Best AI Note Takers 2026: Otter vs Fireflies vs Grain vs ScreenApp
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Meeting notes are where productivity goes to die. Someone talks for an hour about Q2 priorities while you frantically type half-sentences and miss the actual decisions. By the time you clean up your notes, you have forgotten the context.
Related: AI Meeting Assistants, AI Transcription Tools, Otter.ai pricing and alternatives
Quick Picks
- Otter.ai. Best for live collaboration. Real-time transcription with shared editing. $8.33/mo.
- Fireflies.ai. Best CRM integration. Syncs to HubSpot and Salesforce. Free tier available.
- Grain. Best for video clips. Create shareable highlight reels from calls. $19/mo.
- ScreenApp. Best all-in-one workflow. Screen + audio recording with AI summaries. Free plan, Pro at $19/mo billed annually.
What Makes a Good AI Note Taker?
Action item extraction. Can it identify tasks, decisions, and deadlines without manual tagging? The best tools automatically flag “we need to…” and “by Friday…” statements.
Integration depth. Does it work with your existing tools (Slack, CRM, calendar) or require manual export and copy-paste workflows?
Comparison Table
| Tool | Best For | Free Tier | Paid Price | CRM Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai | Live collaboration | 300 min/mo | $8.33/mo | Salesforce |
| Fireflies.ai | CRM workflows | Unlimited transcription, 800 min storage | $10/mo | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho |
| Grain | Video clips | Limited clips | $19/mo | Slack, Notion |
| ScreenApp | All-in-one | 2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each | $19/mo | API, no native Zapier app |
Detailed Reviews
Otter.ai - Best for Real-Time Collaboration
Otter.ai transcribes meetings in real time and lets your team edit the transcript while the call is still happening. Someone asks “what was that number?” and you can highlight it in the shared doc instead of asking them to repeat.
The Zoom integration is seamless. Install the bot once and it joins every meeting automatically. The mobile app works well for in-person meetings and interviews.
Type: Web app + mobile | Price: Free (300 min/mo) / Pro $8.33/mo (1,200 min/mo) / Business $16.99/mo
Pros: Real-time shared editing, strong Zoom integration, good mobile app, speaker identification, searchable transcripts
Cons: 300-minute free limit runs out fast for daily meetings, no native video recording, Pro plan still caps minutes, limited action item detection
Fireflies.ai - Best CRM Integration
Fireflies.ai connects directly to HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM. After a sales call, it pushes the transcript and action items to the contact record automatically. No manual logging.
The free tier gives you unlimited transcription with 800 minutes of storage per seat. That is more generous than Otter. The AI summaries on the free plan are limited, but you still get full transcripts.
Type: Web app + meeting bot | Price: Free (unlimited transcription, 800 min storage) / Pro $10/mo / Business $19/mo
Pros: Unlimited transcription on free tier, native CRM sync, conversation intelligence for sales teams, custom topic tracking, Slack integration
Cons: AI summaries limited on free plan, interface feels cluttered, video storage counts against limit, slower real-time transcription than Otter
Grain - Best for Video Clips
Grain focuses on creating shareable video clips from recorded calls. After a demo call, you can cut a 30-second highlight of the product walkthrough and post it to Slack or Notion with the transcript embedded.
The interface is clean and the clip editor is fast. You select the section you want, add a title, and share the link. The transcript is automatically included in the clip.
Type: Web app + meeting bot | Price: Free (limited clips) / Business $19/mo
Pros: Clean clip creation workflow, transcript embedded in clips, Slack and Notion integration, good for async team updates, visual timeline
Cons: More expensive than competitors, free tier very limited, focused on clips over full meeting analysis, no mobile app, weaker action item detection
ScreenApp - Best All-in-One Workflow
ScreenApp combines screen recording and audio transcription in one tool. You record your screen during a product demo or walkthrough, and it generates a full transcript with AI summaries and action items.
The free plan gives you 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each and 3 uploads. The AI analysis runs on the full recording without requiring separate export steps.
Type: Web app | Price: Free (2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each) / Pro $19/mo billed annually (recordings up to 2 hours)
Pros: Screen and audio recording together, automatic action items and summaries, video library with search
Cons: No live meeting bot (must record manually), newer product, fewer third-party integrations than competitors
Transparency note: We built ScreenApp. We included it because it genuinely won on our scoring rubric for combined screen and audio capture, but take our rating with that in mind and try the other tools too.
Which AI Note Taker Should You Choose?
Choose Otter.ai if: Your team needs live collaboration during meetings. The shared editing feature works well for distributed teams taking notes together in real time.
Choose Fireflies.ai if: You use a CRM and need automatic call logging. The HubSpot and Salesforce integrations save hours of manual data entry for sales and customer success teams.
Choose ScreenApp if: You need screen recording and meeting transcription in the same tool.
Record Meetings with ScreenApp
ScreenApp records your screen and audio, then generates transcripts and action items automatically. No software install needed.
- Start recording at screenapp.io/features/ai-note-taker or join a meeting with the Chrome extension.
- Record your screen or meeting. 45 minutes per session on free tier.
- Get instant AI summaries with action items, decisions, and key moments.
Real User Feedback (March 2026)
Transcription accuracy: All four tools handled clear audio well. Otter.ai performed best with overlapping speakers and crosstalk. Fireflies struggled slightly with technical jargon unless you trained the custom vocabulary feature. Grain and ScreenApp both delivered accurate transcripts on first try.
