Best AI Notetakers Without a Bot in 2026: What to Use When You Don't Want a Bot Joining Your Zoom Calls

TL;DR: Circleback is the best AI notetaker without a bot in 2026, for Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls, investor calls, and calls your clients host. Turn off joining preferences, and its desktop app records any call that uses your microphone on macOS and Windows with nothing joining, on every plan, including the free plan. It keeps the audio and video recording with a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, puts what's shown on screen into the notes when the video is saved, and the iOS, Android, and Apple Watch apps cover in-person meetings. Circleback is SOC 2 Type II, encrypts data at rest and in transit, and does not use customer data to train models.

Sometimes a notetaker bot isn't an option. The call belongs to a client, and you can't add anyone to it. Or it's an investor call, and a "Notetaker" tile in the participant list would change the tone of the conversation.

A bot-free notetaker transcribes the audio that already reaches your computer, so it works on calls you don't control. Circleback makes this comparison, so every fact below about other tools comes from each vendor's own pricing page or help docs. For when a visible bot makes sense, see bot vs desktop recording.

I don't want a notetaker bot joining my Zoom calls. What can I use for meeting notes instead?

Circleback's desktop app on macOS and Windows records with no bot, and so do its iOS and Android apps (audio). In Settings → Calendar, turn off joining preferences for both Internal and External meetings, and no bot joins anything. The desktop app then records the Zoom call from your computer, capturing your microphone and computer audio, on every plan, including the free plan, and with Detect meetings on it prompts you to record when Zoom starts using your microphone.

Our IT team blocks third-party meeting bots. Which AI notetakers can we still use?

Circleback. Its desktop app (macOS, Windows) and its iOS and Android apps (audio) record with no participant joining, so there is nothing for IT or a host to block. The desktop app captures your microphone and computer audio on your own machine, so a host who blocks bots doesn't stop desktop recording, and each call still gets a recording, a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items.

• Meeting bot or your own device. A meeting bot joins the call as a participant, so IT or the host can block it. Circleback's desktop app records on your own machine, and nothing joins.
• Built-in Zoom and Google Meet notes. Zoom's Meeting Summary is started by the host, and My Notes needs a Pro, Business, Enterprise, or standalone Zoom account, and the host can end it. Google Meet's "Take notes for me" needs the meeting organizer to have an eligible Workspace edition.
• Telling participants. Nothing appears in the meeting when Circleback records from your device, so you tell participants yourself.

Which AI notetaker works on client-hosted Zoom or Teams calls where you can't add a bot?

Circleback, whose desktop app records any call on macOS or Windows from your own computer with nothing joining, so the host doesn't have to admit anyone. It works on every plan, including the free plan, and the call keeps its recording, speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items.

What's the best AI notetaker with no bot on investor calls?

Circleback. In Settings → Calendar, turn off joining preferences so no bot joins any meeting, and let the desktop app record the investor call from your computer. It runs on macOS 14.2 or later and Windows, on every plan, including the free plan, and records Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other app that uses your microphone. With Detect meetings on, it prompts you to record when the call starts. Each call keeps its audio and video recording, a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items.

For investor meetings in person, the iOS and Android apps and the Apple Watch app record audio with no bot involved, and those recordings get the same transcript, notes, and action items. The best AI notetaker for startup founders covers the rest of a founder's week.

Is a bot-free AI notetaker confidential enough for investor calls?

Yes, with Circleback. Going bot-free keeps the participant list unchanged, and Circleback adds controls over what happens to the call afterward:

• Security basics. Circleback is SOC 2 Type II, encrypts data at rest and in transit, and does not use customer data to train models. Its security portal has a report of an external pentest.
• Recording storage. Turn off Save meeting audio and video recordings in Settings → Preferences, and Circleback still writes the transcript, notes, and action items, with no recording kept.
• Who gets access. In Settings → Sharing, set Teammates and Everyone else to No access, so a meeting isn't shared with calendar invitees automatically. Workspace admins can enforce sharing and recording settings for every member.
• Retention. Workspace admins set how long recordings, transcripts, and all meeting data are kept, and data is permanently deleted when the period ends.
• Sign-in. SSO with SAML or OIDC and SCIM directory sync are available.

