Best AI note taker for Windows in 2026: desktop apps compared for interviews

On a Windows PC, the AI note takers with a full desktop app as of October 2026 include Otter, Fireflies, Read AI, Granola, Krisp, Bluedot and Interview Signal, all of which can capture a call without a bot, while Microsoft Teams offers its own transcription and an intelligent recap with the right license. Fathom's bot-free mode is still Mac-first, so on Windows it joins as a participant. The choice comes down to how you interview (Teams, Zoom, Meet or phone), whether a bot may join, and what your IT team allows on a managed PC.

We make Interview Signal, one of the tools below; everything about the other products comes from their own sites, linked and dated.

Which AI note takers have a real Windows app?

Many note takers were built for the Mac first, so "works on Windows" can mean a full app, a browser extension or a bot. This table covers tools with a Windows desktop app, plus Teams itself.

Sources, as of October 2026: Microsoft on intelligent recap and Teams transcription; Otter pricing and Otter desktop help; Fireflies desktop, Fireflies bot-free help, integrations and pricing; Read AI desktop help and Read AI pricing; Granola for Windows and Granola pricing; Krisp, Krisp requirements and Krisp pricing; Bluedot desktop, Bluedot on Windows and Bluedot pricing; Interview Signal pricing and download.

Why is Windows different for AI note takers?

Three things come up on Windows PCs far more than on Macs, and each one can decide the choice for you.

Teams is usually the meeting app

If your company runs on Microsoft 365, most interviews happen in Teams. Teams can transcribe a meeting itself, and Microsoft says all participants see a notification when it does; live transcription is only available in Teams for desktop (Microsoft Support). Before buying anything, check whether your license already includes intelligent recap. Our Teams transcription for interviews guide covers the settings, and recording a Teams interview without a bot covers the alternatives.

Phone Link brings the phone to the PC

Windows can route calls from a paired phone through Microsoft's Phone Link app. Fireflies says its Windows desktop app captures both Android and iPhone calls this way, through system audio (Fireflies help). For recruiters who screen on a mobile number, that is the cleanest way to get a phone screen into a Windows note taker.

Managed PCs and IT approval

Corporate Windows laptops often block installs or audio capture until IT approves an app. Read AI and Krisp specify 64-bit Windows, and some tools need extra components: Krisp, for instance, lists .NET 4.6.2 (Krisp). Raise the request before a pilot, with the vendor's security page attached.

Each Windows note taker, and who it suits

Microsoft Teams transcription and intelligent recap

Intelligent recap needs a Microsoft 365 subscription with Teams plus a Teams Premium license or a license for Microsoft's AI assistant, and it depends on transcription being on (Microsoft Learn). People from outside your organization cannot start or stop transcription, so a candidate's or client's meeting is out of your hands. It produces meeting notes and tasks, not a scorecard. Best for: in-house teams whose licenses already include recap and who interview in their own Teams meetings.

Otter

Otter's Windows desktop app needs Windows 10 or later, records without a bot, and can post a message in Teams chat to say you are recording (Otter help). The free plan caps each conversation at 30 minutes; Business is $19.99 a month billed yearly (Otter pricing). Best for: occasional interviewers who want an inexpensive transcript on a PC.

Fireflies

On Windows 10 or later, Fireflies' desktop app detects Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and phone calls, and turns on an audio consent message by default (Fireflies help). In that mode it keeps no audio file and labels speakers by number. Its native ATS list is the longest of the general tools (Fireflies integrations). Best for: in-house recruiters who screen by phone and want notes pushed to Greenhouse, Lever or Ashby.

Read AI

Read's desktop app supports 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, records without a bot, and can capture dialer software calls; desktop recordings are audio only and skip its coaching metrics (Read AI help). The free plan covers five meetings a month of up to an hour (Read AI pricing). Read AI for interviews explains the engagement scores to switch off (our guide). Best for: companies that already use Read for internal meetings.

Granola

Granola now runs on Windows 10 or later, with no meeting bot; Granola says it captures Zoom, Teams and Google Meet from device audio, and offers an optional chat message or a video watermark on Windows 11 so people know (Granola for Windows). Best for: hiring managers on a PC who want their own notes filled out from the transcript.

Krisp

Krisp works at the audio level on the device, so no bot is needed for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or Slack Huddles, with an optional bot as well (Krisp). There is a 7-day trial, then Core at $8 per user per month billed annually or $16 monthly (Krisp pricing). No ATS integration is listed. Best for: people in noisy offices who want noise cancellation and notes in one app.

Bluedot

Bluedot's Windows app supports Windows 10 and later and is aimed at the Zoom and Teams desktop apps (Bluedot help). It has a native Ashby connection that posts a summary and recording link to the candidate (Bluedot help), and stores content in the EU by default (Bluedot privacy). Best for: Ashby customers who want EU-hosted notes.

Interview Signal

Ours runs on Windows 10 and 11, with no bot, beside Teams, Zoom, Meet and phone screens taken through the PC. It labels your microphone as the interviewer and the meeting's sound as the candidate, shows a question guide with suggested follow-ups during the call, and produces a scorecard with quotes checked against the transcript plus a client submittal afterwards. Transcripts stay on the PC (security); pricing starts with 20 free minutes and $9 hour packs (pricing). Weaknesses: no ATS integration, desktop only with no mobile or web app, no video recording, few public reviews yet, and phone screens must run through the computer. Best for: agency and in-house recruiters who turn each screen into a scorecard or submittal.

Which note takers are not fully on Windows yet?

• Fathom: bot-free capture is live on Mac; on Windows it is limited to a Microsoft Teams alpha, and Fathom's updates page lists Windows as coming soon (Fathom help, Fathom updates). On a PC, expect the Fathom bot to join.
• Tactiq: its Chrome extension does not support the Teams desktop app, and its new desktop app is Mac-only while Tactiq says it is "exploring a Windows version" (Tactiq help).
• Windows Live Captions: useful on screen, but Microsoft says generated captions are not stored anywhere, so it does not leave a transcript (Microsoft Support).

How do I capture a phone screen on a Windows PC?

1. Pair the phone with Phone Link and take the call on the PC, then use a note taker that captures system audio. Test with a colleague first.
2. Use a softphone or dialer on the PC and let a system-audio app transcribe it like a meeting.
3. If the call stays on the mobile, no Windows app can hear it. See how to record a phone screen.

Whichever route you take, tell the candidate first. Our consent script has wording, and the consent guide lists the states where everyone on the call must agree.

What should you ask IT before installing one?

• Can the app capture system audio and the microphone on our managed PCs, and does it need admin rights to install?
• Where are transcripts and recordings stored, and for how long by default?
• Does the vendor train models on our data, and can we opt out?
• Does it post a notice in Teams, or do interviewers give notice themselves?
• Can we remove a candidate's data on request?

Which Windows note taker should you choose?

• Your company already pays for Teams Premium or the AI add-on: start with intelligent recap in your own meetings.
• You screen by phone and run Greenhouse, Lever or Ashby: Fireflies with Phone Link.
• You want the cheapest bot-free transcript: Otter's desktop app.
• You type notes and want them finished for you: Granola.
• You send scorecards or client submittals after every screen: Interview Signal, or see AI note takers for staffing agencies.

Interviewing on a Mac too? The Mac transcription app comparison covers macOS versions and Apple's built-in options.