AI Meeting Notes in 2026: How to Choose the Best App for Your Meetings
Short answer: the best AI meeting notes app is the one that can hear your meetings. If they're mostly video calls and a bot in the participant list doesn't bother anyone, Otter, Fathom and Fireflies are mature, cross-platform and priced to match. If you want call notes without a bot, Granola records your computer's audio. If your important meetings happen in person, at a client's office, over lunch or on a walk, you need something in the room: a phone app, a recorder like Plaud, or Fluent, which records from your iPhone or a pendant you wear.
Most "best AI meeting notes" lists rank apps on transcription accuracy and summary quality. By 2026, nearly every serious app transcribes well and writes a decent summary. The differences that matter are how the app gets the audio, which meetings that leaves out, and what happens to your conversations afterwards.
Step 1: Where do your meetings happen?
Before comparing features, look at last week's calendar and count:
- Video calls (Zoom, Meet, Teams): an app can record them from inside the call (a bot) or from your computer (a desktop app).
- In-person meetings: 1:1s, client visits, interviews, lunches, conference conversations. A call bot can't attend these. Something in the room has to record them.
- Phone calls: few apps handle these. Plaud's recorder does; most others don't.
If almost everything is a video call, Step 2 is your main decision. If a lot of what matters happens in person, skip to Step 3.
Step 2: Bot or no bot
The oldest AI meeting notes apps work by sending a bot into your call. It joins as a participant, records the call, and sends notes afterwards. It works reliably across platforms, and it announces itself, which helps with consent.
The downside is the bot itself. Clients notice it, some companies block it, and a few people talk differently when a recorder sits in the participant list. That's why several apps now offer a bot-free option: a desktop app that records your computer's audio instead of joining the call. We wrote about this trade-off in AI meeting notes without a bot.
Step 3: In-person meetings need something in the room
For in-person meetings there are three approaches:
- A phone app: put your phone on the table and record. Otter, Fathom, Fireflies, Granola and Fluent all offer this. It's free if you already use the app, and fine for a scheduled meeting where you remember to start it.
- A dedicated recorder: Plaud sells card-sized recorders that also capture phone calls, and clip-on pins for in-person conversations. Good hardware, with Plaud's own app and subscription.
- A pendant: a small device you wear, paired with an app. Fluent works with Limitless and Omi pendants you already own, which suits conversations that don't start with a calendar invite.
The apps, side by side
Checked against each vendor's own pages on October 10, 2026; tl;dv's mobile app and prices and Fireflies' bot name re-checked October 14, 2026. Prices change; follow the links before you buy.
| App | How it captures | Bot in your calls | In-person meetings | Paid plans from | Trains AI on your data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter | Bot (OtterPilot) for Zoom, Meet, Teams; desktop app; phone apps | Yes, it auto-joins calendar calls; the desktop app records without one | Yes, phone app | $8.33/mo yearly, $16.99 monthly | Yes, de-identified; no opt-out found |
| Fathom | Bot for Zoom, Meet, Teams; desktop app; iOS app | Yes by default; on a Mac, the desktop app records without one | Yes, iOS app | $16/mo yearly, $20 monthly | May, de-identified; opt-out available |
| Fireflies | Bot (Fireflies Notetaker); desktop app; Chrome extension; phone apps | Yes, by invite or auto-join; the desktop app records without it | Yes, phone app | $10/seat/mo yearly, $18 monthly | No, per Fireflies |
| Granola | Your computer's audio on calls; phone apps in person | Never | Yes, phone apps | $14/user/mo (Business) | Yes, anonymized, unless you opt out |
| tl;dv | Bot for Zoom, Meet, Teams; desktop app | Yes; the desktop app records without one | Yes, iPhone app (tl;dv Mobile) | Free plan; Pro €29/mo, or €18/mo yearly (euros only) | No, per tl;dv |
| Plaud | Plaud recorders in person (card-sized ones also on phone calls); desktop app (beta) | Never | Yes, with a $159–189 recorder | $8.33/mo yearly, $17.99 monthly | Not by default; opt-in only |
| Fluent | Your iPhone, or a paired Limitless or Omi pendant | Never | Yes, what it's built for | $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr | Never |
Sources: Otter pricing, Fathom pricing, Fireflies pricing, Granola pricing, Plaud plans, tl;dv, tl;dv pricing, tl;dv Mobile, Fluent pricing. Each app's comparison page below lists the full set.
