The 5 Best Zoom AI Companion Alternatives in 2026
Zoom AI Companion is a solid bundled feature — if every conversation you have happens in a paid Zoom meeting. The moment your meetings spill into Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, phone calls, or a conference room, you need a notetaker that isn't tied to one vendor's client. These are the five best options.
The usual reasons people look past AI Companion: half their meetings are on Google Meet or Teams because that’s what the client uses; they’re on a free Zoom plan where AI Companion isn’t available; or their most important conversations — phone calls, in-person meetings — never touch Zoom at all. The common thread is wanting one notetaker for everything instead of a per-platform feature.
1. Wave — best overall Zoom AI Companion alternative
Wave treats Zoom as one of many places conversations happen:
- All three meeting platforms. A calendar bot auto-joins Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings via your Google or Outlook calendar.
- No-bot option. Wave Desktop for Mac and Windows captures mic + system audio from any meeting app directly.
- Beyond video calls. Record in-person meetings from your iPhone, Android phone, or Apple Watch, and record iPhone phone calls with the built-in Phone Bridge.
- One archive. Every recording gets a speaker-labeled transcript, AI summary, and action items — all searchable, with a chat that answers questions from any past conversation.
Free plan: 30 minutes of recording per month (no paid Zoom account required); paid plans from $11.67/month. Full matchup: Wave vs Zoom AI Companion.
2. Fathom — best free bot for video calls
Fathom records Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams free with clean summaries — an easy upgrade from AI Companion if cross-platform video meetings are your only gap. No phone or in-person capture.
3. Otter.ai — most established transcription suite
Otter brings real-time transcription, a meeting bot for the major platforms, and web and mobile apps. More mature than a bundled feature, though minute caps apply on the free tier and the product centers on scheduled meetings.
4. Fireflies.ai — best for teams and CRM workflows
Fireflies records across the major meeting platforms and shines at team features: shared libraries, CRM integrations, and conversation search. A good fit when meeting notes need to feed a sales pipeline.
5. Granola — best quiet capture on Mac
Granola captures Mac system audio from any meeting app with no bot and writes tight, opinionated notes. Mac-only, no mobile app, and no saved audio to replay — but a genuinely different feel from bot-based tools. See Wave vs Granola.
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Wave | Every platform plus phone and in-person | Free plan capped at 30 min/month |
| Fathom | Free cross-platform video-call recording | Video meetings only |
| Otter.ai | Real-time transcription ecosystem | Minute caps; meeting-centric |
| Fireflies.ai | Team libraries and CRM sync | Bot-based, virtual meetings only |
| Granola | Quiet no-bot notes on Mac | Mac-only; no saved audio |
The bottom line
AI Companion is a fine feature for all-Zoom teams on paid plans. If your conversations cross platforms — or leave the screen entirely — Wave is the alternative that captures all of them in one place, whether or not you ever open Zoom again.
Common questions about Zoom AI Companion alternatives
Which Zoom AI Companion alternative works with Google Meet and Teams?
Wave, Fathom, Otter, and Fireflies all cover Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Wave additionally records phone calls and in-person meetings, and its Desktop app can capture any meeting platform’s audio without sending a bot.
I'm on a free Zoom plan — what's the best AI notetaker?
Zoom AI Companion requires a paid Zoom plan, but alternatives don’t care what Zoom tier you’re on. Fathom is free for video calls; Wave’s free plan includes 30 minutes of recording per month across video calls, phone calls, and in-person conversations.
Can I keep meeting notes outside the Zoom ecosystem?
Yes — that’s a core reason to use a dedicated notetaker. Wave stores every recording, transcript, and summary in its own searchable archive regardless of where the conversation happened, so your notes aren’t tied to any meeting vendor.
Is there an alternative that also records phone calls and in-person meetings?
Wave. Its Phone Bridge records incoming and outgoing iPhone calls, and its mobile and Apple Watch apps record in-person conversations — capture paths Zoom AI Companion, Fathom, Otter, and Fireflies don’t offer.
