Best AI Meeting Notes and Transcription Tools in 2026

Meetings take up hours of every workday. Remembering what was said, who committed to what, and what decisions were made takes even more time. AI meeting assistants solve this.

I have tested the major players extensively. Here is what actually works for different needs.

What AI Meeting Tools Do

These tools join your meetings (Zoom, Meet, Teams) and:

• Transcribe everything said in real-time
• Identify who said what (speaker diarization)
• Summarize key points automatically
• Extract action items and decisions
• Let you search past meetings
• Share highlights without sending full recordings

The best ones feel like having a perfect note-taker in every meeting.

Top AI Meeting Tools Compared

Otter.ai

Best for: General use, individuals, and small teams

Strengths:

• Excellent transcription accuracy
• Generous free tier (300 minutes/month)
• Real-time transcription during meetings
• Good speaker identification
• Integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
• Mobile app for in-person meetings

Weaknesses:

• Summaries can be hit-or-miss
• Less robust CRM integration
• Action item extraction needs improvement

Pricing:

• Free: 300 minutes/month
• Pro: $16.99/month (1200 minutes)
• Business: $30/user/month

My experience: Otter is my default recommendation. The free tier is genuinely useful, and accuracy is consistently high. I use it for most meetings.

Fireflies.ai

Best for: Sales teams and CRM-heavy workflows

Strengths:

• Excellent CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Good conversation intelligence features
• Task and action item tracking
• Searchable meeting database
• Works with most video platforms

Weaknesses:

• Free tier more limited than Otter
• Transcription slightly less accurate
• Interface can feel cluttered

Pricing:

• Free: Limited minutes
• Pro: $18/month
• Business: $29/month

My experience: Fireflies shines when you need meetings connected to your CRM. The automatic logging of conversation insights to customer records saves significant time.

Grain

Best for: Sales calls and customer research

Strengths:

• Easy clip creation and sharing
• Excellent for highlighting key moments
• Good for customer interview analysis
• Integrates with common tools
• Strong search functionality

Weaknesses:

• Less focused on full transcription
• Pricier for full features
• More niche use case

Pricing:

• Free: Basic features
• Business: $19/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

My experience: Grain is perfect if you regularly need to share meeting clips with teammates or stakeholders. Creating a 30-second highlight to share is incredibly easy.

Fathom

Best for: Free comprehensive features

Strengths:

• Completely free for individuals
• Excellent summaries
• Clean, simple interface
• No time limits on free tier
• Works with major video platforms

Weaknesses:

• Newer, less proven long-term
• Limited integrations compared to competitors
• Team features require paid plans

Pricing:

• Free: Unlimited for individuals
• Team: $24/user/month

My experience: Fathom's free tier is remarkable. If budget is a constraint but you need good meeting notes, start here.

Microsoft Copilot (Teams)

Best for: Microsoft 365 enterprise users

Strengths:

• Native Teams integration
• Full Microsoft 365 ecosystem connection
• Enterprise-grade security
• Excellent for organizations already on Microsoft

Weaknesses:

• Requires Microsoft 365 subscription
• Only works with Teams
• Expensive per-seat pricing

Pricing:

• Included with Copilot for Microsoft 365 ($30/user/month, requires M365 subscription)

My experience: If your organization lives in Microsoft 365, Copilot for Teams is seamless. But the cost makes it primarily an enterprise choice.

Google Gemini (Meet)

Best for: Google Workspace users

Strengths:

• Native Google Meet integration
• Automatic notes in Google Docs
• Part of Google ecosystem
• Good accuracy

Weaknesses:

• Only works with Google Meet
• Requires Workspace subscription
• Features still maturing

Pricing:

• Included with Google Workspace with Gemini add-on

My experience: Similar to Microsoft - if you're all-in on Google Workspace, this integration is valuable. But it only works within that ecosystem.

