# The Notetakers > The directory of AI notetakers for teams ## Circleback vs Otter.ai: which one I'd pick in 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/circleback-vs-otter # Circleback vs Otter.ai: which one I'd pick in 2026 Otter.ai and Circleback both turn calls into transcripts and notes, but they put their effort in different places. Otter is built around the live transcript and a low Pro price. Circleback is built around what happens after the call: sending notes and action items into the tools your team already uses. ## Quick verdict **Otter.ai wins on price. Circleback wins on free plan limits, automation and developer access.** - Pick **Otter.ai** if the lowest Pro price comes first, or you want a live transcript during the call. - Pick **Circleback** if you want unlimited meetings on a free plan, bot and bot-free capture in one tool, and notes and action items routed automatically to your CRM, Slack, Notion, Linear, monday.com or Zapier. I compared them on free plans, price, capture, automations, developer access and security, based on each company's documented plans. ## Circleback Circleback turns conversations into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, assigned action items, automations and searchable context. It's the more workflow-heavy of the two. **Key features:** - A bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex - A bot-free desktop app for macOS and Windows with speaker labels, which, with Detect meetings on, offers to record if the bot is refused entry while you're on the call (it starts by itself only with auto-start on) - Conditional automations to CRMs, Slack, Notion, Linear, monday.com and Zapier, plus conditional sharing by participant, domain, title or tag - Ask Circleback across meetings and connected email, with cited answers - API, MCP and CLI on every plan; MCP works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Raycast **Pros:** - The free plan has no meeting, minute or member caps - Bot, bot-free desktop and mobile capture in one tool - API access on every plan - Transcription in 100+ languages **Cons:** - Pro costs more than Otter Pro - Free locks meetings older than 30 days, and recordings are deleted after 1 year - CRM, Notion, monday.com and Zapier automations need Pro - HIPAA and SSO are Enterprise only **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. Business is $25 annually or $29 monthly. **Best for:** teams that want meetings to turn into updates in Slack, Linear or a CRM without copying anything. ## Otter.ai Otter centers on live transcription and AI Chat, with a free Basic plan and a cheap Pro tier. **Key features:** - A notetaker for Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet - Live transcription with speaker identification - AI Chat within and across meetings, and an MCP server on Basic - Bot-free capture on desktop or Chrome, plus iOS and Android apps - Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier on Pro, with the CRM syncs subject to user limits **Pros:** - Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually - Live transcript during the call - Business is cheaper than Circleback's on annual billing **Cons:** - Basic caps you at 300 minutes per user per month and 30 minutes per conversation - Basic keeps only the 25 most recent conversations - API and webhooks are Enterprise only - SSO and SCIM need a 100-user minimum license **Pricing:** Basic is free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly. Business is $19.99 annually or $30 monthly. **Best for:** individuals and small teams who want a low-cost paid plan and a live transcript. ## Side by side | Feature | Circleback | Otter.ai | |---|---|---| | Free plan limit | 30-day visible history | 300 minutes a month | | Length per conversation | No bot cap; desktop 5 hours | 30 minutes on Basic | | Pro, annual | $15 | $8.33 | | Pro, monthly | $18 | $16.99 | | Business, annual | $25 | $19.99 | | Business, monthly | $29 | $30 | | Bot platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex | Zoom, Teams, Meet | | API access | Every plan | Enterprise | | Transcription languages | 100+ | 6 | ## Category by category ### Price On annual billing, Otter Pro is $6.67 less than Circleback Pro. Billed monthly the gap shrinks to $16.99 versus $18. On Business, Otter is cheaper annually ($19.99 versus $25) and Circleback is cheaper monthly ($29 versus $30). **Winner: Otter.ai.** ### Free plan Circleback Free has no cap on meetings or members. Otter Basic stops at 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, so a weekly hour-long team call doesn't fit. Circleback's catch is that meetings older than 30 days are locked until you upgrade. **Winner: Circleback.** ### Capture Both offer bot and bot-free options. Circleback adds Webex to its bot, and if the bot is refused entry while you're on the call and Detect meetings is on, the desktop app prompts you to record (it starts by itself only with auto-start on). **Winner: Circleback, narrowly.** ### Automation and developer access Circleback routes notes and action items by condition to CRMs, Slack, Notion, Linear, monday.com and Zapier, and opens API, MCP and CLI on every plan. Otter keeps API and webhooks for Enterprise. **Winner: Circleback.** ### Live transcription Otter puts the live transcript front and center, with speaker identification on Basic. **Winner: Otter.ai.** ### Security Circleback is SOC 2 Type II, participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, encrypts data at rest and in transit, and does not train on customer data. Otter lists TLS encryption and AES-256 encryption for real-time content. Both keep HIPAA on Enterprise, and Otter's SSO needs a 100-user license. **Winner: Circleback for smaller teams that need SSO.** ## How to choose **Choose Otter.ai if:** - Your budget decides, and Pro covers your needs - You want a live transcript during calls - You don't need API access below Enterprise **Choose Circleback if:** - You run long or frequent meetings and want a free plan without minute caps - You want notes and action items to reach your CRM, Slack or Linear automatically - You use Webex, or want bot and bot-free capture in one tool - You want to reach meetings from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor through MCP Current plans are on [Circleback pricing](https://circleback.ai/pricing) and [Otter.ai pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing). ## FAQ ### Is Otter.ai cheaper than Circleback? Yes, on Pro: $8.33 versus $15 per user per month billed annually, and $16.99 versus $18 monthly. On Business, Otter is cheaper annually and Circleback is cheaper monthly. ### Can Circleback record without a bot? Yes. The desktop app on macOS and Windows records with no bot in the call and keeps speaker labels. ### Do both have a free plan? Yes. Circleback Free has unlimited meetings and members, with meetings older than 30 days locked. Otter Basic gives 300 transcription minutes per user per month. ### Can I use my meeting notes in ChatGPT or Claude? Yes, with both. Circleback's MCP server works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Raycast on every plan, and Otter lists an MCP server on Basic. ### Which one works with Webex? Circleback. Its