Which one fits
Otter if your meetings are mostly video calls and you need the widest platform coverage: web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and a Chrome extension. (Fluent vs Otter, Otter alternatives)
Fathom if your meetings are on Zoom, Meet or Teams and you want a free plan with unlimited recordings and transcripts. Fathom was acquired by Superhuman in September 2026, so check where the roadmap goes. (Fluent vs Fathom, Fathom alternatives)
Fireflies if you want bot or bot-free capture on calls, phone apps for in person, plus a clear statement that your data isn't used for training. (Fluent vs Fireflies, Fathom vs Fireflies)
Granola if you want call notes without a bot, on Mac or Windows, with phone apps for in-person meetings. (Fluent vs Granola)
tl;dv if the deliverable is video: clips of remote calls shared with people who weren't there. (Fluent vs tl;dv)
Plaud if you want dedicated hardware that also records phone calls, and you're happy in Plaud's app. (Fluent vs Plaud, Plaud vs Fireflies)
Fluent if your important conversations happen in person and you want more than notes from them. Fluent records from your iPhone, or through a Limitless or Omi pendant, with no bot and nothing joining a call. On a video call, it captures your side and anything audible from your speakers, not the call stream. It's iOS only for now. More on AI note taking for in-person meetings.
Beyond the notes
For most apps, the product is the notes from one meeting: a summary, action items and a searchable transcript. Fluent is built around what happens across meetings:
- People profiles keep what each person raised and committed to, citing the conversation it came from.
- Follow-ups keep what other people committed to you, linked to the conversation they said it in, and remind you when to check back.
- Goal coaching scores a conversation against goals you set, like asking better questions, using what you actually said.
How the apps compare on what they remember beyond a single meeting: AI conversation memory tools in 2026.
If you need a structure for the notes themselves, our meeting notes template works with any app, or none.
A note on consent
Whatever you choose, tell people you're recording. Some US states require everyone's consent, and many companies have their own rules. A bot discloses itself in the participant list; with a phone, recorder or pendant, you disclose it yourself. Our recording consent guide covers how professionals handle it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI meeting notes app in 2026?
It depends on where your meetings happen. For video calls where a bot in the participant list is fine, Otter, Fathom and Fireflies are mature and cover most platforms. For calls without a bot, Granola records your computer's audio. For in-person meetings, you need something in the room: a phone app, a recorder like Plaud, or Fluent, which records from your iPhone or a pendant you wear.
Do AI meeting notes apps join the call as a bot?
Otter, Fathom, Fireflies and tl;dv can join Zoom, Meet or Teams calls as a bot, and it appears in the participant list. All four also offer desktop apps that record without one. Granola, Plaud and Fluent don't send a bot into the call.
Can AI meeting notes work for in-person meetings?
Yes, but a call bot can't help. Otter, Fathom, Fireflies and Granola have phone apps that record in the room. Plaud sells dedicated recorders. Fluent records from your iPhone, or through a Limitless or Omi pendant you wear. tl;dv added an iPhone app for in-person meetings in October 2025.
Do AI meeting notes apps train on my conversations?
Policies differ. When we checked in October 2026, Otter said it trains on de-identified data, Granola trains on anonymized data unless you opt out, Fathom may train on de-identified data with an opt-out, Plaud only with opt-in, and Fireflies, tl;dv and Fluent say they don't. Read the current policy before you choose.
Is it legal to use AI meeting notes?
Usually, with disclosure. Recording laws vary: some US states require everyone's consent, and many companies have their own policy. A bot in the participant list discloses itself; with a phone, recorder or pendant, you tell people yourself.