The best AI meeting note-takers for small offices, read through the fine print

Last checked 2026-10-25.

Disclosure: If you buy through some links on this page we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change the Fine Print boxes or the rankings. Vendor links on this page are plain (no affiliate tracking) until cookie consent is live. How we make money

An AI note-taker joins your client calls, records what people say, and sends it to a vendor’s cloud. That makes it a data decision first and a productivity decision second, so this guide reads the pricing pages, privacy policies and help centers before it reads the feature lists.

The short answer

Verdict Pick Why, in one line Try
Best overall for small teams Fireflies.ai $10/seat/mo on annual Pro, and the policy says it doesn’t train on meeting content. Try Fireflies free
Best free plan Fathom Unlimited recordings and transcription on the free plan. Turn the training opt-out on. Try Fathom free
Best for EU/GDPR offices tl;dv EEA-hosted, German controller, EU or US AI processing by choice. Try tl;dv free
Best consent controls MeetGeek Consent notifications with approval tracking, skip rules, private by default (Business). Try MeetGeek free
Read the fine print first Otter.ai Its privacy policy allows training on de-identified recordings, and a class action is pending. Try Otter free

Quick comparison

Chips: Yes / Conditional / No / Unknown. “Unknown” means the vendor’s public pages we checked don’t say. We don’t guess. Split into two tables for mobile reading.

Price & plans

Tool Free plan (limit) Price /seat/mo (annual / monthly) Seat min / caps Bot-free Try
Fireflies.ai “Unlimited transcription*”, limited AI summaries, 400 min storage/team Pro $10 / $18; Business $19 / $29 Unknown Yes (Chrome extension, no bot) Try free
Fathom Unlimited recordings and transcription Team $15 / $19; Business $25 / $34 2 (Team and Business) Yes (Mac beta) Try free
tl;dv Unlimited video/transcription; 10 meetings with AI notes; recordings 3 months Pro €18 / €29 (~$18 / $29); Business €29 / €39 (~$29 / $39) Unknown Unknown Try free
MeetGeek 3 h/mo transcription; 3-mo transcripts; 1-mo audio Pro $9.99 / $15.99; Business $17 / $27 Unknown Yes (Chrome/desktop/mobile; bot also) Try free
Otter.ai 300 transcription min/mo; 3 lifetime imports Pro $8.33 / $16.99 (max 5 users); Business $19.99 / $30 (max 25 users) Unknown Unknown Try free

Privacy & compliance

Tool Trains on meetings? Data location Retention control Consent tools SOC 2 / GDPR / HIPAA / BAA SSO
Fireflies.ai No Unknown (private storage on Enterprise) Custom: Enterprise Rules engine; transcript/summary-only mode (Enterprise) SOC 2 II / GDPR / HIPAA & BAA on Enterprise with Private Storage Enterprise
Fathom Conditional (default on; opt-out) US only Custom: Enterprise In-meeting banner (disable on paid plans) SOC 2 II / GDPR / HIPAA with BAA (Enterprise) Enterprise
tl;dv No EEA (DE/FI); AI EU or US Free: 3 months; paid: until deletion Pre-meeting consent (non-customer participants) SOC 2: claimed on pricing, report not reviewed / GDPR / HIPAA: Unknown / BAA: Unknown Enterprise (Custom SSO, SCIM)
MeetGeek No (external); internal: Unknown EU or US; on-prem Enterprise Per plan; zero/custom: Enterprise Consent notifications + approval tracking; skip rules (Business+) SOC 2 II / GDPR / HIPAA claimed; BAA offered via sales (Enterprise); signed terms not reviewed Enterprise
Otter.ai Yes (de-identified) Unknown Custom: Enterprise (min 24 h) Disclaimer email + Teams permission: Enterprise only SOC 2 II (2023 announcement) / GDPR: Unknown / HIPAA add-on Enterprise; BAA: Unknown 100-user minimum

List prices, excluding tax and first-time-subscriber promos, checked 2026-10-25; vendors change these often. tl;dv shows EUR on its site; USD figures above are from the live page geo view where available. Sources for every cell are in each product’s Fine Print box and in Sources.