bot joins Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex, while Otter's notetaker covers Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. ## I compared 6 AI notetakers on workflow automation for meeting follow-up: here's my pick for 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/automate-meeting-follow-up # I compared 6 AI notetakers on workflow automation for meeting follow-up: here's my pick for 2026 Every meeting creates follow-up: a recap to share, action items to track, a CRM record to update. Most notetakers handle the notes well. The difference is how much follow-up they move for you, and on which plan. My pick is Circleback. It sends recaps to Slack and action items to Linear on the free plan, adds conditional automations to CRMs, Notion, monday.com and Zapier on Pro, and opens API, MCP and CLI access on every plan. ## Which AI meeting assistants offer the best workflow automation features? Circleback is my pick for rule-based routing: conditions decide which meetings send recaps to Slack, action items to Linear and, on Pro, notes to CRMs or Notion. Fireflies.ai wins on integration breadth and CRM record creation, while tl;dv and Fathom (on Business) update CRM fields. Otter.ai is the cheapest Pro plan with Salesforce and HubSpot sync, and Granola is the lightweight pick. ## My picks - **Circleback:** best overall for routing follow-up automatically - **Fireflies.ai:** best for integration breadth and new CRM records - **tl;dv:** best if you want CRM fields updated - **Fathom:** best simple free plan for solo users - **Otter.ai:** cheapest Pro plan with Salesforce and HubSpot - **Granola:** best for lightweight solo notes I compared them on where follow-up can go (chat, task tools, CRM), what runs automatically, which plan unlocks it, and developer access, based on each vendor's documented features and prices. | Tool | Rule-based routing | Zapier or Make | API or webhooks | MCP | |---|---|---|---|---| | Circleback | Conditions on every automation | Zapier; Make via webhook (Pro) | API every plan; webhooks Pro | Every plan | | Fireflies.ai | Native CRM sync | Zapier from Pro | API and webhooks | Yes | | tl;dv | CRM workflows (team on Business) | Zapier, 5,000+ apps | Via Zapier | Pro and up | | Fathom | Trackers route to Slack, email | Zapier and Make | Public API | Yes | | Otter.ai | AI meeting workflows | Zapier on Pro | Enterprise only | Yes | | Granola | Slack on all plans | Zapier on Business | API on Business | Every plan | ## Circleback Circleback is built around what happens after the meeting. It turns calls into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes and assigned action items, then routes them by rule. **Key features:** - Free: automations to Slack, Linear and Share meeting - Pro: every step, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Zoho, Notion, monday.com, Zapier and webhooks - Conditions on tags, meeting title, participants, invitee emails, invitee email domains and number of invitees - Linear and monday.com get one issue or item per action item; CRMs, Slack, Notion and Zapier get the notes - HubSpot logs a meeting record on matched contacts or deals and turns action items into tasks; Salesforce logs an Event on matching contacts or opportunities - Ask Circleback creates Asana tasks and projects and posts status updates (it doesn't update existing projects); on Pro, Zapier can send action items to Asana after each meeting - Follow-up email drafts on request on every plan, from the meeting, past threads and calendar; automatic drafts on Pro and up run as a custom AI insight stored in Circleback - API, MCP and CLI on every plan; MCP write tools can create action items and share meetings **Pros:** - Real follow-up automation on the free plan - Meeting, email and calendar context in one place for drafts and answers - Bot, bot-free desktop and mobile capture **Cons:** - Fewer native integrations than Fireflies; Pipedrive has no native integration, so connect it through Zapier, Make, the webhook step or the API - CRM automations log notes and tasks without editing record fields - HubSpot and Salesforce steps skip meetings with no external invitee email - CRM, Notion, Zapier and webhook steps need Pro - Free locks meetings older than 30 days, including for the API and MCP - MCP tool calls are capped at 100 per hour per user on every plan **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. **Best for:** teams that want recaps, action items and CRM notes sent after every call. ## Fireflies.ai Fireflies leans on integrations, with deep CRM sync. **Key features:** - Salesforce: logs transcripts, summaries and action items under Leads, Contacts or Opportunities, and can create new Leads - HubSpot: syncs notes, summaries and action items to contacts, companies and deals, and turns action items into tasks - Pipedrive on its integrations page; Zapier from Pro - Webhooks and an MCP server for developers - Conversation intelligence on Business **Pros:** - Native Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive sync - Can create new leads or contacts for participants not in the CRM **Cons:** - No integrations on Free - Limited AI summaries on Free - Team-wide webhooks need Enterprise and a Super Admin **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $10 per seat per month billed annually or $18 monthly. **Best for:** sales teams that want every call logged in their CRM, Pipedrive included. ## tl;dv tl;dv builds CRM workflows that write into fields, not just notes. **Key features:** - HubSpot workflows update properties on contacts, deals and companies, or log meetings and notes - Salesforce workflows update fields on contacts, leads, accounts and opportunities, or log tasks, events or calls - Creates Jira tickets from bugs or to-dos and turns takeaways into monday.com tasks **Pros:** - Writes call insights straight into CRM fields **Cons:** - Team workflows need Business - Text and multi-select fields only, up to 3 custom-prompt fields per workflow - Re-triggering a workflow creates duplicates **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $18 per seat per month billed annually or $29 monthly. Business is $29 or $39. **Best for:** RevOps teams that want structured CRM fields filled from calls. ## Fathom Fathom keeps follow-up simple: a summary lands on the CRM record after every call. **Key features:** - Logs an AI summary as an activity on the contact, account or opportunity - HubSpot custom field mapping, with CRM field sync on Business - Trackers flag moments across future calls and route them to Slack, email or in-app - Slack, Notion and Asana sync, plus Zapier, Make and a public API and MCP **Pros:** - Unlimited recordings on a simple free plan **Cons:** - Salesforce field mapping is still rolling out - No uploaded calls, only live meetings **Pricing:** Free. