The short answer
SayBriefly takes notes on your Zoom calls from your own computer. Nobody sees a bot, you do not need to be the host, and it works on Mac and Windows.
- The note is ready about a minute after the call, with decisions, action items and owners.
- Calls with the same client stack into one thread, and each new note opens with Since last call.
- Every call sits in the client's project, next to their email and the brief.
A Zoom summary tells you about one call. Your client is not one call.
How this AI note taker works on Zoom
SayBriefly runs on your Mac or Windows computer. When a Zoom call starts, it notices your microphone is in use and starts taking notes on its own. It hears what you hear and what you say, the same as you do. Nothing joins the call, so there is no extra name in the participant list and nothing for the host to approve.
It works the same in the Zoom desktop app, Zoom in the browser, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. So a client who uses Zoom and another who uses Meet both end up in one place.
Notes that remember the last call
This is the part Zoom summaries do not do. SayBriefly links calls with the same meeting link, calendar series or people into one thread. Before it writes the new note, it reads the earlier ones.
Example of the layout. Real notes only show what was said on the calls.
The call also lands in the client's project, next to their Gmail threads and the agreed brief. Ask Scribbble, the agent, "what has Lena asked for across our Zoom calls and emails, and is it in the brief?" and it answers from all of it, with sources. When a new ask is not in the brief, you see it before you say yes.
Zoom's own AI vs SayBriefly
Zoom has good built-in AI. If every call you have is on Zoom and you only need a summary, it may be enough.
| Zoom's built-in AI | SayBriefly | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with paid Zoom plans | Its own subscription |
| Bot in the call | No | No |
| Google Meet and Teams | With Zoom's paid AI add-on | Included |
| Next note starts from the last call | No | Yes, Since last call |
| Linked to the client's project, email and brief | No | Yes |
| Tasks | In the summary | On your to-do list, linked to the call |
Zoom's features and pricing as described publicly in September 2026. Zoom is retiring the "AI Companion" name and folding it into Zoom Workplace.
Why no bot
Most Zoom notetakers, like Otter, Fireflies and Fathom by default, send a bot that joins as a guest. Clients notice it, some hosts block it, and it sometimes joins calls you did not mean to record. SayBriefly skips all of that. If you are comparing, we wrote honest guides to the Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and Granola alternatives.
Set it up in 2 minutes
- Download SayBriefly for Mac or Windows and sign in.
- Allow microphone and system audio when asked, so it hears both sides of the call.
- Connect Google Calendar (optional), so calls get their proper names and recurring ones thread together.
- Join a Zoom call as you always do. The note shows up about a minute after you hang up.
Telling people you take notes
No bot means nobody gets an automatic notice, so telling them is on you. Otter and Granola both face class actions over recording people who did not agree. Say it at the start of the call and put a line in your contract. It takes five seconds and clients appreciate it.
Want the full picture? See how the SayBriefly AI notetaker works across every call.
Questions people ask about Zoom AI notetakers
What is the best AI notetaker for Zoom?
If you meet the same clients again and again, SayBriefly. It records Zoom from your computer on Mac and Windows with no bot, groups calls with the same people into threads, and opens every note with what changed since the last call.
Can I use an AI notetaker on Zoom without a bot?
Yes. SayBriefly records the audio on your own computer, so nothing joins the Zoom call as a guest. Zoom's own AI note taker also has no bot; using it outside Zoom needs Zoom's paid add-on.
Do I need to be the host?
No. SayBriefly records what you hear and say on your computer, so it works on any Zoom call you join, yours or someone else's.
Does it work in the Zoom desktop app and in the browser?
Both. It also works with Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other browser calls, so all your client calls end up in the same place.
Is Zoom's AI Companion free?
Zoom includes its meeting summaries with paid Zoom Workplace plans. Using it on Teams or Google Meet needs a paid add-on, according to Zoom's pricing in 2026. It does not link calls to your projects, email or briefs.
How fast is the note ready?
About a minute after the call ends, with decisions, action items and who owns them.
Is it legal to record Zoom calls with AI?
Rules differ by country and state, and some need everyone to agree. Whatever tool you use, tell the people on the call that you take notes. We are not lawyers; check the rules where you and your clients are.
