The 5 Best AI Meeting Note Takers in 2025

Ever find yourself scrambling to take notes during back-to-back Monday meetings—only to miss key details in the process? We’ve all been there. It’s tough to stay fully engaged in a conversation while also trying to jot down important points. 

 

That’s why AI meeting note takers have become essential for busy professionals, especially those whose calendars are packed with meetings, leaving little room for anything else. 

 

With the right tool, you can focus on meaningful discussions while AI handles the note-taking for you.  These smart AI assistants handle the note-taking for you by transcribing discussions, summarizing key insights, and tracking action items so you can stay engaged without worrying about missing anything important.

 

But with so many options available, how do you choose the right one? We’ve tested and compared the best AI meeting note takers to see how well they actually perform. And in this article, we’ll break down the 5 top options, highlighting their key features, real-world use cases, and when they are the best fit for your workflow.

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

After experimenting with multiple AI note-taking tools, here are our biggest takeaways to help you choose the best one for your needs:

 

• AI meeting note-takers boost productivity by automating transcription, summaries, and action item tracking—making meetings more efficient.
• Krisp worked best for remote teams, with noise cancellation, call recording, and AI-powered chat improving meeting clarity and documentation.
• Otter.ai proved ideal for collaborative teams, allowing shared, editable transcripts and seamless Google Calendar integration.
• Fireflies.ai stood out for sales teams, with its CRM integrations and AI-generated action items streamlining client call follow-ups.
• tl;dv was a game-changer for asynchronous teams, enabling quick access to timestamped highlights without watching entire meetings.
• Fathom emerged as the best free AI note-taker, offering unlimited recording and automated summaries with no premium cost.
• Key factors in choosing the right tool include transcription accuracy, integrations, security compliance, and pricing.
• Advanced features like AI-driven insights and call recording (found in Krisp and Fireflies.ai) add significant value for tracking meetings effectively.
• For security-conscious users, GDPR, HIPAA compliance, and encryption should be a top priority when selecting an AI note-taker.
• The best tool depends on your workflow, whether you need it for team collaboration, client interactions, or personal productivity.

 

1. Krisp AI Meeting Assistant – Overall Best AI Meeting Note Taker

Krisp is an advanced AI meeting assistant that improves productivity by providing real-time transcription, automatic summaries, AI-powered noise cancellation, call recording, and AI chat within meeting notes. This new feature allow users to revisit full conversations and interact with AI-powered insights directly inside their meeting notes.

 

 

 

Using Krisp in our own meetings, we have been enjoying cooperation without distractions and with more efficient workflows. Let’s go over the Krisp benefits that our team highlighted.  

• Noise-free discussions: The AI-powered noise cancellation ensures clear communication, even when team members are working from coffee shops or shared spaces.
• Automatic meeting notes: The real-time transcription captures every conversation accurately, preventing key ideas from getting lost.
• Call recordings for reference: After the meeting, team members can go back and listen to specific discussions instead of relying on incomplete personal notes.
• AI-powered chat for instant insights: The built-in AI chat allows them to ask questions within the meeting notes, such as “What was the deadline for the new campaign?”, and get an instant response based on the transcript.

 

 

This workflow saves time, reduces miscommunication, and ensures follow-ups are handled efficiently, making Krisp a valuable tool for teams managing multiple projects.

 

2. Otter.ai – Best for Teams Collaborating on Meeting Notes

Otter.ai provides live transcription and automated summaries, making it easy for teams to capture and share meeting notes. It integrates with Google Calendar and Zoom, ensuring that every discussion is documented for later review.

 

 

To test Otter.ai, we used it during our weekly stand-up meetings to track feature updates, bug fixes, and project progress. Our goal was to see how well it could streamline our note-taking and collaboration. Here’s what we found:

• Live collaboration: They edit and comment on the notes together to refine details.
• Automated summaries: The AI highlights key discussion points, reducing the need for manual summaries.
• Easy searchability: The team can find past discussions instantly by searching for keywords.

3. Fireflies.ai – Ideal for Sales and Customer-Facing Teams

 

Fireflies.ai is an AI-powered meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and organizes conversations. It is especially useful for sales teams, offering built-in integrations with CRM tools to track client interactions and streamline follow-ups.

 

 

 

To test Fireflies.ai, we used it during client calls to see how well it could capture key details and streamline follow-ups. Since sales teams often rely on accurate documentation and quick access to action items, we wanted to assess how effectively Fireflies.ai could support these needs. Here’s what we found:

 

• Seamless CRM integration – Meeting notes and action items were automatically synced to Salesforce, making it easier to track client interactions without manual data entry.
• Call recordings for detailed reviews – Sales reps could revisit past meetings to refine their approach and ensure no important details were missed.
• AI-generated action items – Instead of listening to full conversations, sales managers could quickly scan key takeaways and next steps, improving decision-making and follow-ups.

 

We found that Fireflies.ai is a strong choice for sales teams managing multiple client meetings, offering a time-saving, AI-driven approach to capturing and organizing sales calls.

