Best AI Note Taking App in 2026: 9 Tools Compared

Otter.ai joins video calls or records in person, then turns speech into a live transcript with speaker labels you can search later. After a meeting, it produces a summary and a list of action items, which helps when you need to follow up without replaying a full hour. The free plan covers 300 minutes per month, while Pro starts at $8.33 per user per month billed annually.

We liked the search most, since you can find a decision or a name across months of meetings in seconds. Otter also works well for lectures and interviews, though noisy rooms and overlapping speech can reduce accuracy. Privacy controls let you manage sharing, but you should still tell attendees that recording is on, since rules vary by state and workplace.

Fireflies.ai records and transcribes meetings, then builds a searchable archive that teams can share, comment on, and link to CRM records. Sales and operations teams use it to review calls, coach staff, and track commitments without asking each person for notes. The free plan offers unlimited transcription with limited AI summaries and storage, while Pro starts at $10 per seat per month billed annually.

We found the integrations a strong point, since notes can flow into Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and other tools your team already uses. Search across speakers, topics, and keywords makes it easier to find a promise made three weeks ago. The honest catch is the visible bot: some clients and colleagues find a bot participant distracting, so check your meeting norms first.

Notion AI lives inside the workspace where many teams already keep docs, wikis, and project pages. You can ask it to summarise a page, draft a brief, rewrite a paragraph, or answer questions across your notes, which saves time when a project spans many pages. Plus plans start at $10 per user per month billed annually, with full AI included on Business at $20 per user per month billed annually.

We liked how AI output stays in context, since a summary can link back to source pages and tasks. That makes Notion AI stronger for written knowledge than for live call capture, though newer meeting note features add device audio in some plans. The trade-off is cost and structure: a messy workspace gives weaker AI answers, so teams need tidy pages and clear titles.

Pick Notion AI if your notes already live in Notion and you want AI help inside that system. If live meeting transcription is the main job, start with Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai.

Mem takes a folderless approach, so you capture notes quickly and let the app link related ideas, people, and dates. AI chat can search your notes and draft follow-ups, which helps when you need a fact from a note you wrote months ago. The free plan covers 25 notes and 25 agent messages per month, while Plus starts at $9 per month.

We found Mem strongest for personal knowledge and follow-up, especially for people who hate filing notes into folders. Voice mode adds hands-free capture, though team features are lighter than Notion or Confluence. The free limits mean regular users will need Plus, so test the workflow with a small set of notes first.

Choose Mem if you want notes that organise themselves and you work mostly alone. Teams that need shared wikis and permissions should look at Notion AI instead.

Granola appeals to people who want meeting notes without an extra participant in the call. It captures audio on your device, transcribes it, and turns it into structured notes with summaries, decisions, and next steps. The basic plan is free with unlimited meetings but a 30-day history limit, while Business starts at $14 per user per month.

We liked the calm experience, since attendees see no bot and you still leave with usable notes. Granola also lets you edit notes and add your own context, which matters when a transcript alone misses tone or intent. The catch is price and history: heavy users who need a long archive will need the paid plan, and teams that want a shared CRM archive may prefer Fireflies.ai.

Pick Granola if bot-free capture matters to you or your clients. If you need unlimited free history, Fathom may fit better.

Fathom records, transcribes, and summarises meetings, with a free plan that offers unlimited recordings and transcripts. That generosity makes it a strong starting point for individuals who want to test AI meeting notes without paying. Premium starts at $16 per user per month billed annually and adds more AI summaries and team features.

We liked the clip sharing, since you can send a short moment from a call instead of a full transcript. Summaries cover decisions and action items, and the app works with Zoom, Meet, and Teams. The trade-off is the bot, which joins calls like other recorders, and the free AI summary cap, which may push heavy users to Premium.

Choose Fathom if you want a generous free plan for meeting recording. If bot-free capture matters more, Granola is the better trade.

Reflect is a personal note app with linked notes, backlinks, and an AI assistant that can search and summarise your library. The editor stays focused, and notes link together in a way that suits daily notes, reading notes, and idea capture. Pricing starts at about $10 per month, with no free plan, though a trial may be available.

We found Reflect strongest for thinkers who write daily and want fast recall across linked notes. It feels lighter than Notion, since there are no databases to design, but that also means team wikis and project tracking are weaker. AI features help with summaries and drafting, though they work best when notes are clear and well titled.

Pick Reflect if you want a fast personal AI notebook and you are willing to pay. If you need a free plan, Mem or Notion offer lower-cost starts.

Supernotes organises notes as cards that you can tag, nest, and share, which suits students, writers, and small teams that want a simple system. Cards keep ideas short and searchable, and you can build collections for projects, reading, and meeting follow-ups. A free plan covers basic use, while paid plans add more cards and collaboration features, so check the vendor pricing page for current tiers.

We liked the speed of capture, since a card can hold a single idea without the weight of a full page. AI assistance is present but lighter than Mem or Notion AI, so Supernotes fits readers who want organisation first and AI help second. The card model takes a short adjustment if you are used to long documents, but it rewards short, clear notes.

Choose Supernotes if you prefer small, linked notes over long pages. If AI summaries are the main need, Otter.ai or Notion AI will do more.

OneNote is a free notebook app that syncs across devices and fits naturally into Microsoft 365 work. Copilot adds AI summaries, rewrites, and questions across your notes, which helps when a notebook holds meeting notes, research, and project pages. OneNote itself is free, while Copilot costs extra, with individual and business pricing listed on Microsoft pages, so check current rates before you buy.

We found OneNote strongest for teams that already pay for Microsoft 365, since notes sit beside email, documents, and Teams chats. The notebook and section model is familiar, though it can feel less modern than Mem or Reflect for linked thinking. AI quality depends on how well your notes are organised, so clear section names and page titles help.

Pick OneNote with Copilot if your work already lives in Microsoft 365. If you want a fresh AI-first notebook, Mem or Reflect may feel more focused.