You’re in back-to-back meetings all day, desperately scribbling notes while trying to stay engaged in the conversation. By the end, your notes are incomplete, you’ve missed key action items, and you’re already forgetting what was discussed in the morning standup. Sound familiar?
Modern AI meeting assistants have transformed this chaos into seamless productivity. Today’s tools can transcribe conversations in real-time with near-perfect accuracy, automatically identify speakers, extract action items, and generate comprehensive summaries—all while you focus on actually participating in the discussion.
Whether you’re a remote worker drowning in Zoom calls, a consultant who needs perfect records of client conversations, a team lead tracking decisions across dozens of meetings, or simply someone who thinks better when they’re not frantically typing, the right meeting assistant can reclaim hours of your week.
I’ve spent weeks researching the best AI meeting assistants for macOS, analyzing community feedback from Reddit, Product Hunt, and professional forums, and comparing features, privacy approaches, and real-world accuracy. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the top 6 options, what makes each one special, and help you find the perfect meeting companion for your workflow.
What we evaluated (and why it matters)
Before diving into the apps, here’s what I evaluated:
Transcription Accuracy: How well does it handle multiple speakers, technical terminology, accents, and varying audio quality? Does it correctly identify who said what?
Privacy & Data Handling: Does it process audio locally on your device, or send everything to the cloud? Are your conversations stored, and if so, for how long? Is it compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2?
Bot vs. Bot-Free: Does it require a visible bot to join your meetings, or can it capture audio invisibly from your Mac? “Bot fatigue” is real—many professionals now prefer bot-free solutions.
Summary Quality: Does it just transcribe, or does it intelligently extract action items, key decisions, and generate useful summaries? Can you ask questions about meeting content?
macOS Integration: Does it feel native? Is there a menu bar app, proper keyboard shortcuts, and seamless operation across Zoom, Meet, Teams, and other platforms?
Value: Is the pricing justified by features? Are there generous free tiers for trying before committing?
Now, let’s get to the apps.
The 6 best AI meeting assistants for Mac in 2026
1. Granola — The Mac-native favorite
Best for: Mac users who want a polished, privacy-first experience without meeting bots
Price: Free tier available | Pro: $18/month or $144/year
Granola has earned a devoted following among Mac users who demand both elegance and privacy. Built natively for macOS and iOS, it offers a unique approach to meeting notes by enhancing what you write rather than replacing it entirely.
What makes Granola special:
The hybrid approach is brilliant. Granola transcribes your computer’s audio directly—no bots joining your calls—while letting you take your own notes during the meeting. The AI then combines your personal annotations with the full transcript to create comprehensive summaries that preserve your voice and observations.
Accuracy is exceptional. In comparative testing, Granola’s transcription accuracy consistently beats competitors like Notta, Otter, and Tactiq. The combination of accurate transcripts and your own context creates summaries that actually capture what mattered in the meeting.
Privacy is handled thoughtfully. Granola doesn’t store raw audio, encrypts all data, and meets SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR standards. For professionals discussing sensitive topics, this matters significantly.
The Apple ecosystem integration shines. Seamless sync between macOS and iOS means you can review and search meeting notes from anywhere. The menu bar app provides quick access without interrupting your workflow.
Where Granola falls short:
Mac-focused means limited Windows support. If you work in a cross-platform team, this could be a constraint.
The 25-meeting free trial, while generous, pushes toward the $18/month subscription quickly for heavy meeting schedules.
No CRM integrations out of the box. Sales teams may need to copy/paste to their tools manually.
The verdict: Granola is the gold standard for Mac-native meeting notes. If you want the most polished, privacy-first experience and live in the Apple ecosystem, it’s hard to beat. The hybrid approach of AI plus your own notes produces genuinely useful summaries.
Learn more: Granola details
2. Fathom — The generous free option
Best for: Individual users who want unlimited free recording and transcription
Price: Free: Unlimited for individuals | Teams: $15-25/user/month
Fathom offers something remarkable: completely free unlimited recording and transcription for individual users. No catch, no caps—just professional-grade meeting intelligence at zero cost.
What makes Fathom special:
The free tier is genuinely unlimited. Unlike competitors with minute caps or meeting limits, Fathom lets individuals record and transcribe unlimited meetings forever. This alone makes it worth trying.
