The best AI notetakers to use in 2025

What are AI notetakers?

AI notetakers use artificial intelligence to automatically transcribe and summarize meetings, interviews, or conversations in real-time. These tools capture key points, action items, and decisions, freeing participants to focus on the discussion rather than taking notes manually. They typically integrate with video conferencing platforms and offer searchable transcripts, highlighted summaries, and sometimes even sentiment analysis.

Top 10 best AI meeting assistants

All-in-one

1. Spark

Second Brain

1. Otter
2. Notion
3. Granola
4. Sana
5. Thunai

Data-first

1. Avoma
2. Tana

Follow-ups

1. Krisp
2. Jamie
3. Fellow
4. Fireflies

Integration with third parties

1. Fathom
2. tl;dv
3. Grain
4. Equal Time

Hardware + software

1. Limitless

Choosing the Right AI Notetaker

AI notetakers (a.k.a. AI meeting assistants) are no longer a nice-to-have—they’re essential for anyone bouncing between meetings.

But not all are created equal. The right one depends on your workflow, platforms, and priorities. Here’s a clear framework for picking yours.

Why trust me?

I’ve been building AI products since 2020. We’re not the best fit for everyone, and I’ll be upfront about where others shine.

1. Bot vs. Bot-Free

Bot approach → The AI joins as a visible meeting participant. It’s transparent and compliant.

Bot-free → The AI listens in silently via your audio stream (like Krisp.ai). Less visible, but risky without explicit consent—especially in professional settings.

💡 Most large providers stick with bots for legal clarity.

2. Single-Platform or Multi-Platform

• Single-platform (Zoom AI Companion, MS Copilot): Works if all your calls live in one ecosystem.
• Multi-platform (Fathom, Otter): Essential if you bounce between Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.

Quick check: Were all your meetings last month on the same platform? If not, you need cross-platform.

3. Speed of Output

• 10–45 min delay: Fine if you review at day’s end (Zoom, Gong).
• Instant/near-instant: Crucial if you act right after a call (Otter in real-time, Fathom in 30 seconds).

4. Clip-Sharing

Sometimes the how matters as much as the what. Clips capture tone and nuance lost in transcripts.

• Basic: Copy/share clips individually.
• Advanced: Group clips into folders or playlists (Gong, Fathom).

5. Source Validation

AI summaries save time—but without links back to the original audio, you can’t fact-check hallucinations.

• Non-negotiable: Clickable timestamps back to the exact moment in the meeting (currently unique to Fathom).

6. CRM Integrations

If you’re in sales or CS, direct CRM logging is a game-changer.

• Examples: Chorus → Salesforce, HubSpot, Gainsight, MS Dynamics.
• Advanced mapping: Fathom can push specific summary fields into matching CRM fields.

The Bottom Line

The best AI notetaker fits your platforms, keeps you compliant, delivers fast, verifiable notes, and plays nicely with your tools. Choose based on:

1. Bot vs. Bot-free
2. Platform coverage
3. Speed
4. Clip-sharing
5. Source validation
6. Integrations

Pick right, and your meetings go from recorded to actionable.