Best 3 Zoom Transcription Tools To Try

Nowadays, many people are using Zoom transcription tools during their online meetings. It is becoming more popular because doing so many things at once during an important Zoom meeting is challenging. You must speak, stay attentive, take notes, and ask good questions simultaneously, which can be overwhelming and almost impossible to manage.

Luckily, there is a solution. Using a transcription tool for your Zoom meetings will take care of note-taking so you can focus on the meeting participants. 

In this guide, I will show you a few ways how you can make your online meetings more productive and, most importantly, less stressful. 

Let’s begin!

What is a Zoom transcription tool?

A Zoom transcription tool is an app that can automatically transcribe speech into text during a Zoom meeting. Essentially, it will take over the manual note-taking so you can focus on more important things.

A Zoom transcription tool could be useful for different reasons. First, it allows you to keep track of who said what during the meeting. Second, it helps you stay more engaged during a Zoom call by taking care of meeting notes, ultimately driving meeting productivity. 

Third, it helps people stay accountable, and there is no more discussion of who should be responsible for what. Lastly, third-party AI tools provide many more features besides transcribing Zoom meetings, like automatic meeting summaries and meeting analysis.

Differences between AI transcription tools and Zoom native transcription

You have two options for Zoom meeting transcription: using Zoom’s native transcription or third-party AI tools. Which one suits you best depends on your preferences and the purpose for which you would use it. 

Zoom native transcription

The Zoom built-in feature can provide you with live transcription during a meeting or transcribe a cloud recording. Once the meeting is over or the transcription is processed in the case of cloud recordings, the Zoom transcript will show up as a file in VTT format in the list of recorded meetings. 

Zoom separates the different parts of online meetings with timestamps, and you can edit the text afterward. Zoom’s built-in transcription feature supports multiple languages and is available only with a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise license.

Third-party AI tools

AI transcription apps are seamlessly integrated with Zoom. They can automatically join and transcribe conversations during Zoom meetings. The short answer for what separates the AI transcription from Zoom’s built-in tool is its features, versatility, and accuracy.

In general, AI tools can help you with the following tasks besides transcribing Zoom meetings:

  • You can easily upload audio files, video, or webinar recordings and convert them into text.
  • An AI transcription tool automatically sends you a meeting summary with the key points and action items.
  • They can analyze your Zoom meetings and provide insights about speakers, topics, talk rate, sentiment, and punctuality.
  • Some AI transcription tools have many collaboration features, so you can assign tasks, share files, or edit the same meeting note simultaneously.
  • The past meetings are easily searchable and editable compared to Zoom’s solution.
  • You can integrate the AI transcription tools with numerous other third-party apps. 
zoom transcription with AI tools
In general, AI tools have more advanced features.

Versatility could be essential if you use other meeting platforms than Zoom. Unfortunately, Zoom’s native feature only works with Zoom meetings, so you must take notes manually if you have an online meeting on other platforms. However, AI transcription tools are compatible with many meeting platforms, and they can take care of meeting notes, whether you use Teams or Google Meet, besides Zoom.

Lastly, AI transcription tools tend to be more accurate than Zoom. However, there are differences between the accuracy of AI tools, and the apps listed below are among the most accurate transcription tools. 

Who should consider using third-party AI transcription tools?

An AI meeting tool can enhance Zoom transcriptions and change how an individual or team does business. For example, I have seen many cases when an assistant took notes during an important online meeting. Using an AI transcription tool will either replace the assistant or take over the note-taking from you. The question is whether you should use Zoom’s native transcription feature or third-party apps.

There are several situations in which I recommend using AI transcription tools, such as: 

  1. You use more platforms for online meetings.
  2. If you have a large amount of audio or video content that needs to be transcribed quickly and efficiently.
  3. If you have multiple meetings in a day and you do not have time to always take notes or prepare meeting summaries.
  4. You have many important external calls and do not have a dedicated person for note-taking.
  5. When you need to transcribe content in multiple languages.
  6. If you need to transcribe content regularly and do not want to spend a lot of time and resources on manual transcription.
  7. If you are working in a consultancy or an agency business, or you work in sales, project management, recruiting, or just in a busy team, it could be a very effective solution to make your Zoom meetings more productive.

Best transcription tools for Zoom meetings

To help you decide, here is a summary of tools for transcribing Zoom meetings.

Meeting platformsLanguageFree planTranscription minutes in the free planTranscription storage in the free planPaid plans
Fireflies 12+ platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams+70 languagesYes3 meetings800 minsPro: $10/month per user
Business: $19/month per user
Enterprise: $39/month per user
MeetGeekZoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams+30 languagesYes5 hours of transcription/month3 monthsPro: $15/month per user
Business: $29/month per user
Enterprise: From $59/month
Tl;dvZoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams+30 languagesYesUnlimitedUnlimitedPro plan: $18/month per user
Business plan: $59/month per user
Enterprise plan: Contact sales

Best Zoom transcription tools

Let’s jump into the best Zoom transcription tools!

Fireflies AI

Fireflies AI vs Otter AI

Fireflies is an AI assistant app that helps transcribe, record, summarize, take notes, and complete actions during meetings. The app’s assistant, Fred, works with all the popular web-conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, and Microsoft Teams and also integrates with other apps like Slack, Trello, Hubspot, Asana, and more. It is a versatile app for Zoom meetings with support for almost 70 languages.