Comparison Table

How to Choose

For Individuals/Freelancers

Start with Fathom (free, unlimited) or Otter (free tier, very accurate). Both handle standard meeting needs well without cost.

For Small Teams

Otter Business or Fireflies Pro depending on whether you need CRM integration. Both offer good team features at reasonable per-seat costs.

For Sales Teams

Fireflies for CRM integration, Grain for sharing call highlights with deals or customer success. Many teams use both.

For Enterprise

Microsoft Copilot if you're on Microsoft 365, Google Gemini if on Google Workspace. The native integration and enterprise features matter at scale.

Making AI Meeting Notes Work Well

The tools are only as good as how you use them.

Audio Quality Matters

AI transcription struggles with:

• Background noise
• Multiple people talking
• Poor microphone quality
• Strong accents (though this is improving)

Tips:

• Use a good microphone
• Mute when not speaking
• Keep meetings in quiet spaces
• Use video platforms' built-in noise cancellation

Always Review Before Sharing

Transcriptions are not perfect. Before sending notes:

• Scan for obvious errors
• Check that speaker identification is correct
• Verify action items are accurately captured
• Remove any sensitive misattributions

Set Expectations with Participants

Let people know meetings are being recorded and transcribed. Most tools announce themselves, but explicit communication builds trust.

"I'm going to have [Tool] join to take notes so we can focus on discussion. Everyone okay with that?"

Use the Search Function

The real power is searchable history. When you need to remember what was decided three months ago, keyword search beats scrolling through old notes.

Create Clips for Context

Instead of sending full transcripts that no one reads, create clips of key moments:

• Decision points
• Important quotes
• Action item assignments
• Critical information

30-second clips get watched. 60-minute recordings do not.

Privacy and Legal Considerations

Recording Consent

Laws vary by jurisdiction:

• One-party consent states (US): One person knowing about recording is sufficient
• All-party consent states (US): Everyone must agree
• EU/GDPR: Stricter requirements around data processing

Best practice: Always inform participants, regardless of legal requirements. It is respectful and avoids awkwardness.

Data Security

Consider where your meeting data goes:

• Where are recordings stored?
• Who can access them?
• How long are they retained?
• Can you delete them?

For sensitive meetings, check your tool's security practices and compliance certifications.

Internal Meetings vs External

Internal team meetings have different considerations than calls with clients or customers. Be more careful about what gets recorded when external parties are involved.

For more on AI and privacy, see our AI privacy guide.

Beyond Basic Transcription

Advanced users leverage these tools for:

Meeting Analytics

• How much time do you spend in meetings?
• Who talks most in discussions?
• What topics recur across meetings?

Training and Onboarding

• Record calls with experienced team members
• Build libraries of best practices
• Let new hires learn from real examples

Customer Insights

• What questions do customers ask repeatedly?
• What objections come up in sales calls?
• What features do people request?

Accountability

• Clear record of who committed to what
• No more "I thought you were going to do that"
• Decisions documented automatically

The Bottom Line

AI meeting tools have reached the point where not using them feels like taking notes on paper when laptops exist. The time savings compound with every meeting.

Start with a free tool (Fathom or Otter's free tier). Use it for a month. You will understand immediately why these tools have become essential.

Then evaluate whether you need paid features based on your actual usage patterns.

For related productivity tools, see our AI automation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best AI for meeting notes?

Otter.ai is best for most users with excellent transcription and a generous free tier. Fireflies.ai wins for CRM integrations. Grain is best for sales teams needing clip sharing. Choose based on your specific workflow needs.

Are AI meeting assistants accurate?

Modern AI meeting tools achieve 90-95% accuracy with clear audio. Accuracy drops with background noise, heavy accents, or technical jargon. Most allow editing transcripts to fix errors. Always review important transcripts before sharing.

Is it legal to record meetings with AI?

Recording laws vary by location. In the US, some states require all-party consent, others only one-party consent. Most AI meeting tools announce their presence when joining. Best practice: always inform participants that the meeting is being recorded.