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This comprehensive guide reviews the seven best AI meeting assistants for taking notes in 2025, helping you choose the right tool for automated transcription, intelligent summarization, and actionable meeting insights.

What Are AI Meeting Assistants?

AI meeting assistants are software tools that use artificial intelligence to automatically record, transcribe, and analyze meetings in real-time. They differ from traditional recording tools by applying natural language processing and machine learning to transform conversations into structured, actionable insights rather than simply capturing audio.

Core capabilities include:

• Real-time transcription with speaker identification
• Automated note-taking that extracts key points and decisions
• Action item extraction that identifies tasks and deadlines
• Intelligent summarization that distills hours of discussion into digestible insights
• Searchable archives that make historical meeting data instantly accessible

Why This Article Focuses on AI Note-Taking Capabilities

Many AI meeting tools offer transcription, but our analysis targets platforms that excel at transforming discussions into usable documentation. A transcript alone differs significantly from actionable notes that drive follow-up and accountability.

We evaluated each tool based on its ability to:

• Generate structured, scannable meeting summaries
• Automatically identify and format action items
• Extract decisions and key discussion points
• Create notes that teams actually use for follow-up
• Integrate insights into existing productivity workflows

The best AI meeting assistants help ensure productive outcomes by making meeting insights immediately actionable.

If you're specifically looking for budget-friendly options, check out our comprehensive guide to the best free AI notetakers that offer forever-free plans.

Our Top Picks for Best AI Note-taking apps for meetings

Best AI Meeting Assistants for Taking Notes in 2025: In-depth Review

1. Char: Best for Privacy-First Local AI Processing

Char processes everything on your device without sending data to the cloud, making it the only true local-first AI meeting assistant.

This privacy-first approach suits organizations handling sensitive information or operating under strict compliance requirements.

About Char's AI notetaker:

Char has an Apple Notes-like interface with powerful AI running locally in the background. When you launch a meeting, the AI assistant transcribes speech in real-time without any bots joining your call. After the meeting ends, it presents a structured summary with key decisions, action items, and discussion themes automatically extracted.

The AI can work completely hands-off, generating organized notes without input. You can also collaborate by jotting down key points, and the AI will expand your rough notes with context you might have missed while actively participating.

Other notable features:

• Customizable templates for therapy sessions, legal meetings, job interviews, coffee chats, and more
• Flexible AI model options—use local models or connect to OpenAI, Google Gemini, or OpenRouter
• Conversational search functionality to query meeting history naturally
• Chat functionality to ask questions about your meeting history and get instant answers (Pro plan)

Pros:

• Unlimited AI summaries on the free plan
• Conversations stay on your device for complete confidentiality
• No internet dependency for core transcription and summarization
• Compatible with any video conferencing tool and in-person meetings

Cons:

• Currently macOS only (Windows/Linux versions coming soon)
• No video recording, only transcripts and summaries
• No mobile app available

Pricing:

Char offers a free forever plan with unlimited AI summaries, conversational search, and core features. The Pro plan ($20/month) includes advanced search, chat functionality, and unlimited storage. An Enterprise plan provides on-premises deployment, SSO, custom branding, and admin controls.

2. Granola AI: Best for Active Note-Takers Who Want AI Enhancement

Granola is an AI-powered notepad for people who prefer taking their own notes but want intelligent assistance to make them comprehensive.

About Granola's note-taking capabilities:

Granola captures audio directly from your device like Char, offering a familiar notepad interface, custom templates, and intelligent note enhancement. However, it sends data to the cloud for AI processing, which can create privacy concerns for organizations with strict compliance requirements.

Other notable features:

• Post-meeting task assistance including drafting follow-up emails, extracting action items, and answering specific questions about discussions
• Chat functionality to query your meeting history and get instant answers
• Custom templates for different meeting types
• Intelligent note enhancement that expands rough notes with context
• Quick note generation with structured summaries almost immediately after meetings

Pros:

• Familiar notepad interface similar to Apple Notes
• Works across all video conferencing platforms by capturing device audio
• Quick note generation ready almost immediately after meetings
• Chat functionality available in the free plan
• Bot-free meeting experience with no disruptions

Check out other bot-free meeting assistants.

Cons:

• Requires active note-taking during meetings to be most effective
• Search functionality issues reported by users
• No video recording, only transcripts and summaries
• No permanent free tier after the 25-meeting trial

Pricing:

Granola offers a free trial with up to 25 meetings. After the trial, paid plans start at $18 per month.

