The short version
AI meeting assistants join your calls, transcribe everything, and hand you a summary with action items. Fathom is the best free option, Otter.ai is the transcription veteran, and Krisp adds noise cancellation on top.
Our picks
- Best free note-taker: Fathom — records, summarizes and clips highlights, generous free tier.
- Best transcription: Otter.ai — live transcripts, speaker labels, searchable archive.
- Best audio quality: Krisp — removes background noise and takes notes.
- Best for async video: Loom — record a walkthrough, let AI write the summary.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Fathom | Summaries + action items | Generous |
| Otter.ai | Live transcription | Limited |
| Krisp | Noise removal + notes | Yes |
| Loom | Async video updates | Yes |
Bottom line
If you just want your meetings summarized without paying, start with Fathom. For heavy transcription needs, Otter.ai is the specialist. Read the full reviews for details.
