Tired of frantically scribbling notes during important meetings while missing half the conversation? AI meeting assistants have revolutionized how we capture, organize, and act on meeting discussions. But with dozens of options available, choosing the right AI notetaker can feel overwhelming. I tested the top AI meeting tools to help you find the perfect fit for your team.
The Top AI Meeting Assistants Compared
Otter.ai - The Popular Choice
Strengths:
- Excellent accuracy for clear English speech
- Real-time transcription with live editing
- Strong integration with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
- Collaborative features for team editing
- Free plan with 600 minutes per month
Weaknesses:
- Struggles with accented speech
- Limited action item extraction
- Basic meeting analytics
- Can be slow to process longer recordings
Best for: Teams with clear speakers who need collaborative note editing
Fireflies.ai - The Feature-Rich Option
Strengths:
- Advanced conversation analytics and insights
- Excellent action item and follow-up extraction
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Speaker sentiment analysis
- Custom topic tracking and keywords
Weaknesses:
- More expensive than basic options
- Steeper learning curve
- Can feel overwhelming for simple note-taking needs
- Free plan limited to 800 minutes per month
Best for: Sales teams and businesses needing detailed conversation analytics
Fathom - The User-Friendly Pick
Strengths:
- Simple, clean interface that's easy to use
- Fast processing and highlight creation
- Good balance of features without complexity
- Solid free plan for small teams
- Excellent video meeting integration
Weaknesses:
- Limited advanced analytics
- Fewer third-party integrations
- Basic conversation intelligence features
- No phone call recording
Best for: Small to medium teams wanting simplicity over advanced features
Read.ai - The Analytics Powerhouse
Strengths:
- Comprehensive meeting analytics and coaching
- Real-time feedback on speaking patterns
- Meeting performance scoring
- Integration with calendar and scheduling tools
- Focus on meeting improvement, not just transcription
Weaknesses:
- University partnerships ending (UW deactivation)
- Privacy concerns from some users
- Can be overwhelming for basic transcription needs
- Less focus on pure transcription accuracy
Best for: Professionals wanting to improve their meeting skills and communication
Feature Comparison Breakdown
Transcription Accuracy
- Otter.ai: 85-95% for clear English, drops with accents
- Fireflies.ai: 80-90% consistent across different speakers
- Fathom: 85-90% good overall performance
- Read.ai: 80-85% focus more on insights than accuracy
- Rev.ai: 90-95% highest accuracy but more expensive
Real-Time Features
- Live transcription: Otter.ai (excellent), Fireflies.ai (good)
- Real-time editing: Otter.ai (best), Fathom (basic)
- Live highlights: Most tools support this
- Speaker identification: Fireflies.ai (excellent), Otter.ai (good)
Integration Capabilities
- Video platforms: All major tools support Zoom, Teams, Meet
- CRM systems: Fireflies.ai (extensive), Otter.ai (basic)
- Project management: Varies by tool and plan level
- Email automation: Fireflies.ai and Read.ai lead here
Pricing Comparison 2025
Free Plans
- Otter.ai: 600 minutes/month, 3 lifetime imports
- Fireflies.ai: 800 minutes/month, 8 seats
- Fathom: Unlimited for small teams
- Read.ai: Free tier available with limitations
- Sembly.ai: 40 hours/month free
Paid Plans (Per User/Month)
- Otter.ai Pro: $10 (6,000 minutes, advanced features)
- Fireflies.ai Pro: $10 (8,000 minutes, basic analytics)
- Fathom Pro: $19 (unlimited transcription, team features)
- Read.ai Premium: $15 (advanced analytics and coaching)
- Rev.ai: $0.02-0.05 per minute (pay-as-you-go)
Use Case Recommendations
For Small Startups (Under 10 People)
Recommended: Fathom
- Free plan covers most needs
- Simple interface reduces training time
- Good enough transcription for most use cases
- Easy sharing and collaboration
For Sales Teams
Recommended: Fireflies.ai
- Excellent CRM integration
- Conversation analytics for coaching
- Action item and follow-up tracking
- Call sentiment analysis
For Academic/Research Teams
Recommended: Otter.ai