Also check: Best Granola AI Alternatives

3. Otter: Best for teams that want "set it and forget it" automation

Otter is a cloud-based AI meeting assistant that automatically joins your video calls to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations.

About Otter.ai's note-taking capabilities:

Unlike Char and Granola's bot-free approach, Otter.ai sends an AI assistant (OtterPilot) that automatically joins your Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings to capture everything. When meetings end, Otter condenses hour-long discussions into 30-second summaries and automatically emails participants with structured notes.

Other notable features include:

• Otter AI Chat for asking questions about meeting content and generating contextual emails or project updates
• Screenshot capture when screens are shared during calls
• Mobile apps for recording in-person meetings and lectures
• File import capability for transcribing pre-recorded audio and video
• OtterPilot for Sales with specialized CRM integration for sales teams

Privacy-conscious users should be aware of documented concerns with Otter. The platform automatically sends meeting recaps to all attendees and invites them to sign up, causing account proliferation. One enterprise discovered 800 new account signups within 90 days without IT approval, creating compliance issues.

Pros:

• Real-time transcription allows following along live during meetings
• Comprehensive mobile apps for iOS and Android for in-person meeting recording
• Extensive integration ecosystem with CRM and productivity tools
• Supports importing and transcribing pre-recorded audio and video
• Strong speaker identification that improves over time

Cons:

• Significant privacy concerns with automatic meeting joining and cloud data processing
• Limited monthly transcription minutes even on paid plans
• Only supports English language transcription (UK and USA variants)
• No video recording—audio transcription and screenshots only

Pricing:

Otter.ai offers a free plan with 300 monthly transcription minutes and 30 minutes per conversation. Paid plans start at $16.99 per user per month.

Also check: Top Otter AI's Alternatives

4. Fireflies: Best for Conversation Analytics and Team Insights

Fireflies is a comprehensive AI meeting assistant that offers deep conversation analytics and team collaboration features beyond basic transcription. With over 16 million users and a recent $1 billion valuation, it positions itself as an enterprise-grade solution.

About Fireflies.ai's note-taking capabilities:

Its AI assistant "Fred" automatically joins your meetings and creates detailed transcripts, then generates structured summaries with action items and decisions automatically extracted. Fireflies excels in conversation analytics by tracking speaker talk time, monitoring sentiment, identifying key topics, and providing team performance insights.

Other notable features:

• Ask Fred AI assistant for querying meeting content and generating follow-up emails
• Soundbites feature for creating shareable audio clips from key moments
• 200+ specialized AI apps for sales, HR, product management, and other departments
• Advanced search and filtering across meeting transcripts
• Team collaboration with comments, bookmarks, and private channels

Pros:

• Provides team insights that help optimize meeting effectiveness
• Excellent for building searchable knowledge bases from discussions
• Strong reliability with consistent performance across platforms
• Enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance (Enterprise plans only)

Cons:

• Can feel overwhelming for users who just need basic notes
• Meeting bot presence may feel intrusive and occasionally joins meetings late
• Free plan limitations require upgrading for advanced AI features
• Privacy concerns as all data is processed and stored in the cloud

Pricing:

Fireflies offers a free forever plan with unlimited transcription and basic AI summaries. Paid plans range from $10–$19 per user per month. Enterprise pricing is custom and includes HIPAA compliance, SSO, private storage, and dedicated support.

Also check: Top Fireflies AI Alternatives

5. Krisp: Best for Audio Quality Plus AI Note-Taking

Krisp is primarily an AI-powered noise cancellation tool that has expanded into meeting note-taking, making it unique among AI assistants.

About Krisp's note-taking capabilities:

Krisp approaches note-taking as an add-on to its noise cancellation technology. The AI works silently in the background, processing your device's audio without sending bots to meetings. When you toggle the Note Taker feature on, Krisp transcribes conversations in real-time and generates summaries with action items when meetings end.

