Best AI Meeting Assistant for Zoom (2026 Guide)

Your Zoom calls contain critical decisions, customer insights, and team commitments. The problem? Most of that intelligence disappears the moment you click "End Meeting."

An AI meeting assistant for Zoom captures everything automatically, so you can focus on the conversation instead of scrambling to take notes. But with Zoom's own AI Companion and dozens of third-party options, choosing the right tool feels overwhelming.

This guide compares the best AI meeting assistants for Zoom in 2026, including when Zoom's native AI makes sense and when a dedicated AI meeting assistant delivers better results. If you're already losing context between Zoom calls, Fellow turns your meetings into searchable intelligence that your entire team can access.

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What is an AI meeting assistant for Zoom?

An AI meeting assistant for Zoom is a tool that automatically records, transcribes, and organizes your video calls so you can search conversations, extract action items, and maintain accountability without manual note-taking. These tools connect directly to Zoom and capture the full meeting (audio, video, and sometimes screen shares) to generate transcripts, summaries, and actionable insights.

Unlike basic transcription services, modern AI meeting assistants for Zoom provide organization-wide intelligence. This means you can query across multiple meetings to find specific decisions, track commitments, and surface context that would otherwise be buried in hours of recordings.

The best AI meeting assistants for Zoom share several characteristics: accurate transcription, automatic meeting summaries, action item extraction, integrations with your existing workflow tools, and enterprise-grade security. Where they differ is in depth of features, cross-platform support, and how they handle organization-wide meeting intelligence.

Zoom's native AI Companion vs third-party AI assistants

The first decision when choosing an AI meeting assistant for Zoom is whether to use Zoom's built-in AI Companion or a third-party tool. Both approaches have merit, and the right choice depends on how you use meetings across your organization.

What Zoom AI Companion offers

Zoom AI Companion is included with paid Zoom Workplace plans at no extra charge. The tool provides real-time meeting summaries, action item extraction, and the ability to ask questions about ongoing meetings. With the recent AI Companion 3.0 release, Zoom has added a web interface, writing assistance, and connections to Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive for expanded context.

Zoom AI Companion works seamlessly within Zoom because it is built directly into the platform. There is no bot joining your meetings. Transcription happens natively. For teams that work exclusively in Zoom and need basic meeting capture, AI Companion handles the fundamentals well.

Where third-party AI assistants excel

Third-party AI meeting assistants for Zoom provide capabilities that Zoom's native solution cannot match.

Cross-platform consistency: If your organization uses Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack huddles, third-party tools like Fellow capture all meetings in one unified library. Zoom AI Companion only works within Zoom, creating silos when you need to find information across different platforms.

Organization-wide intelligence: The best AI meeting assistants let you query across your entire meeting history. With Fellow's Ask Fellow feature, you can ask questions like "What commitments did the sales team make last quarter?" and get answers pulled from meetings you have access to. Zoom AI Companion lacks this cross-meeting search capability.

Deeper integrations: Third-party tools connect meeting intelligence directly to CRMs, project management tools, and communication platforms. Fellow offers 50+ native integrations plus 8,000+ apps via Zapier and n8n, turning meeting insights into automated workflows.

Enterprise security controls: While Zoom AI Companion operates within Zoom's security framework, dedicated AI meeting assistants often provide more granular controls. Fellow is SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA compliant, and never trains AI models on customer data, with privacy controls that let administrators manage who can record, who can access recordings, and what gets captured.

If your team struggles to find decisions from past meetings or needs meeting intelligence flowing into other business systems, a third-party AI meeting assistant for Zoom is worth the investment. Start a free trial of Fellow to see the difference organization-wide meeting intelligence makes.

How Fellow's Zoom integration works

Fellow integrates deeply with Zoom to handle the entire meeting lifecycle: collaborative agendas before the call, AI-powered note-taking during, and summaries with action items immediately after.

Zoom Native Capture: recording without a bot

Fellow offers a unique advantage for Zoom users: botless recording. Through Zoom Native Capture, Fellow records your Zoom meetings without a notetaker bot joining as a participant. The recording happens behind the scenes through Zoom's infrastructure.

This matters because meeting bots can be disruptive. Participants see an extra attendee, hosts must admit the bot from waiting rooms, and some clients or partners have policies against recording bots. With Fellow's Zoom Native Capture:

1. Meetings record securely without a visible bot participant

2. Zoom notifies all participants that recording is taking place (maintaining transparency)

3. Hosts approve Fellow's request to record, maintaining control

4. Video, audio, transcript, and AI recap sync to Fellow automatically after the meeting ends

To set up Zoom Native Capture, install the Fellow Zoom App from the Zoom Marketplace. Individual users can enable it for meetings they host, or workspace administrators can enable it organization-wide without requiring individual authorization.

