The best free AI note taker in 2026 is Fathom: its free plan records and transcribes an unlimited number of meetings and writes an instant AI summary after each call. If you don’t want a bot joining your calls, pick Granola, which listens through your computer’s audio instead. Otter, tl;dv and Fireflies are also free, but each caps something important, so read the limits below before you install one.
We checked every free plan on the official pricing pages on 10 November 2026 and ranked the tools by one simple test: how much of a normal work week of meetings can you capture, summarize and search for $0?
Best free AI note takers at a glance
| Rank | Tool | Free plan in one line | Main free limit | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fathom | Unlimited recordings, transcripts and instant AI summaries | Advanced summaries and AI action items are paid | $16/month (Premium) |
| 2 | Granola | Bot-free AI notes from your computer audio | Only limited meeting history | $14/user/month (Business) |
| 3 | tl;dv | Unlimited video recordings and transcription in 100+ languages | AI notes for 10 meetings, 10 Ask AI queries | $18/seat/month, billed annually |
| 4 | Otter.ai | Live transcription with speaker names and AI chat | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per meeting | $8.33/user/month, billed annually |
| 5 | Fireflies.ai | Unlimited transcription, desktop and mobile apps | Limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | $10/seat/month, billed annually |
Prices are in US dollars as listed on each vendor’s site on the date above. Free plans change often, so check the pricing page before you rely on a limit.
How we ranked them
An AI note taker does three jobs: it captures the meeting (usually by sending a bot into Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams), it turns the audio into a transcript, and it writes a summary you can act on. A free plan is only useful if it does all three often enough for real work. So we weighted:
- Volume: how many meetings or minutes the free plan allows each month.
- Summary quality on the free tier: whether AI summaries are included or rationed.
- History: whether you can still search last month’s calls.
- Friction: bot vs bot-free capture, and which apps it works with.
Features that only exist on paid plans don’t count toward the rank. They’re listed so you know what you’d be paying for.
1. Fathom – best free AI note taker overall
Fathom’s free plan is the most generous we found. It is “free forever” and includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI call summaries, clips, playlists and search across your calls. Fathom says it works with Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and you can choose between bot capture or a bot-free mode, which is still a beta feature for Mac.
What you give up on free: the advanced call summaries, AI-generated action items, the conversational meeting assistant and a custom bot name are on Premium ($16 per user per month, as listed on the pricing page). Team features such as shared folders and comments start with the Team plan at $15 per user per month with a two-user minimum.
Pros
- No monthly minute cap on recordings or transcripts
- Summaries arrive right after the call
- Claude and ChatGPT integrations listed on the pricing page
Cons
- AI action items are paid
- Bot-free capture is Mac-only beta
Best for: freelancers, students and job seekers who have lots of calls and want every one recorded without counting minutes.
2. Granola – best bot-free AI note taker
Some clients don’t like a bot named “Notetaker” sitting in the call. Granola avoids that: it “uses your computer audio, so doesn’t invite a bot,” and it works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and other meeting apps, plus in-person conversations from the phone app. It’s available for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
The free Basic plan includes AI meeting notes, AI chat within and across meetings, shared folders, customized note templates, voice typing and multi-language support, and you can opt out of model training. The catch is history: Basic only shows limited meeting history. Unlimited notes and history start on Business at $14 per user per month.
Pros
- No bot in the meeting
- Works with any meeting app, even in-person
- You type your own rough notes and the AI fills in the rest
Cons
- Old meetings drop out of view on the free plan
- Because there’s no bot, other attendees may not know notes are being taken, so tell them
3. tl;dv – best free plan for recordings in many languages
tl;dv integrates with Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Its free plan needs no credit card and includes unlimited video recordings, unlimited transcription in more than 100 languages, email and calendar integrations, and iOS and Android apps.
The limit is the AI layer: the free plan includes AI notes for 10 meetings and 10 Ask AI queries. After that you still get the recording and transcript, but not the automatic notes. Pro, which adds unlimited AI notes, custom templates and an email follow-up drafter, is $18 per seat per month billed annually.
Pros
- Unlimited recordings and transcripts
- 100+ transcription languages on free
Cons
- Only 10 meetings get AI notes
- Pro is the priciest entry plan here
4. Otter.ai – best for live transcription
Otter’s Basic plan joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet to write and share notes, shows a live transcript with speaker identification, and gives you automated summaries with action items and outlines. It transcribes English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese, and there are iOS and Android apps.
