Short answer first: several note takers now hear a meeting from your own computer instead of joining it as a participant. Granola, Jamie and Krisp take the sound on Mac and Windows, Tactiq transcribes from an extension in Chrome or Edge, and ChatGPT's recorder and Fathom's bot-free mode run on a Mac only. The free part ranges from Tactiq's 10 transcripts a month to a seven-day trial at Krisp. With no bot in the call, no notetaker shows in the participant list, so telling the meeting is your job.
Every number below was read on the vendors' own pages on 30 September 2026, in the currency each page shows. Where a vendor publishes no number, the article says "not published" instead of guessing.
What should a note taker without a bot do?
A bot is easy to reason about: it is a named participant, everyone can see it, and it can sit in a meeting you miss. A tool on your own computer works on other terms. It hears only what your computer plays and picks up, it runs only where its app runs, and on its own it gives the others no signal. That last point changes nothing about what you owe them: the person recording has to tell the meeting, before the tool starts.
How does it hear the meeting?
The route a tool uses decides which meetings it can catch.
- Some take the computer's sound directly. Granola's security page says it takes your microphone and the meeting audio playing on your computer, and Jamie's security page says the same of microphone and system audio.
- Krisp sits in the audio path. Its meeting assistant page tells you to select Krisp Microphone and Krisp Speaker in your meeting app, so the call's sound passes through it.
- Tactiq works inside the browser. For Zoom in Chrome or Edge, Tactiq's Zoom guide says it captures Zoom's live captions, so the host must have automated captions switched on.
So a browser extension will not hear a meeting in the Zoom or Teams desktop app, and a caption reader depends on a setting the host controls.
Which computers does it run on?
A bot runs on the vendor's servers, so your computer barely matters. Granola lists apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android; Jamie offers Mac, Windows and iPhone downloads; Krisp has Windows and macOS apps and a phone app. Several newer options are Mac only for now.
- ChatGPT records on macOS only. OpenAI's help page for Record says the feature is available only in the macOS desktop app.
- Fathom's bot-free capture needs a Mac and English. Fathom's upgrade article limits version 3.0 to Mac users whose meetings are in English; Windows is to follow.
- Tactiq's desktop app is a Mac beta. Its Mac app guide covers the Zoom desktop app, and says a Windows version is only being explored.
What do the other people in the call see?
A bot shows up as a named tile, and the Fireflies meeting FAQ says its notetaker always appears in the participant list. A tool on your computer adds no tile, so the others learn of the notes only from the tool's own notice or from you. Telling them is your job either way; a notice is a help, not a substitute.
- Granola can post a chat message or put a watermark on your video. Granola's transparency page describes both; each user switches them on, and an Enterprise admin can switch them on for everyone.
- Tactiq posts a message in the meeting chat. Its notification article says the free plan cannot turn it off, paid plans can, and the default text says the extension is transcribing the meeting for the user.
- Fireflies' Google Meet route shows everyone a prompt. Its Google Meet SDK guide records without a bot tile, shows every participant a consent prompt and starts once one of them approves; it needs Google Workspace admin rights.
Where does the audio go, and is it kept?
A tool on your computer may keep nothing, keep the audio in its cloud, or keep only a transcript, which decides whether anyone can listen to the meeting again.
- Granola does not store meeting audio. Its security page says it transcribes as the meeting runs on Mac and Windows and keeps notes in a US-hosted AWS cloud.
- Jamie deletes the audio after transcription. Its security page says storage and processing stay within the EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
- Krisp keeps recordings in its cloud. Krisp's security page says data sits on servers in the United States once you opt in to its meeting notes; its pricing page lists a choice of data centre on the Enterprise plan.
- Tactiq keeps no audio. The FAQ on Tactiq's homepage says it does not record or store the audio of your meetings; its trust centre puts its whole infrastructure on Google Cloud in the United States.
Which languages does it list?
The lists vary more than the capture methods: Krisp lists 16 languages and Jamie 82 entries plus 13 with limited support. Granola's pages differ: its language guide lists 31 on desktop and 17 on phones, and a tooltip on its pricing page says 32 and 10. Tactiq takes one language at a time from a list set by the platform, and Fathom's bot-free mode is English only.
