These are the meeting-note tools in our dataset with a current, official-source free tier. “Best” depends on the limit you will hit first—minutes, AI notes, retention, uploads, or meeting length—not on an untested quality score.
For generous recording and transcription claims, compare Fathom and tl;dv first. For a defined monthly allowance, Otter, Read.ai, and Notta make their caps clearer. For live desktop notes rather than file import, Granola is a different workflow. Always confirm consent, retention, and whether the tool can handle your actual meeting length before inviting it into a real call.
This table only includes high-confidence rows from current public official pricing captures. Limits are abbreviated from the captured source; use the linked pricing page for the current full terms.
| Tool | Free-tier limit | Trial | Lowest captured paid plan | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies Verified 2026-08-15 | Unlimited transcription and AI summaries; 400 storage minutes/team and 20 AI credits. Includes transcription in 100+ languages, real-time notes, meeting search, AskFred, audio/video upload and transcription, desktop/mobile apps, Chrome extension, and API access. | No limited trial captured | $10 / seat / month Annual view captured at $10/seat/month; an explicitly selected Monthly view showed $18/seat/month. The page says save up to 44%. | View pricing |
| Otter Verified 2026-08-17 | 300 monthly transcription minutes, three lifetime audio/video file imports, live transcription, speaker identification, audio playback, multi-language support, mobile apps, AI Chat within/across meetings, AI meeting workflows, and Otter MCP server. | No limited trial captured | $8.33 / seat / month Annual tab explicitly captured: $8.33/user/month; page says save 51%. | View pricing |
| Fathom Verified 2026-08-23 | Unlimited recordings, transcriptions, storage, instant AI call summaries, clips, playlists, and search across calls. The published bot-free capture type is beta for Mac; the source does not establish cross-platform availability. | No limited trial captured | $15 / seat / month The captured public page showed Monthly and Annually controls, but did not establish the selected cadence for the team figure. | View pricing |
| tl;dv Verified 2026-08-18 | Unlimited video recordings, transcription in 30+ languages, email and calendar integrations, and mobile app. AI limits: notes for up to 10 meetings and up to 10 Ask AI queries; data retention up to 3 months; up to 5 uploads; 3-hour recording limit; 2 simultaneous meetings. | No limited trial captured | €18 / seat / month Annual view captured at €18/seat/month; an explicitly selected Monthly view captured €29/seat/month. The public page advertises up to 40% off annually. | View pricing |
| Read.ai Verified 2026-08-20 | 5 meeting transcripts, meeting reports, and meeting-assistant live notes/metrics per month; maximum meeting length 1 hour. Includes unlimited enterprise search, summaries, meeting coach, basic integrations, and Topic Readouts. | No limited trial captured | $15 / seat / month Annual view captured at $15/user/month with a -25% label; the explicitly selected Monthly view showed $19.75/user/month. | View pricing |
| Granola Verified 2026-08-20 | Basic includes AI meeting notes, limited meeting history, AI chat within and across meetings, shared folders, customized note templates, multi-language support, and the option to opt out of model training. | No limited trial captured | $14 / seat / month Billing context not captured | View pricing |
| Notta Verified 2026-08-20 | One account, 120 transcription minutes/month, three minutes per transcription, 50 file imports/month, and 10 AI summaries/month. | 3 days | No paid entry price captured Billing context not captured | View pricing |
A price plan alone does not tell you whether your first test should be a live meeting, an uploaded recording, or a bot-assisted capture. This table separates only the capture paths and caps that current official free-tier captures explicitly name. It is not a privacy, consent, retention, or quality assessment.
| Tool | Published capture or input path | Published free-plan boundary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies Sourced · verified 2026-08-15 | Audio/video upload and transcription | A connected meeting or bot workflow is not established by this pricing capture. | View pricing |
| Otter Sourced · verified 2026-08-17 | Live transcription; three lifetime audio/video file imports | The import allowance is a separate lifetime cap. | View pricing |
| Fathom Sourced · verified 2026-08-23 | Choice of bot-free (beta for Mac) or bot capture | The page lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions on Free; this capture does not establish bot-free availability on other platforms. | View pricing |
| tl;dv Sourced · verified 2026-08-18 | Video recordings and up to five uploads | Free recordings are limited to three hours and two simultaneous meetings. | View pricing |
| Read.ai Sourced · verified 2026-08-20 | Meeting-assistant live notes and meeting transcripts | Free is capped at five meeting transcripts/reports per month and one hour per meeting. | View pricing |
| Notta Sourced · verified 2026-08-20 | Up to 50 file imports per month; transcription-data download is listed under Premium | Free transcription is capped at 120 minutes/month and three minutes per transcription; this capture does not establish Free export availability. | View pricing |
Before using a real call, check participant consent, retention, exports, and the access level your organization permits. Start with the lowest practical level on the Automation Ladder.
Bars compare only the displayed per-seat monthly figures in USD. They do not convert currencies, estimate team totals, or apply annual discounts.
A free plan can be useful only if it supports your input path: a live meeting bot, desktop audio capture, or an uploaded recording. Check attendee consent, retention, and exports before using real work calls.
Every row here comes from a no-login official pricing capture and preserves the currency and billing context the vendor displayed. We leave uncaptured card or trial terms blank rather than guessing.
Each listed tool links to a source-linked plan page with its captured plans, trial terms, reader-fit note, and official pricing URL.