Choosing the Right AI Notetaker for Your Team
In today’s fast-paced, meeting-heavy workplace, having the right AI notetaker can save hours each week, improve focus, and ensure that critical insights don’t slip through the cracks. But with so many options on the market, how do you choose the best one?
We compared Equal Time, Otter.ai, Fathom.video, Gong, Read AI, and Fireflies across core features that matter most to leaders, knowledge workers, and teams. If you’re comparison-shopping for a smart meeting assistant, this guide will help you find the right fit for your needs and budget.
Feature Comparison Table: Best AI Notetakers in 2025
| Tool | Transcription | AI Summaries | Price | Ask Questions | Usability | Talk Time | Executive Coaching | Interruptions | Mansplaining | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal Time | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ $15/user/mo | ✅ Ask Unlimited Questions ✅ AI Drafts Followups | ✅ 4.5 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Notetaking, Action Items, Decisions Made, Talk Time Tracking, Inclusion, Team Productivity, Leadership Coaching |
| Otter.ai | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ $16.99/mo | ✅ Yes | ❌ 4.2 | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Real-time transcription, meeting summaries, action items |
| Fathom | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ $29/mo | ✅ Yes | ✅ 4.8 | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Note-taking & video summaries for individuals |
| Read AI | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ $19.75/mo | ✅ Yes | ❌ 4.2 | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Executive summaries & action items |
| Gong | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ $116/mo | ✅ Yes | ❌ 4.3 | Partial | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Sales enablement & coaching |
| Fireflies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ $29/mo | ✅ Yes | ❌ 4.1 | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Voice-to-text & productivity for teams |
1. Equal Time: The Best Overall AI Notetaker for Teams
Equal Time delivers high-quality transcription and summaries —while also adding capabilities competitors don’t have. That includes talk time tracking, inclusion and equity analytics, mansplaining detection, and admin tools for coaching and oversight.
With Equal Time, you get the productivity tools of an AI notetaker plus insights that make your team more effective and engaged. Teams where everyone participates equally make better decisions—and Equal Time makes that visible and actionable. Plus, it is the most affordable option on the market, so it won’t break the bank.
- Best for: Inclusive meeting culture, team productivity, leadership development, hybrid teams
- Pricing: $15/user/month
- Unique: Talk time graphs, gender balance, searchable notes, admin insights, and executive presence tracking
2. Otter.ai: Good for Basic Transcription and Summaries
Otter.ai is a longstanding favorite for individuals and teams who need quick and reliable transcription with summaries. It integrates well with Zoom and Google Meet and includes speaker ID, searchable notes, and audio syncing.
- Best for: Real-time transcription, low-cost entry
- Pricing: $16.99/user/month
- Limitations: No deeper analytics on who spoke or how the conversation unfolded
3. Fathom: Great for Personal Use and Sharing Highlights
Fathom is popular with individual contributors, consultants, and remote workers. Its video playback and easy highlight sharing are great for solo note-taking and reviewing calls.
- Best for: Personal productivity, consultants
- Pricing: $29/user/month
- Limitations: Doesn’t track conversation balance or group metrics
4. Read AI: Balanced Transcription + Action Focus
Read AI offers high-quality transcription and automated summaries with an emphasis on action items and follow-ups. It includes speaker tracking and can be integrated with multiple meeting platforms.
- Best for: Busy managers who want summaries + follow-ups
- Pricing: $19.75/user/month
- Limitations: No metrics around equity or speaking time
5. Gong: Built for Sales, Priced for Enterprise
Gong is geared toward enterprise sales teams, offering analytics on sales calls, deal health, and rep performance. But its high price point and focus make it less useful for general-purpose meetings.
- Best for: Sales teams and revenue leaders
- Pricing: ~$116/user/month (billed annually)
- Limitations: Not built for inclusion, doesn’t analyze speaking balance outside sales context
6. Fireflies: Voice Transcription and Summaries
Fireflies delivers solid voice transcription and AI summaries (although the price is double that of Equal Time’s). It integrates with calendar and conferencing tools and provides simple search and collaboration features.
- Best for: Small teams looking for transcription
- Pricing: $29/user/month
- Limitations: No equity features or meeting behavior tracking
Conclusion: What’s the Best AI Notetaker for Your Team?
If you’re comparison-shopping for the best AI notetaker in 2025, it really comes down to your priorities:
- Want transcription and AI summaries? All the tools offer that.
- Need sales insights? Gong is your go-to.
- Care about how your meetings run, who gets heard, team performance, and inclusive decision-making? Equal Time is unmatched.
👉 Start a free trial of Equal Time and see your team’s dynamics in a whole new way.
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