Key Features

  • Audio transcript: Fireflies can transcribe your Zoom meetings, video, or audio files in over 70 languages with high accuracy. 
  • Recording: It can automatically record your Zoom meetings.
  • Meeting platforms: Fireflies works with 12+ web-conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
  • AI Summary: When your Zoom meeting is over, Fireflies will send you the meeting transcript with the summary that includes outlines, keywords, and action items.
  • Collaboration: It has solid collaboration features like shareable soundbite snippets or threads. 
  • AI-powered searching: To find an audio transcript more easily, you can filter by action items, dates, metrics, and more.
  • Conversation intelligence: This feature provides key metrics, including speaker talk time, sentiment, and monologue time.
  • Integrations: You can integrate Fireflies with popular third-party apps like Notion, ClickUp, monday.com, Slack, etc.

Pricing

Fireflies pricing
  • Free plan
  • Pro: $10/month per user
  • Business: $19/month per user
  • Enterprise: $39/month per user

Pros and cons

Pros

  • It is a budget-friendly option for teams. 
  • You can easily create audio transcripts from Zoom meetings, videos, or audio files. 
  • It has highly accurate transcripts. 
  • Fireflies has extensive collaboration features, such as adding comments, pins, and reactions to specific parts of conversation, make teamwork easier.
  • Love the versatility in terms of languages and integrations.

Cons

  • Sometimes, Fireflies have difficulties transcribing accents.
  • Having more customization options on which meeting to join would be nice.

Reviews

  • G2: 4.8/5 (370+ reviews)
  • Producthunt: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews)

You can find the full review here: Fireflies AI Review: Why is EVERYONE using it for meeting notes?

MeetGeek

Meetgeek - best otter ai alternatives

MeetGeek is a reliable AI meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes Zoom meetings and provides the key points from every meeting. It is compatible with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams and can transcribe online meetings in the main languages. 

Key Features

  • Create audio transcript: Using MeetGeek, you can automatically transcribe Zoom meetings and video and audio files. 
  • Meeting conferencing platforms: It can record and transcribe online meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Meeting summary: MeetGeek automatically sends you the action items, tasks, and essential highlights from the Zoom meetings.
  • Easy searching: You can quickly search the Zoom recordings and audio transcripts in one centralized place.
  • Meeting analysis: Leveraging AI, you can access an analysis of your meeting performance that pinpoints where you need to improve.
  • Integrations: You can integrate MeetGeek with project management, collaboration, CRM tools, and more.

Pricing

MeetGeek's pricing
  • Free plan
  • Pro: $15/month per user
  • Business: $29/month per user
  • Enterprise: From $59/month

Pros and cons

Pros

  • It has the best AI meeting summary feature that effectively captures the important moments.
  • MeetGeek provides you with accurate Zoom transcripts. 
  • You can seamlessly connect MeetGeek to various popular tools.
  • The conversation analysis feature is pretty helpful if you want to improve your meeting performance.
  • It is great that it automatically summarizes recorded meetings and sends meeting notes in HubSpot.

Cons

  • It offers only one year of transcript storage if you choose the Pro plan.

Reviews

  • G2: 4.6/5 (170+ reviews)
  • Producthunt: 5/5 (90+ reviews)

Related article: MeetGeek Review: Is It The Best AI Note-Taker For You? (2025)

Tl;dv

One of the best AI meeting manager and a good Otter AI alternative

Tl;dv is an AI note-taker app that records and transcribes meetings from Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams in 30 languages. It is an easy-to-use tool you can integrate with over 5000 other apps.

Key Features

  • Meeting transcripts: Using tl;dv, you can access to highly accurate audio transcription with speaker tags.
  • Meeting recording: You can record high-quality Zoom meetings.
  • Meeting platforms: Tl;dv provides you with live transcripts on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Meeting summary: Besides auto transcription, tl;dv will send you meeting summaries with the key points.
  • Clips: Tl;dv can create clips, and you can share these moments with others.
  • Transcript organization and searching: You can organize your meeting notes using folders and easily find the audio transcript that you are looking for. 
  • Integrations: It allows integration with more than 5000 other third-party apps.

Pricing

Tl;dv's pricing
  • Free plan: Available
  • Pro plan: $18/month per user
  • Business plan: $59/month per user
  • Enterprise plan: Contact sales

Pros and cons

Pros

  • It has a generous free plan.
  • Very intuitive user interface. 
  • Numerous integration options. 
  • It sends you accurate transcripts with speaker tags.

Cons

  • The Business plan is pricey.
  • The clip feature is still slow.

Reviews

  • G2: 4.7/5 (190+ reviews)
  • Producthunt: 4.6/5 ( 180+ reviews)

If you are interested in tl;dv, you can find the full review here: My Honest Tl;dv Review After Using It For +18 Months (2025)

Summary

Online meetings have become an integral part of our daily routine in today’s fast-paced work environment. We spend countless hours attending meetings with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to discuss important work-related matters. However, several studies have revealed that people waste approximately 31 hours monthly in unproductive meetings.

Looking for ways to maximize our productivity and performance during online meetings is crucial. Not leveraging technology when you can save time and money is not wise, especially if this decision impacts the whole team.

When it comes to AI transcription tools, you can try them for zero dollars by opting for the free plan or trial. So, you can try them risk-free, see how they impact your and your team’s productivity, and decide afterward.

Frequently asked questions

How do you transcribe Zoom meetings with AI?

You can use a third-party AI app or the Zoom native transcription feature. If you use the in-built feature, here is the step-by-step guide on how to enable it: 

  • Step 1: Sign in to your Zoom account.
  • Step 2: Go to account settings and click on the recording tab.
  • Step 3: Enable cloud recordings and save the changes.
  • Step 4: Check the create audio transcript box in advanced cloud recording settings and save it.
  • Step 5: Go to the recordings in your Zoom account and download the transcripts.

Does Zoom do transcription?

You can use Zoom’s transcription feature if you have a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise license. Just log in with your Zoom account credentials and follow the above steps.

Can you transcribe a Zoom meeting without recording?

You can enable auto-transcription during a Zoom meeting without recording it. However, the live captions are only available in English.

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

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