Best of · Updated October 2026
The best AI note taker for Microsoft Teams
If your company already has Microsoft 365 Copilot or Teams Premium, their intelligent recap is the simplest AI note taker for Teams. If it doesn't, or you join other companies' meetings where you can't turn on transcription, a desktop note taker like Hark records Teams from your own computer with no bot and no extra Microsoft license.
Start with what Teams already includes
Before buying anything, check what your Microsoft license gives you. There are three levels:
1. Teams transcription (work and school accounts)
Teams can save a written transcript next to the meeting recording in OneDrive or SharePoint. To start one in a meeting:
- Join the meeting in the Teams desktop app.
- Open More (the three dots) in the meeting controls.
- Choose Record and transcribe, then Start transcription.
- After the meeting, find the transcript in the meeting chat or the Recap tab.
If the option is missing, your IT admin may have turned it off. Admins control it in the Teams admin center under Meetings > Meeting policies > Transcription, and both the organizer and the person starting it need it allowed. Teams (free) only shows live captions on screen; they aren't saved.
2. Teams Premium: intelligent recap
Teams Premium ($10 per user per month billed yearly, as of October 2026) adds intelligent recap: AI meeting notes, suggested tasks, chapters, a speaker timeline, and markers for when your name was mentioned. It needs transcription turned on, and recording on for speakers and chapters.
3. Microsoft 365 Copilot
Copilot includes intelligent recap and goes further: during the meeting, you can privately ask it what you missed, who said what, or where people disagree. By default it needs a saved transcript, though organizers can set it to work only during the meeting. It's $30 per user per month billed yearly for enterprise, with Copilot Business at $21 for smaller companies (as of October 2026). Copilot isn't available in end-to-end encrypted meetings.
Who should pick these: organizations that live in Microsoft 365, host most of their own meetings, and want notes saved alongside their files. It's the most integrated option by far. Our guide on how to transcribe a Teams meeting covers each step in more detail.
When the built-in options don't fit
- You're a guest. In another company's meeting, transcription follows their policy, not yours.
- The cost adds up. Copilot is priced per person, which is a lot for a small team that only wants notes.
- You use more than Teams. Clients on Zoom or Google Meet need a different tool anyway.
- You use a personal account. Teams (free) doesn't save transcripts.
AI note takers for Teams compared
| Option | How it joins Teams | Works as a guest | Price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams transcription | Built in | Depends on organizer | Included with most work/school plans |
| Teams Premium recap | Built in | Depends on organizer | $10/user/month yearly |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Built in | Depends on organizer | $30/user/month yearly |
| Hark | Records your computer, no bot | Yes (Windows, Linux) | Free; AI notes $12/month |
| Otter.ai | Bot, or desktop app | Yes | Free plan; Pro $16.99 |
| Fireflies.ai | Bot, or desktop app | Yes | Free plan; Pro $18 |
| Fathom | Bot (bot-free Mac beta) | Yes, some exceptions | Free plan; Premium $16-$20 |
| Granola | Device audio, no bot | Yes | Free plan; Business $14 |
"Works as a guest" means it doesn't rely on the organizer's Teams settings. A bot can still be refused by the host.
The best third-party note takers for Teams
Hark: Teams notes with no bot and no extra license
Hark records your microphone and your computer's audio on Windows and Linux, so it captures Teams calls the same way it captures anything else: no bot in the participant list and no dependence on the organizer's policy. Transcription runs on your computer, and Hark works out who spoke. Name a colleague once and Hark recognizes their voice in future meetings.
Recording and transcription are free with no limits. AI meeting notes, titles and live notes, written by Claude from the transcript text, are part of the $12/month subscription, with a 2-day preview for new accounts. On Windows you can press Ctrl+Alt+S to drop a screenshot of a shared slide into your notes.
Limits: English only. On a Mac, Hark records the microphone only, so the other side of a Teams call is captured only if it plays through your speakers. No calendar integration or team workspaces.
Otter.ai
Otter's Notetaker can join Teams as a participant, and its Mac and Windows desktop app can record Teams without a bot. It offers live transcripts, summaries and mobile apps. The free plan has 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation.
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies joins Teams as a bot or records from its desktop app, supports more than 100 languages and pushes notes into many work tools. A good fit for multilingual teams.
Fathom
Fathom works with Teams on Mac and Windows and has a generous free plan with unlimited recordings and AI summaries. Its help center notes that Teams instant meetings started from a group chat aren't supported.
Granola
Granola captures device audio without a bot on Mac and Windows and turns your rough notes plus the transcript into clean meeting notes. Audio is sent to the cloud for transcription and then deleted.
Take notes in any Teams meeting, even as a guest
Hark records Teams from your own computer: no bot, no Copilot license, no minute limits. Try AI meeting notes free for 2 days.
Our recommendation
- Your company has Copilot: use it. Intelligent recap and in-meeting questions are excellent when you host.
- You only need recaps: Teams Premium costs less than Copilot.
- You want free AI summaries and don't mind a bot: Fathom.
- You join other companies' Teams calls, or want audio to stay on your PC: Hark.
Recording laws vary, and some require everyone's consent. Teams shows a banner when its own recording starts, but a desktop recorder doesn't, so tell people yourself. See also how to record a Teams meeting and our full list of the best AI note takers.
Related
- Best AI note takers An honest roundup of AI note takers, with what each does best.
- Best free AI note takers What the free plans of popular AI note takers really include.
- Best AI meeting assistants Meeting assistants compared: notes, summaries, privacy and price.
- Best meeting notes apps Apps for taking, organizing and sharing meeting notes.
- Otter.ai alternatives Why people switch from Otter and what to use instead.
- Granola alternatives Bot-free note takers like Granola, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft Teams have a built-in AI note taker? +
Yes. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams Premium add intelligent recap to Teams meetings, with AI notes, suggested tasks and chapters. Both are paid add-ons on top of a Teams license and usually need transcription to be turned on. Without them, Teams can still produce a saved transcript in work and school accounts.
How much is Copilot for Teams meetings? +
As of October 2026, Microsoft 365 Copilot costs $30 per user per month billed yearly for enterprise plans, and Copilot Business for smaller companies is listed at $21 per user per month. Teams Premium, which also includes intelligent recap, is $10 per user per month billed yearly. Prices change, so check Microsoft's site.
Can I use an AI note taker in a Teams meeting I don't host? +
Built-in Teams transcription and Copilot depend on the organizer's settings, so you may not be able to turn them on in someone else's meeting. Third-party bots may be blocked by the other company too. A desktop recorder such as Hark records the audio on your own computer instead, but you should still tell everyone you are recording and follow your company's rules.
Does free Microsoft Teams transcribe meetings? +
Teams (free) offers live captions that appear on your screen during the meeting, but they are not saved afterwards. Saved transcripts are a feature of work and school accounts. To keep a transcript from a free Teams call, you need a separate recorder or note taker.
What is the best AI note taker for Teams without a bot? +
Desktop apps that record your computer's audio work in Teams without adding a participant. Hark, Granola, Krisp and Jamie work that way by default, and Otter, Fireflies, Read.ai and tl;dv have bot-free desktop modes. Hark also transcribes on your computer, so the audio is never uploaded.
Record, transcribe and remember every meeting
Hark records your calls on your own computer, transcribes them privately, and learns who is speaking. Free forever, with a 2-day preview of AI meeting notes.