Best Free AI Meeting Note Taker: Meetily vs Otter AI vs Granola (2025)

Are you tired of frantically scribbling notes during important meetings while missing crucial conversations? Or maybe you’re paying hefty monthly fees for an AI meeting note taker that sends your sensitive business discussions to someone else’s cloud servers?

You’re not alone. The struggle to capture every important detail during meetings while staying engaged in the conversation is real. That’s where AI meeting note takers come in – but choosing the right one can make or break your meeting productivity.

Today, we’re diving deep into the three most talked-about AI meeting note taker solutions: Meetily, Otter AI, and Granola. By the end of this comparison, you’ll know exactly which tool fits your needs, budget, and privacy requirements.

Spoiler alert: One of these tools is completely free, open-source, and keeps your data 100% private. Can you guess which one?

What Makes a Great AI Meeting Note Taker?

Before we jump into the comparison, let’s establish what separates a good AI meeting note taker from a great one. After analyzing hundreds of tools and speaking with teams across different industries, here are the non-negotiables:

Essential Features Every AI Meeting Note Taker Should Have

Real-time Transcription Accuracy
Your AI meeting note taker should capture conversations with at least 95% accuracy, even with multiple speakers, accents, and industry jargon.

Smart Summarization
Beyond just transcribing, the best tools identify key points, action items, and decisions automatically.

Platform Integration
Whether you’re using Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other platform, your tool should work seamlessly.

Data Security and Privacy
This is where most people don’t dig deep enough. Where does your sensitive meeting data go? Who has access to it?

Cost Effectiveness
Monthly subscriptions for basic features can quickly drain your budget, especially for small teams and startups.

Ease of Use
If your team needs a PhD to operate the software, it’s not the right tool.

Now, let’s see how our three contenders stack up against these criteria.

Meetily: The Privacy-First Game Changer

Let’s start with the underdog that’s been making waves in the developer community: Meetily. Built by the team at Zackriya Solutions, this AI meeting note taker takes a completely different approach to meeting transcription.

What Makes Meetily Different?

100% Local Processing
Here’s the kicker – Meetily processes everything on your local machine. Your sensitive business conversations never leave your device. No cloud servers, no data sharing, no privacy concerns.

Completely Free and Open Source
While others charge $10-20+ per month, Meetily is free forever. Plus, being open-source means you can see exactly how it works and even customize it for your needs.

Self-Hosted Control
Want complete control over your meeting data? Meetily lets you host everything yourself. Perfect for enterprises with strict compliance requirements.

Meetily Features Breakdown

✅ Real-time transcription with Whisper.cpp technology
✅ AI-powered summaries and action item extraction
✅ Works with all platforms (Google Meet, Zoom, Teams, any video conferencing tool)
✅ Multiple language support (90+ languages)
✅ No subscription fees ever
✅ Complete data privacy with local processing
✅ Open source with active community development
✅ Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux coming soon)

Meetily Pricing

Cost: $0 (Free Forever)

• No hidden fees
• No usage limits
• No feature restrictions
• Full access to source code

Who Should Choose Meetily?

• Privacy-conscious teams who handle sensitive information
• Startups and small businesses with tight budgets
• Developers who want customizable solutions
• Enterprise teams with compliance requirements
• Anyone who believes their meeting data should stay private

Learn more about how we built Meetily and our approach to custom AI development for businesses.

Otter AI: The Popular Cloud Solution

Otter AI has become almost synonymous with AI meeting note taker for many teams. It’s been around since 2016 and has built a solid reputation, but let’s look at what you’re actually getting.

Otter AI Features

✅ Real-time transcription with decent accuracy
✅ Speaker identification and labeling
✅ Basic summarization features
✅ Integration with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
✅ Mobile apps for iOS and Android
✅ Collaboration features like comments and highlights
✅ Search functionality across transcripts

❌ Cloud-only processing (privacy concerns)
❌ Monthly subscription required for useful features
❌ Limited customization options
❌ Data stored on external servers

Otter AI Pricing

Free Plan:

• 300 minutes per month
• 30-minute maximum per conversation
• Basic transcription only

Pro Plan: $8.33/month (billed annually)

• 1,200 minutes per month
• 90-minute maximum per conversation
• Advanced features

Business Plan: $20/month per user

• 6,000 minutes per month
• No time limits
• Admin features

The Otter AI Reality Check

While Otter AI works well for basic transcription, the free plan is quite limiting. Most teams quickly hit the 300-minute monthly limit and find themselves paying $100+ annually per user.

More importantly, all your meeting data is processed and stored on Otter’s servers. For teams dealing with confidential information, this raises serious privacy questions.

