Best AI meeting notes apps for multilingual teams
14 tools compared on live translation, CJK coverage, security, and pricing. Facts only, verified from official sources.
Last updated2026-08-28
Which AI note taker is best for multilingual teams?
For teams that regularly mix Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and English in the same meeting, Tiro is built for exactly that case. It captures audio from any device without a bot, interprets live into 15+ languages during the call, and exposes full agent tooling (MCP, API, Webhook, CLI) on all paid plans. Your audio is deleted immediately after transcription and never used for training.
Notta is a low-cost alternative for live bilingual transcription between CJK and English, though its live translation is metered (2 to 4 free uses per month on Pro/Business). Fireflies.ai covers 100+ languages including Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, has a GraphQL API and MCP server, and works well for teams that need broad coverage and post-meeting re-transcription rather than real-time translation.
If your team already lives inside one platform, Zoom AI Companion, Microsoft Teams Copilot, and Google Meet Gemini each offer live translated captions, but they are locked to their own meetings and require higher-tier licences. Zoom also captures non-Zoom meetings bot-free through My Notes, while Teams and Meet stay inside their own platforms, and that path covers 12 languages with 3 uses per month on the free tier.
Live interpretation + no bot + CJK-first
Tiro
Live interpretation into 15+ languages during the meeting, bot-free capture, and Korea-based data residency.
Low-cost live bilingual (KO/JA/ZH ↔ EN)
Notta
Live bilingual transcription and real-time translation from $8.17/mo billed annually, strong CJK.
Broad language list + API automation
Fireflies.ai
100+ languages, GraphQL API on free tier, official MCP server, SOC 2.
All-in-one platform with translated captions
Zoom / Teams / Meet
Native translated captions with no extra app, but limited to that platform's meetings.
In-person recorder with global data residency
Plaud
Dedicated hardware, 112 languages, EU/JP/SG/US regions, SOC 2 + ISO 27001.
How we evaluated
These criteria reflect what matters most when meetings cross language boundaries.
Capture method
Bot-free capture avoids participant confusion and works across platforms and in-person meetings.
Real-time transcription
Live text lets participants follow along, especially when accents or terminology are challenging.
Live translation during the meeting
Post-meeting translation helps archival but does not solve comprehension in the moment.
CJK language coverage
Korean, Japanese, and Chinese have unique script and segmentation challenges that many tools handle poorly or not at all.
Pricing model
Per-seat, per-minute, and add-on pricing all scale differently for global teams.
API, Webhook, and MCP support
Agent and workflow integration lets teams pipe meeting intelligence into CRMs, docs, and custom tools.
Security and data training policy
Multilingual enterprise teams often face stricter data-residency and compliance requirements across jurisdictions.
Feature comparison
All values sourced from official product pages. Unverified cells are marked.
| Product | Capture | Real-time transcription | Live translation | Languages | KO / JA / ZH | Free tier | Paid from | API / MCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiro | No bot, system audio (all devices) | Yes, <0.5 s latency | Yes, 15+ languages live | 15+ (live interpretation) | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | 300 min / 3-week trial | $7/mo (Lite) | API, Webhook, MCP, CLI (all paid) |
| Notta | Bot + bot-free desktop app | Yes, 58 languages | Yes (metered, 2-4 free/mo) | 58 | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | 120 min/mo, 3-min cap | $8.17/mo (Pro annual) | Zapier (conflicting tier); API/MCP unverified |
| Fireflies.ai | Bot + desktop app + Chrome ext | Yes (Live Assist, needs bot) | No (post-meeting re-transcription) | 100+ | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | Unlimited transcription, 400 min storage | $10/seat/mo (Pro annual) | GraphQL API (Free+), MCP (beta) |
| Otter.ai | Bot + Chrome ext + apps | Yes, live captions | No | 6 | KO ✗ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ (beta) | 300 min/mo, 30-min cap | $8.49/user/mo (Pro annual) | Enterprise only; Zapier (Business+) |
| tl;dv | Bot + bot-free desktop app | Partial (post-call delivery) | No (post-meeting translation) | 30+ | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH △ (partially verified) | Unlimited recordings, 10 AI notes | €18/seat/mo (Pro annual) | REST API + webhooks (Pro+), MCP (Business+) |
