How to Transcribe a Meeting in 2026 (and the Best AI Transcription Tools Compared)
Last updated October 15, 2026. Tools and prices verified as of Oct 2026.
The short answer: Circleback is the best all-round way to transcribe a meeting in 2026. It records with a bot on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex, without a bot on macOS and Windows, in person on iOS, Android and Apple Watch, or from imports, and it keeps speaker labels on every method. It covers 100+ languages and has a Free plan; Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually.
Circleback makes this product. Competitor details below come from each vendor's own pages, as of Oct 2026: Fireflies.ai, Fathom, Granola, Otter.ai and tl;dv. All prices are in US dollars. Circleback prices are on the Circleback pricing page. For a wider roundup, see best AI meeting assistants. For CRM-focused picks, see best AI meeting notes software with CRM integrations.
How to transcribe a meeting in 4 steps
1. Pick a capture method
Use a bot if the meeting is on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Webex. Use bot-free desktop recording on macOS or Windows if you do not want a bot in the call. Use the mobile app or Apple Watch for in-person meetings. Import audio or video if the meeting already happened. If the bot's join request is denied while you're on the call, the desktop app prompts you to record when it is installed and running with Detect meetings on; it starts on its own only with Start recording automatically turned on. A waiting-room kick or removal from the call is not a trigger.
2. Tell participants
Say at the start that the meeting is being recorded and transcribed. Rules differ by place, so read the guide to recording consent for AI meeting notes.
3. Keep the audio clean
Use a headset or a close microphone where you can, reduce background noise, and ask people to talk one at a time. Clear separation between voices helps the transcript attribute each line to the right person.
4. Review and share
Skim the transcript and notes for names and numbers before you send them. In Circleback, the transcript has speaker labels whichever method you used. You can then search across meetings with Ask Circleback. Automations can post notes to Slack, and on Pro and up they can send them to your CRM.
Six tools compared, as of Oct 2026
| Circleback | Fireflies.ai | Fathom | Granola | Otter.ai | tl;dv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bot | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bot-free capture | Desktop app, macOS 14.2+ and Windows, every plan | Desktop app and Chrome extension | Mac only (beta) | Yes (device audio) | Desktop or Chrome | Desktop app |
| Mobile and in-person | iOS, Android, Apple Watch (Lock Screen widget, Watch complication, iPhone Action button) | iOS, Android | iOS app (iPhone only) | iOS, Android, Apple Watch | iOS, Android | Vendor pages conflict: help center says iOS and Android; mobile page shows an iOS early beta |
| Imports | Audio and video; Fathom, Fireflies, Granola, Read AI (not Otter or Gong); phone-call recordings as imports | File uploads | No (uploads not supported) | No | 3 lifetime on Basic, 10 per month on Pro | Uploads (beta, up to 3 hours) |
| Languages | 100+, with output-language choice for notes | English primary, 100+ in beta | 7 native (Premium and Team plans); Ask Fathom translates into 29 more | 31 on desktop, 17 on mobile | 6 | 30+ |
| Bot platforms | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex | Zoom, Meet, Teams, 10+ more | Zoom, Meet, Teams (no Webex) | None (no bot) | Zoom, Meet, Teams | Zoom, Meet, Teams |
| Price per user per month | Free; Pro $15 annual ($18 monthly); Business $25 ($29); Enterprise $35 annual | Free; Pro $10 annual ($18 monthly); Business $19 ($29); Enterprise $39 annual | Free; Premium $16 ($20 monthly); Team $15 ($19); Business $25 ($34) | Basic $0; Business $14 billed monthly; Enterprise $35 | Basic free; Pro $8.33 annual ($16.99 monthly); Business $19.99 ($30) | Free; Pro $18 annual ($29 monthly); Business $29 ($39) |
Circleback keeps speaker labels with every recording method, including bot-free, and Ask Circleback searches meetings and connected email with cited sources.
Best for
- Best all-round: Circleback, because one tool covers bot, bot-free, in-person and import capture with speaker labels on each and 100+ languages.
