's cloud | n/a | Included in paid Zoom plans | Bundled |
ToolZoom AI Companion Bot in the call?No, built in Where audio is processedZoom's cloud Trustpilotn/a Free tierIncluded in paid Zoom plans Paid fromBundled | |||||
ChatGPT Record Mode | No | OpenAI's servers | n/a | Included in paid ChatGPT plans | Bundled |
ToolChatGPT Record Mode Bot in the call?No Where audio is processedOpenAI's servers Trustpilotn/a Free tierIncluded in paid ChatGPT plans Paid fromBundled | |||||
Pricing verified against each vendor's own pricing page on 29 August 2026. Trustpilot scores and review counts read the same day, shown as score (number of reviews). Krisp and Read AI change plan structures often enough that quoting a number here would mislead more than it would help.
What the review scores actually say
Trustpilot is the only review source that covers most of these tools with enough volume to mean anything, so we read all of them on the same day rather than picking whichever badge flattered each vendor. The result is not what the market-share ranking would suggest.
| Tool | TrustScore | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
Fathom | 4.8 | 274 |
ToolFathom TrustScore4.8 Reviews274 | ||
Fireflies.ai | 4.4 | 743 |
ToolFireflies.ai TrustScore4.4 Reviews743 | ||
meetergo | 4.2 | 54 |
Toolmeetergo TrustScore4.2 Reviews54 | ||
Otter.ai | 3.6 | 622 |
ToolOtter.ai TrustScore3.6 Reviews622 | ||
Krisp | 3.1 | 411 |
ToolKrisp TrustScore3.1 Reviews411 | ||
Read AI | 1.3 | 107 |
ToolRead AI TrustScore1.3 Reviews107 | ||
Granola | no listing | 0 |
ToolGranola TrustScoreno listing Reviews0 | ||
Three things stand out. Otter is the best-known tool in the category and has the second-lowest score, at 3.6 across 622 reviews, which is a lot of reviews to average that low. Read AI sits at 1.3, and while a low score with 107 reviews can reflect a billing or cancellation problem rather than the product, it is not a number to ignore before you put a card in. Its profile is also unclaimed, which drags a score down because nobody is inviting the happy customers. Granola has no Trustpilot presence at all, which is normal for a newer product with a design-led following and simply means you should weight other sources for it.
We are in that table at 4.2 from 54 reviews, behind Fathom and Fireflies. Fewer reviews than either. We would rather publish that than leave ourselves out of our own comparison.
One caveat on all of it, including our own number: Trustpilot skews toward people motivated enough to write a review, which usually means a billing problem or a rescue. On the German B2B software platform OMR Reviews, where reviews are verified against a business profile, meetergo holds 4.8 from 95 reviews and is listed in the AI meeting notes category. Different panel, different number. Read both rather than either.
1. Fathom: best overall
Pricing
Free forever with unlimited recordings and transcripts. Premium $20 per user monthly, $16 annually. Team $19 monthly, $15 annually. Business $34 monthly, $25 annually.
Key features
Unlimited recording on the free plan, AI summaries and action items, clips and playlists, CRM sync on Business, and a choice of bot or bot-free capture with bot-free currently in beta.
Where it falls short
The bot-free mode is beta and Mac-first, so the thing that makes it interesting is not yet the thing you can rely on. Audio is processed on Fathom's cloud in the US regardless of capture mode, so it does not solve a data residency requirement.
What reviewers say
The highest TrustScore in this comparison at 4.8 across 274 reviews. That is a smaller sample than Otter's or Fireflies' but the direction is consistent.
Who it is for
Almost everyone without a specific constraint. If your only requirement is good notes at low friction and low cost, start here and stop reading.
2. meetergo Log: best when nothing may leave the device
Pricing
Local transcription, summaries, full-text search, export and push-to-talk dictation are free with no account. The Light plan is €9.90 per user per month. Full plan detail is on the pricing page, and the product itself is at meetergo Log.
Key features
Runs the transcription model on your own machine with a choice of Whisper or Parakeet. No participant added to the call. Works with no network connection. Push-to-talk dictation puts text into whatever field your cursor is in. Light adds speaker detection, custom summary templates, the calendar connection and automatic recording start. A cloud variant hosted in Germany exists for machines that cannot run the models locally.
Where it falls short
The free tier does not include speaker detection, so a multi-person transcript is harder to read until you pay. It is macOS and Windows only, with no Linux build. And a tool that runs models on your laptop asks something of your laptop: on older hardware, longer meetings take longer to process than a cloud tool would.
What reviewers say
4.2 on Trustpilot across 54 reviews, behind Fathom and Fireflies on both score and volume. On OMR Reviews, where reviews are tied to a verified business profile, 4.8 from 95.
Who it is for
Anyone whose answer to "may the audio leave the device" is no. Consultants under NDA, in-house counsel, DPOs, and anyone who has had a client ask what that extra participant was.