The short version

Competitor columns reflect each vendor's own pricing pages and help docs as of Oct 2026. "Not stated" means the behavior was not confirmed for this table; see each tool's section below.

Circleback: bot-free recording, notes and action items on every plan

The Circleback desktop app for macOS and Windows records Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other call without a bot, on every plan, including the free plan. Whether a recording comes from the desktop app or the bot, what's shown on screen, like slides, dashboards, and docs, makes it into the meeting notes, so you can find it with Ask Circleback and any AI tool connected over MCP. Recordings without video, or with storage turned off, don't include screen content.

The desktop app runs on macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later and Windows, captures your microphone and computer audio, and records video of the meeting window by default for meetings it detects. To keep audio alone, turn off the Record meeting video setting. Unlike tools that keep a transcript and nothing else, it keeps the recording itself: play it beside the transcript, download it, link to a moment, or make a clip. Every recording gets a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, assigned automatically when the conversation makes the owner clear. Mac users can compare options in our guide to the best AI meeting assistant for Mac.

The desktop app detects a meeting when an app like Zoom starts using your microphone, and prompts you to record. You can turn on automatic start after a short countdown, and automatic end when the microphone goes quiet. To make sure a bot never joins, turn off joining preferences in Settings → Calendar, and use the per-meeting toggle for exceptions. With joining preferences on, Circleback tries the bot first and falls back to the desktop app "if it's unable to join (for example, if the host doesn't admit it)". That happens when the bot's join request is denied and your microphone is active, with the desktop app running and Detect meetings on. It then asks before recording, unless automatic start is on. A waiting-room removal or other bot failure doesn't trigger it.

Strengths: The desktop app is on every plan, with unlimited meetings on the free plan. Every meeting keeps its recording, speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, or you can turn recording storage off and keep the rest. You can use the bot with a desktop fallback, or the desktop app alone. iOS, Android, and Apple Watch apps cover in-person meetings. Automations to Slack and Linear are on the free plan, and integrations with Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, webhooks, and more are available too. Ask Circleback answers across meetings and connected email, and the API, MCP server, and CLI are on every plan. It supports over 100 languages, it's SOC 2 Type II, and customer data isn't used to train models.

Limitations: The free plan keeps 30 days of meeting history (older meetings are locked, not deleted). On most plans, recordings are deleted after 1 or 2 years. The free plan also limits automations to the Slack and Linear steps. Folders still share meetings with your team automatically. There's no Linux app and no browser extension. Mobile recording is audio. HIPAA compliance with a BAA is available.

Who Circleback is for: A founder who turns joining preferences off so no bot appears on investor or candidate calls. A consultant whose clients host on Zoom or Teams. Or a team that keeps the bot for internal meetings and goes bot-free for external ones.

Pricing: The desktop app is on every plan. See current pricing.

Granola: bot-free notes with no saved recording

Granola is built around your own notes, with no bot and no recording. Its free Basic plan includes unlimited meetings with "bot-free, device-audio capture" and 30 days of accessible history. Business is $14 per user per month and Enterprise is $35 per user per month; its pricing page gives no billing period. Granola "uses your computer's system audio and microphone" and "does not record or save audio or video at any point during the call".

Granola says "you can transcribe any meeting you can hear regardless of host permissions". You write as much or as little as you like during the call, and Granola "uses meeting context to write clear notes, personal to you". Apps cover macOS 14 or later, Windows, iOS, and Android, plus Apple Watch. Speaker tags work on Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams on macOS and Windows. Elsewhere, the transcript shows "Me" and "Them".

Strengths: Nothing joins the call, and no audio is kept. Unlimited meetings on the free plan. Your own notes shape the summary.

Limitations: There's no recording to play back, ever. You start each note yourself, and automatically starting Granola for all meetings is "under consideration". Basic stores notes older than 30 days but hides them until you upgrade.