- Lowest paid Pro price: Otter.ai Pro at $8.33 per user per month annual, with 6 transcription languages.
- Low paid price with many capture options: Fireflies.ai Pro at $10 annual, with a bot, bot-free desktop, a Chrome extension, mobile apps and file uploads.
- Bot-free on desktop, mobile and Apple Watch: Granola.
- Simple bot recording on Zoom, Meet and Teams with a Free plan: Fathom, if you do not need Webex.
- Bot recording on Zoom, Meet and Teams with a Free plan: tl;dv.
Circleback
Circleback suits individuals, teams and companies of every size, from Free to Enterprise. It records with a bot on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex. The desktop app records without a bot on macOS 14.2+ and Windows and is on every plan, including Free; there is no Linux app and no browser extension. Even with no bot in the call, the desktop app saves the meeting video and audio for you automatically. With joining preferences on, if the bot's join request is denied while you're on the call, the desktop app prompts you to record when it is installed and running with Detect meetings on, and starts on its own only with Start recording automatically turned on.
For in-person meetings, use the iOS or Android app (including the Lock Screen widget), the Apple Watch complication, or the iPhone Action button. You can import audio or video, including recorded phone calls (the mobile app does not record phone-call audio directly). You can also import meetings from Fathom, Fireflies, Granola and Read AI; Otter and Gong imports are unavailable. Every method keeps full speaker labels, and transcription covers over 100 languages. Circleback saves the full video, the full audio and the full transcript of your meetings on every plan (the mobile app saves audio only), and you can play back or download the recording any time and jump to any word in the transcript. You can choose the output language for notes, and turn off recording storage while keeping the transcript and notes. Ask Circleback searches your meetings and connected email with cited sources, and the product also has an API, MCP and CLI.
Limitations
- There is no Linux app and no browser extension.
- Bot-free recording covers macOS 14.2+ and Windows only.
- Direct imports work for Fathom, Fireflies, Granola and Read AI, not Otter or Gong.
- On Free, meetings older than 30 days are locked until you upgrade; they are not deleted. Upgrading to Pro unlocks them.
- Recordings are deleted after 1 year on Free and Pro, and after 2 years on Business.
- Pro costs more per user than Otter.ai Pro.
Pricing
Free is a plan, not a trial, and it is free forever. It includes unlimited meetings and members, limited automations, and API, MCP and CLI access; meetings older than 30 days are locked, not deleted, and upgrading to Pro unlocks them. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. Business is $25 annually or $29 monthly, and Enterprise is $35 annually. See Circleback pricing.
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai has a bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and 10+ other platforms, a bot-free desktop app, a Chrome extension that records without a bot, iOS and Android apps, and file uploads. English is its primary language, with 100+ more in beta.
Pricing. Free; Pro $10 annual ($18 monthly); Business $19 ($29); Enterprise $39 annual.
Fathom
Fathom captures meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack Huddles, and does not list Webex. Bot-free recording on Mac is in beta. Its iOS app is on all plans and is iPhone only, with no Android app. Free includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions.
Pricing. Free; Premium $16 ($20 monthly); Team $15 ($19, 2-user minimum); Business $25 ($34); Enterprise through sales.
Granola
Granola captures device audio without a bot, with desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch apps. It supports 31 languages on desktop and 17 on mobile.
Pricing. Basic $0 with 30-day history; Business $14 per user per month, billed monthly; Enterprise $35 per user per month.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai has a bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, bot-free capture on desktop or Chrome, and iOS and Android apps. It transcribes 6 languages. Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes per month and 3 lifetime imports.
Pricing. Basic free; Pro $8.33 annual ($16.99 monthly) with 10 imports per month; Business $19.99 ($30); Enterprise custom.
tl;dv
tl;dv has a bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, and a desktop app that records without a bot, including other platforms from system audio. It lists 30+ transcription languages.
Pricing. Free; Pro $18 annual ($29 monthly); Business $29 ($39); Enterprise custom.