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly. Business is $25 per user per month billed annually, 2-user minimum. **Best for:** solo users and small teams who want a simple start. ## Otter.ai Otter syncs conversations to Salesforce and HubSpot on its cheapest paid plan. **Key features:** - Salesforce and HubSpot on Pro, subject to user limits - Syncs the conversation name, participants, Insights and a link to the matching CRM records - Insights can map to text custom fields on Salesforce Opportunities or HubSpot Deals - Zapier on Pro - AI meeting workflows on Basic, advanced on Pro, custom on Business - Jira, Asana and Notion integrations that send action items and takeaways **Pros:** - Lowest Pro price here - CRM sync without a Business plan **Cons:** - Syncs only calendar meetings with an external guest whose contact already exists - API and webhooks are Enterprise only **Pricing:** Basic is free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly. **Best for:** budget teams on Salesforce or HubSpot. ## Granola Granola is a lightweight, bot-free notepad. **Key features:** - Slack on all plans - Attio, Notion, HubSpot, Affinity and Zapier on Business; Salesforce on Enterprise - Follow-up emails and an API on Business - MCP on every plan **Pros:** - Nothing joins the call - Lowest Business price here **Cons:** - Most automations need Business - No audio or video is saved **Pricing:** Free. Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly. **Best for:** individuals who want quick notes and occasional sharing. ## How to set up follow-up automation 1. **Map the destinations.** List where follow-up goes: a chat channel, a task tool, a CRM. 2. **Pick the trigger.** Decide whether every meeting is routed or only some. Circleback's conditions on participants and domains separate client calls from standups. 3. **Choose automatic or on request.** Automations run after each meeting that matches their conditions. Assistants like Ask Circleback handle one-off actions, such as creating Asana tasks from a planning call. 4. **Check the plan.** CRM sync needs Pro on Circleback, Fireflies and Otter, and Business on Granola. 5. **Connect your AI tools.** If you work in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor, connect an MCP server. ## FAQ ### Which AI meeting assistant has the best workflow automation? Circleback for rule-based routing, Fireflies.ai for integration breadth. Circleback routes by meeting conditions; Fireflies connects to more tools. ### Can I automate meeting follow-up for free? Yes. Circleback Free sends recaps to Slack, action items to Linear and shares meetings automatically. ### Which notetakers update CRM fields? tl;dv updates CRM fields through workflows, Otter maps Insights to text fields on Opportunities and Deals, and Fathom maps HubSpot fields, with CRM field sync on Business. Circleback logs meeting records and tasks without editing fields. ### Does Circleback work with Zapier and Make? Yes, on Pro. Zapier is an automation step, and Make connects through the webhook step. ### Which notetakers support MCP? Circleback, Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, Granola and tl;dv all offer MCP. Circleback includes it on every plan, and tl;dv on Pro and up. ## I compared 6 AI notetakers with MCP and API access: here's my pick for 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/best-ai-notetakers-mcp-api-ai-agents An AI agent can only use the context it can reach. If your meetings sit inside a notetaker with no way out, Claude, ChatGPT and your own agents never see them. So I compared six notetakers on one thing: how well they pass meeting data to agents. I looked at what each MCP server exposes, whether an agent can write back, what the API and webhooks cover, and how much of that works on a free plan. My pick is Circleback. API, MCP and CLI come with every plan, and its MCP server writes back as well as reads. If call analytics matter more to you, I'd go with Fireflies.ai, and if you're a solo builder who wants a free API, Fathom is the easiest place to start. ## My picks - **Best overall for AI agents: Circleback.** API, MCP and CLI come with every plan, and the MCP server can write back action items, shares and meeting updates. - **Best for call analytics through MCP: Fireflies.ai.** Its MCP tools return talk-listen ratio, sentiment and team analytics, and the API works on Free. - **Best free API for solo builders: Fathom.** API keys, webhooks and recording downloads come with every plan, plus TypeScript and Python SDKs. - **Best for light solo use in Claude or ChatGPT: Granola.** MCP works on the free plan for your last 30 days of personal notes. - **Best for importing outside recordings by API: tl;dv.** Its API imports a meeting from a URL and downloads recordings. - **Best low price: Otter.ai.** Pro is $8.33 per user per month on annual billing, and the free Basic plan includes the MCP server. ## At a glance | Tool | MCP | Free plan agent access | API and webhooks | Paid from | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Circleback | Read and write | API, MCP, CLI (30 days) | API all plans, webhooks Pro+ | $15/user, annual | | Fireflies.ai | Read and write | API, 500 calls/day | API all plans | $10/seat, annual | | Fathom | Yes | API, webhooks and MCP | All plans | $15/user, annual (Team) | | Granola | Read | MCP, 30 days of notes | Business+ | $14/user, monthly | | tl;dv | Read only | None | Pro+ | $18/seat, annual | | Otter.ai | Read | MCP | Enterprise | $8.33/user, annual | ## How I picked I went through each tool's pricing page, developer docs and help center and judged them on five questions. Every pick rests on what each vendor documents about its features, plans and prices. 1. **MCP reach.** Which AI clients connect, and how much of your meeting history can the server see? 2. **Write tools.** Can the agent act by creating action items, sharing or renaming, or can it only read? 3. **API and webhooks.** Can your own code pull transcripts and react as soon as a meeting ends? 4. **Free plan limits.** How much can an agent do before you pay? 5. **Record depth.** Does the agent get a full transcript with speakers or only a summary, and are video and audio kept? ## 1. Circleback Of the six, Circleback gives an agent the widest context: meetings plus calendar events, connected email, people and companies, with tools to act on all of it. **Platforms:** A bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex. A bot-free desktop app for macOS 14.2+ and Windows. iOS and Android apps for in-person meetings, plus an Apple Watch complication. **Key features** - The MCP server connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Raycast. - Read tools search meetings by keyword, date, tag, attendee or domain. They also search transcripts with timestamps and pull full speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, action items and insights. - Write tools update meetings and calendar events, share meetings and create action items. - MCP also reaches calendar events, connected email, people and companies, so an agent sees each meeting next to the related thread and account. - The public API and CLI come with every plan. An import API creates a meeting from a name and Markdown notes, with optional date, attendees, tags and transcript. - Webhooks, Zapier and Make start on Pro. Automation conditions can filter on tags, title, participants, invitee emails and invitee domains. - The full video, audio and speaker-labeled transcript are saved. The bot and desktop app keep video plus audio, and mobile keeps audio. **Pros** - API, MCP