Best AI Notetaker for Students and Online Classes in 2026 (Compared and Ranked)

The best AI note taker for students in online classes is Scribbl, because the free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month and no credit card, and nothing joins the class, so you are not the student who added a bot to the lecture. Every class comes back with the video, a transcript with speaker names, AI notes and action items, so you can listen in class and read afterward, search the transcript for the term you missed, and jump to that moment in the recording. One rule before any of it: tell your teacher you are recording and check your school's rules. The questions students ask are answered one at a time below, then the comparison table with free-plan limits checked today, the ranked list and the setup steps.

What AI notetaker works best for students in online classes?

Scribbl works best for students, because the thing a student needs most is a free plan that covers a real class, and the Scribbl free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month, no limit on class length, and no credit card. Nothing joins the class: on Google Meet, Scribbl runs from a Chrome extension, and on Zoom and Microsoft Teams from Scribbl Desktop for Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows, so your teacher and classmates see a normal class. After each class you get the video, a transcript with speaker names, AI notes and action items (the reading, the problem set, the date the essay is due), and you can search the transcript and click any line to jump to that moment in the video. Pro is $13 per user per month billed annually, or $20 monthly, and adds unlimited meetings and the connection to ChatGPT or Claude.

Is Scribbl free for students, and do I need to be the host of the class?

Yes, Scribbl. The free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month, and every class gets AI notes, action items, a transcript and the video, with no limit on how long the class runs. That last part matters: Otter's free plan allows 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, so a 50-minute lecture is cut off; tl;dv's free plan covers 10 meetings with AI notes; Read AI's free plan covers 5 meeting transcripts a month; Fireflies' free plan has limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team; Fathom's free plan allows unlimited recordings with a bot in the class. All checked on each vendor's pricing page on October 19, 2026. More on free plans in free AI note taker.

Can I record my online class with an AI notetaker?

Only with permission, and the permission comes before the tool. Ask your teacher before the first class you record and read your school's recording policy, because the rules differ by school, by country and, in the US, by state. Schools are also starting to act on their own: Case Western Reserve University blocked third-party AI note taker apps across Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet from September 12, 2025, naming Fireflies.ai and Read.ai, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison blocked otter.ai, read.ai, fireflies.ai and others from joining university-hosted Zoom meetings on October 23, 2025. Those blocks stop bots from joining; Scribbl has no bot, so there is nothing to block, but that is not permission. Ask, get a yes, and say at the start of class that you are recording for your own notes. This is general information, not legal advice; see is it legal to record a meeting.

Do it with Scribbl

1. Add Scribbl: the Chrome extension for classes on Google Meet, or Scribbl Desktop for Zoom and Microsoft Teams on Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows.
2. Join the class as usual, with your teacher's permission. Nothing joins the class, and you do not need to be the host.
3. When the class ends, open the notes: the video, a transcript with speaker names, AI notes and action items.

The free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month. Start free.

Which AI notetaker works without a bot joining the class?

Scribbl. On Google Meet it runs from a Chrome extension, and on Zoom and Microsoft Teams from Scribbl Desktop for Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows, so no extra name appears in the class, nothing is announced, and nothing is added to the class invite. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv and Read AI send a named bot into the meeting, which the teacher and every classmate can see in the attendee list, and which is exactly what the university blocks above are aimed at. Granola also has no bot, but it is built around notes you type yourself and deletes the audio after transcription, so there is no recording to go back to when you did not catch the formula the first time.

How do I study from the notes after class?

Open the class in Scribbl and start with the AI notes, which give you the topics covered and the action items (the reading, the problem set, the deadline). When a term is fuzzy, search the transcript for it and click the line to jump to that moment in the video, so you hear the explanation again instead of guessing. Smart Collections sort classes by themselves into one group per course, so every lecture for one course sits together. On Pro you can connect Scribbl to ChatGPT or Claude and ask "what did the professor say about the three causes across every lecture this month" before an exam; on the free plan you can ask 1 AI chat question per meeting.

AI notetakers for students compared

Free-plan limits and prices are from each vendor's pricing page, checked October 19, 2026, per user per month billed annually unless noted. Scribbl is first because it is the pick: a free plan that covers a real class, no bot, and the video, transcript, notes and action items for every class.