What does it cost after the free part?
The free part differs more than the price: 10 transcripts a month at Tactiq, 10 AI notes of up to 30 minutes at Jamie, 30 days of history at Granola, a seven-day trial with no card at Krisp. Paid plans for one person start at 8 US dollars a month, billed yearly, at Tactiq and Krisp.
How do the tools compare side by side?
The paid column gives the cheapest plan for one person, in the currency each page shows.
| Tool | How it captures | Runs on | What others see | Keeps the audio | Languages | Free plan | Paid, one person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granola | Computer audio and microphone | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Optional chat message or video watermark | No | 31 desktop, 17 mobile (docs); 32 and 10 (pricing page) | 30 days of meeting history | US$14 a month (Business) |
| Jamie | Microphone and system audio | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Optional email before; chat notice in closed beta | No | 82 entries, plus 13 limited | 10 AI notes a month, 30 minutes each | €25 a month, or €21 billed yearly (Plus) |
| Krisp | Krisp Microphone and Speaker in the meeting app | Windows, macOS, phones | No notice; its bot is optional | Yes, in its cloud | 16 | Seven-day trial, no card | US$16 a month, or US$8 billed yearly (Core) |
| Tactiq | Captions in the browser; Mac app (beta) for desktop apps | Chrome or Edge; macOS | Chat message, always on for Free | No | One at a time; 63 entries for Meet | 10 transcripts a month | US$12 a month, or US$8 billed yearly (Pro) |
| ChatGPT | Microphone and system audio | macOS app | No notice; the in-app reminder is for you only | No | Best in English, per OpenAI | Not on the free plan | US$20 a month (Plus, for Record) |
| Fathom, bot-free | Transcript only or audio only; Zoom video per its update notes | Mac, in beta | Optional chat message | Your choice | English only | Included free | US$20 a month, or US$16 billed yearly (Premium) |
| Fireflies, no bot | Extension for Google Meet audio; desktop app | Chrome (product page adds Brave, Edge); Windows, Mac | No bot listed; the desktop page says an indicator lets participants know | Yes, with the extension | Not published for these routes | Free via the extension; 400 minutes of storage | US$18 a month, or US$10 billed yearly (Pro) |
| Notibo | Browser tab or Windows system sound, plus microphone | Chrome or Edge on a computer | Nothing: you tell them | No, deleted once notes are saved | 78 (89 with regional variants) | 14-day Pro trial, no card; then 30 minutes a month | €9.99 a month or €88.99 a year |
"Runs on" rules tools out before price does, and "What others see" shows which tools can announce themselves at all. Where that column says no notice, the announcement is yours to make.
How does Jamie take notes without joining the call?
Jamie (meetjamie.ai) is built around the idea of no bot. Its security page says the app runs on your device, takes the conversation through your microphone and system audio, and sends no calendar invite. Its homepage says it works with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or any other online platform, and takes in-person meetings from a laptop or a phone.
- Free: 10 AI notes a month, meetings up to 30 minutes. Jamie's pricing page prices Plus at 25 euro a month, or 21 a month billed yearly, for 20 notes of up to two hours; Pro is 47 or 39 euro, with no note limit and five hours per meeting.
- Over 80 languages in its docs, 99+ on its pricing page. Jamie's language page lists 82 entries, or 77 languages once six kinds of English count as one, plus 13 with limited support. Arabic and Mandarin are not on it.
Jamie suits someone who moves between platforms and meeting rooms on a Mac or Windows laptop, though the free plan stops a meeting at 30 minutes. Its notices, an email beforehand and a chat message in closed beta, are in the table above.
How does Krisp hear the call?
Krisp also sells noise cancellation, and its note taker uses the same route: with Krisp Microphone and Krisp Speaker selected in the meeting app, it sits between the call and your headset and hears both sides. It also offers an optional bot for the meetings where you want one.