and CLI on every plan, including Free - The MCP server writes back as well as reads - Meetings, email, calendar, people and companies in one agent context - Bot, bot-free desktop and mobile capture in one app - Free includes unlimited meetings and members - Paid plans raise API limits to 300 requests per minute **Cons** - On Free, meetings older than 30 days are locked for MCP and the API too, until you upgrade - Free API calls are capped at 20 requests per minute, and MCP tool calls at 100 per hour on every plan - Free automations are limited to Slack, Linear and Share meeting, so webhooks, Zapier and CRM steps need Pro - Fewer native integrations than Fireflies - No call scoring or coaching scorecards, though it shows each person's speaking time - Paid plans cost more than Otter Pro - HIPAA and SSO are Enterprise only - Action items don't roll forward into the next meeting on their own **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $15 per user per month annually or $18 monthly. Business is $25 annually or $29 monthly. Enterprise is $35, annual only, with automatic volume discounts. Recordings are kept for 1 year on Free and Pro and 2 years on Business, and Enterprise has no default deletion. **Best for:** Agents that act on meetings as well as read them. Free is a real way to try the MCP server and CLI, but I'd budget for Pro if your agent needs older history. ## 2. Fireflies.ai Fireflies.ai is the analytics pick. Its MCP server hands an agent the same conversation metrics a sales manager would look at. **Platforms:** A bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and 10+ other platforms. A Chrome extension that records without the bot. A desktop app, plus Android and iOS apps. **Key features** - A remote MCP server that signs in with OAuth, or with an API key in Claude Desktop. It works with Claude, OpenAI connectors, Cursor and Devin. - Read tools search transcripts, return summaries with action items, and fetch transcripts with speakers and timestamps. - An analytics tool returns talk-listen ratio, sentiment, filler words and question counts. Team-level analytics need admin rights. - Write tools share meetings, revoke access, rename meetings, move meetings into channels and create soundbites. - API access on every plan: 30 calls per minute and 500 per day on Free, rising to 60 per minute and 5,000 per day on Pro. - Transcription in 100+ languages. **Pros** - The API works on Free - MCP write tools for sharing and organizing meetings - Conversation analytics directly through MCP - Unlimited integrations from Pro **Cons** - Free has no app integrations and 400 minutes of storage per team - The Free API is capped at 500 calls a day - Video recording starts on Pro - HIPAA, SSO and the rules engine are Enterprise only **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $10 per seat per month annually or $18 monthly. Business is $19 annually or $29 monthly. Enterprise is $39, annual only. **Best for:** Agents that analyze calls across a team. The free API is usable, but I'd call the daily cap tight for anything beyond a prototype. ## 3. Fathom Fathom is the friendliest free starting point for developers, with keys, webhooks and SDKs on every plan. **Platforms:** A bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack Huddles. Bot-free capture on Mac, in beta. A desktop app. **Key features** - API keys and webhooks on every plan, including Free. - The API returns transcripts with speakers and timestamps, the default summary, action items with assignees, and CRM matches. - Video and audio recordings can be downloaded through the API. - TypeScript and Python SDKs, plus OAuth for apps that other Fathom users install. - An official MCP server for ChatGPT, Claude and Claude Code, which also works with any MCP client. - Native transcription in seven languages. **Pros** - Free includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions plus the API - SDKs handle pagination for you - Webhooks are signed with HMAC for verification - Recordings can be downloaded by API **Cons** - API keys are per user, with no org-level keys - Bot-free capture is Mac only and still in beta - Advanced summaries and Ask Fathom are limited on Free - The API returns only your default summary template **Pricing:** Free is $0. Premium is $16 per user per month annually or $20 monthly. Team is $15 annually or $19 monthly, with a 2-user minimum. Business is $25 annually or $34 monthly, with a 2-user minimum. Enterprise pricing comes from sales. **Best for:** A solo builder who wants clean API data and webhooks without paying first. ## 4. Granola Granola is built for one person taking notes without a bot, and its MCP fits that: quick questions about recent personal notes. **Platforms:** Bot-free device-audio capture that works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and other meeting apps. Desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps. **Key features** - MCP on every plan with OAuth sign-in. It works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and any MCP client that supports Streamable HTTP. - Free reaches your personal notes from the last 30 days. Transcript and folder tools need a paid plan. - Business adds public workspace notes. Enterprise admins choose scopes and can use Enterprise-Managed Authorization. - An MCP tool pulls screenshots of screens shared during a meeting. - API keys and webhooks on Business and Enterprise. **Pros** - MCP works on the free plan - The screenshot tool lets agents read slides and charts - Enterprise admins get fine-grained MCP and API controls **Cons** - No audio or video is kept after transcription - No upload of pre-recorded files - Free MCP can't reach transcripts - The API needs Business - MCP has no API key or service account option **Pricing:** Basic is $0. Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly. Enterprise is $35 per user per month. **Best for:** One person asking Claude about recent notes. I'd skip it for agents that need full history, transcripts or recordings on the free plan. ## 5. tl;dv tl;dv is the library builder. Its API pulls recordings in from elsewhere and lets you download them again. **Platforms:** A bot for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. A desktop app that works with or without a bot and records system audio on other platforms. iOS and Android apps. **Key features** - A hosted MCP server in the Claude and ChatGPT connector directories, with OAuth sign-in. - Five read-only MCP tools: search meetings, meeting metadata, transcript, notes and user profile. - API endpoints to import a meeting from a URL, list meetings, download recordings, and get transcripts and notes. - Webhooks fire when a meeting or transcript is ready. - Transcription in 30+ languages. tl;dv hosts and stores its data in the EU. **Pros** - Import recordings by URL through the API - Recording downloads by API - Data hosted in the EU, for teams that want that **Cons** - No API or MCP on Free - API and MCP access depend on the meeting organizer's plan - The MCP server can't write - The API is an alpha release, and endpoints may change - MCP queries return 50 meetings at a time **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $18 per