We took a hard look at the nine top contenders in the AI note-taking space, specifically for those of us in sales. We didn't just check if they could transcribe (that’s table stakes now); we looked at how they actually play nice with your CRM, whether they can help you coach your reps, and if they can automate that annoying post-call admin work. The lineup includes Fireflies.ai, Gong, Avoma, Fathom, Demodesk, Sybill, Otter AI, Chorus, and tl;dv.
Let’s be real: most sales reps spend maybe 30% of their week actually selling. The rest of the time? It vanishes into the black hole of Salesforce updates and admin tasks. I still cringe thinking about a deal I lost early in my career. I was so busy typing out technical requirements like a court stenographer that I completely missed the client asking about implementation timelines—a huge buying signal. I was too busy being a secretary to be a consultant. That deal died on the vine. Today, AI note takers for sales teams aren't just recorders; they are safety nets that ensure you never miss a signal—or a CRM field update—again.
Table of Contents
Here’s the roadmap for this post. We’ve got the quick summary for the skimmers, the criteria we used (so you know we aren't making this up), the deep dives, and some final thoughts.
- TL;DR: The Quick Verdict
- What Actually Matters When Choosing an AI Note Taker
- Fireflies AI
- Gong
- Avoma
- Fathom
- Demodesk
- Sybill
- Otter AI
- Chorus (by ZoomInfo)
- tl;dv
- Notable Mentions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
TL;DR: The Quick Verdict
If you don't have time to read the whole breakdown, here is the cheat sheet based on what you might need most:
- Best for "I Hate Admin Work": Fireflies AI. Think of it as an AI intern that handles everything from the transcript to the granular CRM data entry and follow-up emails.
- Best for Big Budget Enterprise: Gong. The heavyweight champ for deep deal analysis and forecasting, assuming you have the budget for it.
- Best for Solopreneurs & Small Squads: Fathom. An awesome free tier that handles the basics without the enterprise price tag.
- Best for In-Call Help: Demodesk. Offers live battle cards so you don't freeze up when an objection hits.
- Best for Reading the Room: Sybill. Uses body language analysis (spooky but effective) to help you write better emails.
At a Glance
What Actually Matters When Choosing an AI Note Taker
Before you go asking your VP of Sales for budget in 2026, you need to realize that a generic meeting recorder won't cut it. A transcript is just a wall of text. You need intelligence that actually moves the needle and keeps your HubSpot or Salesforce clean so you don't get yelled at by RevOps.
Here is the rubric we used for this ranking of AI note takers for sales teams:
- CRM Integration Depth: If the tool just dumps a text block into the "Notes" field, we aren't interested. We looked for tools that can fill out specific fields (Budget, Decision Maker, Next Steps) so your data doesn't rot.
- Sales-Specific Smarts: The AI needs to speak sales. Does it know what BANT, MEDDIC, or SPICED are? Can it flag an objection or a competitor mention automatically?
- Actionability: Does it write the follow-up email and calendar invite for you, or are you still copy-pasting like it's 2015?
- Coaching & "Game Tape": Can managers use it to see who is talking too much, or check sentiment analysis to help coach reps up?
- Accuracy: In sales, knowing who said "we have budget" matters. High accuracy and speaker ID are non-negotiable.
1. Fireflies AI
The "AI Employee" That Does Your Grunt Work
Fireflies AI is less of a "note taker" and more like that hyper-organized assistant you always wished you had. Among AI note takers for sales teams, it stands out for its ability to automate workflows so data moves from your mouth to your systems without you touching a keyboard. It connects with over 100 tools, but the cool part is the "AI Apps" feature—it can extract specific things like objection handling or pricing discussions and shove them right into the correct CRM fields. Plus, "AskFred" lets you chat with your meeting history like a search engine.
The Good Stuff
Fireflies is heavy on the automation side.
- AutoFill CRM: It identifies the important stuff and populates your CRM fields automatically. No more manual data entry on Friday afternoons.
- AskFred: You can literally ask, "What objections did they have about pricing?" and it gives you the answer.
- Sales Assist: It can surface answers from your internal knowledge base during the call.
- Methodology Apps: Pre-built setups for BANT, MEDDIC, and more.
- Capture Anywhere: Works on web, mobile, or by uploading files.
Pros
- Deep Integration: It plays nice with 25+ CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.) and handles custom fields well.
- Accuracy: Hits about 99% accuracy in English and handles 100+ languages—even mixed in the same call.
- Security: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR—the whole alphabet soup of compliance. And they don't train on your data.
- Flexible Summaries: You can tweak the summaries depending on if you're in sales, recruiting, or product.
Cons
- A Lot of Knobs to Turn: Because it does so much, the interface can feel a bit busy if you're used to simple recorders.