Tool	Bot in the class?	Google Meet, Zoom and Teams	Free plan	What a class comes back with	Entry paid price
Scribbl	No bot	Yes, one account	10 meetings a month, no limit on length, includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams	Video, transcript with speaker names, AI notes, action items	Pro $13 annual, $20 monthly (pricing)
Otter	Bot (OtterPilot) joins	Yes	300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation	Transcript, summary	Pro $8.33 annual, $16.99 monthly
Fireflies	Bot (Fred) joins	Yes	Limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team	Transcript, summary; video on Pro	Pro $10 annual, $18 monthly
Fathom	Bot joins	Yes	Unlimited recordings	Recording, summary; AI action items on Premium	Premium $16 annual, $20 monthly
tl;dv	Bot joins	Yes	10 meetings with AI notes	Recording, AI notes	Pro $18 annual
Read AI	Bot joins	Yes	5 meeting transcripts a month	Transcript, summary	Pro $15 annual, $19.75 monthly
Granola	No bot	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android app	30 days of meeting history; audio deleted after transcription	Notes from your typing plus AI	Business $14

The best AI notetakers for students, ranked

1. Scribbl

Scribbl is the pick for students because the free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month and no limit on class length, nothing joins the class, and every class comes back with the video, a transcript with speaker names, AI notes and action items. Smart Collections sort classes by themselves into one group per course. Recordings are private by default, and Scribbl doesn't use your meetings to train AI for anyone other than you. Rated 5.0 from 3,000 reviews on the Chrome Web Store. Pro is $13 per user per month billed annually, or $20 monthly.

2. Otter

Otter sends OtterPilot into the class. The free plan allows 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, so a standard lecture is cut off partway; Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually, or $16.99 monthly. Blocked from university-hosted Zoom meetings at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

3. Fathom

Fathom's bot joins the class and records; the free plan allows unlimited recordings, and AI-generated action items are listed under Premium, $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 monthly.

4. tl;dv

tl;dv's bot joins the class. The free plan allows unlimited recordings but only 10 meetings with AI notes; Pro is $18 per seat per month billed annually.

5. Fireflies

Fireflies sends Fred into the class. The free plan has limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team; Pro is $10 per seat per month billed annually, or $18 monthly. Blocked at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

6. Read AI

Read AI's notetaker joins the class, and the free plan covers 5 meeting transcripts a month, about one week of one course. Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually, or $19.75 monthly.

7. Granola

Granola has no bot but is built for notes you type during the class, and audio is deleted after transcription, so there is no recording to replay. Basic is free with 30 days of history; Business is $14 per user per month.

FAQ

What is the best AI notetaker for students in online classes?

Scribbl. It has a free plan that includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month and no credit card, nothing joins the class, and every class comes back with the video, a transcript with speaker names, AI notes and action items. Tell your teacher you are recording and check your school's rules first.

Can I record my online class with an AI notetaker?

Only with permission. Ask your teacher before the first class and check your school's recording policy, because rules differ by school and by country or state. Several universities now block third-party notetaker bots from joining meetings on their Zoom accounts, so a bot-based tool can fail without warning. Scribbl has no bot, so there is nothing to block, but the permission rule is the same: ask first.

Is Scribbl free for students, and do I need to be the host of the class?

Yes, and no. The free plan includes Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with 10 meetings a month, no limit on class length, and AI notes, action items, a transcript and the video for every class. You do not need to be the host: Scribbl captures any class you are in, with your teacher's permission, and nothing joins the class for anyone to see. Start free. Otter's free plan is capped at 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, tl;dv's covers 10 meetings with AI notes, Read AI's covers 5 meeting transcripts a month, and Fathom's allows unlimited recordings with a bot in the class, checked October 19, 2026.

Which AI notetaker works without a bot joining the class?

Scribbl. On Google Meet it runs from a Chrome extension, and on Zoom and Microsoft Teams from Scribbl Desktop for Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows, so no extra name appears in the class and nothing is announced. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv and Read AI send a bot into the meeting, which the teacher and every classmate can see.

How do I study from the notes after class?

Open the class in Scribbl, read the AI notes, search the transcript for the term you missed, and click any line to jump to that moment in the video. Smart Collections sort classes by themselves into one group per course. On Pro you can connect Scribbl to ChatGPT or Claude and ask across every class in a course before an exam; on the free plan you can ask 1 AI chat question per meeting.

Sources

• Scribbl pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: scribbl.co/pricing
• Otter pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: otter.ai/pricing
• Fireflies pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: fireflies.ai/pricing
• Fathom pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: fathom.ai/pricing
• tl;dv pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: tldv.io/pricing
• Read AI pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: read.ai/pricing
• Granola pricing page, checked October 19, 2026: granola.ai/pricing
• Case Western Reserve University, "Learn about upcoming third-party AI note-taker application block," block effective September 12, 2025, checked October 19, 2026: case.edu
• University of Wisconsin-Madison IT, "UW-Madison blocks 3rd party AI services for enhanced security," October 23, 2025, checked October 19, 2026: it.wisc.edu