Best AI Note Takers in 2026: Free Limits Compared

An AI note taker records a meeting, turns the audio into a transcript and writes a summary with action items, so you can follow the conversation instead of typing. Most of these tools offer a free plan, but the free limits differ far more than the feature lists suggest.

This guide compares published free limits only, using each vendor’s own pricing and help pages as checked on November 9, 2026. It is not hands-on testing. Prices are US prices in USD unless noted, and vendors change limits often, so confirm the current figures on the pricing page before you rely on them.

Which AI note takers have the best free plans in 2026?

The best free AI note takers in 2026 are Fathom, tl;dv, Otter, Fireflies, Granola and Read AI, ranked here by how much a free account can do each month. Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are included because many people already pay for them, but only Zoom offers built-in AI notes on a free account.

1. Fathom: best free plan for unlimited recording

Fathom gives free users the most generous recording allowance of the tools listed here. Fathom’s Free vs. Premium help article lists unlimited recordings and storage on both plans, with advanced AI summaries for your first 5 calls each month on Free. Fathom’s overview page says it records Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls, plus Slack huddles and in-person meetings through its iOS app.

The limit that matters is the summary cap. Premium costs $16 a month billed yearly, or $20 billed monthly, according to Fathom’s pricing page, and it removes the 5-call cap.

2. tl;dv: best free plan for AI notes across many meetings

tl;dv suits people who want written AI notes for more meetings than Fathom’s 5-call limit allows. tl;dv’s own comparison page, updated in October 2026, describes the free plan as unlimited recordings and transcripts, with AI notes for 10 meetings a month and 10 Ask tl;dv requests. The tool works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

Pro costs $18 per user a month billed yearly, or $29 billed monthly, according to that tl;dv page. The tl;dv pricing page shows the same figures in euros when viewed from Spain. tl;dv also says the free plan has limits “around AI usage and retention” without stating a retention period, so download anything important. Our report on the tl;dv data exposure explains why stored meeting records deserve care.

3. Otter: best for short meetings and lectures

Otter’s free Basic plan works well for meetings and lectures that run under 30 minutes. The Otter pricing page lists 300 transcription minutes per user each month, 30 minutes per conversation and 3 lifetime file imports. Otter’s help center adds that only your 25 most recent conversations stay available, and older ones are archived until you upgrade or delete newer ones.

The 30-minute cap matters because Otter keeps recording past that point, but only the first 30 minutes of the transcript are accessible. Deleted conversations still count toward the monthly minutes. Pro costs $8.33 per user a month billed yearly, or $16.99 billed monthly. Otter has apps for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, plus a Chrome extension.

4. Fireflies: best for searching a team’s calls

Fireflies offers broad platform support, but its free plan is limited by storage rather than meetings. Fireflies’ free plan guide includes 3 meeting transcriptions by default, unlimited transcriptions once you turn on Auto Join, 400 minutes of storage per seat, up to 2 hours per meeting and 20 one-time AI credits.

The 400-minute storage limit is the real ceiling, because Fireflies says you must delete older meetings once it is full. Pro costs $10 per seat a month billed yearly, or $18 billed monthly, according to a Fireflies pricing post dated July 10, 2026, since the pricing page did not show figures when checked.

5. Granola: best for meetings without a bot

Granola takes notes without joining your call as a visible participant. The Granola pricing page lists AI meeting notes on the free Basic plan with 30 days of meeting history, and says it uses bot-free, device-audio capture. Granola’s homepage lists apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

The 30-day history is the main limit, so Granola Free works best when you copy finished notes into another app. Business costs $14 per user a month. A bot-free tool also changes your responsibility, because other people on the call do not see a bot join, which makes telling them yourself more important.

6. Read AI: best for a quick test

Read AI’s free plan is useful for trying AI meeting reports, but it covers only a few meetings. The Read AI plans page lists 5 meeting transcripts, 5 live notes and 5 meeting reports a month, with meetings up to 1 hour long. Read AI supports Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, with apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Pro costs $15 per user a month billed yearly.

Do Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams include free AI notes?

Zoom is the only one of the 3 major meeting platforms that includes AI notes on a free account. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams reserve their note takers for paid plans.