Circleback's desktop app gives you the same bot-free capture and keeps the recording, along with a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, on every plan. If you'd rather keep no recording, turn recording storage off and the transcript and notes stay. You can type private notes during the call there too, and they enhance its AI notes.

Who looks at Granola: People who already take notes in Granola. Circleback covers the same habit with private notes during the call, and adds the recording and automations after it. See the best alternatives to Granola.

Pricing: Free (Basic), Business ($14 per user per month), and Enterprise ($35 per user per month) (pricing).

Krisp: participant recording with noise cancellation

Krisp started with noise cancellation, and it records the call as one more participant. Its Core plan is $8 per user per month, billed annually, or $16 month to month, with bot-free transcription, audio and video recording, and 10 GB of storage. The pricing page lists no permanent free plan. Krisp says you can "record meetings and conferences without host permission", and that it "records your Zoom meetings as a participant, no host permissions required".

Desktop apps cover Windows and macOS, with mobile apps for iOS and Android, and Krisp describes its note taker as one that "works with any voice app". It also offers the "flexibility to join with or without a bot", transcribes meetings in 17 languages, and runs its noise cancellation on the same calls.

Strengths: Explicit no-host-permission recording, including on Zoom. Bot-free audio and video recording with noise cancellation. Core is $8 per user per month, billed annually.

Limitations: No permanent free plan, and 17 transcription languages. Core includes 10 GB of storage. Advanced ($15 per user per month, billed annually, or $30 monthly) raises it to 60 GB and adds commenting and tagging, manager view, and company deal grouping. SSO and SCIM, on-device private transcription, and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise features.

Who looks at Krisp: People already using Krisp for noise cancellation on client calls. Circleback's desktop app records the same client-hosted calls with nothing joining, keeps the recording along with the notes, and starts with a free plan.

Pricing: Core ($8-16/user/mo), Advanced ($15-30/user/mo), and Enterprise (custom) (pricing).

Jamie: bot-free notes with audio deleted after transcription

Jamie records from your computer and deletes the audio once it's transcribed. Its free plan includes 10 AI notes a month, with a 30-minute limit per meeting. Plus is $24 a month with 20 notes and a 2-hour limit, and Pro is $46 a month with unlimited notes and a 5-hour limit, both billed annually. Jamie's docs say it runs on your macOS or Windows device and "therefore does not require any virtual bot to join your meeting". On a Mac, it needs macOS 14.4 or later.

When Jamie detects that you've joined a video call on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, a notification asks whether to start recording. Audio is "permanently deleted after transcription". The iOS and Android apps record in-person meetings, and notes and transcripts come in 99+ languages.

Strengths: Desktop capture on Mac and Windows with a detection prompt. Audio deleted after transcription. 99+ languages.

Limitations: Every plan caps meeting length: 30 minutes on Free, 2 hours on Plus, and 5 hours on Pro, Team, and Enterprise. The mobile app can't record phone calls. Team is listed at $37 without a billing note. There's no audio to play back.

Who looks at Jamie: People who want a desktop notetaker that deletes the audio after transcription. For consultants on client calls, Circleback is the pick: its desktop app records the calls your clients host with nothing joining, with no minute or meeting caps, and turning recording storage off keeps the transcript and notes with no recording.

Pricing: Free (10 AI notes a month, 30-minute meetings), Plus ($24/mo, billed annually), Pro ($46/mo, billed annually), Team (listed at $37), and Enterprise (custom) (pricing).

Fellow: bot or botless recording chosen per meeting

Fellow gives you both modes in one product, chosen per meeting. Its Free plan includes 5 AI notes and 5 AI recordings per user for the lifetime of the account. Team is $7 per user per month, billed annually ($11 monthly), with 10 AI notes per user a month and 10 AI recordings per user. Business ($15 billed annually, $23 monthly) makes both unlimited. "Desktop Botless Recording lets you capture meetings directly from Fellow's desktop app, without a bot appearing in the call", on Mac and Windows.