Other notable features:

• Local device processing without cloud dependency for core features
• AI chat functionality within meeting notes for interactive follow-ups
• Accent localization technology that adapts speech for better understanding
• Mobile app with offline recording capabilities for in-person meetings
• Integration with productivity tools and CRMs

Pros:

• Processes audio locally on device for better privacy than cloud-based solutions
• Universal compatibility with any conferencing platform
• Excellent for remote workers in noisy environments
• Free plan includes core transcription and summarization

Cons:

• Note-taking features are less advanced than dedicated meeting assistants
• Limited conversation analytics and team collaboration features
• Storage limitations on paid plans
• App stability issues with crashes and recording interruptions

Pricing:

Krisp offers a free plan with basic noise cancellation and AI note-taking. Paid plans start at $16 per user per month, with business and enterprise plans available at custom pricing.

6. Jamie AI: Granola's Bot-free Meeting Assistant Alternative

Jamie AI is a bot-free meeting assistant built with European privacy standards and GDPR compliance, offering a more privacy-focused alternative to cloud-based solutions.

About Jamie AI's note-taking capabilities:

Jamie AI captures audio directly from your device without sending bots to meetings. The AI processes conversations after meetings end using GPT-4, Claude 3.5, and its proprietary Jamie-M model to generate detailed summaries with topic detection that organizes notes into clear chapters. Unlike other cloud assistants, Jamie deletes audio files immediately after processing, and all data is hosted in Germany under GDPR protection.

Notable features:

• Executive Assistant sidebar for querying meeting history and brainstorming with AI
• Offline functionality for in-person meetings without internet
• Automatic speaker recognition that learns participants over time
• Meeting reminders to ensure you never forget to start recording
• 20+ language support with semantic search

Pros:

• AI assistant provides instant access to past meeting insights
• Universal platform compatibility without plugins or extensions
• Free plan includes all premium features with generous usage limits
• Excellent accessibility features for users with disabilities

Cons:

• No real-time transcription (summaries generated 5–10 minutes after calls end)
• No mobile app, limiting on-the-go recording
• No video recording due to privacy-first design
• Setup can be challenging for Mac users
• Smaller integration ecosystem than established competitors

Pricing:

Jamie AI offers a generous free plan with all premium features and reasonable usage limits. Paid plans provide extended meeting length support, higher usage quotas, and enterprise features. Contact their team for specific pricing and custom arrangements.

7. Avoma: Best for Sales Teams and Revenue Intelligence

Avoma is an AI meeting assistant for sales and customer success teams, offering deal intelligence, competitor tracking, and sales methodology scoring that goes beyond basic note-taking.

About Avoma's AI note-taking capabilities:

Avoma's AI automatically records, transcribes, and analyzes meetings while organizing discussions into "Smart Chapters" that break down conversations by topic. These chapters identify key themes like business needs, pain points, and competitor mentions with timestamps, allowing you to jump directly to specific segments.

Other notable features:

• Custom note templates for different meeting types with automatic CRM field updates for MEDDIC and SPICED methodologies
• Collaborative note editor for multiple team members to work in real-time, drop comments, tag members, and mark action items
• Advanced conversation analytics including filler word tracking, talk-to-listen ratios, and competitive intelligence
• AI Copilot that provides answers about meetings and generates follow-up emails
• Searchable knowledge base with global transcription search across all meetings

Pros:

• Comprehensive platform including scheduling, lead routing, and conversation intelligence
• Free viewer seats allow unlimited team members to access meeting insights without paying

Cons:

• Steep learning curve due to extensive features
• Advanced features primarily designed for sales teams
• Limited support for non-English speaking users

Pricing:

Avoma's AI Meeting Assistant starts at $19 per user per month (billed annually) with a 14-day free trial.

Choose a Secure, Local-First AI Meeting Assistant

Every AI meeting assistant on this list delivers on the core promise—instant transcription and intelligent summaries that save time and improve meeting productivity. Whether you choose Otter, Fireflies, or Avoma, you'll get quality AI-powered notes.

The real decision comes down to where your data goes after the meeting ends. Most tools require sending conversations to third-party servers. That's acceptable for many teams, but it creates vendor dependency, compliance complexity, and puts your meeting data outside your control.

Char operates differently. Everything happens on your device with no data leaving your machine. While cloud competitors burn through massive server farms, Char's custom HyperLLM-V1 model delivers superior summarization in just 1.1GB—45% more efficient than alternatives while matching their quality.

You get real-time transcription that works in airplane mode, universal platform support without bots, and intelligent note enhancement that happens instantly. You maintain complete control over your organization's conversational data.

The platform is free with unlimited AI summaries, fully open source for complete transparency, and the team is actively developing new features.

Download Char for MacOS now and discover meeting intelligence that doesn't compromise between performance and privacy.