- A seven-day free trial with no card, then paid plans. Krisp's pricing page prices Core at 16 US dollars a month, or 8 a month billed yearly; Advanced is 30 or 15. The page shows no free plan after the trial.
- 16 languages on its list, 17+ on its note taker page. The pricing page lists 16 and says "16+", and the note taker page says 17+. Krisp's FAQ describes English transcribed on the device and 15 more languages on its servers.
- Recordings stay in the cloud. Krisp's recording FAQ gives 10 GB or 60 GB of storage per plan and up to four hours per recording.
Krisp suits someone who already wants cleaner sound in calls and holds meetings in one of its 16 languages. Its security page says it offers no regional storage, while the pricing page lists a choice of data centre on the Enterprise plan only. If your employer or client requires meeting data to stay in Europe, ask Krisp which applies to your plan before you record.
How does Tactiq turn captions into a transcript?
Tactiq (tactiq.io, from Sydney) is an extension for Chrome and Edge. For Zoom in the browser it reads Zoom's live captions, so the host has to allow automated captions. For Google Meet, its help centre says captions do not need to be on. With the extension, Teams works in the browser or the Teams web app, not in the desktop app.
- Free: 10 transcripts and 5 AI credits a month. Tactiq's plans article prices Pro at 12 US dollars a month, or 8 a month billed yearly, with unlimited transcripts.
- One language at a time, and the list depends on the platform. Tactiq's language article lists 63 entries for Google Meet, 41 for Teams and 32 for Zoom; the homepage says 60+.
A Mac app, in beta, takes the sound of the Zoom and Teams desktop apps through macOS instead of captions. Tactiq suits someone whose meetings already run in Chrome or Edge, in one language at a time.
Which other tools record without a bot?
Granola listens through the computer's own audio, so no bot joins. Granola's pricing page gives Basic free with 30 days of meeting history and Business at 14 US dollars a user a month, and every plan includes the bot-free capture. The Granola alternatives article covers it in depth.
ChatGPT has two versions of the idea. Record works in the macOS app on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, takes the microphone and system audio, and stops at four hours. The audio is deleted after transcription, but on Plus and Pro the transcripts may train OpenAI's models while "Improve the model for everyone" is on. Plus costs 20 US dollars a month, per OpenAI's Plus page. The newer Meetings plugin, a beta on Mac for Pro and Business plans, streams the audio to OpenAI, deletes it once the notes are ready and also stops at four hours.
The bot tools now offer routes around their own bot. Fathom's upgrade article lists two bot-free modes, transcript only and audio captured on your device; its update notes add bot-free video for Zoom on Mac, and its pricing page includes the choice in the free plan. Fireflies' Chrome extension records Google Meet audio, not Zoom or Teams; the guide names Chrome, and the product page adds Brave and Edge. Its desktop app, for Windows and Mac, takes notes with no bot on the call and tells you to get consent from all participants. Both have their own articles, Fathom alternatives and Fireflies alternatives.
Others have added the same route: tl;dv's desktop app records audio without its bot, per its help centre, Otter's homepage offers a desktop app for Mac and Windows with no bot joining, and Zoom's My Notes page promises notes across Zoom, Teams and Google Meet with no bot.
Who tells the meeting when no bot joins?
A bot announces itself by being there. A tool on your own computer does not, so the duty to tell the meeting stays where it was, with the person recording. The vendors of these tools say so on their own help pages.
- OpenAI: the reminder is for you only. The Meetings plugin page tells you to tell everyone and get their consent before you start, and says its in-app reminder does not notify the other participants.
- Jamie: informing everyone is required. Jamie's consent page puts the legal basis and the transparency on the user, as the data controller.
- tl;dv: the platform may show no notice. Its bot-free help says recording notices may not appear, and informing participants is the user's responsibility.
The law differs even inside one country, as a federal and a Californian statute show. In the United States Code, 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d) says it is not unlawful under that chapter for a private person who is a party to a communication to intercept it, unless the purpose is a criminal or tortious act; section 2510 defines intercepting as acquiring the contents with a device. California's Penal Code section 632, on the California Legislature's site, punishes a person who intentionally records a confidential communication without the consent of all parties. Neither text tells you what applies to your meeting.