Before you buy: check what you already pay for

In IT support, the cheapest tool is often the one already on the invoice. If your whole team lives in one platform, start here.

Zoom AI Companion

Core AI Companion is included with paid Zoom Workplace. The free Workplace Basic plan gets summaries for 3 hosted meetings a month and My Notes 3 times a month. The ZoomMate add-on is $16.67/user/mo billed annually or $22/user/mo billed monthly (USD list on zoom.us/pricing/aic with USD selected). Promo: $16.50/user/mo for the first 4 months, then renews at $22 monthly (new subscribers or existing adding the add-on; requires paid Zoom Workplace; promo expires 1 Nov 2026 07:59 GMT+1). Default EU view shows EUR incl. VAT — do not confuse annual-with-VAT (~$20.17) with the monthly list. source / checked 2026-10-25

Zoom says it doesn’t use customer audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments or other communications-like content to train its own or third-party AI models. source / checked 2026-10-25 How long AI Companion itself keeps meeting content: Unknown on the Zoom pages we checked. Admins control it at account, group and user level, and participants get an in-meeting notice. source / checked 2026-10-25

Microsoft Teams intelligent recap

Intelligent recap needs either Teams Premium ($10/user/mo, paid yearly, as listed on Microsoft’s SG page in USD) or a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. The Copilot Business add-on is $18 promo / $21 list per user/mo, paid yearly; the promo runs through 2026-12-31. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

Microsoft says prompts, responses and Microsoft Graph data aren’t used to train foundation models. Data stays in your Microsoft 365 tenant and follows tenant policies. With Copilot, recap can run without saving transcripts. source / checked 2026-10-25

Notion AI Meeting Notes

Available on Business or Enterprise only. Business is $20 per member/mo on annual billing (the monthly figure is unverified, so we’re not printing it). source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

Notion says its providers are contractually barred from training on your data. Named sub-processors are OpenAI, Anthropic, Fireworks, Baseten, X.AI and AssemblyAI, and they don’t store audio. LLM providers keep data for up to 30 days on Business and zero days on Enterprise; audio from a failed upload can be kept up to 3 days. Auto-delete schedules are Enterprise only. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

FINE PRINT / Bundled options / checked 2026-10-25

Zoom AI Companion Teams recap (Premium/Copilot) Notion AI Meeting Notes
Trains on your data No No (foundation models) No
Where data lives Zoom + third-party model providers Your M365 tenant Notion + named sub-processors
Retention Unknown (AI Companion-specific) Tenant policies LLM ≤30 days (Business), zero (Enterprise)
Admin controls Account / group / user Tenant admin policies Auto-delete: Enterprise only
Sources Zoom ToS & AI / Zoom privacy Copilot privacy Notion help

When a standalone tool still wins

  • Mixed platforms. Your clients send Zoom, Teams and Meet links. ZoomMate can cover some third-party platforms, but a standalone tool is still often simpler across hosts.
  • External calls. You need recordings from meetings you don’t host.
  • CRM sync. Fathom Business syncs CRM fields; bundled tools generally don’t target this. source / checked 2026-10-25
  • Price per seat. Fireflies Pro at $10/seat annual is cheaper than Copilot Business at $18–21.

How we checked

  • Primary sources only: each vendor’s pricing page, privacy policy, terms of service, help center and trust/security pages, plus the court docket for the Otter case. Every claim carries a link and a check date.
  • “Unknown” means the vendor didn’t say publicly on the pages we checked. We’d rather show a gap than fill it with a guess.
  • What we weighted for small offices, in order: consent and training on your data, then price per seat, then admin controls, then features.
  • Affiliate relationships don’t change scores. Otter is included without an affiliate link because you’ll be asked about it.
  • We didn’t test transcription accuracy in this version. This guide is about what you’re agreeing to, which is where most listicles stop reading.