3. Granola: best bot-free polish
Pricing
Basic $0, Business $14 per user per month, Enterprise $35.
Key features
On-device capture with no participant added. Its model of merging your own typed notes with the transcript is the genuinely original idea in this category rather than a marketing angle. Mobile and Apple Watch companions.
Where it falls short
Its centre of gravity is macOS. Capture happens on the device but processing is in the cloud, which is a normal architecture and a different claim from local processing. And it has no Trustpilot listing, so independent review evidence is thin compared with the others here.
What reviewers say
No Trustpilot presence. Its reputation runs through design and product communities rather than review platforms, which is worth knowing rather than holding against it.
Who it is for
Mac users who take their own notes and want the AI to fill the gaps rather than replace the habit.
4. Fireflies.ai: best for CRM-heavy sales teams
Pricing
Free with 400 minutes of storage per team. Pro $10 per seat monthly billed annually, $18 monthly. Business $19 annually, $29 monthly. Enterprise $39.
Key features
The deepest conversation-intelligence layer here: topic tracking, team analytics, and the CRM sync sales operations people ask for by name. Unlimited storage from Business up, HIPAA compliance and SSO at Enterprise.
Where it falls short
The bot. Fred joins the call and everyone sees it. For an internal pipeline review that is fine. For a first call with a security-conscious prospect it is a conversation you did not plan to have in the first two minutes. Free-tier storage of 400 minutes per team, not per seat, runs out quickly.
What reviewers say
4.4 on Trustpilot across 743 reviews, the largest review base in this comparison, which makes the score more reliable than most here.
Who it is for
Sales teams whose meetings are mostly internal or with existing customers, and who will actually use the CRM sync.
5. Otter.ai: the best known, and what that costs you
Pricing
Basic free with 300 minutes a month and a 30 minute cap per conversation. Pro $16.99 per user monthly or $8.33 annually. Business $19.99 annually, $30 monthly. Enterprise on request.
Key features
Joins Zoom, Teams and Meet automatically, writes and shares notes, and has the longest track record in the category. Up to 90 minute meetings on Pro, four hours on Business.
Where it falls short
The free tier's 30 minute per-conversation cap makes it unusable for most real meetings, which is a deliberate funnel rather than an oversight. The bot is visible. Audio is processed in the US. And the review score is the weakest signal here relative to how well known the product is.
What reviewers say
3.6 on Trustpilot across 622 reviews. PCMag gave it an Editors' Choice at 4.5, so professional reviewers and paying users disagree noticeably, which is itself informative.
Who it is for
Teams already standardised on it, and anyone who values the maturity of the integrations over the capture model.
6. Krisp: best if you already use it for audio
Pricing
Free tier available. Plan structure changes often enough that we will not quote a number that will be wrong next month.
Key features
Arrived from noise cancellation and added note-taking, so the audio pipeline is the mature part of the product rather than an afterthought. Bot-free, on-device capture.
Where it falls short
3.1 on Trustpilot is the second-lowest score in this comparison. The note-taking is newer than the audio processing and reads that way next to Granola or Fathom.
What reviewers say
3.1 across 411 reviews.
Who it is for
People already paying for Krisp to clean up their microphone, for whom the notes are close to free.
7. Zoom AI Companion: best inside a single platform
Pricing
Included in paid Zoom plans.
Key features
Built into the platform, so no third party, no additional data processing agreement, and no bot. Summaries and next steps inside the Zoom experience.
Where it falls short
It is Zoom only. The moment a client sends a Teams or Meet link, which for most client-facing roles happens weekly, it does nothing for you.
What reviewers say
Not separately rated, since it is a feature of a larger product rather than a standalone tool. Reviews of Zoom itself are the closest proxy.
Who it is for
Organisations genuinely standardised on one platform where external meetings are rare. The same logic applies to the equivalent inside Teams.
8. Read AI: engagement analytics, with a warning
Pricing
Free tier available, paid plans change frequently.
Key features
Joins as a bot and leans on engagement analytics: speaking time, sentiment, participation balance. Useful if you are coaching a team on how it runs meetings.
Where it falls short
1.3 on Trustpilot across 107 reviews is the lowest score in this comparison by a wide margin. Scores that low usually reflect billing or cancellation friction rather than the product itself, but that is still your problem once you have subscribed. Check the cancellation terms before you start.
What reviewers say
1.3 across 107 reviews. Worth one caveat in Read AI's favour: its Trustpilot profile is unclaimed, and unclaimed profiles skew low because the company is not inviting satisfied customers to review it. The claimed profiles in this comparison are not directly comparable to it.
Who it is for
Teams who want meeting analytics rather than meeting notes, and who read the terms first.
9. ChatGPT Record Mode: the newcomer most likely to change this list
Pricing
Included with paid ChatGPT plans.
Key features
Records through the desktop app. If you already pay for ChatGPT it is effectively free, which is a serious argument.