seat per month annually or $29 monthly. Business is $29 annually or $39 monthly. Enterprise pricing is custom. **Best for:** Teams that want to bring recordings from elsewhere into one library with code. For agent access, budget for Pro. ## 6. Otter.ai Otter.ai is the budget option, with an MCP server even on the free plan. **Platforms:** A bot that joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. Mac and Windows desktop apps, iOS and Android apps, and a Chrome extension. **Key features** - An MCP server on the free Basic plan. It connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Perplexity and other MCP clients. - Three MCP tools: search meetings, fetch a full transcript, and get user info. - MCP reaches meetings you captured plus meetings shared with you. - API and webhooks on Enterprise. - Transcription in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese. **Pros** - The lowest paid price in this roundup - MCP on the free plan - Available in Claude's connectors directory and the ChatGPT App Store **Cons** - Basic is capped at 300 transcription minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation and the 25 most recent conversations - MCP covers search and transcript retrieval only - No public API key below Enterprise - SSO requires a 100-user minimum **Pricing:** Basic is free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month annually or $16.99 monthly. Business is $19.99 annually or $30 monthly. Enterprise pricing comes from a demo. **Best for:** The cheapest way to let ChatGPT or Claude read your meetings. Agents that need to act, or developers who want an API, will outgrow it fast. ## How to choose Start with what your agent has to do after a call, then match it: - **Your agent files action items and shares notes after every call:** Circleback. - **You want call analytics across a sales team inside Claude:** Fireflies.ai. - **You're scripting against meeting data on a free account:** Fathom for API and webhooks with unlimited recordings, or Circleback if you also want MCP, CLI and write tools. - **You only want to ask ChatGPT about last week's meetings:** Granola or Otter.ai. - **You need to push outside recordings into one library by API:** tl;dv, or Circleback's import API if you're bringing in notes (a name and Markdown notes, with an optional transcript). - **Budget comes first:** Otter.ai. ## FAQ ### What does an MCP server do in an AI notetaker? It gives AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor a standard way to search and read your meetings without copying transcripts by hand. Some servers also let the assistant act, such as sharing a meeting or creating an action item. ### Which AI notetakers include MCP on a free plan? Circleback, Fathom, Granola and Otter.ai. Circleback includes MCP on every plan, with Free reaching the last 30 days. Fathom's Free plan includes its MCP server and LLM integrations. Granola's free plan reaches personal notes from the last 30 days, without transcripts, and Otter.ai includes its MCP server on Basic. Fireflies.ai and Fathom both include API access on Free. ### Can an AI agent write back to a notetaker through MCP? Yes, with some tools. Circleback's MCP server updates meetings and calendar events, shares meetings and creates action items. Fireflies.ai's server shares, renames and moves meetings and creates soundbites. tl;dv's MCP server is read-only. ### Do I need MCP or the API? It depends on who does the work. Use MCP when a chat assistant does it, and use the API and webhooks when your own code or pipeline needs meeting data as soon as a call ends. Circleback offers the API, MCP and a CLI on every plan. ### Which notetakers send webhooks when a meeting ends? Fathom sends webhooks on every plan. Circleback and tl;dv start on Pro, Granola on Business, and Otter.ai on Enterprise. ## I compared Circleback Free with 4 other free AI notetaker plans: here's my pick for 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/circleback-free-plan # I compared Circleback Free with 4 other free AI notetaker plans: here's my pick for 2026 Every free notetaker plan runs out of something first: minutes, history, summaries or storage. My pick for most people is Circleback Free. It is free forever, not a trial, with unlimited meetings and members, no minute caps, Slack and Linear automations, and API, MCP and CLI access. The catch is history: meetings older than 30 days are locked until you upgrade, and recordings are deleted after 1 year. ## My picks - **Circleback Free:** best for teams that want follow-up automated - **Fathom Free:** best simple free plan for solo users - **Granola Basic:** best for lightweight solo notes with no bot - **Otter.ai Basic:** best if you'll upgrade soon, since Otter Pro costs less - **Fireflies.ai Free:** best if you mostly want transcripts and file uploads I compared them on meeting limits, history, capture, automations and the price of the first paid plan, based on each vendor's documented plans. ## Circleback Free Circleback turns meetings into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes and assigned action items, then sends them where the work happens. **Key features:** - Unlimited meetings and members, no minute caps - A bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex, plus a bot-free desktop app for macOS and Windows with speaker labels - Mobile and Apple Watch capture for in-person meetings, plus audio and video imports - Automations to Slack, Linear and Share meeting - API, MCP and CLI; MCP works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Raycast **Pros:** - Bot, bot-free and mobile capture in one free tool - Developer access without paying - SOC 2 Type II, encryption at rest and in transit and no training on customer data on every plan **Cons:** - Meetings older than 30 days are locked, including for the API, MCP and Ask Circleback - CRM, Notion, Zapier and webhook automations need Pro - Paid plans cost more than Otter Pro **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. **Best for:** teams that want recaps and action items in Slack or Linear automatically. ## Fathom Free Fathom's free plan is about recording calls without watching a cap. **Key features:** - Unlimited recordings, transcriptions and storage - Captures Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack Huddles - iOS app on all plans **Pros:** - Easy to understand: record everything, keep everything **Cons:** - Advanced summaries and Ask Fathom are "limited use" on Free - No uploaded calls, only live meetings - Bot-free capture is a Mac beta; no Android app **Pricing:** Free. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly. **Best for:** solo users who want unlimited recordings and a simple plan. ## Granola Basic Granola is a lightweight notepad that uses meeting context to write clear notes, personal to you. **Key features:** - No meeting bot - Desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps - MCP on every plan; Basic reaches the last 30 days of personal notes, without transcripts **Pros:** - Nothing joins the call **Cons:** - 30-day history on Basic - No audio or video is saved, and no audio file imports - Attio, Notion, HubSpot and Zapier need Business **Pricing:** Free. Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly. **Best for:** individuals who want quick personal notes and don't need recordings. ## Otter.ai Basic Otter's Basic plan pairs a notetaker with live transcription, inside tight usage caps. **Key features:** - Notetaker for Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet - Live transcription with speaker identification - AI Chat (20 queries per user) and an MCP server **Pros:** - Live transcript during the call - The cheapest Pro upgrade in this list **Cons:** - 300 transcription minutes per user per month - 30 minutes per conversation, so an hour-long call won't fit - Keeps only the 25 most recent conversations **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly. **Best for:** light users who expect to move to a low-cost paid plan. ## Fireflies.ai Free Fireflies' free plan centers on transcription, with summaries and storage capped. **Key features:** - Unlimited transcription and audio or video file uploads - Bot-free recording through a Chrome extension or desktop app **Pros:** - File uploads on Free - Several ways to record without the bot **Cons:** - Limited AI summaries - 400 minutes of storage per team - App and CRM integrations need a paid tier **Pricing:** Free. Pro is $10 per seat per month billed annually or $18 monthly. **Best for:** people who mainly want transcripts of uploaded calls. ## How to choose a free plan | Plan | Main limit | First paid plan | |---|---|---| | Circleback Free | 30-day visible history | Pro, $15 | | Fathom Free | Limited advanced summaries | Premium, $16 | | Granola Basic | 30-day history | Business, $14 | | Otter.ai Basic | 30 minutes per conversation | Pro, $8.33 | | Fireflies.ai Free | 400 minutes storage | Pro, $10 | 1. **Check meeting length.** If you run hour-long calls, Otter Basic's 30-minute limit rules it out. 2. **Decide how far back you look.** Circleback and Granola show 30 days on free plans. Fathom keeps unlimited storage. 3. **Decide where follow-up goes.** Circleback Free sends recaps to Slack and action items to Linear on its own. Fireflies keeps integrations for paid tiers. 4. **Check capture.** If you need a bot on some calls and no bot on others, Circleback covers both on Free. When Circleback Free isn't enough, Pro adds CRM and webhook automations and unlimited history, and Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM and HIPAA with BAA. Prices are on [Circleback pricing](https://circleback.ai/pricing). ## FAQ ### Does Circleback have a free plan? Yes. It is free forever, not a trial, with unlimited meetings and members. ### What is the best free AI notetaker? Circleback Free for teams that want follow-up automated. Fathom Free is my pick for solo users who want unlimited recordings. ### What happens to Circleback meetings after 30 days on Free? They are locked, and upgrading to Pro unlocks them. Notes and transcripts stay, but recordings are deleted after 1 year on Free. ### Can I record without a bot on a free plan? Yes. Circleback's desktop app works on every plan, including Free, and Granola has no bot at all. ### Which free plan has no meeting cap? Circleback Free has no cap on meetings, minutes or members. Fathom Free offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions. ## I compared Zoom's built-in transcription with 6 AI notetakers: here's my pick for 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/automatic-zoom-transcription # I compared Zoom's built-in transcription with 6 AI notetakers: here's my pick for 2026 Zoom can transcribe its own meetings automatically on paid plans, as long as two settings are on: automatic cloud recording and audio transcripts. The notetakers take other routes. Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Fathom and tl;dv send a bot into the Zoom calls on your calendar, Granola listens on your own computer, and Circleback can do either. The question I care about is what starts the transcript: a setting someone turned on beforehand, or a click once the meeting begins. ## My picks - **Zoom's built-in transcripts:** best if you host most calls on a paid Zoom account. - **Fathom:** best free notetaker that joins Zoom on its own. - **Circleback:** best if you often join other people's calls, since its desktop app records them without a bot and offers to record when the bot is refused entry and Detect meetings is on. - **Otter.ai:** best for a live transcript and the lowest Pro price. - **Granola:** best for no bot at all, if you open the note first. I compared them on what triggers the transcript, who switches it on, how Zoom gets captured, and which plan you need. | Tool | Starts on its own | Captures Zoom with | Free option | |---|---|---|---| | Zoom transcripts | Yes, cloud auto-record | Zoom cloud recording | Paid plans only | | Zoom AI summary | Yes, auto-start setting | Zoom's in-meeting AI | Paid plans only | | Otter.ai | Yes, auto-join rule | Bot | Yes, Basic | | Fireflies.ai | Yes, Zoom link on invite | Bot (Fred) | Yes | | Fathom | Yes, auto-record setting | Bot or bot-free (Mac beta) | Yes | | tl;dv | Yes, once host admits bot | Bot | Yes, summaries on Pro | | Granola | Only with note open | Device audio, no bot | Yes, Basic | | Circleback | Yes, bot; desktop prompts | Bot or desktop app | Yes, Free | ## Zoom's built-in transcription With [automatic recording](https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0067954) set to the cloud, Zoom records no matter how the host joins: computer, mobile or phone dial-in. With [audio transcripts](https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0065911) on, it saves a transcript of that recording as a separate VTT file. Zoom's [AI meeting summary](https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0057960) can also auto-start as soon as anyone starts the meeting, host or not. **Key features** - Cloud auto-recording set by an account owner or admin - Transcript saved as a VTT file - AI summary with "Auto-start when meetings start" **Pros** - Nothing to install and no bot in the call - Users can turn on the AI summary for their own meetings unless an admin locked it **Cons** - Cloud transcripts need a Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise account - Free Basic accounts can only auto-record to a local computer - Automatic recording covers only meetings scheduled after you turn it on **Pricing:** Included with paid Zoom plans. The AI summary needs Zoom Workplace Pro, Business or Enterprise, or their Plus tiers. **Best for:** People who host most of their calls on a Zoom account they already pay for. ## Otter.ai Once you connect a Google or Microsoft calendar, Otter Notetaker joins events by the [auto-join rule](https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/13674910923671-Automatically-add-Otter-Notetaker-to-your-meetings) you set, such as every event with a video link or only events you host. It records, transcribes, summarizes and shares the conversation. **Key features** - Live transcription during the call - Auto-join rules for calendar events **Pros** - Read the transcript while the call is still going - Lowest Pro price here **Cons** - Basic caps you at 300 transcription minutes a month - Each Basic conversation stops at 30 minutes **Pricing:** Basic is free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly. See [Otter's pricing page](https://otter.