Comparison
| Tool | Why it fits (from official info) | Pricing | Official pricing | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Fathom | Free plan: unlimited recordings and transcription, instant AI summaries, clips and search. Bot or bot-free capture (bot-free in beta on Mac). Premium $16/month billed annually adds action items and advanced summaries. | Freemium | From the official pricing page (USD): Free (unlimited recordings and transcription, instant summaries); Premium $20/month, or $16/month billed annually; Team $19/user/month, or $15/user/month billed annually (2-user minimum); Business $34/user/month, or $25/user/month billed annually; Enterprise via sales. | |
 tl;dv | Built for teams that sell: custom note templates such as MEDDIC, automatic CRM logging, drafted follow-up emails and reports across many calls. Free plan available; Pro €18/seat/month billed annually. | Freemium | From the official pricing page (EUR, per seat): Free €0; Pro €29/month, or €18/month billed annually; Business €39/month, or €29/month billed annually. | |
 Otter.ai | Joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, and also records in person through iOS and Android apps. Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes a month; Pro is $8.49/user/month billed annually. | Freemium | From the official pricing page (USD): Basic free (300 transcription minutes a month); Pro $16.99/user/month billed monthly or $8.49/user/month billed annually; Business $30/user/month (the page also shows $24 with a '20% off for 3 months' promotion); Enterprise by demo. |
How to do it with AI
- Tell clients up front that the call will be recorded and transcribed, and follow your local consent rules.
- Connect your calendar so the notetaker joins scheduled Zoom, Meet or Teams calls, or use a bot-free option if a visible bot would feel awkward.
- After the call, read the summary against the transcript and fix names, numbers and commitments.
- Turn the action items into a short follow-up email and send it the same day.
- If you use a CRM, map the summary fields (budget, timeline, next step) so notes land on the right deal.
- Every month, search across calls for repeated objections or feature requests.
Prompt for a client follow-up email from a call transcript (our suggested wording, not a test output)
Below is the transcript of my call with [client]. Write a follow-up email under 150 words that: thanks them, lists the decisions we made, lists each action item with its owner and due date exactly as said in the call, and proposes the next meeting. Do not add anything that was not said. [paste transcript]
China-made vs Western: Tongyi Tingwu next to Fathom, tl;dv and Otter.ai
Tongyi Tingwu comes from Alibaba Cloud and is listed in our mainland China section. Here is how it compares, using only what each official site lists.
| Need | Tongyi Tingwu (Alibaba Cloud) | Fathom / tl;dv / Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free trial offered on the homepage | Fathom Free: unlimited recordings; tl;dv Free €0; Otter Basic: 300 minutes a month |
| Live transcription and translation | Live speech to text with simultaneous translation in several languages | Otter: live transcription; tl;dv: notes in other languages |
| Speakers and to-dos | Separates speakers; drafts chapter overviews and to-dos | Fathom: action items on Premium; Otter: speaker identification and action items |
| CRM sync | Not covered on the page we checked | Fathom Business CRM field sync; tl;dv automatic CRM logging; Otter Salesforce and HubSpot on Pro |
| Usable in mainland China | Yes (ICP-filed official site) | Not listed in our mainland China section |
FAQ
What is the best free AI notetaker for Zoom calls?
Fathom's free plan has unlimited recordings and transcription with instant AI summaries. Otter.ai Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes a month, and tl;dv also has a free plan. Checked on 2026-10-23.
Can an AI notetaker record without a bot joining the call?
Yes. Fathom offers bot-free capture (in beta on Mac) and tl;dv advertises a no-bot option.
Which AI notetaker updates my CRM automatically?
tl;dv logs call notes and outcomes into the CRM automatically. Fathom pushes summaries to CRMs and syncs specific CRM fields on Business. Otter Pro lists Salesforce and HubSpot integrations.
How much does Fathom cost?
Free for individuals. Premium is $20/month or $16/month billed annually; Team is $19/user/month or $15 billed annually (2-user minimum); Business is $34/user/month or $25 billed annually.
Is there an AI meeting notetaker that works in mainland China?
Alibaba Cloud's Tongyi Tingwu has an ICP-filed official site and offers live transcription with translation, speaker separation and to-do summaries.
Head-to-head comparisons
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