| Fathom | Bot + bot-free desktop (Mac beta) | Partial (desktop live summary) | No (6 EU languages post-meeting) | 38 | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✗ | Unlimited recordings + transcripts | $16/user/mo (Premium annual) | Public API, MCP (tier unverified), Zapier |
| Read.ai | Bot + Chrome ext + desktop app | Yes, live transcript + metrics | Unverified | 16-26 | KO △ (help center only) · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | 5 meetings/mo | $15/user/mo (Pro annual) | REST API (beta), MCP (beta), webhooks |
| Avoma | Bot + cloud recording + Chrome ext | Yes, sub-second latency | Unverified (post-meeting 70+ langs) | 60+ | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | No free plan (14-day trial) | $19/seat/mo (Startup annual) | REST API, webhooks, MCP (Org/Enterprise) |
| Granola | Desktop/mobile, system audio (no bot) | Yes, live transcript panel | No | 10 (desktop), 17 (mobile) | KO △ (mobile only) · JA ✓ · ZH △ (mobile only) | Basic: AI notes, limited history | $14/user/mo (Business) | MCP (all plans, limited on Free), Zapier (paid) |
| Plaud | Hardware device + desktop app (no bot) | No (post-conversation processing) | No | 112 | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | 300 min/mo (Starter) | $8.33/mo app (Pro annual); hardware from $159 | MCP, CLI, Embedded API (partners) |
| HappyScribe | Bot joins meeting | Unverified (delivered post-call) | No (post-meeting, 104 languages) | 60+ (notetaker); 150+ (platform) | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ | 10-min trial; unlimited rec, 45-min cap | $8.50/mo (Basic annual, 1 seat) | REST API + webhooks (Pro+); MCP not documented |
| Zoom AI Companion | Native to Zoom; My Notes for others (3/mo free) | Yes, live captions (61 langs) | Yes (Business Plus+ or add-on) | 32 (summary); 61 (captions) | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ (incl. Cantonese) | Basic: 3 summaries/mo, 3 My Notes/mo | ~$14.16/user/mo (Workplace paid) | REST API, webhooks, MCP server |
| Microsoft Teams (Copilot) | Native to Teams meetings/calls only | Yes, live transcription (59 langs) + Copilot | Yes (Premium or Copilot licence) | 8 (Copilot); 59 (transcription) | KO △ (captions ✓, Copilot preview) · JA ✓ · ZH ✓ (Simplified) | No AI notes on free Teams | $10/user/mo (Premium add-on, annual) | Graph Meeting AI Insights API |
| Google Meet (Gemini) | Native to Google Meet only | Partial (captions live; notes post-call) | Yes (Business Standard+, 69+ langs) | 8 (AI notes); 100+ (captions) | KO ✓ · JA ✓ · ZH ✗ (notes); ZH ✓ (captions) | Free: captions only, no AI notes | $12.60/user/mo (Biz Std annual intro) | Meet REST API (transcripts, recordings) |
All data verified from official product pages as of August 2026. Cells marked 'Unverified' could not be confirmed on public pages.
Security and data policies
How each tool handles certifications, training, and data residency.
| Product | Certifications | Trains on your data? | Data residency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiro | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001:2022 | Never, all plans | Korea (AWS Seoul); Enterprise options |
| Notta | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | Paid plans not trained; free unverified | Japan (AWS Tokyo) |
| Fireflies.ai | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR | No by default; 0-day vendor retention | Enterprise: preferred location |
| Otter.ai | SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA (Enterprise) | Yes by default (de-identified) | AWS S3; region unverified |
| tl;dv | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR (EU-based) | Never | Europe (EU/US AI processing choice) |
| Fathom | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA (Enterprise BAA) | Yes by default (de-identified, opt-out) | US only |
| Read.ai | SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR | Never (unless user opts in) | US default; EU/Canada announced |
| Avoma | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 42001 | Never | AWS US; EU on Enterprise request |
| Granola | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR | Yes by default (non-Enterprise, opt-out) | US only |
| Plaud | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701 | Never (opt-in only) | US, EU, JP, SG regions |
| HappyScribe | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, EU-hosted | Opt-in only (Enterprise always off) | EU (Tier IV data centers) |
| Zoom AI Companion | SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, HIPAA | Never (customer content) | Pro+ region choice; AI processing unverified |
| Microsoft Teams (Copilot) | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Never (prompts/responses/Graph data) | EU Data Boundary for EU tenants |
| Google Meet (Gemini) | SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP High, HIPAA | Never (Workspace customer data) | US/EU data regions (Business Std+) |
One-line verdicts
Best use case and honest weakness for each product.