The 5 note-takers, reviewed

1. Fireflies.ai: best overall for small teams

Best for: small teams on mixed platforms that want unlimited transcription at a low paid seat price with a clear no-training policy.
Price: Free / Pro $10/seat/mo annual ($18 monthly) / Business $19 annual ($29 monthly) / Enterprise $39 annual. AI credits are extra. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

What it does well
– Strong value at $10/seat on annual Pro with unlimited transcription (MeetGeek Pro is $9.99 but capped at 20 hours/mo; Otter Pro is $8.33 but capped at 5 users).
– Free plan advertises “unlimited transcription*” with limited AI summaries, though storage is capped at 400 minutes per team. source / checked 2026-10-25
– Business adds video, conversation intelligence, team analytics and unlimited storage.
– Clear policy: no training on meeting content, internally or externally, and Zero Data Retention with its AI vendors. source / checked 2026-10-25

Watch-outs
– HIPAA (claimed), private storage, custom retention, SSO and SCIM are all Enterprise. HIPAA & BAA on Enterprise with Private Storage (security + pricing). source / checked 2026-10-25
– AI credits are billed on top of the seat price, so budget for them. Auto-Upgrade of AI credits is on by default (starts around $5/mo, then steps up) — an SMB budget trap if you leave it on. source / checked 2026-10-25
– The terms allow “derived usage, statistical” data to be used internally. That isn’t meeting content, but it’s worth knowing. source / checked 2026-10-25

FINE PRINT / Fireflies.ai / checked 2026-10-25
No training on meeting content. Zero Data Retention with vendors. HIPAA and private storage only on Enterprise.

Field What we found Source
Recording consent Rules engine and “transcript and summary only” mode on Enterprise. Notification method: Unknown pricing
Capture method Yes bot-free via Chrome extension (bot also available) pricing
Where data lives Region: Unknown. Private storage on Enterprise security
Retention Free: 400 min storage per team. Custom retention on Enterprise billing terms
Trains on your data No: “no training on meeting content, internally or externally”. ToS allows derived usage/statistical data internally privacy / ToS
AI sub-processors Not named; Zero Data Retention with vendors privacy
Certifications SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA & BAA on Enterprise with Private Storage, ISO 42001 (per pricing page) security / pricing
Admin controls Super admin, rules engine; SSO/SCIM on Enterprise billing terms
Deletion Account data deleted within 30 days of closing privacy
Heads-up None found —
IT take Day 1: switch off auto-join for external meetings, decide who can see team transcripts, and track AI credit use for the first month. —
Seat math (annual billing)
Seats Pro ($10) Business ($19)
5 $50/mo / $600/yr $95/mo / $1,140/yr
10 $100/mo / $1,200/yr $190/mo / $2,280/yr
25 $250/mo / $3,000/yr $475/mo / $5,700/yr

Excludes tax and AI credits.

Try Fireflies free →

2. Fathom: best free plan

Best for: teams that want to start at $0 and are willing to change one setting.
Price: Free forever / Premium (individual) $16 annual / $20 monthly / Team $15/seat annual / $19 monthly (2-user minimum) / Business $25 annual / $34 monthly (2-user minimum) / Enterprise: talk to sales. source / checked 2026-10-25

What it does well
– The free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription. source / checked 2026-10-25
– Bot-free capture is available (Mac beta), so no visible bot has to join the call. A bot option is also there.
– Business adds CRM field sync and custom summaries.
– Data is stored in the US only, which is simple to explain to US clients. source / checked 2026-10-25

Watch-outs
– By default, Fathom uses de-identified customer data to improve its own models. You can opt out per user, and Team org admins can opt out the whole org. Its AI sub-processors (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google) can’t train on the data. source / checked 2026-10-25
– US-only storage. EU/UK customers can request a DPA, but there’s no EU region. source / checked 2026-10-25
– The in-meeting banner can be disabled. That’s convenient, but it moves the consent job back onto you.

FINE PRINT / Fathom / checked 2026-10-25
Default: de-identified data improves Fathom’s own models. Turn it off in My Settings, or org-wide on Team. Data stored in the US.

