Every major AI note taker has a free plan, but the limit sits in different places: recording minutes, AI summaries, storage or how far back you can see. This guide shows what each free plan really caps, which fits which job and how to stay within the limits. Plans change often, so confirm details on each tool’s website.
Free AI note takers compared
Fathom. Unlimited recording, storage and transcription. Advanced summaries cover your first five calls a month, and Ask Fathom looks back two weeks.
tl;dv. Unlimited recording and transcription in 30+ languages, AI notes on 10 meetings, 10 Ask AI queries and five uploads, with recordings kept up to three months.
Granola. Unlimited meetings with no bot, but only the last 30 days of notes are visible, and only Slack is integrated.
MeetGeek. Three hours of transcription a month with unlimited AI summaries, a two-hour meeting cap and three months of transcript storage.
Otter. 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, three lifetime imports and 20 AI Chat questions a month.
Fireflies. Unlimited transcription when auto-join is on, but about 400 minutes of team storage and a small credit pool.
Which free plan for which job
You want unlimited recording: Fathom or tl;dv.
You don’t want a bot on the call: Granola, or MeetGeek’s bot-free mode.
You mostly take short calls: Otter’s 300 minutes may be enough.
You want to test CRM workflows: Fireflies, within its storage limit.
How to stay within the limits
Use auto-join only for meetings that matter. Download or copy notes you want to keep before history or storage limits remove them. On tools with AI caps, save advanced summaries for your most important calls. Test two tools on the same meeting before you commit.
Free plans and privacy
A free plan still records other people. Tell participants before you record, and read each tool’s privacy terms. Several AI note takers face lawsuits over consent. See our guide to AI note takers and recording consent.
When to pay
Pay when you hit a limit that costs you time or notes, for example a cap on summaries, storage or history. See our pricing guides for Otter, Fireflies and Fathom, or our list of the best AI note takers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AI note taker?
Fathom, for unlimited recording and transcription, with a summary cap.
Is there a free AI note taker with no bot?
Granola, and MeetGeek’s bot-free mode.
Which free plan has no minute limit?
Fathom and tl;dv record without a minute cap, and Granola has no meeting cap.
Do free plans delete my recordings?
Some do. tl;dv keeps recordings up to three months, and Granola shows only 30 days of notes.
How we researched this guide
This guide is based on our tool reviews and each tool’s pricing as reported by several 2026 sources (checked November 5, 2026). We haven’t run our own trials. Free plans change often, so confirm on each tool’s website.