- Setup Time: To get the cool automation working perfectly, you'll need to spend a little time configuring it upfront.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 5/5 (Custom fields are a lifesaver).
- Sales Intelligence: 5/5 (Love the BANT/MEDDIC apps).
- Actionability: 5/5 (AskFred is legit).
- Coaching: 4.5/5 (Solid sentiment tracking).
- Accuracy: 4.8/5 (Very reliable).
What People Are Saying
The community vibe is that Fireflies is a massive "quality of life" upgrade. Users love automating the follow-up deliverables. The only real gripe I see popping up is that the interface is English-only, which might annoy some global teams.
(Source: G2 and TrustPilot Reviews)
Price
There's a solid Free tier. Pro starts at $18/user/mo, and Business is $29/user/mo.
2. Gong
The Heavyweight Champ for Revenue Intelligence
If you work in enterprise sales, you know Gong. It’s the 800-pound gorilla of the space. It’s not just recording calls; it’s analyzing your entire deal health. It tells you when a deal is going sideways based on silence, email patterns, or keyword usage. It’s built for big orgs that need serious forecasting data.
The Good Stuff
- Deal Intelligence: It predicts if you're going to close or not, often better than you can.
- People Intelligence: Gives managers data on who is performing well and why.
- Smart Trackers: Finds keywords across thousands of calls instantly.
Pros
- Data Depth: The predictive analytics for forecasting are unmatched.
- Coaching: The "Game Tape" feature is basically the industry standard for coaching reps.
- Ecosystem: If you have a big tech stack, Gong probably integrates with it.
Cons
- The Price Tag: It is expensive. Like, "requires CFO approval" expensive.
- Gatekeeping: You can't just try it. You have to sit through a sales demo to even see it.
- Implementation: It’s a platform, not a plug-in. Rollout can take months.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 5/5 (Gold standard for Salesforce).
- Sales Intelligence: 5/5 (Deep risk analysis).
- Actionability: 4/5 (Great insights, but complex setup).
- Coaching: 5/5 (Best in class).
- Accuracy: 4.8/5 (Enterprise grade).
What People Are Saying
Managers love the coaching insights (talk-to-listen ratios are eye-opening). But, reps often feel a bit "watched" by the surveillance vibe. Also, small teams usually find it to be overkill.
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
They don't publish it, but expect to pay around $1,200-$1,500/user/year.
3. Avoma
For the Organized "Meeting Lifecycle" Lovers
Avoma bridges the gap between your calendar and your notes. It tries to get you to prepare an agenda before the call (novel concept, right?) and then organizes your notes by topic automatically. It’s great for mid-market teams that crave a bit more structure in their day-to-day.
The Good Stuff
- Smart Categories: It buckets notes into "Pain Points" or "Next Steps" so you don't have to hunt for them.
- Collaborative Editor: You and your SE can take notes in the same doc while the AI does its thing.
- Agenda Templates: Forces you to actually prep for the meeting.
Pros
- Workflow: Handles the pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting flow well.
- Clean UI: Very user-friendly and easy to look at.
- Search: Great for finding that one thing a prospect said three weeks ago.
Cons
- Pricing Tiers: The price jumps up fast once you want the "Revenue Intelligence" features.
- Mobile: The app experience isn't quite as strong as the desktop version.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 4.5/5 (Strong bi-directional sync).
- Sales Intelligence: 4/5 (Good topic detection).
- Actionability: 4/5 (Agenda prep is a nice touch).
- Coaching: 3.5/5 (Good, but not Gong-level).
- Accuracy: 4.5/5 (Solid).
What People Are Saying
Users really like the "smart categories" because it saves organization time. It’s generally seen as a great all-in-one assistant, though some folks get annoyed that the best features are locked behind higher paywalls.
(Source: Avoma Blog and G2 Reviews)
Price
Starts at $19/user/mo, but gets pricier for the full suite.
4. Fathom
The "Set It and Forget It" Free Option
Fathom is the darling of individual reps and small teams. It focuses on being incredibly easy to use rather than drowning you in analytics. It records, highlights, and syncs. If your main goal is "I never want to type notes again," this is your tool.
The Good Stuff
- One-Click Highlights: Click a button when someone says something smart, and it bookmarks it.
- CRM Sync: Pushes summaries to HubSpot/Salesforce without a fuss.
- Video Clips: Easy to slack a clip to your manager.
- Instant Summaries: The summary is ready basically the second you hang up.
Pros
- Cost: The free tier is genuinely usable for individuals with no recording caps.
- Speed: It sets up in seconds and processes fast.
- Simplicity: It stays out of your way.
Cons
- Depth: You won't get pipeline forecasting or deep coaching metrics here.
- Nuance: The summaries are good, but sometimes miss the emotional context.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 4/5 (Great for the price).
- Sales Intelligence: 3/5 (Basic highlights).
