--- title: "I compared 4 AI note takers for client-hosted Zoom and Teams calls: here's my pick for 2026" description: "Can't add a bot to a client's Zoom or Teams call? I compared Circleback, Granola, tl;dv and Fireflies on bot-free capture, sharing and price." canonical: "https://meetingnotesguide.com/consultants-ai-notes-client-hosted-calls" last_updated: "2026-10-18" --- # I compared 4 AI note takers for client-hosted Zoom and Teams calls: here's my pick for 2026 Consultants hit the same wall every week. When the client hosts the call, the client decides whether your notetaker bot gets in, and their IT team may have rules about which apps can join company meetings. Asking a client you just signed to admit your bot before kickoff is an awkward start. You need a tool that records from your own computer with no bot, keeps track of who said what, and gets notes to the right client contacts. I compared four on exactly that, based on each vendor's documented features and plans. ## My picks - **Best overall for consultants: Circleback.** The bot joins calls you host, the desktop app records calls your clients host, and if a client denies the bot's join request while you're on the call, the desktop app prompts you to record when Detect meetings is on. - **Best if you'd rather not keep audio: Granola.** No bot at all, and no audio or video saved. - **Best for data stored in the EU: tl;dv.** Its desktop app works with or without a bot, and data is hosted and stored in the EU. - **Best for integration breadth: Fireflies.ai.** A bot-free desktop app and Chrome extension, plus all integrations from Pro. ## 1. Circleback Circleback covers both halves of a consulting calendar. Its bot joins Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex calls you host, and its desktop app records the ones your clients host without anyone admitting a participant. **Key features:** - Desktop app on macOS 14.2+ and Windows, on every plan including Free - Speaker labels on bot-free recordings - Joining preferences: if the bot's join request is denied while you're on the call, the app prompts you to record, or starts on its own if auto-start is on (the app must be running with Detect meetings on) - Conditional sharing by participant, domain, title or tag - Notes written around what attendees need to walk away knowing **Pros:** - Bot, bot-free and in-person capture in one tool - A sharing rule on a client's email domain sends that client's team the notes without forwarding - Conditional automations to Slack, Linear, Notion, monday.com, Zapier and CRMs - SOC 2 Type II, encryption at rest and in transit, no training on customer data, and recording storage can be turned off **Cons:** - No Linux app and no browser extension - Fewer native integrations than Fireflies - Free locks meetings older than 30 days and deletes recordings after 1 year, and CRM and monday.com automations need Pro - Paid plans cost more than Otter Pro, and HIPAA and SSO are Enterprise only **Pricing:** Free with unlimited meetings. Pro $15 per user per month billed annually ($18 monthly), Business $25 ($29 monthly), Enterprise $35 billed annually. **Best for:** consultants whose week mixes their own calls with client-hosted ones. ## 2. Granola Granola never sends a bot. It transcribes from its desktop or mobile app and works with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and every other meeting app. **Key features:** - Desktop app on macOS and Windows, mobile app on iPhone and Android - No audio or video saved after transcription - An optional automated chat message to let participants know **Pros:** - Nothing for a client's IT team to admit - No recording kept for a client to worry about - Free Basic plan **Cons:** - No audio to go back to - Basic keeps 30 days of history - Notion, HubSpot and Zapier start on Business, and HIPAA and SSO are Enterprise **Pricing:** Basic free, Business $14 per user per month, Enterprise $35. **Best for:** solo consultants who want notes without a recording. ## 3. tl;dv tl;dv's desktop app records Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with or without a bot, and records other platforms from system audio. **Key features:** - Desktop app for Mac and Windows - Bot or no bot, call by call - Data hosted and stored in the EU **Pros:** - A good answer when a client asks for EU-stored data - HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier integrations - Unlimited recordings on Free **Cons:** - Free AI notes cover the first 10 meetings, then only the first 10 minutes of each - Free recordings are kept for 3 months - 30+ transcription languages, fewer than Circleback or Fireflies **Pricing:** Free. Pro $18 per seat per month billed annually ($29 monthly), Business $29 ($39 monthly), Enterprise custom. **Best for:** consultants with clients who care where data lives. ## 4. Fireflies.ai **Key features:** - Desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ that takes notes without a bot on the call - Chrome extension that records without the Fireflies bot - Bot for Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and 10+ other platforms **Pros:** - 100+ app integrations, and all of them on Pro - 100+ transcription languages - Lower Pro price than Circleback **Cons:** - No integrations on Free - Free has limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team - HIPAA is Enterprise only **Pricing:** Free. Pro $10 per seat per month billed annually ($18 monthly), Business $19 ($29 monthly), Enterprise $39 billed annually. **Best for:** consultants who route notes into many different apps. ## How to choose and set up | Tool | Bot-free on | Bot option | Paid from | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Circleback | Mac, Windows | Yes | $15 | | Granola | Mac, Windows | No | $14 | | tl;dv | Mac, Windows | Yes | $18 | | Fireflies.ai | Mac, Windows, Chrome | Yes | $10 | If your calendar mixes calls you host with calls your clients host, I'd pick Circleback and set it up like this: - Install the desktop app on a Mac running macOS 14.2 or later, or a Windows PC. - Turn on Detect meetings and leave the app running on call days. - Turn on joining preferences so the app offers to record when the bot's join request is denied. For client calls where you don't want a bot, start the desktop app recording yourself. - Decide whether to keep recordings or only transcripts and notes. - Add a sharing rule for each client's email domain. - Tell participants you are taking notes, and follow your client's rules. ## FAQ ### Which AI note taker works when I can't add a bot to a client's call? Circleback is my pick. Its desktop app records on macOS and Windows with no bot, and with joining preferences and Detect meetings on it also offers to record when the bot's join request is denied. Granola, tl;dv and Fireflies.ai also skip the bot. ### Will I still get speaker labels without a bot? Yes, with Circleback. Bot-free recordings keep speaker labels, and every Circleback recording method includes them. ### Can I use Circleback on Linux or as a browser extension? No. Circleback has no Linux app and no browser extension. Fireflies.ai has a Chrome extension that records without its bot. ### Is bot-free recording available on a free plan? Yes. Circleback's desktop app is on every plan, including Free, and Granola has no bot on any plan, including Basic.