#1
Otter.ai
Best forIndividuals and teams who want live transcripts during calls
AI meeting assistant with live transcription and a searchable meeting archive.
Free plan · paid from $8.33/user/mo (annual)
9.4/10
Best AI Meeting Note Takers in 2026: Ranked with Real Prices
Otter.ai is the top-ranked AI meeting note taker of the 5 we ranked (9.4/10, free plan), best for individuals and teams who want live transcripts during calls. Fireflies.ai is the runner-up (9.2/10).
Cheapest paid entry: Otter.ai at $8.33/user/month billed annually.
AI meeting note takers join or record your Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls, write the transcript and send a summary with action items. The real differences are free-plan limits, CRM sync and how much monthly billing costs compared with annual.
Compare AI meeting note takers at a glance
| Tool | Score | Free plan | Paid from (annual) | Zoom, Meet and Teams | Unlimited free recordings | CRM sync | HIPAA option | SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai | 9.4/10 | Yes | $8.33/user/mo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fireflies.ai | 9.2/10 | Yes | $10/user/mo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Read AI | 8.9/10 | Yes | $15/user/mo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fathom | 8.4/10 | Yes | $15/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| tl;dv | 8/10 | Yes | $18/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
The 5 best AI meeting note takers
#2
Fireflies.ai
Best forTeams that want meeting notes pushed into CRM and project tools
Meeting recorder and transcriber with a large integration library.
Free plan · paid from $10/user/mo (annual)
9.2/10
#3
Read AI
Best forTeams that want meeting reports plus email and chat summaries in one tool
AI copilot for meetings, email and messages with engagement metrics.
Free plan · paid from $15/user/mo (annual)
8.9/10
#4
Fathom
Best forIndividuals who record many calls and want a strong free plan
AI notetaker with unlimited free recordings and transcripts.
Free plan · paid from $15/user/mo (annual)
8.4/10
#5
tl;dv
Best forSales and customer-facing teams who need notes across many meetings
Meeting recorder with multi-meeting AI reports for sales and customer teams.
Free plan · paid from $18/user/mo (annual)
8/10
Buyer's guide: the numbers
How much do AI meeting note takers cost? Of the 5 AI meeting note takers we ranked, all publish a paid starting price on annual billing. The lowest is $8.33/user/mo (Otter.ai), the median is $15/user/mo and the highest entry price is $18/user/mo (tl;dv). Prices checked November 2026.
How many AI meeting note takers have a free plan? All 5 we ranked have a free plan: Otter.ai (9.4/10), Fireflies.ai (9.2/10), Read AI (8.9/10), Fathom (8.4/10), tl;dv (8/10).
Which features set AI meeting note takers apart? HIPAA option: 3 of 5 (Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Read AI). SSO: 3 of 5 (Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Read AI). Unlimited free recordings: 2 of 5 (Fathom, tl;dv). Every tool we ranked confirms zoom, Meet and Teams, CRM sync, so these do not separate them.
How to choose a AI meeting note taker
- Check what the free plan caps: minutes (Otter.ai), AI summaries (Fathom) or AI notes (tl;dv).
- Compare annual and monthly prices. Several tools charge 40-80% more on monthly billing.
- If you sell, confirm the CRM sync works on the plan you are buying, not only on the top tier.
- For health or legal data, look for HIPAA and SSO, which usually sit on Enterprise plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI meeting note taker in 2026?
Otter.ai ranks first on our data score (9.4/10). It is best for individuals and teams who want live transcripts during calls. Fireflies.ai is second (9.2/10).
What is the cheapest AI meeting note taker?
Otter.ai has the lowest paid entry price in this list at $8.33 per user/month billed annually. Free plans are available from Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Read AI, Fathom, tl;dv.
Which AI meeting note takers have a free plan?
Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Read AI, Fathom, tl;dv offer a free plan. Every tool in this list has one.
Do AI note takers work without a bot joining the call?
Some do. Fathom offers bot-free capture (in beta on Mac) as well as a meeting bot. Most other tools on this list join as a visible bot participant.
Sources
- Otter.ai: official pricing page · Spokenly: Otter.ai pricing (vendor page screenshot, May 2026) · CostBench: Otter.ai plans
- Fireflies.ai: official pricing page · Claap: Fireflies pricing (citing fireflies.ai/pricing, Oct 2026) · Sonix: Fireflies.ai pricing 2026
- Read AI: official pricing page · Layer3 Labs: Read AI pricing (Oct 2026) · Dupple: Read AI pricing (verified on read.ai, Oct 28 2026)
- Fathom: official pricing page · Eightx: Fathom cost (citing fathom.ai/pricing, accessed 2026-06-18) · Lindy: Fathom pricing (updated Nov 2026)
- tl;dv: official pricing page · Voibe: tl;dv pricing (checked Nov 2, 2026) · Softwares.com: tl;dv pricing (Oct 2026)
Scores come from published, repeatable data (features, free plan, entry price, pricing transparency). No vendor can pay to change a score or a rank. Read the methodology.