The best AI meeting note-taker for beginners
An AI note-taker joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams call, writes a transcript and gives you a summary with action items, so you can listen instead of scribbling. Here’s how the three best beginner options compare.
This guide includes affiliate links (Fireflies.ai). If you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change our recommendations. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Our top picks
Fireflies.ai
Who it’s for: People with several meetings a week who want searchable notes, action items and integrations across all of them. The free plan includes unlimited transcription, with 400 minutes of storage per team.
Worth knowing: Free summaries and storage are limited. Obtain recording consent.
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Otter.ai
Who it’s for: Individuals who want a clean, readable transcript as people speak, plus a tidy summary. The free plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month.
Worth knowing: Ask permission before recording. Check names, numbers and action items.
Notion AI
Who it’s for: People who keep tasks, docs and projects in Notion and want meeting notes to land in the same place.
Worth knowing: AI access depends on the workspace plan; do not assume the free workspace includes full AI.
Side-by-side comparison
| Fireflies | Otter | Notion AI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Recurring meetings and search | Live transcripts | Notes alongside your projects |
| Free plan | Unlimited transcription; 400 min storage; limited summaries | 300 transcription minutes a month | Free Notion plan; AI features are limited |
| Joins Zoom, Meet, Teams | Yes | Yes | Check current support for your setup |
| Ease for beginners | Easy | Very easy | Easy if you know Notion |
Pricing
| Plan | Fireflies | Otter | Notion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 |
| Entry paid | Pro: US$18/month, or US$10/month billed annually | Pro: US$16.99/month, or US$8.33/month billed annually | Plus: US$10 per member/month (as listed) |
| Team | Business: US$29/month, or US$19 billed annually | Business: US$30/month, or US$24 billed annually | Business (includes Notion’s AI workspace): US$20 per member/month (as listed) |
Prices checked on 14 October 2026 from official pricing pages (fireflies.ai/pricing, otter.ai/pricing and notion.com/pricing. Notion offers up to 20% off yearly and its page didn’t make clear whether the listed figures were monthly or yearly billing, so confirm before buying). Prices are in US dollars (USD) as listed. Australian prices, GST and app-store pricing can differ, and plans change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you pay.
How to get started
Ask everyone’s permission to record. In Australia, recording laws vary by state and territory, and many workplaces have their own rules.
Sign up for the free plan with the calendar you use for meetings, and choose which meetings the assistant should join.
Test it on a short, non-sensitive meeting first, then check names, numbers and action items against what was really said.
Share the corrected summary, not the raw automatic one, and decide whether a paid plan is worth it after a couple of weeks.
How we chose
We looked for tools that a beginner can set up in minutes, that work with the major video-call apps, and that have a free plan good enough to test properly. We relied on each provider’s official product and pricing pages rather than running a lab benchmark, so treat our picks as a well-informed starting point and test with your own meetings.
Accuracy matters more than features. Every note-taker can mishear names, accents, numbers and acronyms, and AI summaries sometimes state a decision more firmly than the meeting did. The best tool for you is the one whose notes need the least fixing for your meetings.
Fireflies vs Otter: the real difference
Both are excellent, and their annual Pro prices are close. The main difference is in the free plans and the way you use your notes afterwards. Otter limits the minutes you can transcribe for free; Fireflies transcribes without a minute cap but limits storage and AI summaries. Fireflies leans towards searching and acting on a library of meetings, with an AI assistant and many integrations. Otter leans towards a clean, live transcript you can follow as people speak. Our Otter vs Fireflies comparison goes into more detail.
Where Notion AI fits
Notion AI isn’t a dedicated meeting bot in the same way. It makes the most sense if your team already plans work in Notion, because summaries and action items sit right next to the related project pages. If you don’t use Notion, start with Fireflies or Otter instead.
What to watch out for
- Consent: always tell people when a meeting is being recorded.
- Workplace rules: some organisations block third-party meeting bots. Check before you connect a work calendar.
- Meeting length: plans set limits on how long a single recording can be, which matters for workshops.
- Privacy: review where recordings are stored and who can see shared links.
Free or paid?
If you have a handful of meetings a month, a free plan may be all you ever need. Otter’s 300 free minutes covers roughly five one-hour meetings, and Fireflies’ free plan will transcribe more but fills its 400-minute storage within a week or two of regular calls, after which you’ll need to delete old meetings or upgrade. A paid plan starts to make sense when you rely on the notes every week: unlimited storage history, full AI summaries, downloads and integrations with tools like your CRM or project manager. Annual billing roughly halves the monthly cost for both Fireflies and Otter, but only commit once you’ve used the free plan for a few weeks.
Our verdict
For most beginners with regular online meetings, Fireflies is the strongest all-rounder and the one we’d try first. If you mainly want a clear transcript to follow along with, Otter is wonderfully simple. And if your working life already runs through Notion, keeping meeting notes there will save you time. Whichever you choose, the habit that matters most is reviewing the notes before you share them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AI note-taker?
Fireflies’ free plan offers unlimited transcription with 400 minutes of storage and limited AI summaries, while Otter’s free plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month. Fireflies suits frequent meetings; Otter suits fewer meetings where you want a clean live transcript.
Do AI note-takers work with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet?
Yes. Fireflies and Otter both join Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls, and both have mobile apps for in-person conversations.
How much does an AI note-taker cost?
When we checked on 14 October 2026, Fireflies Pro was US$18 a month or US$10 a month billed annually, and Otter Pro was US$16.99 a month or US$8.33 a month billed annually. Both have free plans.
Is it legal to record meetings in Australia?
Recording laws differ between Australian states and territories, and workplaces often have policies too. Tell everyone the meeting is being recorded and get consent first. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can AI meeting notes be wrong?
Yes. Transcripts can mishear names and numbers, and summaries can overstate decisions. Always review notes before sharing them.