Tiro
Best for: Live interpretation for KO/JA/ZH teams with no bot and full agent integration.
Weakness: No perpetual free plan, no video recording, requires installing the Tiro app.
Notta
Best for: Budget live bilingual transcription for KO/JA/ZH/EN teams.
Weakness: Live translation metered (2-4/mo), 3-min Free cap, no public API confirmed.
Fireflies.ai
Best for: Broad language coverage and API/MCP automation at low cost.
Weakness: No live translation, mixed-language needs Business+ beta, summary stays dominant language.
Otter.ai
Best for: English-centric teams wanting simple live captions in Zoom/Meet.
Weakness: Only 6 languages, no Korean, one language per conversation, trains on data by default.
tl;dv
Best for: EU/GDPR teams wanting post-meeting translated transcripts with bot-free option.
Weakness: Fewer languages (30+), no live translation, Chinese support unclear, Free AI notes capped.
Fathom
Best for: English/EU teams wanting a generous free tier plus API/MCP automation.
Weakness: No Chinese, no live translation, summary translation limited to 6 EU languages, US-only.
Read.ai
Best for: Cross-platform teams wanting API/MCP plumbing and an EU region option.
Weakness: Mixed-language 'not fully supported', Korean missing from pricing page list, no live translation.
Avoma
Best for: Sales/CS teams needing CRM sync and broad CJK coverage with post-meeting translation.
Weakness: No free plan, multi-language requires support to enable, translation post-meeting only.
Granola
Best for: Individuals who dislike bots and want quiet note-augmenting with MCP hookups.
Weakness: KO and ZH on mobile only (not desktop), no translation, trains on data by default, US-only.
Plaud
Best for: In-person/hybrid teams wanting a dedicated recorder with compliance and global residency.
Weakness: No real-time transcription, no translation, one language per recording.
HappyScribe
Best for: Budget EU teams needing wide language list, EU data, and no-training-by-default privacy.
Weakness: No verified live transcript, AI minutes metered per workspace, translation is post-meeting.
Zoom AI Companion
Best for: Zoom-centric orgs wanting CJK summaries at no extra cost on Pro+ and broadest CJK captions.
Weakness: Translated captions need Business Plus+ or paid add-on; My Notes limited to 12 langs and 3/mo free.
Microsoft Teams (Copilot)
Best for: M365 shops where one Premium licence unlocks translated captions for all attendees.
Weakness: Copilot supports only 8 languages (no KO/ZH-T), multilingual recap in preview, licence confusion.
Google Meet (Gemini)
Best for: Workspace teams needing live translated captions across 70-100 languages at lowest all-in price.
Weakness: AI notes only 8 languages (no Chinese), saved transcripts need Business Plus, one language per meeting.
Where Tiro falls short
No product is perfect. Here is what Tiro does not do well today.
No perpetual free plan. The trial is 300 minutes over 3 weeks, then you must subscribe.
No video recording or clips library. Tiro captures audio and produces text, not video highlights.
Requires installing the Tiro app. It is not built into Zoom, Teams, or Meet.
Because there is no bot, a meeting is only captured when someone on the call is running Tiro. Inviting a notetaker is not enough.
Integrations are via API, Webhook, MCP, and CLI rather than a large pre-built connector marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI note taker translates meetings live?