Granola: The Mac-Only Premium Option

Granola positions itself as the premium AI meeting note taker designed specifically for Mac users. It promises a more refined experience but comes with significant limitations.

Granola Features

✅ High-quality transcription optimized for Mac
✅ Beautiful interface with Mac-native design
✅ Smart meeting summaries with good accuracy
✅ Integration with popular meeting platforms
✅ Automatic meeting detection
✅ Note organization and search

❌ Mac only (no Windows or Linux support)
❌ Expensive subscription at $18/month
❌ Cloud processing (privacy concerns)
❌ Limited platform reach
❌ No self-hosting options

Granola Pricing

Monthly: $18/month Annual: $144/year

The Granola Trade-offs

Granola offers a polished experience for Mac users, but the $216 annual cost and platform limitation make it a tough sell. Plus, like Otter AI, your meeting data goes to external servers.

Head-to-Head Comparison: The Complete Breakdown

Let’s put these AI meeting note taker solutions side by side and see how they really compare:

Feature	Meetily	Otter AI	Granola
Monthly Cost	$0 (Free)	$8.33 – $20	$18
Annual Cost	$0 (Free)	$100 – $240	$216
Platform Support	Windows, macOS	Web, Mobile	macOS Only
Data Privacy	100% Local	Cloud-Based	Cloud-Based
Open Source	Yes	No	No
Meeting Platforms	All Platforms	Major Platforms	Major Platforms
Offline Capability	Yes	No	No
Customization	Full Control	Limited	None
Enterprise Ready	Yes (Self-hosted)	Limited	No
Community Support	Active (GitHub)	Email Support	Email Support

The Privacy Factor: Why It Matters More Than You Think

This is where the conversation gets serious. When you use a cloud-based AI meeting note taker, here’s what typically happens:

1. Your audio gets uploaded to external servers
2. Third-party AI models process your conversations
3. Transcripts are stored on someone else’s infrastructure
4. Your data becomes part of their dataset (often)

Real-World Privacy Scenarios

Scenario 1: Legal Firm
A law firm discusses client strategy during a Zoom call. With cloud-based tools, this confidential information passes through multiple servers and could potentially be accessed by the service provider.

Scenario 2: Startup Pitch
Entrepreneurs discussing proprietary technology and business plans. Cloud processing means this competitive intelligence is stored on external servers.

Scenario 3: Healthcare Organization
Medical professionals discussing patient cases. HIPAA compliance becomes complicated when using cloud-based transcription services.

With Meetily, all these scenarios stay completely private because processing happens locally on your device.

Performance Comparison: Real-World Testing

We tested all three AI meeting note taker solutions across different scenarios:

Transcription Accuracy Test

Test Setup: 1-hour meeting with 4 speakers, including technical jargon and industry terms

Results:

• Meetily: 94% accuracy
• Otter AI: 91% accuracy
• Granola: 96% accuracy

Summary Quality Test

Test Setup: Analyzing how well each tool identified key points and action items

Results:

• Meetily: Excellent action item extraction, good summary structure
• Otter AI: Good basic summaries, missed some nuanced points
• Granola: High-quality summaries, best formatting

Integration and Ease of Use

Meetily: Simple setup, works with any platform, one-click recording
Otter AI: Easy web interface, good mobile apps, automated invites
Granola: Seamless Mac integration, automatic meeting detection

Cost Analysis: The Real Financial Impact

Let’s break down what these AI meeting note taker solutions actually cost over time:

Year 1 Costs (Team of 5)

• Meetily: $0
• Otter AI Pro: $500 ($100 per user)
• Granola: $1,080 ($216 per user)

Year 3 Costs (Team of 5)

• Meetily: $0
• Otter AI Pro: $1,500
• Granola: $3,240

Year 5 Costs (Team of 10 – scaling up)

• Meetily: $0
• Otter AI Pro: $5,000
• Granola: $10,800

The savings with Meetily become even more dramatic as your team grows and over longer time periods.

Technical Deep Dive: How These AI Meeting Note Takers Work

Understanding the technology behind these tools helps explain their differences:

Meetily’s Approach

• Whisper.cpp for local speech recognition
• Local LLM integration for summarization
• No network dependency after initial setup
• Customizable AI models for specific use cases

Otter AI’s Approach

• Cloud-based neural networks for transcription
• Proprietary AI models for analysis
• Always online requirement
• Standardized processing (limited customization)

Granola’s Approach

• Cloud processing with Mac optimization
• Curated AI models for quality
• Platform-specific optimization
• Limited to their processing pipeline

Making the Right Choice: Decision Framework

Choosing the best AI meeting note taker depends on your specific needs. Here’s a decision framework to help:

Choose Meetily If:

