Best AI note-taker for small teams (2026): real cost for 3 to 20 people
Small teams get caught by the fine print: user caps, one-user plans, lifetime free limits and SSO locked behind Enterprise. Here's what five popular note-takers actually cost for a team of 3, 5, 10 or 20, using each vendor's own rules.
Prices and limits come from the vendor pages linked on this page, checked Oct 21, 2026. We have not tested these tools hands-on; “Unknown” means we couldn't verify it. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm before you buy.
Quick answer
- Lowest price for 3–5 people: Otter Pro, $8.33/user/month annual (it caps at 5 users).
- Lowest price for 6–20 people: Fireflies Pro, $10/user/month annual, no team cap listed. Try Fireflies →
- No bot in the call: Granola ($14, billed monthly) or Bluedot (Basic $14 annual, audio only). Try Bluedot →
- IT wants SSO but you're 10 people: Sembly MAX $30/user (annual, 3-user minimum) or Bluedot Business $32. Try Sembly →
Monthly cost by team size (annual billing, no SSO)
| Tool | 3 people | 5 people | 10 people | 20 people | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai | $30 Pro | $50 Pro | $100 Pro | $200 Pro | Try Fireflies → |
| Otter.ai | $24.99 Pro | $41.65 Pro | $199.90 Business | $399.80 Business | Otter.ai pricing → |
| Granola | $42 Business · Billed monthly only | $70 Business · Billed monthly only | $140 Business · Billed monthly only | $280 Business · Billed monthly only | Granola pricing → |
| Bluedot | $42 Basic | $70 Basic | $140 Basic | $280 Basic | Try Bluedot → |
| Sembly | $60 Pro | $100 Pro | $200 Pro | $400 Pro | Try Sembly → |
Cheapest plan that fits each team size, using each vendor's user caps and minimums. Sembly Basic is a single-user plan, so teams start on Pro. Bluedot Basic is audio only, with recordings up to 1 hour. Granola Business is billed monthly only.
If IT requires single sign-on
| Tool | SSO plan | 10 people, annual |
|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai | Enterprise (annual only) | $390 Enterprise |
| Sembly | MAX (3-user minimum) | $300 MAX |
| Bluedot | Business | $320 Business |
| Granola | Enterprise | $350 Enterprise · Billed monthly only |
| Otter.ai | Enterprise (100-user SSO minimum) | Price not public Enterprise |
What to check before you pick
- User caps: Otter Pro stops at 5 users and Business at 25. Sembly Pro stops at 40.
- Meeting length: Otter Pro records up to 90 minutes per meeting; Bluedot Basic up to 1 hour per recording.
- Free limits: Bluedot Free is 5 meetings lifetime; Granola Basic keeps 30 days of notes; Otter Basic gives 300 minutes per user per month.
- Who's told: agree how you'll tell attendees before the first recorded meeting. Granola has a built-in notice; Sembly lists notification and consent tracking on Pro and up.
Make the notes worth reading
Whichever tool you choose, the recap is only useful if it separates what was decided from what was just discussed, and names an owner for each action. The Manager Meeting Kit has a copy-paste recap template and AI prompts that do exactly that.
Run your exact team size in the cost calculator (it also covers Fathom, Read AI and tl;dv).
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI note-taker for a small team?
On annual billing: for 3 to 5 people, Otter Pro at $8.33 per user per month (it allows up to 5 users). For 6 or more, Fireflies Pro at $10 per user per month, which has no team cap listed.
What does an AI note-taker cost for a 10-person team?
On annual billing, from vendor pricing pages checked Oct 21, 2026: Fireflies Pro $100/month, Granola Business $140 (billed monthly), Bluedot Basic $140 (audio only), Otter Business $199.90, Sembly Pro $200.
Which AI note-takers have SSO for small teams?
Sembly MAX ($30 per user annual, 3-user minimum), Bluedot Business ($32 annual), Granola Enterprise ($35) and Fireflies Enterprise ($39, annual only). Otter requires a 100-user minimum license for SSO.
Is there an AI note-taker for small teams that doesn't use a bot?
Yes. Granola captures device audio on every plan, and Bluedot records without a bot from its Chrome extension, desktop and mobile apps. Fireflies' Chrome extension can also record without its bot.
Do small teams need a meeting recording policy?
It helps. A one-page policy on consent, what never gets recorded and how long notes are kept avoids awkward conversations later. Our policy template page has a free outline.