The Fellow sidebar in Zoom calls

Beyond recording, Fellow's Zoom integration brings your meeting notes directly into the Zoom interface. The Fellow sidebar opens within your Zoom call, displaying your collaborative agenda, allowing real-time note-taking, and keeping your meeting context visible without switching between apps.

When you join a Zoom meeting that matches a calendar event, Fellow automatically opens the relevant meeting note. Your agenda, previous action items, and any prep materials are right there in the call. After the meeting, Fellow generates a summary with decisions, action items, and key discussion points, all searchable in your recording library.

Organization-wide Zoom meeting intelligence

The real power of Fellow's Zoom integration emerges at the organizational level. Every Zoom meeting your team records becomes part of a searchable knowledge base. With Ask Fellow, you can query across all meetings you have access to:

• "What did we decide about the Q3 product roadmap?"

• "Which customer mentioned concerns about our pricing?"

• "What action items from last week's standups are still outstanding?"

This organization-wide intelligence transforms Zoom from a video tool into a system of record for decisions and commitments. Teams at Shopify, HubSpot, Vidyard, and Motive use Fellow to ensure critical context does not disappear after meetings end.

Best AI meeting assistants for Zoom compared

Choosing the right AI meeting assistant for Zoom depends on your team's priorities: security requirements, cross-platform needs, integration depth, and budget. Here is how the top options compare:

Fellow: best for enterprise teams needing security and intelligence

Fellow is best for organizations that need to query insights across multiple meetings while maintaining enterprise security standards. The combination of Zoom Native Capture (botless recording), Ask Fellow for organization-wide search, and 50+ native integrations makes Fellow the most complete AI meeting assistant for Zoom-heavy teams.

Key strengths:

• Botless Zoom recording option eliminates meeting disruption

• Ask Fellow queries across all accessible meetings

• SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR compliant with no AI training on customer data

• 92+ languages with consistent accuracy

• Deep CRM sync (Salesforce and HubSpot AI-powered workflows)

Consider Fellow if: Your organization values meeting intelligence as a strategic asset and needs enterprise-grade security.

Zoom AI Companion: best for Zoom-only teams on a budget

Zoom AI Companion works well for teams that use Zoom exclusively and want basic meeting capture without additional cost. The tight integration means no bots, no extra setup, and no additional subscription for teams already paying for Zoom Workplace.

Key strengths:

• Included with paid Zoom plans

• Native integration (no bot joining)

• Real-time summaries and questions during meetings

• New web interface with AI Companion 3.0

Consider Zoom AI Companion if: You only use Zoom, need basic meeting summaries, and want to avoid additional subscriptions.

Otter.ai: best for individual users wanting simple transcription

Otter provides reliable real-time transcription with a straightforward interface. The tool works well for individuals who need a transcript of what was said and basic sharing capabilities.

Key strengths:

• Real-time transcription during meetings

• OtterPilot auto-joins from calendar

• Simple interface for individual use

• Competitive free tier

Consider Otter if: You are an individual contributor who needs personal meeting transcripts without team-wide features.

Fireflies.ai: best for teams using GoToMeeting or Skype

Fireflies supports more video conferencing platforms than most competitors, including Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, and Skype. The tool also offers conversation intelligence features like speaker analytics and keyword spotting.

Key strengths:

• Supports 9+ video conferencing platforms

• 60+ language transcription

• Conversation intelligence features

• Extensive Zapier integrations

Consider Fireflies if: Your team uses multiple video platforms and needs consistent capture across all of them.

How to set up an AI meeting assistant for Zoom

Setting up Fellow as your AI meeting assistant for Zoom takes just a few minutes. Here is the process for both individual users and workspace administrators:

For individual users

1. Create a Fellow account

2. Install the Fellow Zoom App from the Zoom Marketplace

3. Connect your Fellow account when prompted during installation

4. Enable Zoom Native Capture in your Fellow settings if you prefer botless recording

5. Grant the necessary permissions for calendar sync and recording

6. Start or join a Zoom meeting you are hosting. Fellow automatically captures the meeting based on your recording preferences.

For workspace administrators

1. Enable Zoom Native Capture for your workspace in Fellow's Workspace Settings

2. Install the Fellow Zoom Admin App from the Zoom Marketplace

3. Enable "Share realtime meeting content with apps" in your Zoom Account Settings under Zoom Apps

4. Provision the Fellow for Zoom app for all users in your workspace

5. Configure recording rules in Fellow to control which meetings get captured and who can access recordings

After setup, all Zoom meetings hosted by workspace members capture automatically. Recordings, transcripts, and AI meeting notes sync to Fellow where your team can search, share, and act on meeting intelligence.