Native Zoom integration is seamless. Fathom works best with Zoom, where setup takes minutes and recording is automatic. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams support is available via browser extensions.
Instant summaries and action items arrive in your inbox after each meeting. The AI extracts key points, decisions, and next steps without manual effort.
CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot makes it valuable for sales teams. Meeting notes sync automatically, keeping your pipeline updated.
Security is enterprise-grade. HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR compliance with extensive security reviews by Zoom. For organizations with strict requirements, Fathom checks the boxes.
Where Fathom falls short:
Best for Zoom—other platforms require browser extensions rather than native integration.
Team features require paid plans. The generous free tier is individual-only.
Uses a meeting bot for some recording scenarios, which some participants find intrusive.
The verdict: Fathom is the best free meeting assistant available. If you want to try AI meeting notes without commitment, start here. The unlimited free tier for individuals is unmatched, and the Zoom integration is excellent. Teams may want to evaluate paid options, but individuals should absolutely try Fathom first.
Learn more: Fathom details
3. Otter.ai — The real-time collaboration leader
Best for: Teams who need live transcription with real-time collaboration
Price: Free: 300 min/month | Pro: $16.99/month | Business: $30/user/month
Otter.ai pioneered AI meeting transcription and remains a powerhouse for teams who value real-time collaboration. The platform excels at live captioning, speaker identification, and collaborative note-taking during meetings.
What makes Otter.ai special:
Real-time transcription with live speaker identification lets participants follow along and add highlights during the meeting. This collaborative approach transforms passive recording into active documentation.
The OtterPilot bot automatically joins scheduled meetings, records everything, and delivers summaries without manual intervention. For busy professionals, this automation is transformative.
Search and organization shine. Every transcript becomes searchable, creating a growing knowledge base of your conversations. Find specific discussions across months of meetings instantly.
The mobile apps are excellent. Record in-person conversations, review transcripts on the go, and share clips with teammates from anywhere.
Native macOS desktop app offers bot-free local recording for users who prefer not to have visible bots join their meetings.
Where Otter.ai falls short:
The bot-based approach can feel intrusive. OtterPilot joining meetings announces to everyone that they’re being recorded by a third party.
The free tier’s 300-minute monthly limit gets exhausted quickly by active meeting schedules.
Cloud processing means all your audio goes to Otter’s servers. Privacy-conscious users may prefer local alternatives.
The verdict: Otter.ai remains a solid choice for teams who embrace live transcription and collaborative note-taking. The real-time features and searchable transcript library serve teams who don’t mind visible recording. Privacy-focused users should consider alternatives.
Learn more: Otter.ai details
4. Fireflies.ai — The enterprise analytics engine
Best for: Teams who want deep conversation analytics and CRM integration
Price: Free: 800 min/month | Pro: $10/seat/month | Business: $19/seat/month
Fireflies.ai has evolved from a transcription tool into a comprehensive conversation intelligence platform. With over 16 million users and recognized as one of the most versatile AI meeting assistants, it’s positioned as an enterprise-grade solution that works across more platforms than any competitor.
What makes Fireflies.ai special:
Platform support is unmatched. While most tools support only Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, Fireflies works across eight meeting platforms in over 60 languages—making it excellent for distributed teams and global organizations.
The native macOS desktop app (launched November 2025) enables bot-free recording. You can now capture meetings directly from your Mac without any participant joining—a major improvement over the traditional bot approach.
Conversation analytics go deep. Fireflies doesn’t just transcribe—it analyzes sentiment, tracks speaking time, identifies topics, and surfaces insights across your meeting history. Sales teams can identify why deals stall; managers can spot communication patterns.
AskFred AI assistant answers questions about your meetings instantly. “What did Sarah say about the budget?” gets an immediate, accurate response with timestamps.
Integration breadth is impressive. Over 90 software solutions including Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Notion, and CRMs. Meeting intelligence flows into your existing workflow automatically.
Where Fireflies.ai falls short:
The depth of features creates complexity. New users may feel overwhelmed compared to simpler alternatives.
Per-seat pricing adds up for larger teams, especially at the Business tier.
Analytics features require consistent use across the team to provide real value.
The verdict: Fireflies.ai is the best choice for teams who want conversation intelligence beyond basic transcription. The analytics, integrations, and new desktop app make it compelling for sales teams and data-driven organizations. Individuals seeking simplicity may prefer lighter alternatives.