Field What we found Source
Recording consent In-meeting banner; can be disabled (plan row) pricing
Capture method Both: bot, or bot-free capture (Mac beta) pricing
Where data lives US only. DPA on request for EU/UK help
Retention Custom retention on Enterprise pricing
Trains on your data Conditional: own models trained on de-identified data by default; user opt-out, org-wide opt-out on Team help
AI sub-processors Anthropic, OpenAI, Google (can’t train on the data) help
Certifications SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA with a BAA (Enterprise), GDPR. No ISO 27001 help
Admin controls SSO/SCIM on Enterprise; org-wide training opt-out on Team pricing / help
Deletion Account deletion removes data; backups cleared 7 days later help (article edited 2025-09-08)
Heads-up Training is on by default help
IT take If you roll out Team, make the org-wide opt-out your first click, and keep the banner on for external calls. —
Seat math (annual billing)
Seats Team ($15) Business ($25)
5 $75/mo / $900/yr $125/mo / $1,500/yr
10 $150/mo / $1,800/yr $250/mo / $3,000/yr
25 $375/mo / $4,500/yr $625/mo / $7,500/yr

Team requires at least 2 users. Excludes tax.

Try Fathom free →

3. tl;dv: best for EU/GDPR-first offices

Best for: EU businesses, or anyone whose clients ask “where is this stored?” before they ask what it costs.
Price: Free (€0) / Pro €18/seat/mo billed annually (€29 monthly) / Business €29/seat/mo billed annually (€39 monthly). Live USD geo view (checked 2026-10-25): Pro ~$18 / $29; Business ~$29 / $39. source / checked 2026-10-25

What it does well
– EEA-hosted on Google Cloud, Wasabi and Hetzner (Germany and Finland). source / checked 2026-10-25
– You choose EU or US for AI processing in account preferences. AI sub-processors include Anthropic via Google Vertex AI (among others named in the privacy policy).
– German data controller, overseen by Germany’s federal data protection authority (BfDI).
– The privacy policy says it doesn’t use customer content to train or improve models, for itself or its providers.
– Collects consent from non-customer participants before the meeting.

Watch-outs
– Free-plan recordings are deleted after 3 months. Paid recordings stay until you delete the account. source / checked 2026-10-25
– SOC 2: claimed on the pricing page; we did not review a report or trust-center attestation, so treat as claimed, not verified.
– Priced in EUR. If you pay in USD, check the final checkout figure.

FINE PRINT / tl;dv / checked 2026-10-25
EEA-hosted. Pick EU or US for AI processing. No model training. Free plan recordings deleted after 3 months.

Field What we found Source
Recording consent Collects consent from non-customer participants before the meeting privacy
Capture method Unknown (not stated on pages checked) —
Where data lives EEA (Google Cloud, Wasabi, Hetzner: DE/FI). AI processing EU or US by choice privacy
Retention Free: 3 months. Paid: until account deletion privacy
Trains on your data No: doesn’t use customer content to train or improve models, for itself or providers privacy
AI sub-processors Includes Anthropic via Google Vertex AI (privacy policy) privacy
Certifications GDPR (policy). SOC 2: claimed on pricing (report not reviewed). HIPAA: Unknown / BAA: Unknown privacy / pricing
Admin controls Custom SSO / SCIM: Enterprise pricing
Deletion Paid recordings kept until account deletion; purge timeline: Unknown privacy
Heads-up None found —
IT take Set AI processing to EU on day 1 if you’re an EU business, and export anything you need from free accounts before the 3-month cutoff. —
Privacy policy version 2026-09-09.

Seat math (annual billing, EUR)

Seats Pro (€18) Business (€29)
5 €90/mo / €1,080/yr €145/mo / €1,740/yr
10 €180/mo / €2,160/yr €290/mo / €3,480/yr
25 €450/mo / €5,400/yr €725/mo / €8,700/yr

Excludes VAT.

Try tl;dv free →

4. MeetGeek: best built-in consent controls

Best for: teams that record client calls and want proof that people were told.
Price: Basic free / Pro $9.99/seat/mo billed annually or $15.99 monthly (20 h/mo; $0.50 per extra hour) / Business $17/seat/mo billed annually or $27 monthly (unlimited) / Enterprise: custom. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

What it does well
– Business includes recording consent notifications with approval tracking, skip rules, and private-by-default meetings. That’s the most complete consent tooling in this group. source / checked 2026-10-25
– You choose EU or US storage; Enterprise adds on-prem storage.
– Retention is spelled out per plan, and Enterprise can set zero or custom retention.
– States “Zero-data-training: your data is not used to train external models”.
– Records with a bot or bot-free: the Chrome extension, desktop app and mobile app capture without a bot joining. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

Watch-outs
– The training statement covers external models. What it says about MeetGeek’s own models: Unknown.
– Pro caps you at 20 hours a month and charges $0.50 per extra hour.
– HIPAA is claimed (badges), and MeetGeek says it signs BAAs on request through sales; the Enterprise plan lists “HIPAA BAA”. We found no BAA for Pro or Business, so treat those as not for patient data. source / checked 2026-10-25

FINE PRINT / MeetGeek / checked 2026-10-25
Consent notifications with approval tracking, skip rules and private-by-default on Business. EU or US storage.

