Which AI notetaker should I actually pick: Granola, Fathom, Fireflies, or Otter, and what will it cost?

The real decision is bot or no bot: Granola records device audio locally with nothing joining the call, while Fathom, Fireflies, and Otter send a visible bot that some buyers distrust. Fathom has the most generous free tier, Fireflies wins on integrations and team search, Otter on live captions, and Granola on staying invisible. Paid plans cluster around 10 to 30 dollars a month, so trial two on real calls for a week rather than reading another comparison.

A quick orientation. The real value is below: resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it.