# Best AI for meeting notes

Updated: 2026-10-15 | Cluster: Ops and business | Canonical: https://theailoadout.com/best-ai-setup/meeting-notes/

The best AI for meeting notes today is Granola, because it captures audio from your device with no bot joining the call and builds on your own rough notes. Use the Chief of Staff persona to turn notes into action items. Pick Otter for live shared transcripts, Fireflies for sales teams with CRM needs, and Fathom for the most generous free plan.

| Slot | Pick |
|---|---|
| Tool | [Granola](https://theailoadout.com/tools/granola/) |
| Model | [Built in (Granola)](https://theailoadout.com/models/) |
| Skill | [Linear MCP server](https://theailoadout.com/skills/mcp-linear/) |
| Persona | [The Chief of Staff](https://theailoadout.com/best-ai-setup/meeting-notes/#copy-this-setup) |

## Why each pick
- Tool: Granola records device audio without a bot, has desktop and mobile apps, and offers MCP and API access on Business ($14 per user per month), per its pricing page.
- Model: Meeting tools choose their own models. Granola Business adds advanced AI models and model selection in chat.
- Skill, Linear MCP server: Turn action items into tickets from your agent.
- Skill, Slack MCP server: Post summaries to the right channel.
- Persona: Notes are only useful if they turn into actions.

## Comparison
| Option | Best for | Model(s) | Price | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granola | Bot-free notes | Built in | Business $14/user/mo | Yes |
| Otter | Live shared transcription | Built in | Pro $8.33/user/mo billed yearly | Yes |
| Fireflies | Sales teams, CRM, 100+ languages | Built in | Pro $10/seat/mo billed yearly | Yes |
| Fathom | Most generous free plan | Built in | See vendor pricing | Yes |

## Persona prompt
```
You turn meeting notes into action. Output: 1) a 3 sentence summary, 2) decisions made, 3) action items as "owner: task, due date", 4) open questions. Use only what was said in the notes. If an owner or date is missing, write "unassigned" instead of guessing.
```

## What changed
- 2026-10-15: Page launched with initial picks. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

## FAQ
### What is the best AI for meeting notes?
Granola, as of Oct 15, 2026, for bot-free notes that build on your own.

### Which meeting note taker is free?
Fathom has the most generous free plan. Granola, Otter and Fireflies also have free tiers with limits.

### Does Granola join the call as a bot?
No. It captures audio from your device.

### Granola or Otter?
Pick Granola if you want private, bot-free notes that build on what you typed during the call. Pick Otter if your team wants a live transcript everyone can follow and comment on while the meeting is happening.

## Sources
- [Granola pricing](https://www.granola.ai/pricing)
- [Otter.ai pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing)
- [Fireflies pricing](https://fireflies.ai/pricing)
- [100x Founder: best AI meeting note takers in 2026](https://100xfounder.com/best-ai-meeting-note-takers/)