Best AI meeting notes app (2026)
An AI meeting notetaker listens to the call and hands back notes, a summary, and action items so you can pay attention to the people instead of typing. The big split is how it listens: Granola runs on your device with no bot in the meeting, while Fathom records the call (with a bot, or bot-free capture in beta on Mac) so you can rewatch, clip, and share it. Whichever you use, tell people you're taking AI notes, and follow your company's and your local recording-consent rules.
Pick this if…
| Tool | Pick it if | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granola | …you're on back-to-back calls, don't want a bot joining, and want your rough notes turned into clean ones (Basic is $0 with 30 days of history, per granola.ai, Oct 22, 2026). | Free plan · paid tiers | Visit ↗ |
| Fathom | …you want the actual recording and transcript of every Zoom, Meet, or Teams call, plus shareable clips, free as an individual with unlimited recordings (per fathom.video, Oct 22, 2026). | Free for individuals · team plans | Visit ↗ |
Head to head
Fathom vs Granola: Pick Fathom if you want every call recorded and transcribed with instant summaries, clips you can share, and a free plan for individuals with unlimited recordings. Pick Granola if you'd rather nobody sees a recorder bot and you want your own notes enhanced by AI. Both have free plans.
FAQ
Granola for most people on lots of calls: no bot shows up, and it fills in your own notes. Pick Fathom if you need the recording itself, or want unlimited recordings and transcripts free as an individual.
Yes. Fathom is free forever for individuals with unlimited recordings and transcriptions, and Granola's Basic plan is $0 with 30 days of meeting history (both checked on their sites Oct 22, 2026). Team plans cost extra: Fathom Team from $15/user/month billed yearly, Granola Business $14/user/month.
Yes. Granola listens to your computer's audio with no bot in the meeting, and Fathom has a bot-free capture option in beta on Mac. Newer desktop apps like TwinMind (see New this week) also capture on-device.
Granola if you want notes, not footage, and a clean call with no recorder. Fathom if you want to rewatch, clip, and share the call. Our full head-to-head is on Fathom vs Granola.
Often, yes. Recording-consent laws vary by state and country, and many companies have their own rules. The safe habit is to say at the start that you're taking AI notes, and turn it off if anyone objects.
New this week
TwinMind for Desktop (Oct 21, 2026): TwinMind's note-taker is now a Mac and Windows app. It captures what you say and hear in meetings, lectures, and in-person conversations, transcribes and summarizes it, suggests tasks as you go, and lets you dictate into any app. Everything feeds a running "second brain" you can ask questions later. source ↗
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