Where it falls short
Audio goes to OpenAI. There is no calendar auto-join and no CRM sync, so it does not slot into a workflow the way the dedicated tools do. It is new enough that search demand for it barely registers yet.
What reviewers say
Too new for meaningful independent review volume.
Who it is for
People who already pay for ChatGPT, take notes occasionally, and do not need the tool to appear anywhere else in their stack.
Best for EU hosting and GDPR: a short list
If a data protection officer has to sign off, the shortlist collapses fast. Most tools above are US companies processing on US infrastructure. That does not make them unlawful to use, but it does mean transfer documentation, a data processing agreement someone has to read, and a conversation about onward transfers that takes weeks rather than minutes.
Two routes avoid the conversation entirely:
- Nothing leaves the device. No transfer, because there is no processing by a third party at all. meetergo Log's local mode, and with the caveat above about where processing happens, Granola and Krisp.
- An EU processor. meetergo is a German GmbH. Where the cloud variant is used it runs open-source models on EU hosting with zero data retention and no training on customer content.
Neither route is automatically correct, and neither makes you compliant on its own. A tool that processes locally still puts the summary in your CRM the moment you paste it there. The tool decides where the audio goes; you still decide where the notes go. If the same question is live for your scheduling stack, we worked through it separately in our GDPR-compliant Calendly alternative comparison.
What to ask any vendor before you buy
Two questions cut through most marketing copy:
- Where is the audio processed, and by whom? Not "is it secure", not "is it encrypted". Everything is encrypted. Ask which company's servers the audio reaches, and in which country.
- Is customer content used to train models? Ask for the answer in writing, in the contract rather than the FAQ, because FAQ pages get edited.
A vendor that answers both quickly and specifically is usually a vendor whose answers you can live with. Hesitation on either is the signal, not the answer itself.
How to actually choose
- Decide whether a bot in the call is acceptable. If it is, your options widen enormously and Fathom or Fireflies are strong picks. If it is not, you are choosing between Granola, Krisp, meetergo Log, and Fathom's beta.
- Then decide whether the audio may leave the device. This is the question most comparisons skip, and it is the one that decides whether your compliance review finishes in an afternoon or a quarter.
- Then look at price. By this point the list is short enough that price rarely decides anything.
Most people work in the opposite order, pick on price, and discover in month three that the tool cannot be used for the meetings that actually mattered.
Booking + video conferencing in one tool.
Booking + video conferencing in one tool.
FAQ
What is the best AI note taker overall?
For general use, Fathom, because the free tier is unlimited and the paid tier is priced in the middle of the market. If a bot in the call is unacceptable, the answer changes to Granola, Krisp or meetergo Log. If the audio may not leave the device at all, it narrows again to tools that run the model locally.
Is there a genuinely free AI note taker?
Yes, and in two different senses. Fathom's free plan gives unlimited recordings and transcripts processed on their cloud. meetergo Log gives unlimited local transcription, summaries and dictation with no account and no upload. One is free because a vendor absorbs the cost, the other because there is no cost to absorb.
Which AI note takers do not join the meeting?
Granola, Krisp and meetergo Log capture on the device and add no participant. Fathom offers bot-free capture in beta. Zoom AI Companion adds no participant because it is part of Zoom itself.
Does an AI note taker need consent?
Recording a conversation generally requires the consent of the participants, and the rules differ by country and by whether the call is one-to-one or a group. A tool being bot-free does not remove that obligation. It arguably makes announcing the recording more important, not less, because nothing in the interface does it for you.
Which is best for GDPR compliance?
No tool makes you compliant on its own. What shortens the review is either no third-party processing at all, or a processor inside the EU with a data processing agreement you can get signed without a three-month negotiation. Ask any vendor the two questions above and compare the answers, not the badges.
Can I use an AI note taker for in-person meetings?
Tools that capture system audio and microphone input work for in-person conversations, because they are recording the room rather than a video call. Bot-based tools cannot, since there is no call for the bot to join. This is the single clearest dividing line between the two models and it is worth checking before you buy if any part of your work happens in a room.
Sources
All figures below were read on 29 August 2026. Prices and review scores change; check them before you buy.
- Otter.ai pricing, https://otter.ai/pricing
- Fireflies.ai pricing, https://fireflies.ai/pricing
- Granola pricing, https://www.granola.ai/pricing
- Fathom pricing, https://fathom.ai/pricing
- Trustpilot, Otter.ai, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/otter.ai
- Trustpilot, Fireflies.ai, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/fireflies.ai
- Trustpilot, Fathom, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/fathom.video
- Trustpilot, Krisp, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/krisp.ai
- Trustpilot, Read AI, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/read.ai
- Trustpilot, meetergo, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/meetergo.com
- PCMag, Otter Review, https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/otter
- OMR Reviews, meetergo, https://omr.com/de/reviews/product/meetergo
