Best AI Note-Taking Apps (Free & Paid) in 2025: Top Picks, Use Cases, and Quick Start Guides

Gone are the days of frantically scribbling meeting notes, struggling to keep up as the speaker races ahead. AI note-taking apps now capture everything in real time without missing a beat. They use artificial intelligence to write and summarize information from meetings automatically.

Unlike traditional note-taking methods, these apps can transcribe speech and recognize keywords. There are many note-taking tools available in the market, offering unique features. This article explains 10 of them and how each one stands out.

Part 1. Best Choices by Use Case: AI Note-Taking

The choice of an AI app varies with use cases. The following section suggests the ideal AI note-taker based on the need:

1. In-Person & Privacy-First: Otter.ai

   Ideal for face-to-face meetings, Otter.ai records and transcribes conversations securely on your device, prioritizing user privacy and local data control.

2. Browser Extension for Meet/Zoom: Fireflies.ai

   Perfect for online meetings, Fireflies.ai integrates directly with Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams, automatically capturing and summarizing discussions in real time.

3. Knowledge-Base Notes: Notion AI

   Designed for long-term organization, Notion AI converts raw notes into structured knowledge bases, helping teams retain and refine insights effortlessly.

Privacy Reminder: Always inform participants before recording or transcribing any conversation to maintain consent and comply with privacy laws.

Part 2. All That Has Changed in the Landscape of AI Note-Taking Apps

As the years pass, a lot changes in the way we perform tasks. Similarly, notes takers AI have also transformed in many ways. The following list explains the evolution as the year 2025 arrived:

• On-Device Capture: On-device note-taking tools in 2025 emphasize privacy and speed, processing audio and text locally instead of relying on cloud servers.
• Meeting Bots and Integrations: AI meeting bots have become smarter, joining calls on platforms like Zoom or Teams for transcription and summarization.
• Knowledge-Base and AI: Modern AI note apps now function as intelligent knowledge bases that connect ideas, documents, and past meetings under one roof.
• Dictation and Voice-First: Voice-first note-taking has evolved with natural speech recognition, making it effortless to dictate and capture ideas. These tools understand context for dictation.
• Document and PDF-Centric: AI-driven document tools focus on extracting key insights and summaries from PDFs to generate interactive content.
• What to Expect from AI: AI in 2025 delivers real-time transcription, concise summaries, and intelligent tagging for better organization across note types. It also identifies action items and enables natural interactions. Such tools turn passive notes into dynamic, searchable knowledge systems.

Part 3. The Best Note-Taking Apps of the Year 2025

As mentioned earlier, many AI note-taker apps are available in the market in 2025. The following section mentions the top 10 tools with the best reputation:

1. PDFelement App [iOS/Android]

Best for: Teams and professionals who attend both online and in-person meetings, classes, or interviews and prioritize privacy, portability, and polished document outputs.

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Step 1Record the Audio and Integrate it into Your PDF File.

To begin with, select the "AI Record" button and tap the "Record Audio" tab. Now, browse your device for the PDF file in which you want to integrate the audio. When the file is imported, select the "Record Audio" tab to capture your voice.

Step 2Transcribe the Audio Recording

Once the voice has been recorded, tap anywhere on the screen to add this audio. Now, select the "Play" option from the pop-up that automatically appears below the audio. Using the next interface, enter the Text tab to "Transcribe" the file and choose the transcription language.

Step 3Generate an AI Summary of the Audio.

To generate a summary of the audio, enter the AI Summary tab and select the "Summarize" button.

Key Features

• AI Generate Mindmap: PDFelement app generates mindmaps from the summaries of your recordings to provide a better understanding of the content.
• AI Translate: Benefit from the AI translation facilities by converting your PDF files into more than 100 languages.
• Switch AI Models: You can switch between the DeepSeek and GPT models according to the nature of your work, for expected results.
• HTML to PDF: This platform converts a PDF file to and from HTML for easy integration into other tools.

Who Should Pick it: Users who prefer exporting well-formatted PDF summaries for clients, documentation, or classroom use.

