AI note takers without a bot, compared.
Which tools record a meeting without sending a bot into the call, how that works, and what you take on when nobody else can see the recorder.
- Short answer
- An AI note taker without a bot records the meeting from your own device, using the microphone and the speaker audio, instead of joining the call as a participant. Some products were built this way. Others are bot-based products that have added a no-bot mode.
Who wrote this, and how.
We make steer, which is on this list. It is listed first because it is ours; within each group the rest are alphabetical. Everything said about the other products comes from their own public websites as checked in November 2026. We did not run a hands-on benchmark, and features change, so confirm the details with each vendor.
How bot-free note taking works
A meeting bot joins the call as an extra participant and records what the platform sends it. A bot-free note taker never joins. An app on your computer or phone records two things: your microphone, which is you, and the system audio, which is everyone else. It then transcribes and summarizes that recording.
Because nothing joins the call, the same method works in any meeting app and for a conversation in a room. The trade-off is identification. A bot can read names from the participant list; a device recorder has to tell people apart by voice.
Why people want a note taker with no bot
- An extra participant changes the meeting. Customers and candidates notice a recorder tile and sometimes say less.
- Some hosts block bots, and some companies do not allow them into calls.
- Nobody has to admit the bot or explain what it is.
- A bot cannot attend an in-person conversation or an ordinary phone call.
- It works in whichever meeting app the other side chose.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Bot-free by default? | In-person meetings | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| steer | Yes; there is no bot | Yes | Acting on the notes across to-dos, email and calendar |
| Granola | Yes | Yes | Improving the notes you type yourself |
| Jamie | Yes | Yes, from laptop or phone | EU data storage and a privacy focus |
| Krisp | Yes; a bot is optional | Not stated on the page we checked | Noise cancellation with notes on top |
| Fathom | No; bot or bot-free | Not stated on the page we checked | Fast summaries and CRM sync |
| Fireflies | No; desktop app and Chrome extension record without the bot | Yes, with the mobile app | Search and integrations |
| Otter | No; desktop app records without a bot | Yes, from mobile | Live transcription |
| tl;dv | Site says no bot is required | Not stated on the page we checked | Video recordings and multi-meeting reports |
Built without a bot
These products record on your device as their normal way of working.
steer
- Best for
- People who want the notes to turn into finished work.
- How it captures
- Records the microphone and speaker audio on your computer. There is no bot at all, and it works for in-person conversations.
- What it does well
- Live transcript with speakers identified by voice, optional prompts during the call, and a summary linked to notes and to-dos. The same assistant can draft the follow-up or check a ticket. See AI meeting notes.
- What to check
- It is in beta, and the desktop app currently runs on macOS only.
Granola
- Best for
- People who like typing their own notes.
- How it captures
- Uses your computer audio and does not invite a bot. Its site lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- What it does well
- You write rough notes and Granola fills them out from the transcript. It also offers a pre-meeting brief.
- What to check
- On the free plan, notes older than 30 days need an upgrade.
Jamie
- Best for
- Teams with strict data-location requirements.
- How it captures
- Runs on your device and does not require a meeting bot. Its site says it works across Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and other platforms, and captures in-person meetings from a laptop or phone.
- What it does well
- Its site says audio is streamed and not stored, that data stays within the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, and that it is not used to train models.
- What to check
- Plan limits are on its pricing page; we did not verify them.
Krisp
- Best for
- Noisy rooms and call centers.
- How it captures
- Works at the audio level on your device and records bot-free, with an optional bot for some platforms.
- What it does well
- Noise cancellation first, with transcription, summaries and action items on top.
- What to check
- Language coverage is narrower than some rivals.
Bot-based tools that added a no-bot mode
These products are built around a bot that joins the call, and now also offer a way to record without it. Check which mode is on by default, and whether every feature works in both.
Fathom
- Best for
- Sales and customer teams.
- How it captures
- Its site offers capture “bot or no bot.”
- What it does well
- Summaries right after the call and sync to Salesforce and HubSpot.
- What to check
- The page we checked does not explain how bot-free capture works; ask before relying on it.
Fireflies
- Best for
- Teams that want every call searchable.
- How it captures
- A notetaker joins by default. The desktop app and Chrome extension can record without it, and its FAQ says to tell participants yourself when you do.
- What it does well
- Search across conversations, many integrations, and 100+ languages.
- What to check
- The bot is the default; change your auto-join settings if you do not want it.
Otter
- Best for
- Live transcription.
- How it captures
- An AI meeting agent can join calls, or you can record from the Mac or Windows desktop app without a bot.
- What it does well
- Live transcription with speaker recognition and a chat across your meetings.
- What to check
- Auto-join is a setting; confirm how it is configured for your account.
tl;dv
- Best for
- Teams that want the video.
- How it captures
- Its site says no bot is required and lists Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
- What it does well
- Video recording, translatable transcript, and reports across many meetings.
- What to check
- The page we checked does not describe how recording works without a bot.
No bot does not mean no notice
A bot in the participant list tells everyone the meeting is being recorded. Without one, that job is yours. Recording rules differ by country and, in the United States, by state, and some require consent from everyone in the conversation. This is not legal advice.
The simple practice: say at the start that you are recording for notes, and stop if anyone objects. A tool being invisible is a reason to be more careful about telling people.
How to choose
- Check the default. A product that is bot-free by design behaves the same in every meeting. A no-bot mode can be switched off by a setting you forgot.
- Check speaker identification on your own meetings, since there is no participant list to lean on.
- Check in-person coverage if you meet in rooms.
- Check your operating system. Device recorders are desktop or mobile apps, and not all run everywhere.
- Decide what should happen afterward. A transcript is the start; the notes still have to become tasks and follow-ups.
For the wider field, including bot-based tools, see our comparison of the best AI meeting assistants.