Field What we found Source
Recording consent Consent notifications with approval tracking, skip rules (Business+) pricing
Capture method Both: bot, or bot-free via Chrome extension, desktop app and mobile app pricing / home
Where data lives EU or US (choice). On-prem storage on Enterprise pricing
Retention Free: 3 mo transcripts / 1 mo audio. Pro: 1 yr / 6 mo. Business: unlimited transcripts, 12 mo video. Enterprise: zero or custom pricing
Trains on your data No for external models; own models: Unknown pricing
AI sub-processors Unknown (not named on pages checked) —
Certifications SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA (self-reported badges). BAA: via sales on Enterprise; none stated for Pro/Business pricing / home
Admin controls Private by default (Business+); SSO/SCIM on Enterprise pricing
Deletion Unknown beyond the retention limits above —
Heads-up None found —
IT take Turn on consent notifications and private-by-default before the first client call, and write skip rules for HR, legal and finance meetings. —
Seat math (annual billing)
Seats Pro ($9.99) Business ($17)
5 $49.95/mo / $599.40/yr $85/mo / $1,020/yr
10 $99.90/mo / $1,198.80/yr $170/mo / $2,040/yr
25 $249.75/mo / $2,997/yr $425/mo / $5,100/yr

Monthly billing is $15.99 (Pro) and $27 (Business) per seat. Pro excludes overage at $0.50/hour above 20 h/mo. Excludes tax.

Try MeetGeek free →

5. Otter.ai: the big name, read this first

Best for: teams already using Otter who want to know what they’ve agreed to, or anyone comparing it against the four above.
Price: Basic free / Pro $8.33/user/mo billed annually or $16.99 monthly (up to 5 users) / Business $19.99/user/mo billed annually or $30 monthly (up to 25 users) / Enterprise: contact sales. Otter also shows first-time-subscriber promos (Pro $4.17* annual / $8.49* monthly) and a 3-month Business promo ($24 for 3 months on monthly); we use list prices. source / checked 2026-10-25

What it does well
– Well-known brand with a usable free tier: 300 transcription minutes a month and 3 lifetime file imports.
– Enterprise only: recording disclaimer email, Teams recording-permission capture, and recording-control permissions (not on Pro or Business). source / checked 2026-10-25
– SOC 2 Type II, per Otter’s attestation announcement. HIPAA compliance is listed as an Enterprise add-on; BAA terms aren’t on the pages we checked. GDPR: Unknown (no clear claim on a public Otter trust or privacy page). source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

Watch-outs
– Training. Otter’s privacy policy lists “training our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)” as a purpose. source / checked 2026-10-25
– Litigation. A class action, In re Otter.ai Privacy Litigation, No. 5:25-cv-06911 (N.D. Cal.), alleges privacy violations. On 2026-08-13 the court granted Otter’s motion to dismiss in part and allowed claims under the federal Wiretap Act (ECPA), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) and the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to proceed. This is the pleading stage; there has been no finding of liability. This isn’t legal advice. court order / checked 2026-10-25
– Consent tooling is Enterprise only (disclaimer email, Teams permission, recording controls) — on Pro/Business send your own invite notice. Admin. Custom data retention is Enterprise only (minimum 24 hours), and SSO/SCIM need at least 100 users. Most small offices won’t reach either. source / checked 2026-10-25 / source / checked 2026-10-25

FINE PRINT / Otter.ai / checked 2026-10-25
Privacy policy: trains proprietary AI on de-identified recordings and transcripts. Class action pending (core claims proceeding as of 2026-08-13). Custom retention and SSO need Enterprise (SSO: 100-user minimum).