- Actionability: 4/5 (Fast and accurate).
- Coaching: 2/5 (Not really built for this).
- Accuracy: 4.5/5 (Surprisingly good).
What People Are Saying
Everyone loves the free plan. It "just works." The main criticism is that it lacks the deep customization and tone analysis of the heavier enterprise tools.
(Source: tldv blog and G2 Reviews)
Price
Free for individuals. Team Edition is $19/user/mo.
5. Demodesk
The Real-Time Wingman
Demodesk is different. It creates a "virtual sales room" and actually tries to help you during the call. Instead of just recording your mistakes for later, it pops up battle cards and objection handlers in real-time. It’s a proactive choice for managers looking for AI note takers for sales teams that coach in the moment.
The Good Stuff
- Virtual Sales Room: A browser-based meeting environment (no downloads).
- Real-Time Battle Cards: Competitor mentioned? Boom, here’s how to beat them.
- AI Coach: Analyzes calls against your playbooks.
Pros
- Live Help: Massive game changer for onboarding new reps.
- Setup: Much faster to deploy than the heavy enterprise stuff.
- Cost: Cheaper than Gong for similar intelligence features.
Cons
- Transcription Issues: Some users have reported it struggles with accents or speaker IDs.
- Stability: Can get a bit shaky on poor internet connections.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 4.5/5 (Auto-population).
- Sales Intelligence: 4.5/5 (Real-time help is unique).
- Actionability: 4.5/5 (Helps you in the moment).
- Coaching: 4/5 (AI Coach is solid).
- Accuracy: 4.5/5 (Mixed reviews here).
What People Are Saying
People love the playbooks and the virtual room for demos. But, the transcription quality and language detection have taken some heat in reviews for being less reliable than Fireflies or Gong.
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
Starts at $59/user/month.
6. Sybill
The Body Language Reader
Sybill is the tool that reads the room when you can't. It analyzes the video feed to track non-verbal cues—who leaned in, who rolled their eyes, who smiled. It uses that "spooky" data to draft hyper-specific follow-up emails based on who was actually engaged.
The Good Stuff
- Magic Summary: Mixes what was said with how they looked when they said it.
- Behavior AI: Scores engagement based on nods and smiles.
- Automated Follow-Ups: Drafts emails that feel very personal.
Pros
- Time Saver: The email drafting is dangerously good.
- Unique Insight: The only tool here that really looks at body language.
- Ease of Use: Pretty plug-and-play.
Cons
- Structure: The notes can be a little unstructured compared to others.
- Coaching: It focuses more on the deal than coaching the rep's skills.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 4/5 (Solid sync).
- Sales Intelligence: 4.5/5 (Unique behavioral analysis).
- Actionability: 5/5 (Best automated emails in the game).
- Coaching: 3.5/5 (Deal focused).
- Accuracy: 4/5 (Good).
What People Are Saying
Users are blown away by the "Magic Summary" and the non-verbal insights. However, the interface isn't as intuitive for everyone, and some companies are wary of the "sentiment analysis" due to upcoming AI regulations.
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
Custom, but estimated around $50-$80/user/mo.
7. Otter AI
The Old Reliable with "OtterChat"
Otter is the Kleenex of AI transcription. Everyone knows the name. While they started as a general tool, they've pushed into sales with "OtterPilot." The standout feature here is OtterChat, which lets you message the AI during the meeting to catch up if you zoned out.
The Good Stuff
- OtterPilot: Auto-joins and records.
- OtterChat: Collaborative chat with the AI during the meeting.
- Live Notes: Watch the transcript scroll in real-time (great for accessibility).
- Slide Capture: Grabs screenshots of slides automatically.
Pros
- Collaboration: Great for teams that want to comment on the transcript live.
- Adoption: Low learning curve; everyone knows how to use it.
- Visuals: The slide capture is super helpful for demos.
Cons
- Sales Depth: It lacks the deep revenue intelligence of the specialized tools.
- CRM Mapping: The mapping isn't as granular as Fireflies or Avoma.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 3/5 (It syncs, but it's basic).
- Sales Intelligence: 3/5 (Good summaries, but no methodology training).
- Actionability: 4/5 (OtterChat is cool).
- Coaching: 2/5 (Not a coaching tool).
- Accuracy: 4.5/5 (Strong English accuracy).
What People Are Saying
Otter is praised for being a great general productivity tool. But for hardcore sales teams needing pipeline analytics, it usually falls short.
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
Pro starts at $16.99/user/mo; Business is $30/user/mo.
8. Chorus (by ZoomInfo)
The Data-Enriched Option
Chorus is Gong's main rival, and since ZoomInfo bought them, they have a secret weapon: data. Because it's plugged into ZoomInfo, it knows exactly who is in the meeting and what their role is. It’s great for analyzing talk tracks to see why your top performer closes deals and the new guy doesn't.
