Short answer: For unlimited AI meeting notes, CraftNote is one of the cheapest options at $9.99/mo ($8.33/mo billed annually) — about half the price of Fathom ($16), tl;dv ($18), or Sonix ($25). For a free plan, Fathom is the most generous for raw recording, while CraftNote's free tier gives you structured notes (summaries + action items), not just a transcript.
"Cheapest" and "best free" aren't the same question, and "free" often comes with a catch. This guide compares what you actually get — and what you actually pay — across the six most-asked-about AI note-takers for US users in 2026.
| App | Free plan | Cheapest paid (unlimited AI notes) | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| CraftNote | 5 AI notes + 5 recording hrs / month | $9.99/mo ($8.33/mo annual) | Free tier caps notes and hours |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/mo (30 min/conversation) | $8.33/user/mo (annual) | 6 languages; file imports limited on free |
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings + transcripts, basic summaries | $16/mo (annual) | Action items + advanced summaries are paid |
| tl;dv | Unlimited recordings, 10 lifetime AI summaries | $18/user/mo (annual) | Free recordings deleted after 3 months |
| Happy Scribe | 10-min trial only | $8.50/mo or $0.20/min | No ongoing free plan |
| Sonix | 30-min trial only | $10/hr (pay-as-you-go) | No ongoing free plan |
Pricing as published on each tool's official pricing page, June 2026 — always check current plans.
Cheapest for Unlimited AI Notes
Winner: CraftNote and Otter ($8.33/mo annual). If your goal is unlimited AI-generated notes without per-minute fees, CraftNote ($9.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed annually) and Otter ($8.33/user/mo annual) are the cheapest of the group. Fathom ($16), tl;dv ($18), and Sonix (~$25/mo for 5 hours) cost roughly two to three times more for an equivalent "everything included" tier.
The difference between the two cheapest: Otter is focused on live meeting transcription in six languages, while CraftNote covers in-person, remote, and uploaded recordings, supports 100+ languages for translation, and turns each one into a structured summary with action items and owners.
Best Free Plan (and the Catches)
- Fathom — the most generous for raw capture: unlimited recordings and transcripts with basic AI summaries, free. Catch: automatic action items and advanced summaries are paid.
- tl;dv — also "unlimited" recordings, but only 10 AI summaries for the lifetime of the account, and free recordings are deleted after 3 months.
- Otter — 300 minutes a month with live transcription and summaries, capped at 30 minutes per conversation.
- CraftNote — 5 AI notes and 5 recording hours a month, but you get structured notes (summaries, action items, owners), not just a transcript, plus uploads (audio/video/PDF/YouTube) and 100+ language translation.
- Sonix & Happy Scribe — no real free plan, just a 30-minute / 10-minute trial.
The honest read: "free unlimited" usually means unlimited transcripts, with the genuinely useful parts (action items, summaries, retention, search) gated or time-limited. Read the catch column before you commit.
Best Value (Cost vs What You Get)
Value isn't just the lowest number — it's price against what you'll actually use:
- If you want structured notes you can act on: CraftNote gives summaries with action items, owners, and decisions, plus search and export (PDF/DOCX), at one of the lowest "unlimited" prices in this group (~$100/year on the annual plan, tied with Otter).
- If you only need raw recordings + transcripts: Fathom's free plan is hard to beat — just expect to pay for action items.
- If you need polished, multi-language transcripts: Sonix or Happy Scribe, but you'll pay per hour/minute.
Quick Value Math
- CraftNote Pro: ~$100/year (annual) for unlimited structured notes across web, iOS, and Android.
- Fathom Premium: ~$192/year for unlimited recordings + action items.
- tl;dv Pro: ~$216/year per user for unlimited summaries + retained recordings.
- Sonix: at $10/hour pay-as-you-go, ~10 hours/month already costs more than a CraftNote annual plan.
Common Questions
What is the cheapest AI note-taker in 2026?
For unlimited AI notes, CraftNote ($9.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed annually) and Otter ($8.33/user/mo annual) are the cheapest of the major options — roughly half the price of Fathom, tl;dv, or Sonix. For occasional use, a free plan may cover you entirely.
Which AI note-taker has the best free plan?
Fathom is the most generous for raw capture, with unlimited free recordings and transcripts, though action items and advanced summaries are paid. CraftNote's free plan is smaller (5 notes and 5 recording hours a month) but gives you structured notes with action items, not just a transcript.
Is CraftNote free?
Yes — CraftNote has a free plan with 5 AI-generated notes and 5 hours of recordings per month. The Pro plan ($9.99/mo, or $8.33/mo annually) removes those limits for unlimited AI notes.
What's the catch with "free unlimited" transcription plans?
Usually the recordings or transcripts are unlimited, but the genuinely useful parts are limited — for example, tl;dv's free plan includes only 10 AI summaries for the lifetime of the account and deletes recordings after 3 months, and Fathom keeps automatic action items on paid tiers. Check what's gated before relying on a free plan.
If you mostly want a clean free option to start with, our companion guide breaks down the best free speech-to-text and transcription apps. To see CraftNote's plans in full, visit the pricing page.
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