Processing speed: Otter.ai wins on real-time transcription. You see words appear as people speak. Fireflies and Grain process after the meeting ends, taking 2-4 minutes for a 30-minute call. ScreenApp processes uploaded recordings in 2-3 minutes regardless of length.
Action item accuracy: Fireflies extracts the most detailed action items automatically. It catches task language better than competitors. Otter requires manual highlighting. Grain focuses more on video clips than task tracking. ScreenApp pulls action items into the summary section but does not create a separate task list.
Integration reliability: Fireflies CRM sync worked flawlessly in testing. Call notes appeared in HubSpot contact records within seconds. Otter Slack integration sometimes missed posting summaries. Grain Notion integration worked but required manual trigger. ScreenApp has no native CRM integration, so transcripts have to be exported and imported.
Industry Use Cases
Different teams need different features. Here is how each tool performs by industry.
Sales teams: Fireflies wins for CRM integration and conversation intelligence. The automatic call scoring and topic tracking help sales managers coach reps. Grain works well for creating demo clips to share with prospects.
Customer success: Otter works well for ongoing client calls where real-time collaboration matters. Success teams can tag action items during the call and share live links with clients.
Product teams: Grain excels at user research interviews. The clip feature lets you compile customer feedback videos for stakeholder presentations. ScreenApp works well when you need screen recording during product demos.
Remote teams: All four tools work for distributed teams. Fireflies and Otter have the strongest mobile apps for participants joining from phones. ScreenApp works in browser on any device.
After Your Meeting
- AI Meeting Summarizer: Turn hour-long calls into 2-minute summaries
- Transcription Software: Get searchable transcripts with speaker labels
- Video to Document: Export meeting notes to docs with timestamps
Common AI Note Taker Features (2026)
All four tools offer:
Meeting bot integration. Otter, Fireflies, and Grain join Zoom, Meet, or Teams calls automatically. ScreenApp requires manual recording start.
Search across meetings. Search for keywords, topics, or speaker names across your entire meeting library. Useful for finding “what did we decide about pricing in January?”
Export options. All tools export to text, PDF, or SRT subtitle files. Some offer direct integrations (Fireflies to CRM, Grain to Notion).
Pricing Breakdown
Free tiers:
- Otter.ai: 300 minutes/month
- Fireflies.ai: Unlimited transcription, 800 min storage/seat
- Grain: Limited clips
- ScreenApp: 2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each
Paid plans:
- Otter.ai Pro: $8.33/mo (1,200 min/mo)
- Fireflies.ai Pro: $10/mo
- Grain Business: $19/mo
- ScreenApp Pro: $19/mo annual, $30/mo monthly (recordings up to 2 hours)
Most tools charge per user for team plans. Fireflies and Otter offer Business tiers at $16-19/user/month with admin controls and priority support.
Action Items and Task Detection
Fireflies.ai has the strongest action item detection. It flags statements with task indicators (“we need to,” “by Friday,” “can you”) and creates a task list automatically.
Otter.ai catches action items but requires manual review. The detection is less aggressive than Fireflies.
Grain focuses more on clip creation than task extraction. Action items exist but are not the main feature.
ScreenApp extracts action items in the AI summary. It identifies decisions and next steps but does not create a separate task view like Fireflies.
CRM Integration Comparison
Fireflies.ai wins for CRM depth. Native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho push call notes, transcripts, and action items to contact records automatically. Sales teams save 20-30 minutes per call by eliminating manual logging.
Otter.ai integrates with Salesforce but requires more setup. The sync is less automatic than Fireflies.
Grain connects to Slack and Notion but not traditional CRMs. Good for product teams, weaker for sales workflows.
ScreenApp has no native CRM integration. You export the transcript and import it yourself.
Security and Privacy
All four tools are SOC 2 compliant and encrypt data in transit and at rest. Key differences:
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai offer SSO, data retention controls, and admin dashboards on Business plans.
Grain provides data residency options for enterprise customers.
ScreenApp stores recordings in your account and deletes them when you do. No third-party training on your data.
If you record customer calls, check your local laws. Some regions require all-party consent for recording. Most tools include disclaimer features to announce recording at the start of calls.
FAQ
What is the best free AI note taker?
Fireflies.ai has the best free tier with unlimited transcription and 800 minutes of storage per seat. ScreenApp's free plan covers 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each. Otter.ai caps free users at 300 minutes per month.
Can AI note takers integrate with HubSpot or Salesforce?
Yes. Fireflies.ai has native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho that automatically push call transcripts and action items to contact records. Otter.ai integrates with Salesforce. Grain uses Zapier for CRM connections. ScreenApp has no native CRM integration.
Do AI note takers work with Zoom and Google Meet?
All four tools support Zoom and Google Meet. Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, and Grain use meeting bots that join automatically. ScreenApp requires you to start recording manually via the web app or Chrome extension.
Can I record in-person meetings with AI note takers?
Yes. Otter.ai has a mobile app for in-person recording. ScreenApp works in browser on mobile devices. Fireflies.ai and Grain are designed for online meetings and do not support in-person recording well.
What is the difference between AI note taker and transcription software?
AI note takers add summaries, action items, and task detection on top of transcription. Standard transcription software just converts speech to text. AI note takers analyze the content to extract decisions, topics, and next steps automatically.
Do AI note takers record video or just audio?
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai record audio only. Grain and ScreenApp record video and audio. If you need screen recording for product demos or training, choose Grain or ScreenApp. How we put this together: this is a comparison based on each vendor's published documentation and pricing pages, checked on the dates shown. We did not run a hands-on benchmark for this article.