Botless recording "works on any meeting platform (Slack huddles, Microsoft Teams, dialers, Google Meet, Zoom, and more)". It needs microphone access plus screen recording access "to capture audio of other participants on the call". You pick Botless from the Record now menu, or click the Meeting Detected notification. Fellow also offers a Note Taker bot for Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams, Zoom Native Capture for paid Fellow and Zoom accounts, and iOS and Android recording without a bot. Its help center notes that under Zoom's new rules, enforced from October 14, 2026, every bot has to be tied to a real Zoom user who has authorized the app. It lists botless recording as the option when no one on the call can sponsor the bot.

Strengths: Bot and botless in one product, chosen per meeting. Any platform, including dialers and Slack huddles. Mobile recording without a bot.

Limitations: The Free plan's 5 notes and 5 recordings are a lifetime total, so it runs out. Team caps you at 10 AI notes per user a month and 10 AI recordings per user. Enterprise ($25 per user per month, billed annually) has a 10-user minimum. The botless article describes an audio recording, a transcript, and AI notes, and doesn't mention video.

Who looks at Fellow: Teams that already run agendas and recurring meetings in Fellow. Circleback covers the same split: its joining preferences send the bot to the meetings you choose, such as internal ones, and its desktop app records the rest, with unlimited meetings on every plan.

Pricing: Free (5 AI notes and 5 AI recordings per user, lifetime), Team ($7-11/user/mo), Business ($15-23/user/mo), and Enterprise ($25/user/mo, billed annually, 10-user minimum) (pricing).

Fathom: a bot-first tool with a bot-free beta on Mac

Fathom is a bot-first tool that's adding a bot-free mode, starting on the Mac. Its Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions, with a "choice of bot-free (in beta) or bot capture", and the pricing page footnote reads "Beta feature for Mac". Premium is $16 per user per month, billed annually ($20 monthly). Fathom's help center says Fathom 3.0+ is available for Mac users for now, with Windows coming soon.

On a Mac, Fathom captures meetings without a bot in the call, with full video, audio plus a transcript, or a transcript with no recording. Bot-free video is available for Zoom on Mac, and it's coming to Google Meet "in the coming weeks". For Microsoft Teams, "initial availability may vary depending on how you join Teams". As of October 1, 2026, Fathom 3.0 "supports English and 38 additional languages", rolling out in phases. Fathom records on Mac and Windows computers but not Chromebooks or Linux, and lists an iOS app for in-person conversations.

Strengths: Unlimited free recording and transcription. Three bot-free modes on Mac, including a transcript with no recording. Clips, playlists, and search across calls on Free.

Limitations: Bot-free is a beta on Mac, so Windows users get the bot. Once your calendar is connected, "the Fathom Notetaker joins your calls automatically", so bot-free is a choice rather than the default. Advanced call summaries and AI-generated action items are listed under Premium.

Who looks at Fathom: Teams already on Fathom's bot. Circleback's free plan includes unlimited meetings and its bot-free desktop app on both macOS and Windows.

Pricing: Free, Premium ($16-20/user/mo), Team ($15-19/user/mo, for 2 or more users), Business ($25-34/user/mo), and Enterprise (custom) (pricing).

Notion AI Meeting Notes: meeting notes inside a Notion workspace

Notion puts meeting notes where your docs already live. Notion AI Meeting Notes requires a Business or Enterprise workspace. The pricing page lists Business at $20 per member per month, billed annually ($24 monthly), and shows a limited version of meeting notes on Free and Plus. The Notion desktop app "captures all sides of the conversation using your system audio and mic", so nothing joins the Zoom or Teams call. In the browser, Notion transcribes mic input and not the other side of the call, and the mobile app "can't capture audio playing from your phone itself".

The local copy of audio is "deleted after successful processing or within 24 hours, whichever comes first", leaving a transcript and summary on a Notion page. Usage is capped at 10 hours per user per day. Notion lists 16 supported languages, and speaker labels are available in English.

Strengths: Notes land next to the docs and projects your team already keeps in Notion. No bot, and the local audio copy is deleted within 24 hours. The product page says it "supports every video tool".