Tiro interprets live into 15+ languages during the meeting. Notta offers metered live bilingual transcription for 23 languages. Zoom, Teams, and Meet provide live translated captions but only inside their own platforms and on higher-tier licences.
Do AI note takers train on my data?
Tiro, Fireflies, tl;dv, Avoma, and Plaud never use customer data for training by default. Otter uses de-identified recordings by default and a per-user opt-out is not documented. Fathom and Granola also use de-identified data by default but offer an opt-out. Zoom, Teams, and Meet state they do not train on customer content.
Can I transcribe Korean, Japanese, and Chinese in the same meeting?
Tiro interprets live into 15+ languages including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and English during the meeting. Fireflies Multi-Language Mode (Business+, beta) transcribes code-switched speech. Most other tools require selecting one language per recording.
Which AI meeting tool works without a bot joining the call?
Tiro, Granola, Plaud, and the desktop apps from Notta, Fireflies, tl;dv, and Read.ai can capture system audio without a visible bot. Platform-native tools (Zoom, Teams, Meet) also require no bot since they are built in.
What is the cheapest AI meeting notes app with Korean support?
Tiro Lite starts at $7/month and Tiro supports Korean. Notta Pro at $8.17/month and Fireflies Pro at $10/month (both billed annually) also support Korean transcription. Zoom AI Companion includes Korean summaries on any paid Workplace plan (from about $14/user/month).
Which AI note takers have MCP server support?
Tiro, Fireflies, tl;dv, Fathom, Read.ai, Avoma, Granola, Plaud, and Zoom all offer official MCP servers as of 2026. Availability varies by plan. Notta, Otter, HappyScribe, Teams, and Meet have no documented MCP support.
Where is my meeting data stored with these tools?
Tiro stores data in AWS Seoul (Korea). Plaud offers US, EU, Japan, or Singapore. HappyScribe and tl;dv are EU-hosted. Read.ai announced EU/Canada regions. Zoom and Teams let paid accounts choose regions. Fathom and Granola are US-only, and Otter states no EU or regional option while its storage region is unverified.
Try Tiro free for 3 weeks
300 minutes, all Pro features, no credit card required.
Sources
Every competitor cell is traced to official product pages. Source URLs are listed per product in the comparison table data. No third-party reviews or affiliate content were used.
Tiro sources (5)
Notta sources (9)
- https://www.notta.ai/en/pricing
- https://www.notta.ai/en/security
- https://www.notta.ai/llm-security
- https://www.notta.ai/en/features/automatic-translation
- https://www.notta.ai/en/features/bilingual-transcription
- https://www.notta.ai/en/features/bot-free
- https://www.notta.ai/en/real-time-transcription
- https://www.notta.ai/en/integrations
- https://www.notta.ai/en/changelog
Fireflies.ai sources (5)
Otter.ai sources (4)
tl;dv sources (5)
Fathom sources (5)
Read.ai sources (5)
Avoma sources (4)
Granola sources (5)
Plaud sources (5)
HappyScribe sources (5)
- https://www.happyscribe.com/pricing
- https://www.happyscribe.com/security-and-privacy
- https://help.happyscribe.com/en/articles/10512567-ai-notetaker-and-meetings-hub-101
- https://help.happyscribe.com/en/articles/11364876-how-your-data-is-used-to-improve-model-performance
- https://dev.happyscribe.com/sections/general/
Zoom AI Companion sources (6)
- https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0058013
- https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0078144
- https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0058810
- https://zoom.us/pricing
- https://developers.zoom.us/docs/mcp/zoom-mcp-server/
- https://www.zoom.com/en/trust/legal-compliance/
Microsoft Teams (Copilot) sources (6)
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/intelligent-recap-calls-meetings
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/copilot-teams-transcription
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/meeting-transcription-captions
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/premium
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/business
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-privacy
Google Meet (Gemini) sources (6)
- https://support.google.com/meet/answer/14754931?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/meet/answer/10964115?hl=en
- https://workspace.google.com/pricing
- https://workspace.google.com/security/
- https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/gemini/generative-ai-in-google-workspace-privacy-hub
- https://developers.google.com/workspace/meet/api/guides/overview