• Privacy is non-negotiable
• Budget is tight or you want to avoid subscriptions
• You need customization options
• You handle sensitive/confidential information
• You want to support open-source innovation
• You need enterprise-grade data control

Choose Otter AI If:

• You need mobile apps and cloud sync
• Collaboration features are important
• You’re okay with cloud processing
• You want established support infrastructure
• Budget allows for ongoing subscriptions

Choose Granola If:

• You’re exclusively on Mac
• Premium UX is worth the cost
• You don’t mind cloud processing
• Budget is not a primary concern
• You want the most polished interface

Getting Started: Implementation Guide

Setting Up Meetily

1. Download from the official GitHub repository
2. Install following the simple setup guide
3. Configure your preferred AI models
4. Start recording with one click
5. Enjoy private, local AI transcription

For enterprise deployment or custom AI solutions, consider consulting with Zackriya Solutions for expert implementation.

Setting Up Otter AI

1. Sign up for an account
2. Choose your plan based on usage needs
3. Install browser extension or mobile app
4. Connect to your meeting platforms
5. Start using with cloud-based processing

Setting Up Granola

1. Purchase subscription ($18/month)
2. Download Mac application
3. Grant necessary permissions
4. Connect to meeting platforms
5. Begin recording meetings

Advanced Features and Future Roadmap

What’s Coming for AI Meeting Note Takers

The AI meeting note taker space is evolving rapidly. Here’s what to expect:

Enhanced AI Capabilities

• Better speaker identification
• Emotion and sentiment analysis
• Multi-language real-time translation
• Advanced action item tracking

Integration Improvements

• CRM automatic updates
• Project management tool sync
• Calendar integration with context
• Email follow-up automation

Privacy Innovations

• End-to-end encryption standards
• Blockchain-based data verification
• Advanced local processing options
• Zero-trust architecture implementations

Meetily’s Development Roadmap

As an open-source project, Meetily’s roadmap is community-driven:

• Linux support (coming soon)
• Enhanced local AI models
• Advanced customization options
• Enterprise deployment tools
• API for custom integrations

The Verdict: Which AI Meeting Note Taker Wins?

After extensive testing and analysis, here’s our recommendation:

For Most Teams: Meetily

Meetily emerges as the clear winner for most use cases. Here’s why:

1. Unbeatable value – Free forever vs. hundreds annually
2. Superior privacy – Your data stays on your device
3. Complete control – Open source and customizable
4. Platform flexibility – Works with any meeting software
5. Future-proof – No vendor lock-in or subscription dependency

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• Cost savings: $100-500+ annually per user
• Privacy protection: 100% local processing
• Flexibility: Works with any platform
• Community: 950+ GitHub stars and growing

When Others Might Make Sense

Choose Otter AI if you absolutely need mobile apps and don’t mind cloud processing.

Choose Granola if you’re a Mac-only team with budget flexibility and want the most polished interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Meetily really as good as paid alternatives?

Yes, and in many ways better. The core transcription quality is comparable, but you get superior privacy protection and zero ongoing costs.

How does local processing compare to cloud-based AI?

Local processing with modern AI models (like Whisper) achieves similar accuracy to cloud services while keeping your data completely private.

Can I migrate from Otter AI or Granola to Meetily?

Absolutely. Meetily can import existing transcripts, and the setup process is straightforward.

What about customer support for open-source tools?

Meetily has an active community on GitHub, and for enterprise users, Zackriya Solutions offers professional support and custom development.

How secure is my data with each option?

• Meetily: Most secure – data never leaves your device
• Otter AI: Moderate – standard cloud security practices
• Granola: Moderate – cloud-based with encryption

Conclusion: The Future of AI Meeting Note Takers

The AI meeting note taker landscape is evolving, and privacy-first, cost-effective solutions like Meetily are leading the charge. While established players like Otter AI and premium options like Granola have their place, the combination of zero cost, complete privacy, and full control makes Meetily the smart choice for most teams.

Key Takeaways

1. Privacy matters more than ever – Choose tools that keep your data local
2. Subscription costs add up quickly – Free alternatives can save thousands annually
3. Open source provides flexibility – Customize and control your tools
4. Quality doesn’t require premium pricing – Excellent AI is now accessible to everyone

Ready to Transform Your Meetings?

If you’re tired of expensive subscriptions and privacy concerns, give Meetily a try. Download it today and experience the future of private, intelligent meeting notes.

For teams needing custom AI solutions beyond meeting notes, Zackriya Solutions specializes in building intelligent AI agents and automation systems that respect your privacy while delivering exceptional results.

The choice is clear: Why pay monthly fees and sacrifice privacy when you can have the best AI meeting note taker for free?

Start your journey to better, more private meeting notes today. Your future self (and your budget) will thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions