AI note takers without a bot
A bot-free note taker records the meeting from your own device instead of joining the call as an extra participant. A desktop app captures your computer's audio, a browser extension captures the meeting tab, and a phone app records the room. Nobody sees a bot in the participant list, but you are still recording other people and have to tell them.
Granola and jamie are always bot-free. Otter, Fathom (Mac), tl;dv, Notta and meetergo offer a bot and a bot-free desktop mode; Fireflies records Google Meet without its bot through a Chrome extension. Our pick as publisher: jamie or tl;dv for bot-free notes with EU storage, Granola if US storage is fine and you want a notepad, meetergo if you also want a cloud notetaker for meetings you cannot attend.
This comparison is published by meetergo GmbH, a German software company that sells an AI note taker and is one of the tools described here. Every fact about other vendors comes from their official websites as of 9 November 2026. We did not run long-term tests; “pick” is our editorial judgment for the use case named. How this guide is made.
How bot-free capture works
A meeting bot is a separate participant that the video platform lets into the call. It receives the meeting audio from the platform's servers, so it can record even when you are not there.
Bot-free tools work on your side instead. A desktop app records your system audio, which is everything your computer plays, plus your microphone. tl;dv describes its desktop app as recording “directly from your system audio, with no meeting bot required”. Some tools transcribe on the device itself: meetergo's local mode keeps audio and transcripts on your computer, and Notta lists on-device transcription. Others stream the audio to their servers for transcription; jamie says audio is streamed and never stored.
Because the app listens to your computer, it works with any meeting tool that plays sound, not only the big three. Granola, jamie and meetergo's local app say they work with any meeting app.
Which tools record without a bot, and where
Bot-free options and platforms as stated on each vendor's official page, checked 9 November 2026.
| Tool | Bot-free method | Platforms named | Bot mode as well |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granola | always bot-free; uses computer audio | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | no |
| jamie | always bot-free; runs on your device | Windows, macOS, iOS | no |
| meetergo AI Notes | local mode in the meetergo Log desktop app; no bot joins | macOS and Windows, download link sent by e-mail; Linux announced | yes, cloud notetaker for meetergo connect, Meet, Teams, Zoom |
| tl;dv | desktop app records system audio | macOS (M series and Intel), Windows | yes |
| Otter.ai | desktop app records without bots joining | Mac, Windows; Chrome extension | yes, AI Meeting Agent |
| Notta | desktop app records on device; on-device transcription listed | Mac, Windows | yes |
| Fathom | bot-free capture including full video on Mac; beta on the free plan | Mac; Windows announced | yes |
| Fireflies.ai | Chrome extension captures Google Meet without the bot | Chrome (Google Meet) | yes |
| Read AI | no bot-free option stated; the assistant is added to the meeting | not applicable | yes |
meetergo's AI Notes page labels the macOS and Windows downloads “Coming soon” next to the form that sends the download link by e-mail. Sources for every row are listed at the end of this page.
Trade-offs: bot versus bot-free
When bot-free is the better choice
- Clients or partners object to an extra participant in the call.
- The meeting platform or the host's IT does not admit external bots.
- You use a meeting tool the bot does not support.
- You want audio to stay on your device, as with meetergo's local mode or Notta's on-device transcription.
When a bot is the better choice
- You want notes from meetings you cannot attend; a bot-free app only records while your device is in the call.
- You want participants to see that recording is running and stop it themselves. In meetergo's cloud mode, anyone can end the recording by typing /stop in the meeting chat.
- Your company does not allow installing desktop apps.
Test before you switch
- Run the bot-free app on a real call with headphones and once without.
- Check that both sides of the conversation are in the transcript.
- Check speaker labels: who said what, by name.
- Check where the summary goes and who can see it.
Consent is still required
Bot-free does not mean invisible to the law. A bot at least shows up in the participant list; with a bot-free app, the only notice participants get is the one you give them. meetergo's AI Notes page describes local mode as “invisible to participants”, which is exactly why you need to say it out loud.
- Announce the recording at the start, every time.
- Add a line to the calendar invite that the meeting will be transcribed.
- Stop or pause when someone asks.
- In Germany, recording privately spoken words without authorisation is an offence under section 201 of the Criminal Code; in the EU, participants must be informed under Article 13 GDPR.
This is not legal advice. For data location, see GDPR and EU hosting; for meetings in a room, see in-person meetings.
Questions and answers
Can other participants tell that I am using a bot-free note taker?
Usually not from the participant list, because no bot joins. That is why you have to announce it yourself.
Which bot-free note takers work on Windows?
By their official pages: Granola, jamie, tl;dv, Otter, Notta and meetergo's desktop app. Fathom says Windows support for bot-free capture is on the way.
Does bot-free recording work with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet?
In principle, a desktop app that records system audio works with any meeting app that plays sound on your computer; check the vendor's own list. tl;dv names Google Meet, Zoom and Teams; Fireflies' bot-free Chrome extension is for Google Meet.
Can a bot-free tool record a meeting I do not attend?
No. It records from your device, so your device has to be in the meeting. For meetings you skip, you need a tool with a bot, such as meetergo's cloud notetaker, Otter, Fathom, Fireflies or Read AI.
Is bot-free recording more private?
It removes the visible bot, not the vendor. Where the audio and transcript go still depends on the tool: on your device (meetergo local mode), streamed and not stored (jamie), or stored by the vendor. Check the hosting region and sub-processors.
Continue reading
Sources
- Granola
- jamie
- jamie security: audio streamed for transcription, never stored
- meetergo AI Notes: local and cloud mode, /stop, desktop downloads
- tl;dv desktop app
- Otter.ai
- Notta: bot-free desktop recording, on-device transcription
- Fathom overview
- Fathom pricing: bot-free in beta for Mac on the free plan
- Fireflies pricing: Chrome extension for Google Meet without the bot
- Read AI
- Read AI pricing
- German Criminal Code, section 201 (English translation)
- GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679
All pages accessed 9 November 2026. Consent guidance is editorial, not legal advice.
Cite this entry
Best AI Meeting Note Taker. “AI note takers without a bot”. meetergo GmbH. Content reviewed 9 November 2026. https://bestaimeetingnotetaker.com/bot-free/