AI note takers record or join your calls, transcribe them, and write summaries and action items. For a freelancer, the useful questions are plain ones: how much does it cost, what does the free plan really allow, and what happens when you pass the limit.
This article compares Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and Read AI using each vendor's published pricing and help pages, checked October 20, 2026. It is research-based, not a hands-on test, so we say nothing about transcript accuracy.
The short answer
| Tool | Free plan | Paid from (per user/month) | Free plan limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter | Yes | $8.33 annual, $16.99 monthly (Pro) | 300 minutes per month, 30 min per meeting |
| Fireflies | Yes | $10 annual, $18 monthly (Pro) | 400 minutes of storage per team |
| Fathom | Yes | $16 annual, $20 monthly (Premium) | Unlimited recordings, some features limited |
| Read AI | Yes | $15 annual, $19.75 monthly (Pro) | 5 meetings per month |
Otter
Otter
Familiar and cappedClear tiers; the free plan has tight monthly minute limits.
- Basic
- Free, 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per meeting
- Pro
- $16.99/month or $8.33/month annually
- Pro limits
- 1,200 minutes a month, 90 minutes per meeting
Otter's Basic plan keeps only your 25 most recent conversations in history and limits you to 20 AI chat queries. Pro lifts monthly minutes to 1,200 and meeting length to 90 minutes. Business removes the monthly cap for meetings. The page notes that some discounted Pro prices apply only to India-issued cards, so check the price shown for your region.
What works
- Straightforward minutes and meeting-length limits
- Unlimited history on Pro
What to watch
- 30-minute cap per meeting on free
- Per-meeting limits can surprise people with long calls
Fireflies
Fireflies
Cheapest paid planLow annual price, with a small free storage allowance.
- Free
- 400 minutes of storage per team
- Pro
- $10/seat/month annual, $18 monthly
- Business
- $19/seat/month annual, $29 monthly
Fireflies lists unlimited transcription and AI summaries on every plan, with limits on storage and features. Free has no video recording or downloads. Pro adds video recording, downloads, AI skills and integrations. We read this on a Fireflies blog article about its pricing rather than the pricing page itself, so confirm the numbers on the live page.
What works
- Low annual price for a paid plan
- Unlimited summaries on every plan
What to watch
- Free plan has no video recording or downloads
- Monthly billing costs much more than annual
Fathom
Fathom
Best free planFree plan with unlimited recordings and transcripts.
- Free
- $0, unlimited recordings and transcripts
- Premium
- $20/month or $16/month annually
- Team
- $19/user monthly, $15 annually (2-user minimum)
Fathom's free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions with instant AI summaries, though some features are marked limited use. Premium adds advanced summaries, AI action items and a custom meeting bot. Team and Business plans require at least two users.
What works
- Free plan is generous
- Bot-free or bot capture options
What to watch
- Some free features are limited use
- Team plans need two users
Read AI
Read AI
Meeting metricsAdds coaching and meeting metrics, but caps free meetings.
- Free
- 5 meetings per month
- Pro
- $19.75/month or $15/month annually
- Enterprise
- $29.75/month or $22.50/month annually
Read AI's free plan includes transcription, summaries, personalised coaching and meeting metrics, but only for five meetings a month. Pro lifts that to unlimited meetings and adds integrations and workspaces. The prices come from a Read support article.
What works
- Meeting metrics and coaching on the free plan
- Unlimited meetings on Pro
What to watch
- Only 5 meetings a month free
- Higher tiers add mainly video playback and admin controls
Which one should you choose?
- If you want free and unlimited, start with Fathom.
- If you take short calls and want a clean upgrade ladder, Otter is easy to understand.
- If you need the cheapest paid plan and can pay annually, Fireflies Pro is the lowest annual price here.
- If you want meeting metrics and will stay under five meetings a month, Read AI free is worth trying.
Check privacy before recording clients. Always tell people on a call that you are recording, and check local rules on consent.
How we compared
We read the vendors' published pricing or help pages on October 20, 2026. We did not test accuracy or run our own recordings. Prices and limits change often.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to tell clients I am recording?
Yes. Ask for consent at the start of the call. Rules vary by country and state.
Which plan limit matters most?
For freelancers, usually minutes per month or meeting count on the free plan. Otter limits by minutes and meeting length; Read AI limits by number of meetings.