Start with one question: are you happy for a bot to join your calls? If yes, the widest choice is open to you, including team recorders with CRM updates and coaching. If not, a smaller group of note takers works without a bot, and that's the group to test first.
Three calls back to back, a client on Zoom, an internal stand-up on Teams and an in-person chat in the kitchen, and you need notes from all of them by lunch. That's the job Bluedot sets out to do, recording and summarising meetings without a bot and syncing notes into the tools you already use. If you're looking for something else, the eight note takers below are listed in no particular order.
Eight meeting note tools side by side
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Fathom | AI meeting notetaker | Zoom, Meet and Teams calls with CRM updates |
| Grain | Notetaker with coaching insights | Growing teams wanting summaries plus coaching suggestions |
| Granola | Bot-free AI notepad | Back-to-back meetings without a bot joining |
| Jamie | Bot-free meeting intelligence | Teams wanting EU data hosting and no meeting bot |
| Krisp | Voice AI with a note taker | Note taking alongside voice and accent tools |
| Read AI | Cross-platform meeting notetaker | Notes across meeting apps, chat assistants and mobile |
| Tactiq | Live transcription and summaries | Real-time transcripts with action items after the call |
| tl;dv | Team meeting recorder | Shared meeting notes for collaborating teams |
Bot on the call or no bot at all
This is the split that matters most, and it's easy to miss when every homepage promises perfect notes. Some tools send a visible participant into your meeting to record it. Others capture audio from your own device, so nobody else sees anything join the call.
Granola and Jamie both say they work without a meeting bot, which is closest to how Bluedot describes itself. Tactiq captures notes live during the call, and Krisp comes at notes from the voice side. Fathom, tl;dv, Grain and Read AI are built around recording and sharing calls across a team, with extras such as CRM updates, coaching suggestions or working inside chat assistants.
A bot isn't a bad thing. Teams who share recordings and want everyone to see the call is being captured often prefer it. But if you meet with clients who are wary of recorders, or you work in a regulated field, a bot-free tool removes an awkward moment at the start of every call.
Two more things to check in any replacement: where the recordings and transcripts are stored, and how accurate the notes are on your own calls, with your accents, your jargon and your client names. Tools in this category split by who they're built for and how much you set up yourself, so run the same real meeting through each before you decide.
Each note taker, alphabetically
A to Z and in no particular order. Each description reflects how the vendor presents its own tool.
Fathom
Best for: Individuals and teams on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams who want calls captured and summarised, with CRM updates for teams; the vendor names a free plan.
Grain
Best for: Growing customer-facing teams that want meeting summaries along with account insights and coaching suggestions, in what the vendor calls an easy product.
Granola
Best for: People in back-to-back meetings who'd rather no bot joins the call; the vendor describes a notepad that keeps notes, actions and memory.
Jamie
Best for: European teams with privacy questions: the vendor says there's no bot on the call, data is hosted in the EU, and it cites GDPR and ISO certification.
Krisp
Best for: Anyone whose calls also need voice clean-up, since the vendor pairs an AI note taker with accent and call centre voice tools.
Read AI
Best for: Workers who switch between Teams, Meet, Zoom, desktop and mobile; the vendor says it works wherever you do, including inside AI assistants.
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Tactiq
Best for: Note takers who want the transcript building live during the call and a summary with action items ready the moment it ends, per the vendor.
tl;dv
Best for: Collaborating teams on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams that want recordings, transcripts and summaries shared automatically; the vendor names a free plan.
Advice before you trust an AI summary
Read the first ten summaries all the way through before you let anyone rely on them. AI notes are usually good at the gist and weaker on names, numbers and who agreed to do what. If a summary misses an action item from a client call, that's the one that'll come back to bite you.
Pick two tools, one with a bot and one without, record the same week of meetings with both and compare. Recording rules vary by country and state, and some require everyone on the call to agree, so check with your regulator and tell participants when you're recording. For more choices, see my roundup of the best AI note takers and my comparison of transcription tools for meetings and podcasts.
Privacy questions to put to every vendor
- Where are recordings and transcripts stored, and can you choose the region?
- Is your meeting data used to train AI models, and can you switch that off?
- Who on your team can see other people's recordings by default?
- How long are recordings kept, and can you delete them in bulk?
- What happens to your notes and recordings if you cancel?
Do you make AI meeting note software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a bot-free meeting note taker mean?
It records audio from your own device instead of sending a participant into the call. Other attendees don't see a recorder join, so you should still tell them you're taking notes.
Can AI note takers record in-person meetings?
Some can, using your phone or laptop microphone. Check each vendor's apps before you switch if face-to-face meetings are a big part of your week.
How accurate are AI meeting summaries?
They're usually good on the main points and less reliable on names, numbers and action items. Read summaries carefully until you trust a tool with your own calls.
Do I need consent to record a meeting?
Often, yes. Recording rules vary by country and state, and some require everyone's agreement. Check with your regulator and tell people when you're recording.
Can meeting notes sync to my CRM?
Several tools offer CRM updates or integrations. Test with a real call to see which fields get filled in and whether you'd still need to tidy them up.