• Zoom AI Companion: The Zoom pricing page lists AI meeting summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month on the free Basic plan, 20 AI queries a month and 3 uses of My Notes, alongside the 40-minute meeting limit. Zoom Pro costs $14.16 per user a month billed yearly, or $16.99 billed monthly.
• Google Meet “Take notes for me”: Google’s Meet help page says the feature requires an eligible Workspace edition or Google AI plan. Google lists Google AI Pro and Ultra for personal accounts, and Business Standard and higher for Workspace. Google AI Pro costs $19.99 a month in the US. Notes support 8 languages and save to the organizer’s Google Drive.
• Microsoft Teams intelligent recap: Microsoft’s admin documentation requires a Teams Premium or Microsoft Copilot license on top of a Microsoft 365 plan that includes Teams, and transcription must be turned on. Teams Premium costs $10 per user a month billed yearly.

A built-in tool is the simplest choice when your company already pays for it, while a separate free note taker suits freelancers and small teams on free Zoom or mixed platforms.

Do you need permission to record a meeting with an AI note taker?

Yes, in many situations you need the consent of at least one participant, and in some states you need the consent of everyone. This section explains the general rules and is not legal advice. Federal law, at 18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d), generally allows a recording when one party to the conversation consents, unless the recording is made for a criminal or tortious purpose.

State law can be stricter. California Penal Code section 632 makes it an offense to record a confidential communication without the consent of all parties, and several other states have all-party rules. A meeting with people in different states can fall under the stricter rule.

The safest habit is to tell everyone before the AI note taker starts and to give people a chance to object. Some platforms notify participants for you. Google says Meet informs all participants when notes are being taken, and Zoom’s documentation says an illuminated AI sparkle icon appears when Meeting Summary is active. Bot-free tools such as Granola have no visible participant, so the announcement is up to you. Speak to a lawyer before recording calls that involve clients, health information or legal matters.

Do AI note takers use your meetings to train AI?

Some AI note takers use meeting data to train their models by default, and others say they never do. The policy matters because transcripts often contain client names, prices and personal details that participants did not expect to leave the meeting. These are the vendor statements we found:

• Otter: Otter’s privacy policy says it trains its AI on de-identified audio recordings and transcriptions. Otter’s help center says Enterprise workspaces are opted out by default.
• Granola: Granola’s help docs say training on anonymized data is on by default for non-Enterprise accounts. Turn it off under Settings > Preferences with the toggle “Use my data to improve models for everyone.”
• Fireflies: Fireflies’ help guide says it does not use meeting content or personal data to train internal or external AI models.
• Zoom: Zoom’s AI Companion documentation says Zoom does not use audio, video, chat, screen sharing or attachments to train its own or third-party models.

The most sensible approach is to check the data setting on the first day, before you record a sensitive meeting, and to delete recordings you no longer need. People who prefer notes that never leave the computer can read our coverage of Google’s experimental offline AI note taker for Mac.

Which AI note taker should you choose?

Choose an AI note taker by matching its free limit to how you meet:

1. Many long calls each week: Fathom, because recordings and transcripts are unlimited on Free.
2. Written AI notes for up to 10 meetings a month: tl;dv.
3. Short meetings, lectures and interviews: Otter, within 300 minutes a month.
4. No bot in the meeting: Granola, if 30 days of history is enough.
5. Free Zoom account only: Zoom AI Companion, for 3 summaries a month.
6. Company already pays for Workspace or Microsoft 365: ask your admin about “Take notes for me” or intelligent recap before adding another tool.

For keeping the finished notes, our guide to the best free note-taking apps compares where to store them long term.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free AI note taker?

Fathom is the best free AI note taker for most people, because its free plan lists unlimited recordings, transcription and storage for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Advanced AI summaries are limited to the first 5 calls each month.

Is Otter.ai free?

Otter.ai has a free Basic plan with 300 transcription minutes a month and a 30-minute limit per conversation. Only the 25 most recent conversations stay available on Basic, and Pro costs $8.33 per user a month billed yearly.

Does Zoom have a free AI note taker?

Zoom includes AI Companion meeting summaries on its free Basic plan for 3 hosted meetings a month. Zoom Pro removes that cap and costs $14.16 per user a month billed yearly.

Is Google Meet’s “Take notes for me” free?

Google Meet’s “Take notes for me” is not free, because it requires an eligible Google Workspace edition or a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan. Google AI Pro costs $19.99 a month in the US.

Is it legal to use an AI note taker in a meeting?

Using an AI note taker is generally legal when you follow recording-consent law, which requires at least one party’s consent federally and all parties’ consent in states such as California. Tell everyone before recording, and ask a lawyer about sensitive calls.