An AI note taker for Zoom that never joins the call.
QuietNote records Zoom from your own Mac, on any plan, whether you host or not.
- No bot joins the meeting
- AI runs locally, works offline
- No account, no cloud by default
Coming soon for macOS 14.2+, with Windows to follow.
Notes like Otter or Fireflies, without a notetaker in the participant list.
Nobody waiting to be admitted.
A Zoom notetaker bot shows up as another participant. QuietNote listens from your Mac next to Zoom, so the participant list stays as you invited it.
Your options
Three ways to get AI notes from a Zoom call.
What each one needs, who sees the notes and where they’re kept. Zoom details come from Zoom’s own support pages.
Zoom AI Companion
Zoom’s own meeting summary, sent by email and Zoom Chat and kept on the Summaries page of the web portal.
- Needs Zoom Workplace Pro or above; Basic gets three hosted meetings a month
- The host or a co-host starts it, and only signed-in invitees receive it
- The transcript goes to Zoom’s third-party model providers to write the summary
A notetaker bot
Otter, Fireflies, Read AI and others send a notetaker into the call, where it joins as a participant.
- Everyone sees it in the participant list, and the host may have to admit it
- Recordings and notes are stored in the vendor’s cloud
- Unwanted bots: how to remove them
QuietNote on your Mac
Records your microphone and the Mac’s audio beside Zoom, then transcribes and summarises on the Mac.
- No Zoom plan, host permission or co-host role needed
- Works offline; each meeting is a Markdown file in a folder you choose
- Zoom shows nothing, so tell people you’re taking notes
More detail, with sources: Zoom transcription, how to record a Zoom meeting and whether you may record it.
How it works
From call to notes in three steps.
- 01
Press start
Start recording when the meeting begins. Nothing records before that.
- 02
Meet as usual
Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any call on your computer.
- 03
Read your notes
A short summary, the decisions made, and action items with owners.
The notes
One short note per call.
What was decided, who does what, and by when.
Acme onboarding call
Summary
Acme is ready to move into implementation. Onboarding moves to 14 October so engineering can finish the analytics integration first.
Decisions
- Move onboarding to 14 October
- Ship analytics in the first release; SSO follows in phase two
Action items
- Send Acme the updated onboarding planMaya Chen2 Oct
- Finish the analytics integrationTom Wilson9 Oct
- Book the SSO scoping call with AcmeAlex Morgan16 Oct
Who it’s for
Built for people who talk to clients all day.
Consultants and advisors
Every client call ends with a clear summary and next steps, and no bot to explain at the start.
Client-facing founders
Customer and investor calls, with decisions and owners written down.
Agencies
What the client decided, and what happens next.
Sales
Listen to the buyer. QuietNote takes the notes.
In your control
Nothing records until you press start.
Tell people you’re recording. Recording rules differ by country and organization.
Start
Recording begins only when you start it.
Stop
Only what you recorded becomes notes.
Compared
How QuietNote compares
QuietNote next to the AI note takers people use most, based on each vendor’s own pricing, security and privacy pages.
| QuietNote |  Fireflies |  Otter |  Granola | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No bot joins the call | Yes | Partly: Chrome extension only | No | Yes |
| Transcribed on your computer | Yes | No | No | No |
| Works offline | Yes | No | No | No |
| No account needed | Yes | No | No | No |
| Keeps the recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Phone apps | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Checked in October 2026. Plans change, so see each guide for current prices and sources: Fireflies, Otter, Granola.
Guides
Compare QuietNote
What the well-known AI note takers cost, why people switch, and how to get their bots out of your meetings. Every price is dated and sourced.
Alternatives
Pricing
One plan. Everything included.
One price with every feature in it, and no tiers to compare.
QuietNote
Every feature, on your own computer.
€4/month€8/month after launch
No payment today. We’ll email you before launch.
- No bot joins the call
- Transcribed on your computer
- Works offline
- No account needed
- Summaries, decisions, action items
- Notes as Markdown files
- Zoom, Meet, Teams and more
- Mac, Windows coming
Waitlist offer
50% off
for lifeEveryone who joins the waitlist before launch keeps half price for as long as they stay subscribed.
Questions
Common questions
Does QuietNote join my Zoom meeting?
No. It records your Mac’s microphone and system audio next to the Zoom window, so nothing is added to the participant list and there is no bot for the host to admit.
Do I need to be the host?
No. In Zoom, only the host can start a recording unless they give you permission. QuietNote doesn’t use Zoom’s recording, so it works the same whether you host, co-host or join as a participant. You still need to tell people you’re taking notes.
Does it work on a free Zoom account?
Yes. Zoom’s cloud transcript and AI Companion depend on your Zoom plan; QuietNote doesn’t need any Zoom plan, because it works from your own computer.
Will other people know I’m taking notes?
Not from Zoom: there is no recording banner, because Zoom isn’t recording. Tell them yourself. Our guide on whether it’s legal to record a meeting covers the consent rules.
Can it transcribe a Zoom recording I already have?
Yes. Import the video.mp4 or audio.m4a that Zoom saved, and it’s transcribed on your Mac into the same kind of Markdown note.
Does QuietNote work offline?
Yes. Recording and transcription always run offline. Summaries are optional: with a local model in Ollama, nothing leaves your computer. If you choose Claude instead, only the transcript text is sent, with your own Anthropic key, and only when you ask.
How much will QuietNote cost?
€8 a month or €79 a year. Everyone who joins the waitlist before launch gets 50% off for life: €4 a month or €39.50 a year.
Be first to try QuietNote.
Private by default, with no bot in the call. Coming soon for Mac, with Windows to follow.