But the numbers are tight: 300 transcription minutes per month, a 30-minute cap per conversation, only your 25 most recent conversations, 20 AI chat queries a month and 3 lifetime file imports. Pro raises that to 1,200 minutes and 90 minutes per meeting for $8.33 per user per month billed annually. Students and teachers with a .edu email get 20% off Pro.
Pros
- Excellent live transcript you can follow during the call
- Summaries with action items included on free
- Cheapest paid upgrade in this list
Cons
- A one-hour meeting is cut at 30 minutes
- Free conversation history shows only your 25 most recent calls
5. Fireflies.ai – best for searchable transcripts on a budget
Fireflies’ Free plan lists unlimited transcription (marked with an asterisk on the pricing page), limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team and 20 AI credits. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and more, transcribes in 100+ languages, and includes meeting search, the AskFred assistant, file uploads, a desktop app, mobile apps and a Chrome extension.
The storage cap is what bites: 400 minutes is under seven one-hour meetings before you need to clear space. Pro costs $10 per seat per month billed annually ($18 month to month) and adds unlimited AI summaries, 8,000 minutes of storage per seat and downloads.
Pros
- Lots of apps and integrations on free
- Upload recordings you already have
Cons
- Storage fills up fast
- AI summaries are rationed
What about Google Meet’s built-in AI notes?
Google Meet’s “Take notes for me” writes notes into a Google Doc, but Google says it requires an eligible Google Workspace edition or Google AI plan, so it isn’t free for a personal Gmail account. It also supports only one meeting language at a time. That’s why it isn’t in the free ranking. If your company already pays for Workspace with Gemini, check it before adding another tool.
How to set up a free AI note taker in 5 minutes
- Pick by meeting type. Lots of calls: Fathom. Clients who dislike bots: Granola. Many languages: tl;dv.
- Sign up with the account that owns your calendar. Most tools read your calendar to know which meetings to join.
- Choose auto-join rules. Start with “only meetings I host” so the bot doesn’t appear in other people’s calls.
- Tell people you’re recording. Recording laws differ by country and some require everyone’s consent. A one-line note in the invite (“I use an AI note taker; say if you’d prefer not”) covers most cases.
- Review the first summary. Fix speaker names and check numbers and dates. AI summaries can get details wrong.
Once your notes are flowing, you can pipe them into other free tools. Our guide to free AI agent builders shows how to send action items to a task list automatically, and if you want to ask questions across your notes, compare the best free ChatGPT alternatives. Students can pair a note taker with the tools in our list of free AI tools for students. Recording a walkthrough instead of a meeting? See the best free screen recorders for PC.
Which free AI note taker should you choose?
- Choose Fathom if you want the most meetings captured for $0.
- Choose Granola if a meeting bot would be awkward.
- Choose tl;dv if you mostly need recordings and transcripts in many languages.
- Choose Otter if your meetings are short and you want a live transcript.
- Choose Fireflies if you need searchable transcripts and lots of integrations, and can manage storage.
FAQ
Is there a completely free AI note taker?
Yes. Fathom’s free plan has no cap on recordings or transcriptions and includes instant AI summaries. Advanced summaries and AI action items cost extra.
Which AI note taker doesn’t join the meeting as a bot?
Granola records your computer audio instead of sending a bot, and Fathom offers a bot-free option in beta on Mac.
Is Otter.ai still free?
Otter Basic is free forever but limited to 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, and its conversation history covers only your 25 most recent conversations.
Does Google Meet have a free AI note taker?
Not for free accounts. “Take notes for me” needs an eligible Google Workspace edition or Google AI plan.
Is it legal to use an AI note taker in meetings?
It depends on where you and the other attendees are. Some places require everyone’s consent to record, so always tell participants and let them opt out. This isn’t legal advice; check your local rules or your company’s policy.
Are AI meeting notes accurate?
They’re usually good at capturing topics and decisions but can mishear names, numbers and jargon. Skim the summary before you send it to anyone.
The bottom line
Start with Fathom. It’s the only free plan here that doesn’t make you count minutes or meetings, and the summaries are ready when the call ends. Add Granola if you need a bot-free option. If you run client calls for a business and want help turning meetings, content and search into leads, get a free audit from SSA Agency and we’ll show you where your website is losing traffic.