Which tool is best overall for transcribing meetings and generating notes?

Fireflies.ai is the strongest all-around pick here because it combines unlimited transcription with AI summaries, speaker recognition, 100+ language support, and workflow integrations.

Which option is best if I want a free tool?

Fathom is the clearest free option in this list. It offers unlimited free recording and transcription, plus instant AI summaries and action items.

Which tool is better for sales or client calls?

Avoma is the best fit for sales-oriented meetings because it adds smart topics like demo, pricing, and pain points, along with conversation intelligence and call scoring.

Can I use these tools without adding a meeting bot?

Yes, Granola is designed for bot-free transcription from your computer’s audio, which can be useful if you prefer not to invite a separate attendee to the meeting.

What should I prioritize if I mainly need meeting notes, not a transcript?

Prioritize tools with strong AI summaries and action items. Fireflies.ai, Fathom, and Granola all emphasize turning meeting audio or notes into organized outputs.

Transcribe Meetings and Generate Notes: Best Tools

Best overall

Fireflies.ai

Free (unlimited transcription); Pro from $10/seat/mo (annual) · 4.5/5

Fit

AI notetaker that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings in 100+ languages and pushes the output into CRMs and other business tools.

✓Unlimited transcription plus AI summaries makes it strong for recurring meetings where you need both a full record and concise notes.
✓Speaker recognition and 100+ language support help when meetings include multiple speakers or international participants.
✓CRM and app integrations like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack make it easy to push notes into the rest of your workflow.

Try the free plan on one recurring meeting and compare its summary quality with your current note-taking process.

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Best for serious use

Avoma

14-day free trial; Startup from $19/seat/mo (annual) · 4.5/5

Fit

Meeting platform that records and transcribes calls in 70+ languages with AI notes, smart topics, and conversation intelligence for sales teams.

✓Real-time transcription in 70+ languages supports professional teams that need accurate notes across different regions.
✓Smart topics such as demo, pricing, and pain points are especially useful for sales or client-facing calls.
✓Conversation intelligence and call scoring add a deeper layer of analysis beyond basic transcription and summaries.

⚠It is a paid product with a short trial, so it fits best if you already know you need advanced meeting intelligence.

Start the 14-day trial and evaluate whether the smart topics and call scoring match your team’s note standards.

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Strong alternative

Granola

Free (unlimited notes, 30-day retention); paid upgrades for older notes · 4.5/5

Fit

AI notepad that transcribes meetings from your computer's audio without joining as a bot, then turns your jots into organized notes.

✓Bot-free transcription from your computer’s audio is a good fit if you want notes without joining meetings as a separate attendee.
✓It turns your raw jots into organized summaries, which is useful if you prefer to type quick personal notes during calls.
✓Calendar integration and meeting detection reduce setup effort for back-to-back meetings.

⚠Works on macOS, so it is best only if your team uses that environment.

Use it in a few internal meetings and compare its organized summaries against a bot-based notetaker.

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Transcribe Meetings and Generate Notes: Best Tools

Fireflies.ai

Fathom

Avoma

Granola

How to choose

FAQ

Which tool is best overall for transcribing meetings and generating notes?

Which option is best if I want a free tool?

Which tool is better for sales or client calls?

Can I use these tools without adding a meeting bot?

What should I prioritize if I mainly need meeting notes, not a transcript?