Best free AI note takers: free plans compared
Updated · Prices change often; confirm on each tool's site.
The best free AI note taker for most people is Fathom: its free plan gives unlimited recordings, transcripts and instant AI summaries for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams. Fireflies.ai is also unlimited on its free plan once you turn on auto-join (otherwise 3 meetings), and Granola is the pick if you don't want a bot in the call, though its free plan only shows your last 30 days of notes.
Most AI note takers advertise a free plan, but the limits differ a lot: some cap minutes, some cap AI summaries, some only keep your notes for 30 days.
Disclosure: our Fireflies.ai link is an affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; it never changes our picks. How we make money.
Our top 3 picks
Fathom
The most generous free plan we found: unlimited recordings and transcripts, an instant AI summary after each call, clips and search. Advanced summaries and AI action items need Premium ($20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly).
Fireflies.ai
Joins Zoom, Meet and Teams and transcribes without limits when auto-join is on (otherwise 3 meetings), in 100+ languages. Catches: summaries use transcription credits (3 for website sign-ups), 400 minutes of storage, and transcript downloads need Pro ($10/mo billed yearly).
Granola
No bot joins your call: it listens to your device audio and turns your rough notes into clean meeting notes. Free Basic plan shows only the last 30 days of meetings; Business is $14/mo for unlimited history.
How to do it
- Pick by your main limit: lots of calls → Fathom or Fireflies with auto-join; no bot allowed → Granola; mostly short calls → Otter's 300 free minutes a month.
- Connect your calendar so the notetaker joins (or starts) automatically, and set a clear notetaker name.
- Tell everyone at the start that the call is being recorded and transcribed, and follow your local consent rules.
- After each call, check the summary's action items and names before you share them.
- Copy notes you need to keep into your own docs, since free plans cap storage or history.
FAQ
Is there a completely free AI note taker with no limits?
Not quite. Fathom comes closest, with unlimited recordings, transcripts and basic summaries, but advanced summaries and action items are paid. Every free plan caps something: minutes, AI credits, storage or history.
Which free note taker works without a bot joining the call?
Granola never sends a bot; it captures your device audio. Fathom has a bot-free option in beta on Mac, and Fireflies can record Google Meet from its Chrome extension.
Is Fireflies or Otter better for free?
Fireflies, if you have many or long online meetings, because transcription is unlimited with auto-join. Otter's free plan stops at 300 minutes a month. See our Fireflies vs Otter comparison.
Do I need permission to record a meeting?
Often, yes. Recording-consent laws differ by country and US state, and many workplaces have their own rules. The simple habit: announce the notetaker at the start and let people object.
Also worth a look
Live transcription and meeting summaries · Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Docs, wikis, projects with built-in AI agent · Free plan · Plus $10/mo
Related guides
How we pick
We match tools to the task, not to commissions. Several of the best tools we recommend (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, Cursor) pay us nothing. Picks come from a curated, hand-checked list and are refreshed regularly. See our method and affiliate disclosure.
Got a more specific task? Try your own task.
Describe it and get matched →