 

4. tl;dv – Great for Async Teams and Meeting Highlights

tl;dv is designed for teams that work across different time zones and prefer to review only the most relevant parts of meetings. It provides AI-generated transcripts with timestamped highlights, allowing users to skip to key moments instead of watching entire recordings.

 

 

To test tl;dv, we used it during our global team meetings, where members across different time zones couldn’t always join live. Our goal was to see how well it could help asynchronous collaboration and make meetings more accessible for those who couldn’t attend. Here’s what we found:

• Automated transcripts with key highlights – tl;dv automatically generated meeting transcripts and highlighted key moments, making it easy to review important discussions without watching the full recording.
• Tagging team members in relevant moments – Instead of asking everyone to sit through the entire meeting playback, we could tag specific team members in key sections, directing them straight to the parts that mattered most.

From our experiment, we found that tl;dv is a good solution for async teams, allowing members to stay informed without disrupting their schedules, making meetings more efficient and accessible.

5. Fathom – Best Free AI Meeting Summary Tool

Fathom is a free AI-powered meeting assistant that automatically records and summarizes key takeaways. With its simple interface and compatibility with major video conferencing platforms, it is an excellent choice for individuals and small teams.

 

 

 

One of our colleagues, who works as a freelancer managing multiple client projects, tested Fathom to see how well it could handle meeting notes without the need for a premium subscription. Here’s what he found:

 

• Automatic summaries of client calls – Fathom eliminated the need for manual note-taking by generating clear, structured summaries after each meeting.
• Searchable transcripts for quick reference – Instead of scrolling through long recordings, they could instantly find key project details by searching for specific keywords.
• Free unlimited recordings – Unlike many AI note-taking tools with storage limits, Fathom allowed them to record and revisit as many meetings as needed without worrying about running out of space.

 

From his experience, we found that Fathom is a reliable choice for freelancers who need reliable, AI-powered meeting notes without additional costs, helping them stay organized and focused on client work.

 

 

How to Choose the Best AI Note-Taker for Your Needs

When testing and comparing AI meeting note-takers for this article, we followed a set of key criteria to assess their effectiveness. Now, we’re sharing these tips to help you choose the best option for your workflow, just as we did during our hands-on experiments. Follow these steps to find the AI note-taker that fits your needs.

 

Step 1: Identify Your Primary Use Case

Start by defining what you need from an AI note-taking tool. Different tools are designed for different purposes.

Do you need real-time transcription?	Krisp, Otter.ai
Are you looking for CRM integration for sales calls?	Fireflies.ai
Do you work asynchronously and only need key highlights?	tl;dv
Are you an individual or freelancer who needs a free option?	Fathom, Krisp

Step 2: Compare Transcription Accuracy and Feature

 

Not all AI transcription tools provide the same accuracy or features. Consider: 

 

• Call recording – Review full meetings later (Krisp, Fireflies.ai)
• AI-powered summaries – Extract key points quickly (Krisp, Otter.ai)
• Noise cancellation – Ensure clear audio in any environment (Krisp)
• Speaker identification – Differentiate voices for better clarity (Fireflies.ai)
• Keyword tagging & search – Retrieve key details fast (Fireflies.ai)
• Multilingual support – Useful for global teams (Krisp)

 

If your meetings involve technical discussions or multiple speakers, Krisp and Fireflies.ai offer advanced AI-powered accuracy to improve note quality.

 

 

Step 3: Check Integration Capabilities

 

Your AI note-taker should fit into your existing workflow. Look for integrations with:

 

• Video conferencing apps – Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
• Project management tools – Notion, Trello, Asana
• Communication platforms – Slack, Microsoft Teams
• CRM software – HubSpot, Salesforce (useful for sales teams)

If team collaboration is a priority, Otter.ai (Google Calendar sync) or Fireflies.ai (CRM integration) might be the best fit.

 

Step 4: Evaluate Pricing and Free Plan Limitations

Many AI note-takers offer free plans, but they often come with restrictions like limited transcription hours or missing premium features. Compare pricing based on your usage:

Tool	Free Plan	Best For	Premium Features
Krisp	Yes	Remote teams	Noise cancellation, call recording, AI chat
Otter.ai	Yes	Team collaboration	More transcription hours, faster processing
Fireflies.ai	Yes	Sales teams	CRM integrations, advanced analytics
tl;dv	Yes	Async teams	More meeting highlights, faster exports
Fathom	Fully Free	Individuals & freelancers	No paid features, but fewer integrations

Step 5: Consider Security and Compliance

 

If your meetings involve sensitive information, make sure your AI note-taker meets security and compliance standards. Look for:

 

• End-to-end encryption – Protects your meeting recordings
• GDPR & HIPAA compliance – Ensures privacy for regulated industries
• On-premise or cloud storage options – Keeps meeting data secure

 

For enterprise-level security, Krisp and Fireflies.ai provide strong encryption and compliance measures.

 

Step 6: Test & Choose the Best Fit for Your Workflow

 

The best way to find the right AI note-taker is to test it out.

 

• Start with a free trial to explore features
• Compare accuracy and ease of use across different tools
• See how well it integrates with your existing platforms
• Upgrade to a premium plan if advanced features are needed

 

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