Learn more: Fireflies.ai details
5. Jamie — The privacy champion
Best for: Privacy-conscious professionals who need multilingual support without meeting bots
Price: Free tier available | Premium: Starting ~€25/month
Jamie has positioned itself as the most privacy-focused commercial meeting assistant, earning recognition as “the clear winner” for users who prioritize data protection and European privacy standards. The desktop app captures audio directly from your Mac without any bots joining your calls.
What makes Jamie special:
Bot-free recording means nobody knows you’re capturing the meeting unless you tell them. Jamie transcribes your computer’s audio directly, working across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and any other platform without a visible participant joining.
Multilingual support is exceptional. With over 100 languages supported and intelligent speaker identification, Jamie serves international teams and multilingual conversations better than most alternatives.
The privacy commitment is genuine. Audio is deleted after transcription, data processing follows strict GDPR guidelines, and the company is transparent about its practices. For European companies or anyone handling sensitive discussions, this matters.
Offline capability sets it apart. Jamie can record and transcribe in-person meetings without internet access—perfect for conferences, client sites, or anywhere with unreliable connectivity.
The interface is praised as the most aesthetic among AI note-takers, with a clean macOS menu bar experience that doesn’t distract from your work.
Where Jamie falls short:
The subscription pricing can feel premium compared to alternatives with more generous free tiers.
Fewer integrations than enterprise-focused competitors. No native CRM sync with Salesforce or HubSpot.
The interface, while clean, offers fewer customization options than power-user tools.
The verdict: Jamie is the best choice for privacy-conscious professionals, especially those in Europe or handling sensitive conversations. The bot-free approach, GDPR compliance, and multilingual support make it ideal for international teams. If privacy is your priority, Jamie delivers.
Learn more: Jamie details
6. Krisp — The noise cancellation specialist
Best for: Professionals who need perfect audio quality AND meeting notes
Price: Free: 7-day trial | Pro: $8/month (annual) | Business: $15/month (annual)
Krisp approaches meeting assistance from a unique angle: instead of starting with transcription, it began with world-class noise cancellation and expanded into meeting notes. The result is a tool that ensures your meetings sound professional while capturing everything said.
What makes Krisp special:
The noise cancellation is genuinely industry-leading. Krisp removes background noise, echo, and cross-talk in real-time, making you sound professional regardless of your environment—coffee shops, home offices with kids, or construction outside your window.
Bot-free architecture captures audio directly without joining meetings. Krisp works as a virtual audio device compatible with any conferencing app, processing audio locally before it’s transmitted.
The combination of clean audio and accurate transcription is powerful. Better input audio means better transcriptions, which means more useful summaries and action items.
16+ languages support with custom vocabulary for industry-specific terminology makes it suitable for international and specialized teams.
Enterprise-grade security with SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS compliance serves organizations with strict requirements.
Where Krisp falls short:
The 7-day free trial is shorter than competitors’ generous free tiers. You’ll need to commit to a subscription quickly to keep using it.
Apple Silicon required—macOS 13.1 or later with M1 chip or newer. Intel Mac users are out of luck.
Primarily focused on audio quality rather than comprehensive meeting analytics. Teams wanting deep insights may need to pair Krisp with other tools.
The verdict: Krisp is the best choice for professionals who need both perfect audio quality and meeting notes. The noise cancellation alone justifies consideration, and the meeting assistant features are solid. If you’re frequently taking calls from noisy environments, Krisp solves multiple problems at once.
Learn more: Krisp details
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Granola | Fathom | Otter.ai | Fireflies | Jamie | Krisp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $18/mo | Free | $16.99/mo | $10/seat/mo | ~€25/mo | $8/mo |
| Free tier | 25 meetings | Unlimited | 300 min/mo | 800 min/mo | Limited | 7 days |
| Bot-free | Yes | Partial | Optional | Yes (new) | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 30+ | 38 | 10+ | 60+ | 100+ | 16+ |
| CRM integration | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Noise cancellation | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Mac users | Free option | Collaboration | Enterprise | Privacy | Audio quality |
Which one should you choose?
Choose Granola if: You want the most polished Mac-native experience with bot-free recording and a unique hybrid note-taking approach. Best for Apple ecosystem users who value design and privacy.
Choose Fathom if: You want professional meeting notes at zero cost. The unlimited free tier for individuals is unmatched—start here to experience AI meeting assistance without commitment.