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2. Otter.ai [iOS/Android]

Best For: Live transcription and searchable audio notes.

Key Features

• Otter.ai generates real-time transcripts for instant understanding.
• The chatbot can answer any query from the past meetings as well.
• Users can benefit from the AI chatbot to simplify concepts.

Who Should Pick it: Educators, journalists, and meeting participants needing quick, collaborative transcriptions.

3. Notta [iOS/Android]

Best For: Professionals who attend frequent virtual meetings, automatic recording, and transcription.

Key Features

• Notta automatically removes excessive noise from your meetings.
• The automated action points are generated as soon as the meeting ends.
• It auto-syncs your meeting notes across all devices you have logged in from.

Who Should Pick it: Anyone whose workflow includes many virtual meetings and sharing feedback.

4. Amica AI Meeting Notes [iOS]

Best For: Remote or hybrid teams, meeting-heavy workflows.

Key Features

• The collaborative features let you share a screen cast with your team.
• This tool supports Google Meet and over 15 other online meeting platforms.
• You can transcribe your meetings in over 60 languages.

Who Should Pick it: Content creators who spend significant time in video calls or screen-record sessions.

5. MeetGeek[iOS/Android]

Best For: Teams who attend frequent virtual and in-person meetings and want full automation

Key Features

• MeetGeek allows you to record, pause, and automate meetings
• Using its collaborative features, you can share points from past meetings with your team.
• The analytics show the number of spoken words and the duration of speech.

Who Should Pick it: Groups needing to capture meeting outcomes and share insights.

6. Fireflies.ai[iOS/Android]

Best For: Virtual meetings and automatic transcription.

Key Features

• Fireflies.ai supports more than 100 languages for transcriptions.
• The language detection capabilities switch languages for multilingual meetings.
• Users can see the time codes to navigate to the desired points in the meeting.

Who Should Pick it: Remote teams or professionals who rely heavily on online meetings.

7. TLDR [iOS]

Best For: Professionals who conduct frequent virtual meetings on online platforms.

Key Features

• Using this facility, users can see the talking and questioning timing of each speaker.
• TLDR also displays the emails of each speaker of the meeting.
• This automatically shares your summaries with your team to implement the action points.

Who Should Pick it: Teams who need automatic post-meeting capture with minimal manual note-taking

8. Notion[iOS/Android]

Best For: Centralized knowledge bases and organized project documentation.

Key Features

• Notion AI intelligently organizes notes into bullets and paragraphs as needed.
• The AI chatbot simplifies concerts and answers user queries.
• It mentions the attendees in each meeting to help you keep track of the participation.

Who Should Pick it: Teams or individuals managing large, connected note systems and needing AI summaries and organization.

9. Read.ai[iOS/Android]

Best For: Teams who need advanced analytics and unified search.

Key Features

• Read.ai's meeting pilot converts your emails, meetings, and messages into text.
• It creates highlights of the meeting, so you don't have to read the entire thing.
• You can also review the action items to implement the meeting's outcomes.

Who Should Pick it: Professionals who view meetings as rich data sources.

10. Krisp[iOS/Android]

Best For: Professionals who need privacy and automation in one place.

Key Features

• Users can also upload an offline session for transcription.
• The summary settings are customizable through Krisp.
• If the meeting was recorded in a noisy area, use the built-in noise reduction tool

Who Should Pick it: Remote teams wanting to focus on conversation rather than note-taking.

A Comparison Table to Compare the Above-Mentioned AI Note-Takers

The section above discusses the best 10 AI-powered note-taking apps in detail. However, you can go through the following table to have a quick comparison of the above-mentioned platforms:

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Part 4. Best AI Note-Taking App for iPhone and iPad

Having a note-taking app on the phone makes it easier to understand meetings. If you are an iPhone user, you might want the following features in your best AI note-taking app for iPhone:

• Mic Permissions: iOS requires clear microphone access requests, ensuring AI note-taking apps can record, transcribe, and summarize meetings.
• Live Activities: This feature allows users to monitor ongoing recordings or transcription progress directly from the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island for convenient real-time tracking.
• Widgets: Home-screen widgets offer quick access to start new recordings, view recent summaries, or open pinned notes without launching the full app.
• Offline Capture: Offline recording enables users to take and store notes securely without internet access, supporting local AI transcription for privacy and uninterrupted productivity.
• File Handoff to Drive or Files: Seamless integration with iOS Files and Google Drive allows smooth exporting, syncing, and sharing of AI-generated notes across different devices and platforms.