Other countries and many workplaces set their own rules, and the permission section of the meeting notes comparison covers the wider question. In practice: say it at the start, before the tool runs, and switch on the tool's own notice where it has one. If someone objects, stop the recording and take notes by hand.
When is a bot the better choice?
The bot-free tools remove one thing, the extra participant in the call. A bot is still the better tool in some meetings, and the vendors that sell both kinds say which.
- A meeting you cannot attend. The Fireflies meeting FAQ says its notetaker records when you are not present, as long as it was invited and the platform admits it. A tool on your computer records only while you are in the call.
- A recording everyone can see is running. Krisp's meeting assistant page offers its bot for Zoom so that recording and consent are handled in the open, with Krisp shown as a participant.
- Video. The Fireflies extension records audio only and points to the notetaker bot when you need the video as well.
A record that does not depend on one person's laptop is the other reason. If whoever started a bot-free recording leaves early or closes the laptop, the notes stop; OpenAI's Meetings plugin stops when the lid closes. For a board or a client project, a visible bot or the platform's own recorder gives a record everyone saw being made.
Which should you choose?
Start from your computer and where the meeting runs.
If you are on a Mac and your meetings run in the Zoom or Teams apps, Granola, Jamie and Krisp all hear them. Tactiq's Mac app covers both in beta, and ChatGPT's Record needs at least Plus.
If you are on Windows, Granola, Jamie and Krisp have Windows apps, and so do the desktop recorders from Fireflies, tl;dv and Otter. Fathom's bot-free mode, ChatGPT's recorder and Tactiq's desktop app do not run there yet.
If your meetings run in Google Meet in the browser, Tactiq's free plan gives 10 transcripts a month with a chat message, and the Fireflies extension records Meet audio in Chrome.
If the meeting is in a room, you need a microphone, not a call: Jamie on a laptop or phone, or Krisp's desktop or phone app.
If the meeting is not in English, check the list first: Fathom's bot-free mode is English only, Krisp lists 16 languages, and Granola lists 31 on desktop in its guide.
If you must miss the meeting, or everyone must see the recorder, use a bot or the platform's own recording. Whichever tool you pick, test it on one real meeting, after telling everyone, before paying for a year.
Where Notibo fits
Notibo is not a meeting bot and never joins a call. It runs in the browser on a computer, with nothing to install. In Chrome or Edge you choose the tab the meeting runs in, Teams, Zoom or Google Meet on the web, and turn on tab audio. On Windows you can share the whole system sound instead, which also covers a meeting in a desktop app.
On a Mac only a browser tab gives sound, so the meeting has to run in the browser. Your own microphone is recorded together with it, and Safari and Firefox give the microphone only. There is no meeting link to paste and no calendar to connect. For a meeting in a room, Notibo uses the computer's microphone or a phone's. On the phone it runs in the browser and can sit on the home screen without a trip to an app store; it hears the microphone only and has to remain open while recording. As with every tool above, you tell the meeting yourself.
What comes back is a transcript and structured notes: a summary, the main points and the action items. The transcript is split by speaker only where Notibo can tell the voices apart, so do not count on it with several people. It transcribes 78 languages, or 89 entries when regional variants are counted, and auto-detect copes with a switch of language mid-sentence.
One recording can run up to two hours. The audio is deleted as soon as the transcript and notes are saved, or kept for one day if processing fails so it can be tried again; nobody can listen to the meeting again, and no video is kept. Files are stored in the EU, on Supabase in Frankfurt. Transcription and the AI notes run on US processors under standard contractual clauses, named in the privacy policy, and Notibo trains nothing on your content.
It is not the tool for a meeting you cannot attend, a shared team library or a CRM that fills itself; choose one of the meeting tools with a bot for those. Pro is free for 14 days with no card, and after that the account keeps 30 minutes a month for free. Pro costs 9.99 euro a month or 88.99 euro a year. The transcription page has the details.