Field What we found Source
Recording consent Recording disclaimer email, Teams recording-permission capture, recording-control permissions (Enterprise only) pricing
Capture method Unknown (not stated on pages checked) —
Where data lives Unknown (not stated on pages checked) —
Retention Custom retention on Enterprise only (minimum 24 h) help
Trains on your data Yes (de-identified audio and transcripts, per privacy policy) privacy
AI sub-processors Unknown (not named on pages checked) —
Certifications SOC 2 Type II (announcement; current report: Unknown). GDPR: Unknown. HIPAA add-on on Enterprise; BAA: Unknown SOC 2 post / pricing
Admin controls SSO/SCIM need at least 100 users pricing
Deletion Unknown —
Heads-up Class action pending; ECPA, CIPA and BIPA claims allowed to proceed 2026-08-13; no finding of liability court order
IT take Disclaimer email and Teams recording permission are Enterprise only. On Pro/Business, send your own invite notice before recording. Switch off auto-join for external meetings. SSO/SCIM needs 100 users. —

Seat math (annual billing, list price)

Seats Pro ($8.33) Business ($19.99)
5 $41.65/mo / $499.80/yr $99.95/mo / $1,199.40/yr
10 n/a (Pro max 5 users) $199.90/mo / $2,398.80/yr
25 n/a $499.75/mo / $5,997/yr (Business max 25 users)

Monthly billing is $16.99 (Pro) and $30 (Business) per user. First-time-subscriber promos ($4.17/$8.49* Pro) aren’t used here. Excludes tax.*

Try Otter free →

Recording consent: a 5-minute rollout checklist

This is the checklist I’d run before any of these bots joins a client call. It isn’t legal advice; check with counsel for where you and your callers are.

  1. Know the rules that apply to you. Some US states require every party’s consent to record a call, and in the EU, GDPR requires you to be transparent about processing personal data. Which rules apply depends on where you and your callers are, so check with counsel. Telling everyone and asking first is the safe default.
  2. Turn off auto-join for external meetings. Let people add the note-taker on purpose rather than have it follow every calendar invite.
  3. Turn on the vendor’s notice. If the tool records bot-free (Fireflies Chrome extension; Fathom Mac beta; MeetGeek extension/desktop/mobile), nobody sees a bot, so the notice is on you. Otter Enterprise: recording disclaimer email (not on Business). MeetGeek Business: consent notifications with approval tracking. tl;dv: pre-meeting consent from non-customer participants. Fathom: keep the in-meeting banner on.
  4. Set retention to the shortest you can live with. Check what your plan allows; custom retention is usually an Enterprise feature.
  5. Opt out of model training where it’s offered. For Fathom, do it org-wide on Team.
  6. Decide who sees transcripts. Make meetings private by default (MeetGeek Business does this) and share on purpose.
  7. Say it in writing. Add one line to your meeting invites (“This meeting may be recorded and transcribed by [tool]”) and mention the tool in your privacy notice.

Which one should you pick?

“We’re 3–10 people on mixed platforms with a tight budget.”
Fireflies Pro at $10/seat annual, or Fathom Free with the training opt-out on. → Try Fireflies free / Try Fathom free

“We’re in the EU, or our clients ask about GDPR.”
tl;dv (EEA hosting, EU AI processing) or MeetGeek with EU storage. → Try tl;dv free / Try MeetGeek free

“We record client calls and need proof of consent.”
MeetGeek Business: consent notifications with approval tracking. → Try MeetGeek free

“We’re all-in on Microsoft 365 or Zoom.”
Start with what you already license: Teams recap via Premium or Copilot, or Zoom AI Companion on paid Workplace. Add a standalone tool only if you need cross-platform capture.

“We need HIPAA.”
None of the tiers priced above is a safe choice for patient data on its own. Never treat a badge as “HIPAA-ready.” BAA documented on public pages we checked: Fathom Enterprise and Fireflies — HIPAA & BAA on Enterprise with Private Storage. MeetGeek lists “HIPAA BAA” on Enterprise and says it starts a BAA via sales — signed terms not reviewed here (BAA: Unknown until you have one). Otter lists a HIPAA add-on on Enterprise (BAA: Unknown). Get a signed BAA before any patient data goes near a call.