The Good Stuff
- Deal Intelligence: Connects talk tracks to actual revenue.
- Coaching Scorecards: Robust grading for rep performance.
- Market Intelligence: Tracks competitor mentions instantly.
- ZoomInfo Data: Enriches the participant list with real contact info.
Pros
- Context: Knowing who you are talking to (thanks to ZoomInfo) is a big plus.
- Coaching: Very strong on the "game tape" aspect.
- Analytics: Great for dissecting objection handling.
Cons
- Innovation: Feels like updates have slowed down a bit since the acquisition.
- Ecosystem: You really need the full ZoomInfo package to make it worth it.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 4.5/5 (Strong, plus data enrichment).
- Sales Intelligence: 4.5/5 (Excellent competitor tracking).
- Actionability: 4/5 (Good tools).
- Coaching: 5/5 (Manager friendly).
- Accuracy: 4.5/5 (Enterprise grade).
What People Are Saying
Users love the granular coaching data. But the pricing is opaque, and it's definitely viewed as an "Enterprise Only" solution.
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
Custom (usually bundled with ZoomInfo).
9. tl;dv
The Video Clipper for the TikTok Generation
tl;dv is a video-first platform. Instead of sending a long email, you just clip the 30 seconds where the customer complained about a feature and Slack it to the product manager. It’s the top recommendation for teams who want the benefits of AI note takers for sales teams on a startup budget.
The Good Stuff
- Video Clipping: Create bite-sized clips instantly.
- Timestamps: Mark the good stuff while you're talking.
- Multi-Language: Strong support for over 30 languages.
Pros
- Free Tier: Very generous free plan.
- Sharing: Best way to share the "voice of the customer" internally.
- Global: Great for international teams.
Cons
- Analytics: Light on the deep revenue forecasting.
- Coaching: Good for self-review, but lacks deep metrics.
Our Score
- CRM Integration: 3/5 (Basic sync).
- Sales Intelligence: 3/5 (Good for review, not forecasting).
- Actionability: 4/5 (Clips are great).
- Coaching: 3/5 (Self-serve).
- Accuracy: 4/5 (Good language support).
What People Are Saying
Users love the clipping feature. It makes sharing insights actually fun. It’s the top recommendation for a "budget Gong."
(Source: G2 Reviews)
Price
Free tier available. Pro is $18/user/mo.
Notable Mentions
They didn't make the top 9, but these niche tools are worth a look:
- Jamie: A "bot-free" recorder that runs locally on your desktop. Perfect if you are paranoid about privacy or hate having bots join your Zoom calls.
- Grain: Similar to tl;dv, focuses heavily on sharing video clips via Notion or Slack.
- Circleback: Great for structured data. It’s smart enough to turn "next Tuesday" into an actual calendar date.
- EchoIQ: Surfaces risks and blockers that are messing up your forecast accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it actually legal to record sales calls with AI?
Usually, yes, but you have to be smart about it. Most US states are "one-party consent," but places like California (and all of Europe via GDPR) require everyone to agree. Tools like Fireflies handle this by announcing the recording when they join. Just be transparent. Check your local laws regarding sales call recording.
Will these bots replace sales reps?
No. They replace the admin work that makes you hate your job. These AI note takers for sales teams handle the data entry so you can focus on reading the prospect and closing the deal.
Do these tools work with any CRM?
The big ones (Salesforce, HubSpot) are supported by almost everyone. If you're using a niche CRM, you might need Zapier. Fireflies is pretty robust here, supporting 25+ CRMs natively. Read more about CRM integration here.
What about accents?
It varies. Fireflies and tl;dv are generally the best for multi-language support and heavy accents. Fireflies supports 100+ languages and can even handle it if the client switches languages mid-sentence.
Can I just use a free tool?
If it's just you? Absolutely. Fathom or the Fireflies free tier are great. But if you need to sync custom fields to Salesforce or need SOC 2 compliance for your IT department, you're going to have to pay.
Final Thoughts
We are past the point where just "recording a call" is impressive. In 2026, the edge comes from what you do with that data.
- If you have a massive budget and need to forecast for a public company, Gong is the standard.
- If you want to share quick clips with your product team, tl;dv is your best bet.
- If you want a true AI employee that automates the grunt work and cleans up your CRM, Fireflies AI is the answer.
Fireflies doesn't just listen; it works. By using AutoFill CRM to populate your fields and AskFred to find objection trends. you stop being a data entry clerk and start being a closer. Plus, with the security compliances, you won't get blocked by IT. This is exactly why it is ranked among the best AI note takers for sales teams currently on the market.
Stop letting valuable data die in your notepad. Adopting sales automation software is the first step toward getting your day back.
Start automating your sales workflow with Fireflies AI for free today.
