Meeting notetakers are the easiest AI win available: the task is well-defined, the output is low-risk, and the benefit shows up in the first week.
Short answer
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai are the two obvious choices, both with real free tiers. Otter gives 300 minutes a month free; Fireflies gives unlimited transcription but caps team storage at 400 minutes. Pick on where the notes need to end up — Fireflies if they must reach a CRM automatically, Otter if a searchable archive is the point.
The two leading options
Meeting transcription and notes with searchable history.
Best for: Teams that need a searchable record of every meeting
Pricing: Free 300 min/mo; Pro $16.99/mo ($8.33 annual); Business $30/mo ($19.99 annual)
Meeting recorder and notetaker with CRM integrations and an AI assistant.
Best for: Sales and client teams who need meeting notes in the CRM
Pricing: Free plan; Pro $18/mo ($10 annual); Business $29/mo ($19 annual); Enterprise $39/seat annual
| Feature | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams that need a searchable record of every meeting | Sales and client teams who need meeting notes in the CRM |
| Pricing | Free 300 min/mo; Pro $16.99/mo ($8.33 annual); Business $30/mo ($19.99 annual) | Free plan; Pro $18/mo ($10 annual); Business $29/mo ($19 annual); Enterprise $39/seat annual |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| API | No | Yes |
| Integrations | Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Slack | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack, CRM tools, API |
| Facts checked | 28 August 2026 | 28 August 2026 |
| Go to tool | Try tool | Try tool |
What the free tiers actually allow
The free-tier detail matters more than the headline here. Otter’s free Basic plan allows 300 transcription minutes a month, three lifetime file imports and 25 conversations of history. Fireflies’ free plan allows unlimited transcription and AI summaries but limits storage to 400 minutes per team and meters AI credits. Both are enough to decide whether the habit sticks; neither is enough for a team running back-to-back calls all week.
The archive is the real product
Most people buy a notetaker for the summary. The summary is convenient. The thing that changes how you work is the searchable archive: three months in, being able to answer “what did the client say about the scope in March” in ten seconds is worth more than every summary combined. Judge these tools on search, not on how the summary reads.
Strengths and limits
Where it helps
- Capturing decisions and actions without a designated notetaker
- Making months of meetings searchable
- Follow-up emails that write themselves
- Documenting scope agreed verbally
- Letting you actually participate in your own meetings
Where it does not
- Accuracy on heavy accents, crosstalk and technical jargon
- Understanding what was meant rather than said
- Reading the room — hesitation, reluctance, the unsaid
- Meetings where recording changes how people speak
- Confidential discussions that should not be recorded at all
Consent, which is not optional
Recording law differs by jurisdiction, and some places require the consent of every participant rather than just one. Beyond the law, a bot joining a client call unannounced damages trust. The workable practice is simple: say at the start that you are recording for notes, offer to turn it off, and turn it off when asked. Also set a retention policy — recordings are a disclosable record, and “we kept everything forever” is a decision, whether or not you made it deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AI meeting notetaker?
Fireflies if you need unlimited transcription and can live with limited storage; Otter if you want a cleaner archive and 300 minutes a month is enough. Both free tiers are genuinely usable.
How accurate are AI meeting transcripts?
Good on clear audio and standard accents, noticeably worse with crosstalk, strong accents and technical vocabulary. Treat the transcript as a searchable record, not a verbatim legal document.
Do I have to tell people I am recording?
In many jurisdictions, yes — and in every jurisdiction it is the right thing to do. Announce it, and stop when asked.