Each of these six notetakers can take meeting notes from your own computer or browser instead of sending a bot.
- Pick Circleback if you want a desktop app on macOS or Windows that records Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any other platform without a bot, on every plan including Free.
- Pick Granola if you want notes from your computer audio and would rather no audio or video be saved at all.
- Pick Fathom if you are on a Mac and want to choose per meeting between a transcript, local audio or a bot.
- Pick Fireflies.ai if you want capture from a browser extension on Google Meet, or a desktop app on an older machine.
- Pick Otter.ai if your computer is older (macOS 12.3+ or Windows 10+) or you also record Slack Huddles.
- Pick tl;dv if you want bot-free audio from any platform that plays sound through your computer.
Bot-free capture compared
Read the OS column first, because it rules out more tools than any other column. Speaker labels and plan details are covered per tool below.
| Tool | How it captures without a bot | OS / browser | Also has a bot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circleback | Desktop app, video and audio | macOS 14.2+, Windows 11+ | Yes: Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex |
| Granola | System audio and mic; saves no audio | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | No |
| Fathom | Transcript only or local audio | Mac only (beta) | Yes |
| Fireflies.ai | Chrome extension or desktop app | Chrome, Edge; macOS 12+, Windows 10+ | Yes |
| Otter.ai | Desktop app, device audio | macOS 12.3+, Windows 10+ | Yes |
| tl;dv | Desktop app, mic and system audio | Mac or Windows | Yes |
Circleback
Circleback turns conversations into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, assigned action items, automations and searchable context. Its desktop app for macOS and Windows records meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any other platform without the bot joining. It records meeting video and audio by default, with audio-only as an option. Detect meetings notifies you when an app starts using the mic. Bot-free recordings keep full speaker labels. It needs macOS 14.2+ or Windows 11+ and is on every plan, including Free. There is no Linux app and no browser extension. With joining preferences on, the desktop app records whenever the bot cannot join, if the app is installed and running with Detect meetings on. Setup steps are in Record meetings without a bot.
Granola
Granola has no meeting bot. It uses your system audio and microphone. Capture needs the desktop app (macOS or Windows) or the mobile app (iPhone or Android), and the web interface at notes.granola.ai only views and edits existing notes. Granola does not record or save audio or video at any point during the call. Speaker tags use display names on Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and elsewhere the transcript shows "Me" and "Them." It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and every other meeting app (Granola home).
Fathom
Fathom's bot-free capture is part of Fathom 3.0+ and is a beta feature available only on Mac, with Windows support on the way. Before each meeting you choose Transcript Only (bot-free, no recording saved), Audio Only (bot-free, captured locally, no video), Audio & Video (a bot joins) or Capture Off. Fathom does not run on Chromebook or Linux (supported devices).
Fireflies.ai
The Fireflies Chrome extension records Google Meet audio without the Notetaker joining (product page). For Zoom and Teams, Fireflies points users to the Notetaker bot. Fireflies also has a bot-free desktop app for macOS 12+ and Windows 10+, but desktop mode stores no audio or video and labels speakers generically. If you would rather use a browser extension than a desktop app, Fireflies covers a case Circleback does not, since Circleback has no browser extension.
Otter.ai
Otter's desktop app records meeting audio from your device without the Notetaker joining. It runs on macOS 12.3 or higher and Windows 10 or higher, which covers older machines than Circleback's macOS 14.2+ and Windows 11+ requirement. Meeting detection covers Zoom, browser meetings such as Google Meet, Teams, Slack Huddles, dialers and messaging apps like WhatsApp.
tl;dv
The tl;dv desktop app records your microphone and system audio in the background without adding the tl;dv notetaker to the call. It works with any meeting platform that outputs audio, including Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It does not record video, screen sharing or chat messages (tl;dv desktop).
FAQ
Will other people in the call know I'm recording?
With tl;dv, recording notifications may not appear automatically when you record without a bot, and telling participants is your responsibility. Granola can post an automated chat message, and Otter offers recording permission capture in Teams. Whichever tool you use, say you are recording at the start of the call.
Can I record without a bot on Linux or a Chromebook?
Circleback has no Linux app. Fathom supports neither Linux computers nor Chromebooks. Granola, Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and tl;dv have macOS and Windows apps.
Can I keep a bot for some meetings and skip it for others?
In Circleback, the desktop app can be the default capture method, or joining preferences let it take over when the bot cannot join. Fathom 3.0+ sets the capture mode per meeting. Otter prompts you to record manually from the desktop app when its Notetaker cannot join. Granola has no bot to fall back on.