If you are looking for AI apps for note-taking with all of the above specifications, use PDFelement app. This iOS app offers quick and convenient transcription for better workflows. The following steps feature a complete guide to using this iOS application for making AI notes for meetings:

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Step 1Record the Audio in Your Desired PDF Document

To begin with, select the "AI Record" tab from the toolbox and select the PDF file in which you need to integrate the audio. When the document is imported, select the "Record Audio" tab from the pop-up menu and start recording.

Step 2Transcribe the Recorded Meeting

When you have aborted the audio, tap anywhere on the screen to add an audio play button. Using the pop-up menu that automatically appears, select "Play" and enter the following interface. Here, select the "Text" section from the top and hit the "Transcribe" button to find the speech-to-text results.

Step 3Summarize the Meeting with AI

To get the summary of the meeting, enter the "AI Summary" tab from the top and select the "Summarize" button to get a meeting precis.

Part 5. AI Note-Takers Built for Team and Client Collaboration

Collaborative features are always appreciated in AI apps for note-taking. The following text explains how a tool with team-oriented features can help you:

• Collaboration and Shared Spaces: Teams thrive when AI note-taking tools offer shared workspaces that centralize meeting notes, summaries, and recordings. Shared spaces make it easier for everyone, from managers to interns.
• Roles, Permissions, and Access Control: Effective team tools must support role-based permissions that define who can edit, comment, or export notes. This structure prevents data confusion and protects client confidentiality.
• Task Handoff and Action Management: AI tools that automatically extract action items and assign them to specific team members streamline workflows. This automation reduces manual follow-ups and ensures accountability.
• Export Rules and Data Governance: Teams dealing with clients often need controlled exports with compliance tagging or branding. Clear export rules maintain consistency across client deliverables while keeping proprietary notes secure and easy to audit.
• Use Cases and Deployment Contexts: AI note takers shine in settings like sprint reviews, client discovery calls, or academic cohort discussions. They work well where collaboration and accuracy matter most.

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Part 6. Smart Buyer's Guide: Choose the Best Fit for Your Workflow

When it comes to picking the best AI note-taking app, you should first consider your needs. The following text features a guide to choosing the right tool for your workflow:

• Identify Your Core Needs

  Before choosing an AI note-taking app, clearly define your workflow goals, such as meeting summaries, transcription, or collaboration. Knowing what you truly need helps narrow your options and prevents choosing flashy but unnecessary features.

• Evaluate Integration Compatibility

  Check if the tool integrates smoothly with platforms you already use, like Zoom, Slack, or Google Workspace. Seamless integrations save time and prevent data silos between your notes and daily workflows.

• Assess Privacy and Security Features

  Always review how your data is handled — on-device vs. cloud-based storage can make a big difference in confidentiality. Privacy-sensitive users should prioritize encryption and transparent data policies to ensure full control over sensitive information.

• Compare Pricing and Free Tier Limits

  Examine the free version's restrictions and how paid plans scale with your team or individual needs. Cost-effectiveness depends on usage frequency, so balance affordability with the reliability and features while picking a free AI note taker.

• Test Real-World Performance

  Try demo versions to evaluate how the AI handles transcription accuracy, summary speed, and offline support. Real-world testing reveals whether the app can truly keep up with your workflow demands under practical conditions.

