Choosing an AI meeting-note tool is really answering “for which job.” I put four side by side from a real-use angle: Granola, Fathom, Fireflies, Otter. Short version: Granola for client calls, Fathom for the most generous free tier, Fireflies for sales/CRM, Otter for a searchable archive.
Transparency: of these I'm only a Granola affiliate. I kept the list fair — I name plainly which job is better with which tool. The goal is for you to find the right one.
| Tool | Free plan | Strongest at |
|---|---|---|
| Granola | Last 25 notes | Bot-free — client calls |
| Fathom | Unlimited recording + summaries | Most generous free (5.0 G2) |
| Fireflies | Limited | Sales / CRM automation |
| Otter | Limited | Searchable knowledge base |
Which one is for you?
If you want unlimited recording without paying: Fathom (the most generous free tier, 5.0 G2). If you're a sales team and want every call flowing into the CRM: Fireflies. If you use notes as a team-wide searchable archive: Otter. If you don't want a bot in client calls and care about your own note quality: Granola.
The smartest 2026 combination is actually a pair: Granola for external/client calls (no visible bot, high note quality), Fireflies for internal sales calls (auto-populate the CRM). If you must pick one and most of your work is client-facing, my pick is Granola.
If you don't want a bot in client calls: Granola.
The best of the bot-free category. Start free through my link — at no extra cost to you.