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Reading along live in Zoom on a small budget. ## Fireflies.ai Fireflies' bot, Fred, joins Zoom meetings on your calendar when they start, as long as the invite has the Zoom link ([setup guide](https://guide.fireflies.ai/articles/8956173738-how-to-integrate-zoom-with-fireflies)). When someone else hosts, they get a request from Fred and have to click Allow. **Key features** - Auto-joins calendar meetings with a Zoom link - Zoom capture on the free plan **Pros** - No per-meeting setup once your calendar is connected **Cons** - The host has to click Allow when you aren't hosting - Free has a 2-hour recording limit **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $10 per seat per month billed annually or $18 monthly. See [Fireflies' pricing page](https://fireflies.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Teams that already put a Zoom link on every invite. ## Fathom On Fathom's [Settings page](https://help.fathom.video/en/articles/3239617), an auto-record drop-down captures all meetings, only external or internal ones, or none. On the free plan you choose bot or bot-free capture. **Key features** - Auto-record by meeting type - Separate toggle for unscheduled Zoom calls **Pros** - Free plan lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions, plus instant AI summaries - Catches ad hoc Zoom calls as well as calendar events **Cons** - Bot-free capture is Mac only and still in beta - Advanced summaries are limited on Free **Pricing:** Free is $0. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly. See [Fathom's pricing page](https://www.fathom.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Automatic Zoom transcripts for free, without counting minutes. ## tl;dv With your calendar connected, tl;dv can [auto-record](https://intercom.help/tldv/en/articles/14441473-auto-record) all calendar events (including ones you don't attend), only those matching your conditions, or none. The bot still asks to join, so the host has to admit it ([Zoom guide](https://intercom.help/tldv/en/articles/6633412-recording-meetings-with-zoom)). **Key features** - Auto-record with conditions you set - Bot capture for Zoom **Pros** - Can record meetings you skip **Cons** - The host has to admit the bot - Automatic AI summaries need Pro **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $18 per seat per month billed annually or $29 monthly. See [tl;dv's pricing page](https://tldv.io/app/pricing/). **Best for:** Recording calendar meetings you can't attend. ## Granola Granola has no bot. It [transcribes](https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/taking-notes/transcription) from your computer's microphone and system audio and doesn't save audio or video. With no open note, it doesn't transcribe. **Key features** - Auto-start at the scheduled time when the note is open - Bot-free capture on the free Basic plan **Pros** - Nothing joins the call, so no host approval **Cons** - No open note means no transcript - No audio or video to replay **Pricing:** Basic is free. Business is $14 per user per month. See [Granola's pricing page](https://www.granola.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Solo note takers who never want a bot and don't mind opening the note first. ## Circleback Circleback turns conversations into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, assigned action items, automations and searchable context. After you connect a calendar, its bot joins meetings with a Zoom link based on Settings > Calendar > Joining preferences (internal, external or both). The desktop app for macOS and Windows records Zoom without the bot, capturing mic and computer audio, and if the bot's join request is denied while you're on the call and Detect meetings is on, it prompts you to record (or starts by itself with auto-start on). **Key features** - Per-meeting joining toggle from Home, and admins can enforce preferences - Detect meetings notifies you when an app starts using the mic - Speaker labels with every recording method **Pros** - Bot and bot-free capture in one tool - Desktop app on every plan, Free included, and Free has unlimited meetings **Cons** - The fallback only covers a denied join request, needs the desktop app running with Detect meetings on, and asks before recording unless auto-start is on - No Linux app or browser extension - Free locks meetings older than 30 days until you upgrade, and recordings are deleted after 1 year - Paid plans cost more than Otter Pro **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. Details at [circleback.ai](https://circleback.ai/). **Best for:** A mix of your own and other people's Zoom calls, caught by one tool. ## How to choose - **You host and pay for Zoom:** turn on cloud auto-recording and audio transcripts before adding anything. - **You mostly join other people's calls:** Fireflies and tl;dv bots need the host's approval, so I'd pick Granola, Fathom's Mac beta or Circleback's desktop app. - **You want it free:** Fathom. Otter's Basic caps add up fast. - **You want to read along live:** Otter.ai. ## FAQ ### Does a free Zoom account get automatic transcripts? No. Zoom's cloud transcripts need a paid account, and Basic users can only auto-record to a local computer. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and Granola all have free plans that capture Zoom, and Circleback's desktop app is on its Free plan. ### Do I need to be the host? For Zoom's AI summary, yes: only hosts and co-hosts can start or stop it from the meeting controls. Fireflies and tl;dv bots need the host's approval when you aren't hosting. Granola and Circleback's desktop app capture audio on your own computer with no bot. More in [Record meetings without a bot](https://meetingnotesguide.com/record-meetings-without-a-bot). ### Can I get a live transcript during a Zoom call? Yes, with Otter.ai. Its free Basic plan includes live transcription, though each conversation stops at 30 minutes. ### Will Zoom's automatic recording cover meetings I already scheduled? No. It applies only to meetings scheduled after you turn it on. Calendar-based notetakers like Otter, Fathom and Circleback join events on your connected calendar based on rules you set. ## Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai vs Fathom vs Granola: which one I'd pick in 2026 Source: https://thenotetakers.com/otter-vs-fireflies-vs-fathom-vs-granola # Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai vs Fathom vs Granola: which one I'd pick in 2026 All four record a meeting and hand you notes afterward. They split on two things: how the recording happens, and what you can do with the notes once the call ends. **My pick: Fathom.