Otter alternatives for small teams

If Otter’s training clause or the pending class action is a deal-breaker, here are the closest swaps:
– Fireflies.ai if you want a low paid seat price and a no-training policy. → Try Fireflies free
– Fathom if you want to start free (turn off the training default first). → Try Fathom free
– tl;dv if you need EU hosting. → Try tl;dv free
– MeetGeek if you need consent notifications with approval tracking (Fireflies and Fathom also offer bot-free capture). → Try MeetGeek free

FAQ

Is it legal to use an AI note-taker in meetings without telling people?

Don’t rely on it. Some US states require every party’s consent to record, and in the EU, GDPR requires you to be transparent about processing. Tell people, use the vendor’s notice feature, and say it in the invite. This isn’t legal advice; check with counsel for your situation.

Does Otter train on my data?

Otter’s privacy policy lists “training our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)” as a purpose. Whether you can opt out isn’t stated on the pages we checked. source / checked 2026-10-25

Does Fathom train on my meetings?

By default, yes, on de-identified data, to improve Fathom’s own models. Each user can opt out, and Team org admins can opt out the whole org. Fathom’s AI sub-processors (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google) can’t train on the data. source / checked 2026-10-25

Do AI note-takers train on my meeting recordings?

It depends on the vendor. As of 2026-10-25: Fireflies No, tl;dv No, MeetGeek No for external models (own models Unknown), Fathom Conditional (on by default, opt-out), Otter Yes (de-identified). Zoom, Microsoft and Notion say No. Sources are in each Fine Print box.

Which AI note-taker stores data in the EU?

tl;dv hosts in the EEA (Germany and Finland) and lets you choose EU or US for AI processing. MeetGeek lets you pick EU or US storage. Fathom stores data in the US only.

What’s the best free AI note-taker for a small team?

Fathom: its free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription. Switch off the model-training setting in My Settings. Fireflies’ free plan advertises unlimited transcription, but storage is capped at 400 minutes per team.

Bot vs bot-free: which is better for client calls?

A visible bot is more transparent: everyone sees that something is recording. Bot-free capture (Fireflies Chrome extension; Fathom in Mac beta; MeetGeek via Chrome extension, desktop and mobile apps) is less intrusive, but it puts the job of telling people entirely on you. For client calls, tell people either way.

Can I delete recordings and transcripts permanently?

Policies differ. Fathom says account deletion removes data, with backups cleared 7 days later. Fireflies deletes account data within 30 days of closing. tl;dv keeps paid recordings until account deletion and free ones for 3 months. Custom or zero retention is usually an Enterprise feature (Fireflies, Fathom, MeetGeek, Otter).

Do I need SSO for a 10-person team?

Nice to have, rarely required. Most vendors here put SSO on Enterprise, and Otter needs at least 100 users. At 10 people, strong passwords plus multi-factor on the users’ Google or Microsoft accounts, and prompt offboarding, cover most of the risk.

Is Teams Premium or Zoom AI Companion “good enough”?

If everyone meets on that one platform, often yes: both say they don’t train on your content, and the data stays in a system you already manage. A standalone tool wins when you join other people’s meetings on other platforms or need CRM sync.

Sources

All checked 2026-10-25 unless noted.

Fireflies.ai: billing terms / pricing / privacy policy / terms of service / security
Fathom: pricing / help: data & AI (edited 2025-09-08)
tl;dv: pricing / privacy policy (version 2026-09-09)
MeetGeek: pricing / homepage (annual toggle, BAA FAQ, capture methods)
Otter.ai: pricing / privacy policy / SOC 2 Type II announcement / help: custom data retention / court order, 5:25-cv-06911, 2026-08-13
Zoom: AI Companion pricing / ToS & AI (no training) / privacy & security / ZoomMate coverage (No Jitter)
Microsoft: intelligent recap / Copilot Business pricing / Teams Premium (SG) / Copilot privacy
Notion: pricing / AI Meeting Notes help / AI security practices

Not legal advice. Verify current terms and get a signed DPA/BAA from the vendor before relying on this for compliance.


Related (coming soon): Do AI note-takers train on your meetings? / Otter alternatives / Best password manager for small business