Why Use Free Transcription Tools?
Free meeting transcription tools have become surprisingly powerful in 2025. Whether you're a student, freelancer, startup founder, or professional looking to test AI meeting assistants before committing to paid plans, these free options provide genuine value without requiring a credit card.
Most free transcription software now includes features that were premium-only a few years ago: real-time transcription, speaker identification, AI-generated summaries, and integrations with popular video conferencing platforms. The key is understanding each tool's limitations and choosing the one that best fits your meeting volume and workflow.
What to Expect from Free Plans:
Included in Most Free Plans
- • Real-time meeting transcription
- • Basic AI-generated summaries
- • Zoom, Meet, Teams integrations
- • Speaker identification
- • Basic search functionality
Typically Limited or Paid-Only
- • Monthly transcription minutes
- • Storage and archive duration
- • Advanced CRM integrations
- • Custom vocabulary and templates
- • Team collaboration features
Top Free Meeting Transcription Tools
1. Fathom - Best 100% Free Option
FREE FOREVERFathom stands out as the truly free option with no time limits on recordings. It instantly generates meeting notes, timestamps, and highlight reels for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams users without any monthly caps.
Free Features:
- • Unlimited meeting recordings
- • AI meeting notes and summaries
- • Highlight reels for key moments
- • Export to Notion or Google Docs
- • Team sharing capabilities
- • 7 language support only
- • Limited advanced features
- • Basic integrations
Best for: Individuals and small teams wanting powerful free transcription without limits.
2. MeetGeek - Best for Uploads
5 HRS/MONTHMeetGeek automatically transcribes, records, and prepares AI meeting notes from online meetings and uploaded video or audio files. Their free plan includes 5 hours for live meetings and 3 hours for uploads.
Free Features:
- • 5 hours/month live meeting transcription
- • 3 hours/month uploaded recording transcription
- • 60+ language support
- • 3 months transcript storage
- • AI-generated summaries
- • 1 month audio storage only
- • Limited monthly minutes
- • Basic integrations on free tier
Best for: Users who need to transcribe both live meetings and uploaded recordings.
3. Notta - Best for Multilingual
120 MIN/MONTHNotta offers 120 minutes of free AI meeting transcription per month with exceptional 98.86% accuracy and support for 58 different languages. It takes approximately 5 minutes to transcribe an hour-long recording.
Free Features:
- • 120 minutes/month transcription
- • 58 language support
- • 98.86% accuracy under optimal conditions
- • Real-time transcription
- • AI summaries
- • Limited monthly minutes
- • Basic export options
- • Limited integrations on free tier
Best for: International teams needing multilingual transcription with high accuracy.
4. Tactiq - Best Bot-Free Option
10 FREE MEETINGSTactiq offers your first 10 meeting transcriptions for free with a simple, bot-free experience. It starts automatically at your meeting's beginning, transcribing in real-time with speaker identification in 30+ languages.
Free Features:
- • 10 free meeting transcriptions
- • No meeting bot required
- • 30+ language support
- • Real-time transcript viewing
- • Speaker identification
- • Only 10 free transcriptions total
- • Limited storage on free plan
- • Basic features only
Best for: Users who want to try transcription without a meeting bot joining their calls.
5. Jamie - Best Privacy-Focused
UNLIMITED TRANSCRIPTIONJamie transcribes your computer's audio directly without meeting bots joining your calls. Available for MacOS and Windows, all plans include unlimited transcription even on the free tier.
Free Features:
- • Unlimited transcription
- • No meeting bots
- • Privacy-focused approach
- • MacOS and Windows support
- • AI summaries
- • Desktop app required
- • Limited languages on free tier
- • Basic export options
Best for: Privacy-conscious users who don't want bots joining their meetings.
6. Otter.ai - Most Popular Free Tier
300 MIN/MONTHOtter.ai is one of the most recognized names in meeting transcription, offering 300 minutes per month on their free Basic plan with real-time transcription and up to 95% accuracy.
Free Features:
- • 300 minutes/month transcription
- • Real-time transcription
- • AI meeting summaries
- • Zoom, Meet, Teams integrations
- • Mobile app access
- • 30 minutes max per conversation
- • Only 3 lifetime file uploads
- • English-focused
- • No team collaboration on free tier
Best for: Users who need reliable transcription for short, frequent meetings.
Free Plan Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Minutes | Languages | Meeting Bot | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom | Unlimited | 7 | Yes | Unlimited free usage |
| MeetGeek | 5 hrs/month | 60+ | Yes | Upload support |
| Notta | 120 min/month | 58 | Yes | Multilingual |
| Tactiq | 10 meetings | 30+ | No | Bot-free trial |
| Jamie | Unlimited | 15+ | No | Privacy-first |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/month | English | Yes | Short meetings |
How to Choose the Right Free Tool
Selecting the best free meeting transcription tool depends on your specific needs. Consider these factors when making your decision:
Choose Fathom if:
- • You need unlimited free transcription
- • You primarily use Zoom, Meet, or Teams
- • You want free AI summaries and highlights
- • You work mainly in English
Choose Notta if:
- • You need multiple language support
- • High accuracy is essential
- • You have moderate meeting volume
- • You work with international teams
Choose MeetGeek if:
- • You need to upload existing recordings
- • You want generous free minutes
- • You need 60+ language support
- • AI meeting notes are a priority
Choose Jamie if:
- • You don't want bots joining meetings
- • Privacy is a top concern
- • You prefer desktop apps
- • You want unlimited transcription
When to Upgrade to Paid
Free plans are excellent for testing and light usage, but you should consider upgrading when:
Signs You Need a Paid Plan:
- • You consistently hit monthly minute limits
- • Your meetings regularly exceed 30-60 minutes
- • You need team collaboration features
- • You require CRM or project management integrations
- • You need longer transcript storage
- • Custom vocabulary or templates are essential
Most paid plans range from $7-30 per user per month, depending on features and transcription limits. Enterprise plans with compliance features (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR) typically require custom pricing.