Part 7. Quick How-To Guides

As we know, PDFelement app and its products for browser and PC have lots of unique features to help you make your work accessible. From transcribing your meetings to converting them into mind maps, there is a lot you can do. The section below shares comprehensive guides on performing these features on PDFelement:

Dictation to Text

The Dictation to Text feature supports multiple languages to transcribe your meetings. The PDF integration utility can be used to allow for a better understanding of documents through audio. Once the app has summarized your meetings, the results can be copied and shared anywhere. Follow the steps below and learn how to use this note-taking app AI for this purpose:

Step 1Add the Copied Summary in the PDF Template

Once you have copied the AI-generated summary, head to the main interface of the PDFelement app and select the "+" button at the bottom. Now, tap the "Template" option and pick the template that suits you. Next, paste the textual summary copied earlier. You can edit the text using the editing section at the bottom.

Step 2Add a Sticker for Engagement

To incorporate a sticker into the PDF, enter the "Draw" mode from the menu at the bottom. Now, select the "Sticker" tab and apply the desired resource where needed in the document.

Step 3Export the Summary as a PDF File

When you are done editing the document, select the "Export" icon at the top left to share the file using your desired mode.

Turn Notes into Mind Map

The AI of PDFelement app has a unique method of streamlining your note-sharing. It uses your PDF files to generate an AI mind map for a better understanding of how to work on projects. The generated mind maps are editable to match your desired planning. Follow the steps below to learn how to turn your AI meeting notes into mind maps using the best AI notes app:

Step 1

To generate a mind map, select the "AI" icon at the top right of the screen and select the "Generate Mind Map" option from the section below. When the mind map is generated, you can edit it as needed.

Share Across Devices Without Installing Apps

If you need a quick solution that edits and shares your PDFs without any installation, use PDFelement online. You can use this facility for minor file editing and sharing it across any platform. Its collaborative features allow you to share your work progress via a link with your team members. The following steps feature how to share files across devices using the best AI note taker online:

Step 1Edit the Uploaded PDF File

To begin with, upload a PDF file on the homepage of PDFelement and access the "Edit PDF" tab from the left panel. Now, select the text you want to edit and navigate to the top toolbar to customize text.

Step 2Share the Edited PDF As a Link

Once you are done editing the PDF, select the "Share" button at the top right to open a share window. Here, click the "Copy Link" button to save the link in the Clipboard. Now, share this link with anyone. You can also select the "Share Settings" tab to add specifications for sharing the file.

Step 3

As the next screen opens, select the share settings and click on "Apply" to save the specifications.

Compliance-Ready Finalization (Desktop)

If you are looking for ways to save a document in a way that meets legal, regulatory, or archival standards, use PDFelement on the desktop. The PC version of this AI note taker free offers an all-in-one PDF solution. From editing the file to annotating and password-protecting it, all can be done under one roof. The following steps guide you to using this platform for compliance-ready finalization of PDFs:

Step 1

To start, click the "Open PDF" button and import a file that you need to work with.

Step 2Redact the Text for Protection

To hide any sensitive information from the file, select the "3 Dots" menu from the left panel and pick "Mark for Redaction" from the "Protect" extended menu.

Step 3Apply Redaction to the Sensitive Information

Now, locate the data that needs to be hidden and select it. To apply the redaction, hit the "Apply Reaction" button at the top.

Step 4Add Page Numbers to the Document

Using the "Organize" tab from the left, enter the menu at the top to select the "All Pages" option. This will apply page numbers to all the pages in the file.

Step 5Save the PDF File on Your Device

Once done working, navigate to the top right of the screen and select the "Save" button to export the PDF to your desired location.

Conclusion

Each AI note-taking app mentioned above serves a unique purpose. Otter.ai excels in live in-person transcription, Fireflies.ai in online meetings, and Notion AI in structured knowledge management. However, PDFelement app stands out as the most privacy-conscious, on-device choice for professionals by handling sensitive or offline work. Its integrated audio recording, transcription, and summarization directly within PDFs ensure secure and compliant documentation.

For iPhone users, it further supports offline capture and seamless file handoff to Drive or Files. In essence, PDFelement app offers a balanced, compliance-friendly path for private, on-device note-taking that combines automation with full data control.

Part 8. Frequently Asked Questions