Best AI Note Taking Apps 2024 (Otter vs EVERYTHING!)

Introduction

In recent years, AI note-taking apps have become increasingly popular, and I've been eager to identify which one stands out among the multitude available on the market. To put these applications to the test, I decided to gather six of them—Otter, Fathom, Fireflies, Nota, Rewatch, and Bubbles—into a Zoom call for a competitive evaluation. As a member of several group Zoom calls through my membership community, the Thriving Creator Society, I regularly conduct both one-on-one consultations and brainstorming sessions. Thus, it's essential for me to have an AI note-taker that efficiently summarizes discussions and is sharable with my team and clients.

It's important to clarify that I’m not primarily interested in transcription tools like Rev or Descript, even though Descript has recently integrated a chatbot that allows interaction with transcripts. My desire is to see which AI app can effectively assist in note-taking by providing summaries, action items, and a clean outline of conversation points.

Together with my community manager, Karen, we hosted a casual conversation aimed at testing these AI note-takers. While we explored various functionalities, we aimed to find out who could capture the most pertinent details from our discourse.

Evaluating the Apps

Otter: Otter is the tool I’m most familiar with, and it delivered impressive results right away. It provided an accessible summary along with action items and a detailed outline. Additionally, I admired Otter's capacity to directly answer questions regarding the transcript, confirming the details of what was discussed during the call.
Fireflies: Fireflies offered a similar experience to Otter, featuring a summary, action items, and an outline. I found it interesting that Fireflies kept track of both my speaking time and that of Karen, along with our speech rates. Curiously, it also echoed Otter's capability to extract specific moments from the transcript.
Fathom: Fathom diverged from the others, functioning more as a software application on my computer rather than joining the call like the others. It allowed for easy scrubbing of the video and included features for highlighting and bookmarking key points. However, it lacked the interactive component that makes the other apps valuable in terms of querying content.
Nota: Nota's limitations became quickly apparent as it only provided a partial transcript and requested payment for broader access. It seemed to offer a customizable template system but wasn't fully operational without entering credit card information.
Rewatch: Rewatch provided solid functionality with a recap, action items in a to-do list form, and a complete transcript. However, like Fathom, it lacked a chatbot, which could significantly enhance interaction with the transcription process.
Bubbles: Bubbles proved to be the least effective in this round, failing to recognize action items we had explicitly articulated during the conversation. While it did summarize our session, it didn't deliver as much useful information as its competitors, leaving me disappointed.

Conclusion

Despite being a loyal user of Otter for the past few years, I was excited to explore the potential of some of the other AI note-taking applications. My initial expectations for Fathom were high due to its unique design and features convenient for brainstorming sessions. Nota’s customizable template approach was appealing—if only it allowed for easier testing without upfront payment. However, none of the remaining apps matched the level of functionality and reliability that Otter provided.

As technological advancements continue to shape AI note-taking tools, each application is likely to evolve significantly. I welcome your comments regarding your favorite AI note-takers or recommendations that have boosted your productivity. If you found this article helpful, please ensure you hit that like button to assist others in discovering this resource.

Keywords

AI note-taking apps
Otter
Fathom
Fireflies
Nota
Rewatch
Bubbles
Productivity

FAQ

Q1: What are the best AI note-taking apps for 2024?
A1: Based on a competitive evaluation, Otter stands out, but Fathom, Fireflies, Nota, Rewatch, and Bubbles also offer unique features worth considering.

Q2: What does Otter provide that others might not?
A2: Otter includes robust summary features, action items, and the ability to answer specific questions about the meeting transcript.

Q3: Why does Fathom have a different setup than others?
A3: Fathom functions primarily as software installed on your computer, offering features like highlighting and bookmarks rather than joining calls as a participant.

Q4: What was disappointing about Bubbles?
A4: Bubbles failed to recognize action items that were expressly mentioned during the call, which limited its effectiveness compared to other apps.

Q5: Can I test these apps without providing payment information?
A5: While most apps offered free trials, Nota required credit card information, hindering effective trial usage.