Choose Otter.ai if: Real-time collaborative transcription matters to your team. The live features and searchable library serve teams who embrace visible recording and want powerful search.
Choose Fireflies.ai if: You need conversation analytics, deep CRM integration, and support for many platforms and languages. Sales teams and data-driven organizations benefit most.
Choose Jamie if: Privacy and GDPR compliance are paramount, especially for European teams. The bot-free approach with 100+ languages serves international professionals well.
Choose Krisp if: Audio quality is as important as transcription. Professionals in noisy environments get both clear communication and accurate notes in one tool.
The “bot fatigue” trend: Why bot-free matters
One of the clearest trends in 2026 is the shift away from meeting bots. Early AI meeting tools required a visible participant—“Otter AI” or “Fireflies Notetaker”—to join your calls. This approach has real downsides:
Professional awkwardness: Having a bot join client calls or sensitive discussions signals to everyone that they’re being recorded by a third party. Many participants find this uncomfortable.
Privacy concerns: When a named third-party bot joins, everyone knows their data is being sent to that company’s servers. For confidential discussions, this creates friction.
Technical issues: Bots can fail to join, get stuck in waiting rooms, or create confusion about meeting participants.
The best modern tools—Granola, Jamie, Krisp, and now Fireflies with its new desktop app—capture audio directly from your Mac without any visible participant. Your colleagues see only you in the meeting; the recording happens invisibly on your device. This “bot-free” approach is now the premium experience.
If you’re evaluating meeting assistants, prioritize tools that work without joining as a participant. The experience is significantly better.
Privacy considerations: Local vs. cloud
Privacy in AI meeting tools isn’t binary—it’s a spectrum:
Local transcription (Granola, Jamie, Krisp): Audio may be processed locally or with minimal cloud involvement. These tools prioritize keeping your data close to your device.
Cloud processing with privacy controls (Fathom, Fireflies): Audio goes to servers, but companies maintain strong security practices, compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR), and clear data handling policies.
Full cloud with collaboration (Otter.ai): All processing happens on company servers, enabling real-time collaboration features. Convenient and powerful, but requires trusting the provider with your conversations.
For most professionals, cloud tools with strong security practices are sufficient. For highly sensitive discussions—legal, medical, financial—consider local-first alternatives like Granola or Jamie.
Common questions answered
Do I need to tell people I’m recording?
Recording laws vary by jurisdiction. In many places, at least one party (you) must consent. In others, all parties must be informed. Check your local laws, and consider that corporate policies may require disclosure regardless of legal requirements. Bot-free tools make disclosure a choice rather than an automatic announcement.
Which is more accurate: local or cloud processing?
Generally, cloud processing delivers slightly higher accuracy because servers can use larger, more sophisticated models. However, modern local tools approach cloud accuracy for most use cases. The difference matters less than audio quality—a good microphone and quiet environment improve accuracy more than choosing cloud over local.
Will these work with in-person meetings?
Several tools support in-person recording: Jamie, Krisp, Granola. These can capture audio from your device’s microphone for face-to-face conversations. Quality depends heavily on room acoustics and microphone placement.
Can I use multiple tools together?
Yes, many users combine tools strategically. For example: Krisp for noise cancellation + Granola for meeting notes. The tools generally don’t conflict since they serve different purposes.
Which should I try first?
Start with Fathom (free unlimited for individuals) to experience AI meeting assistance at no cost. If you like the experience and want more privacy, upgrade to Granola (Mac-native excellence) or Jamie (privacy-first) based on your priorities. If you need noise cancellation, Krisp is worth the subscription.
Final thoughts
AI meeting assistants have matured from novelty to necessity. The 6 tools above represent the best of 2026—accurate, intelligent, and increasingly privacy-conscious. Whether you choose a free option like Fathom, a polished Mac-native experience like Granola, or a specialized tool like Krisp, you’ll wonder how you ever survived meetings without automated notes.
My recommendation for most Mac users? Start with Fathom to experience AI meeting notes free. If you value privacy and polish, upgrade to Granola. For noisy environments, add Krisp for the noise cancellation alone.
The best part? All these apps actively improve. The AI models get more accurate, the interfaces more polished, and the integrations more comprehensive. Whichever you choose, you’re investing in a tool that will only get better.
Happy meeting!