** Its free plan lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions, lets you choose bot or bot-free capture, and its pricing page lists a public API and MCP. That's the least restrictive free plan of the four. - **Otter.ai:** best for reading the transcript live, and the lowest Pro price. - **Fireflies.ai:** best for teams that want integrations, analytics and 100+ languages. - **Granola:** best for lightweight solo notes with no bot in the call. I compared them on free plan limits, how they capture audio, how your notes reach Claude or ChatGPT, and price. | | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | Fathom | Granola | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Free plan | 300 minutes a month | 400 minutes storage per team | Unlimited recordings | 30 days of history | | Bot-free option | Desktop or Chrome | Chrome extension | Mac beta | Every plan | | AI assistant access | MCP on Basic | API on every plan | Public API and MCP | MCP, 30 days on Basic | | Paid from | $8.33/user | $10/seat | $15/user (Team) | $14/user | ## Otter.ai Otter is the one I'd pick if you want to read along while the meeting is still going. Its free Basic plan joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet to write and share notes. **Key features** - Live transcription and speaker identification on Basic - AI Chat within and across meetings - Otter MCP server on Basic, with API and webhooks on Enterprise - Bot-free recording on desktop or in Chrome **Pros** - Live transcript during the call - Lowest Pro price of the four - MCP on the free plan **Cons** - Basic caps you at 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation - Basic keeps only your 25 most recent conversations - API and webhooks need Enterprise **Pricing:** Basic is free. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly, and Business is $19.99 or $30. See [Otter's pricing page](https://otter.ai/pricing). **Best for:** People who read along during calls and want the cheapest paid plan. ## Fireflies.ai Fireflies is a meeting bot with search, an AI assistant and API access, and it gets more useful once you pay and unlock integrations and analytics. **Key features** - Records Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and 10+ other platforms - Chrome extension that records without the Fireflies bot - Meeting search, the AskFred assistant, a desktop app and API access on Free - Transcription in 100+ languages **Pros** - API on the free plan - Unlimited integrations from Pro - Conversation intelligence and team analytics on Business - The widest language list of the four **Cons** - Free has no app integrations and limited AI summaries - Free storage is capped at 400 minutes per team - Video recording and action items with a task manager start on Pro - HIPAA and SSO are Enterprise only **Pricing:** Free is $0. Pro is $10 per seat per month billed annually or $18 monthly, Business is $19 or $29, and Enterprise is $39 billed annually. See [Fireflies' pricing page](https://fireflies.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Teams that want analysis and integrations layered on their transcripts. ## Fathom Fathom is my overall pick because the free plan asks the least of you: unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI call summaries, and a choice of bot or bot-free capture. **Key features** - Bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack Huddles - Bot-free capture in beta for Mac - Claude and ChatGPT integrations, Zapier, Make, and a public API and MCP - CRM field sync, a deal view, coaching metrics and AI scorecards on Business **Pros** - Unlimited recordings and transcriptions on Free - Bot or bot-free capture on Free - Coaching metrics and AI scorecards on Business **Cons** - Advanced summaries and Ask Fathom are limited on Free - AI-generated action items start on Premium - Bot-free capture is Mac only and still in beta - No upload of recorded calls **Pricing:** Free is $0. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly. Team is $15 or $19 with a 2-user minimum, and Business is $25 or $34 with a 2-user minimum. See [Fathom's pricing page](https://www.fathom.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Solo users and small teams who record a lot and want a free plan without counting minutes. ## Granola Granola never adds a bot to the call. It captures device audio on every plan, including the free Basic plan, and deletes the audio after transcription. **Key features** - Bot-free device-audio capture on every plan - Speaker tagging and custom note templates on every plan - AI chat within and across meetings on Basic - Desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps **Pros** - Nothing joins the call, ever - Audio isn't kept after transcription - MCP on the free plan **Cons** - No audio to replay what someone actually said - Basic keeps 30 days of meeting history - No upload of pre-recorded audio files - API access and unlimited history need Business **Pricing:** Basic is free. Business is $14 per user per month, and Enterprise is $35. See [Granola's pricing page](https://www.granola.ai/pricing). **Best for:** Solo users who want quick personal notes with nothing joining the call. ## Also consider: Circleback If you want bot and bot-free capture in one tool plus automations, Circleback is worth a look. It records Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex with a bot, or from a desktop app on macOS and Windows with speaker labels and no bot. Conditional automations send meeting outcomes to a CRM, Slack, Notion, Linear, monday.com or Zapier, and API, MCP and CLI come with every plan. Free has unlimited meetings and members but locks meetings older than 30 days, CRM automations need Pro, and paid plans cost more than Otter Pro. More at [circleback.ai](https://circleback.ai/). ## How to choose - **You want the best free plan:** Fathom, for unlimited recordings and transcriptions. - **You read along during calls:** Otter.ai, which also has the cheapest Pro plan. - **You run a team that lives in other apps:** Fireflies.ai, once you're on Pro for integrations. - **You coach a sales team:** Fathom Business for scorecards and CRM field sync, or Fireflies Business for conversation intelligence. - **You never want a bot in the call:** Granola. ## FAQ ### What is the best free AI notetaker of these four? Fathom. Its free plan lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions, plus a choice of bot or bot-free capture. Otter caps minutes, Fireflies caps storage, and Granola keeps 30 days of history. ### Which ones record without a bot? All four have a way. Granola captures device audio on every plan, Fathom has bot-free capture in beta on Mac, Fireflies has a Chrome extension that records without its bot, and Otter offers bot-free recording on desktop or in Chrome. ### Can I ask Claude or ChatGPT about my meetings? Yes, with any of them. Fathom lists Claude and ChatGPT integrations and an MCP, Granola's MCP covers the last 30 days of personal notes on Basic, and Otter has an MCP server on Basic. Fireflies documents a remote MCP server and includes API access on every plan. ### What happens to old meetings on a free plan? It depends on the tool. Otter Basic keeps only your 25 most recent conversations, Granola Basic keeps 30 days of history, and Fireflies Free caps storage at 400 minutes per team. Fathom lists unlimited recording and call storage on every plan. ### Which one is cheapest if I pay? Otter.ai. Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually, below Fireflies Pro at $10 per seat, Granola Business at $14 and Fathom Team at $15.