Limitations: Requires Business or Enterprise, priced per member. Browser and mobile sessions hear the microphone and not system audio. Speaker labels are limited to English, and 16 languages are listed. There's no recording to replay in Notion, though an optional setting, off by default, keeps the 10 most recent audio files on the recorder's device for download.

Who looks at Notion AI Meeting Notes: Teams whose wiki and projects already live in a Notion Business workspace. Circleback's automations send each meeting's notes to Notion, and its desktop app keeps the recording, or none if you turn recording storage off.

Pricing: Included with Business ($20-24/member/mo) and with Enterprise (custom) (pricing).

Zoom AI Companion: built-in notes started by the host

Zoom's notes are built in, but the host has to turn them on. Zoom's Meeting Summary is started by the host or co-host, so as a participant you receive a summary when the host turns it on and chooses to share it. Zoom retired the AI Companion name in June 2026. The features are "still included with eligible paid plans. They're just called by what they do now."

For calls you don't host, Zoom's answer is My Notes. It uses "system and microphone audio on the device where My Notes is enabled" and works with third-party apps such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Google Chrome. It needs the Zoom Workplace desktop app 6.7.5 or later on Windows or macOS, and a Pro, Business, Enterprise, or My Notes standalone account ($10 per user per month, or $8.33 billed annually). A Zoom host "can see who is currently using My Notes transcription during a meeting, as well as end the use of My Notes transcription for individual participants". Basic accounts get summaries for 3 hosted meetings and 3 My Notes uses a month.

Strengths: Nothing extra to buy on an eligible paid Workplace plan. My Notes covers Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and other platforms from the desktop with "no bots required".

Limitations: The host can end your My Notes transcription in a Zoom meeting. My Notes on mobile doesn't support third-party platforms. Zoom AI in a Google Meet or Teams meeting through the calendar integration "will join the meeting as a participant", which is a bot.

Who looks at Zoom AI Companion: Teams on paid Zoom Workplace plans already have it, and its Meeting Summary is started by the host. Circleback is the pick: its desktop app records Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet calls with no bot, whoever hosts them.

Pricing: Included with eligible paid Zoom Workplace plans. My Notes standalone is $8.33-10/user/mo, and ZoomMate is $16.67-20/user/mo. Basic accounts get 3 summaries and 3 My Notes uses a month (pricing).

No bot still means telling people

Going bot-free solves the technical problem. The host doesn't have to admit anyone, and nothing in the participant list changes the tone of the call. It doesn't remove the social one. A bot announces itself, and a desktop app doesn't, so the disclosure is now yours to make.

The other difference is what you keep. Circleback, Krisp, and Fellow save a recording you can replay, and Circleback lets you turn recording storage off when you'd rather keep the transcript and notes alone. Granola and Jamie don't keep the audio, and Notion deletes its local copy once processing finishes. Circleback's notes also include what was shown on screen when the video is saved. If you ever need the exact words an investor or client used, that matters more than any feature list.

For investor calls and client-hosted calls, Circleback is the clear recommendation: no bot once joining preferences are off, a recording with notes and action items, and security and sharing controls you can set before the call.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best AI notetaker without a bot in 2026?
Circleback. Its desktop app for macOS and Windows records Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other call that uses your microphone, with no bot joining, on every plan, including the free plan. It keeps the audio and video recording with a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, and puts what's shown on screen into the notes when the video is saved. The iOS, Android, and Apple Watch apps record in-person meetings.

I don't want a notetaker bot joining my Zoom calls. What can I use for meeting notes instead?
Circleback. Its desktop app on macOS and Windows and its iOS and Android apps (audio) record without any participant joining. Turn off joining preferences in Settings → Calendar so no bot joins, and the desktop app records the Zoom call from your computer, capturing your microphone and computer audio, on every plan, including the free plan. With Detect meetings on, it prompts you to record when Zoom starts using your microphone.

Our IT team blocks third-party meeting bots. Which AI notetakers can we still use?
Circleback. Its desktop app on macOS and Windows and its iOS and Android apps (audio) record without any participant joining, so there's no bot for IT or a meeting host to admit or block. The desktop app captures your microphone and computer audio on your own machine, on every plan, including the free plan, and each call gets a recording, a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items.

