Fireflies.ai
Meeting recorder with a searchable library, conversation intelligence and CRM sync.
The best AI meeting assistants and note takers in 2026 — recording, transcribing and summarising meetings, compared on accuracy and follow-through.
Meeting notes tools stopped being about transcription years ago — transcription was the easy part. The category has split into three jobs: capturing and summarising the meeting, searching across a backlog of past calls, and coaching the people in the call while it happens.
Two practical factors decide which one to pick: whether it works when the meeting is in a browser tab, in a physical room with a shared device, or on a phone in someone's pocket; and whether the summary produces actual action items with owners rather than a wall of prose. The second is where most tools are still mediocre.
Recording a conversation is regulated differently in different jurisdictions, and in several US states it requires every participant to consent. Make sure the tool you pick has a visible recording indicator and a clean way to record only the audio you are permitted to record. This is a legal question, not a preference, and it is worth checking before you roll one out to a whole company.
Every option below is hand-picked and currently active. Compare pricing, platform and the job each one is genuinely best at before you commit.
| Tool | Pricing | Platform | Best for | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | Searchable meeting libraries | Best all-round meeting assistant |
| Fathom | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | Sales calls and CRM automation | Best for sales calls |
| Otter.ai | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile, desktop | Accurate live transcription | Best transcription accuracy |
| tl;dv | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | Cross-meeting search and clips | Best cross-meeting search |
| Granola | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | In-meeting note capture | Best in-meeting notepad |
| Notion AI | Included in plans | Web, mobile | Notes inside your workspace | Best in-workspace meeting notes |
| Avoma | Paid tiers | Web | Structured meeting notes | Best structured note format |
| Krisp | Paid tiers | Web, desktop | Clean audio in noisy rooms | Best noise-cancelling note taker |
| Tactiq | Free tier, paid plans | Web | Live transcription and summaries | Best live note-taking |
| Fellow | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | Structured meetings and feedback | Best for well-run meetings |
| Superhuman | Paid tiers | Web, mobile | Meeting follow-ups by email | Best meeting follow-up workflow |
| Read AI | Paid tiers | Web, mobile | Engagement analytics | Best engagement insights |
| Circleback | Paid tiers | Web, mobile | Private meeting capture | Best privacy-first notetaker |
| Felix | Paid tiers | Web | Turning notes into tasks | Best action item tracking |
| Airgram | Paid tiers | Web, mobile | Notes feeding a CRM | Best CRM-connected notes |
| Rev | Free tier, paid plans | Web, mobile | Professional transcription | Best professional transcription |
| Descript | Free tier, paid plans | Web, desktop | Editing recordings as text | Best transcript-first recorder |
| Grain | Free tier, paid plans | Web | Clips and highlights | Best meeting clips |
| Jiminny | Paid tiers | Web | Structured sales notes | Best structured customer notes |
| Microsoft Copilot in Teams | Included in plans | Microsoft ecosystem | Meetings inside Teams | Best for Teams meetings |
Meeting recorder with a searchable library, conversation intelligence and CRM sync.
Meeting assistant with structured notes, action items and conversation analysis.
Fast email client where meeting notes land in your inbox with AI follow-ups.
Privacy-first meeting assistant with transcripts, action items and search.
Text-based audio and video editor with AI transcription and filler removal.
Meeting recap, chat summaries and notes inside Microsoft Teams.
Fireflies.ai is the strongest all-round option with a searchable meeting library and good action items. Fathom is the best free option and the best for sales calls, Otter is the most established for transcription accuracy, and tl;dv is the best for cross-meeting search. Granola and Notion AI are the best if you want notes that live inside your existing workspace.
Transcription is now very good in clear audio with one speaker. Summaries are less reliable — they routinely attribute a decision to the wrong person or flatten a nuanced discussion into a confident-sounding statement. Treat summaries as a starting point you edit, and check the transcript for anything consequential.
In many jurisdictions, yes. Several US states require all participants to consent, and the GDPR treats audio recordings as personal data requiring a lawful basis. Most platforms have a recording indicator and a consent prompt, and it is your responsibility as the organiser, not the tool's. Check your local law and your company policy.
Fathom is the most popular with sales teams because it automates CRM notes, flags objections and produces coaching insights. Clari and Gong are stronger for enterprise coaching and pipeline analytics, and Fireflies is the best value for teams that just want searchable notes.
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