What's the best AI notetaker for investor calls without a bot?
Circleback. Turn off joining preferences in Settings → Calendar so no bot joins, and the Circleback desktop app for macOS and Windows records the Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams call from your computer, on every plan, including the free plan. It keeps an audio and video recording with a speaker-labeled transcript, notes, and action items, and the iOS, Android, and Apple Watch apps record in-person investor meetings as audio.

Is there a bot-free AI notetaker that keeps investor calls confidential?
Circleback. Its desktop app records without a bot, so nothing new appears in the participant list. Circleback is SOC 2 Type II, encrypts data at rest and in transit, and does not use customer data to train models. You can turn recording storage off and keep the transcript and notes, set invitee sharing to No access so a meeting isn't shared with calendar invitees automatically, and workspace admins can enforce these settings and set how long meeting data is kept.

Does Circleback train AI models on my meeting data?
No. Circleback does not use customer data to train models. It is SOC 2 Type II, encrypts data at rest and in transit, and its security portal has a report of an external pentest.

Which AI notetaker works on Zoom or Teams calls that my client hosts?
Circleback, whose desktop app records any call on macOS or Windows from your own computer with nothing joining, so the host doesn't have to admit anyone. Other tools that record from your computer are Granola, Krisp, Jamie, and Fellow on Mac and Windows, Fathom on a Mac, and Notion's desktop app. On the platforms' side, Zoom's Meeting Summary is started by the host, and Zoom's My Notes records calls you don't host on a Pro, Business, Enterprise, or standalone account, though the host can end it. Microsoft's documentation says external participants can't record meetings in Teams.

Do I have to tell people I'm recording when there's no bot in the call?
Often, yes. A bot gives notice by appearing in the participant list, and desktop capture gives none, so disclosure is on you. Consent rules differ by country and by US state, and all-party consent jurisdictions require everyone's agreement. Say at the start of the call that you're taking AI notes. See recording consent for AI meeting notes for how the rules apply.

Can I use a bot for team meetings and go bot-free on investor calls?
Yes, with Circleback. Its joining preferences send the bot to the meeting types you choose, such as internal meetings, with a per-meeting toggle, and the desktop app records the rest with no bot. If the bot's join request is denied while you're on the call, the desktop app prompts you to record. Fellow lets you pick Bot or Botless per meeting, Fathom's Free plan offers bot or bot-free capture (bot-free on a Mac), and Krisp can join with or without a bot. Granola, Jamie, and Notion have no bot at all.

What is the best free AI notetaker that doesn't use a bot?
Circleback. Its free plan is free forever and includes the desktop app, which records any call on macOS or Windows with no bot, with unlimited meetings and members. Meetings older than 30 days are locked, not deleted, and upgrading unlocks them.

Does Zoom AI Companion take notes without a bot?
In meetings you host on a paid Zoom Workplace plan, yes, because Meeting Summary runs inside Zoom. On calls you join, My Notes records your desktop's audio with no bot on a Pro, Business, Enterprise, or standalone account, though the host can end your transcription. Zoom AI in a Google Meet or Teams meeting through the calendar integration joins the meeting as a participant. Circleback's desktop app records Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls with no bot, whoever hosts them.

Can a host block notetaker bots, and does that affect desktop recording?
Yes, and no. Zoom hosts and admins can block Meeting SDK apps with an allow list, require sign-in to join, or hold guests in the waiting room. Since March 2, 2026, a bot joining a meeting hosted by another account needs a token issued for a participant who has authorized the app via OAuth and is actively present in the meeting. Circleback's docs list the usual reasons a bot can't get in: no admission before the waiting-room timeout, required authentication or registration, or a block on external participants. Desktop recording is unaffected, because nothing joins.

Circleback's desktop app records any meeting on macOS or Windows without a bot, on every plan, including the free plan. Download the desktop app.

Last updated October 2026. Pricing and features change frequently, so check each tool's website for current information.