Zoom-specific features to evaluate in an AI meeting assistant

When choosing an AI meeting assistant for Zoom, evaluate these platform-specific capabilities:

Breakout room support

Zoom breakout rooms let hosts split meetings into smaller groups. Not all AI assistants handle this well. Fellow captures the main room and can follow hosts between breakout rooms when using the bot method. Check whether your chosen tool records all breakout sessions or only the main room.

Webinar recording

Zoom webinars work differently than standard meetings. Ensure your AI meeting assistant supports webinar capture, including Q&A sessions and participant engagement data. Fellow records Zoom webinars with the same transcript and summary capabilities as regular meetings.

Recording storage and access

Consider where recordings live and who can access them. Fellow stores all Zoom recordings in a centralized recording library with permission-based access aligned to organizational roles. This differs from storing recordings in Zoom's cloud, which may have different retention and sharing policies.

Zoom Marketplace availability

AI meeting assistants available in the Zoom Marketplace have been reviewed by Zoom and integrate more deeply with the platform. Fellow is available in the Zoom Marketplace, simplifying installation and ensuring compatibility with Zoom's latest features.

Privacy and security for Zoom meeting recordings

Enterprise teams need confidence that their Zoom recordings remain secure. Here is what to evaluate in any AI meeting assistant:

Compliance certifications

Look for SOC 2 Type II certification (audited security controls), HIPAA compliance (for healthcare organizations), and GDPR readiness (for EU data protection). Fellow holds all three certifications, providing the documentation enterprise security teams require.

AI training policies

Some AI meeting assistants use customer data to train their AI models. This raises concerns about confidential meeting content influencing public AI systems. Fellow never trains AI on customer data, ensuring your Zoom recordings remain private.

Permission controls

The best AI meeting assistants let administrators control who can record, which meetings get captured, and who can access specific recordings. Fellow's privacy controls include:

• Role-based access aligned to organizational structure

• Controls over which meetings can be recorded

• Automatic access rules based on meeting participants

• Transcript redaction capabilities for sensitive information

Data residency

For organizations with data sovereignty requirements, check where your AI meeting assistant stores recordings and whether regional storage options exist. Confirm the vendor's data processing agreements align with your compliance obligations.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI meeting assistant for Zoom?

The best AI meeting assistant for Zoom depends on your needs. For enterprise teams requiring organization-wide intelligence with SOC 2 Type II security, Fellow offers the most complete solution with botless recording, Ask Fellow search, and 50+ integrations. For teams only using Zoom who want included AI features, Zoom AI Companion provides basic capabilities at no extra cost.

Can I record Zoom meetings without a bot joining?

Yes. Fellow supports Zoom Native Capture, which records your Zoom meetings without a notetaker bot appearing as a participant. The recording happens through Zoom's infrastructure while still delivering full transcripts, summaries, and AI meeting notes in Fellow. Install the Fellow Zoom App from the Zoom Marketplace to enable botless recording.

Is Fellow available in the Zoom Marketplace?

Yes. Fellow is available in the Zoom Marketplace as the Fellow Zoom App. The app integrates directly with Zoom to provide meeting notes in a sidebar during calls, automatic recording and transcription, and seamless sync between your Zoom meetings and Fellow's intelligence platform.

How does Fellow compare to Zoom AI Companion?

Fellow and Zoom AI Companion serve different needs. Zoom AI Companion is built into Zoom and provides basic summaries and action items for Zoom-only teams. Fellow works across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, and in-person meetings with Ask Fellow for cross-meeting search, 50+ native integrations for automated workflows, and enterprise security certifications. If you need meeting intelligence as a strategic business asset, Fellow provides capabilities Zoom AI Companion lacks.

What security certifications should an AI meeting assistant have?

Enterprise-grade AI meeting assistants for Zoom should have SOC 2 Type II certification (verifying security controls are implemented and effective), HIPAA compliance (for organizations handling protected health information), and GDPR compliance (for EU data protection). Additionally, verify the vendor's AI training policy. Fellow never trains on customer data, maintains SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance, and provides permission-based access controls aligned to organizational roles.

Can I search across all my Zoom meeting transcripts?

With Fellow, yes. The Ask Fellow feature lets you query across all meetings you have access to using natural language questions. Ask "What did the product team decide about the mobile app launch?" and get answers surfaced from relevant Zoom meetings. This organization-wide search distinguishes advanced AI meeting assistants from basic transcription tools.

Your Zoom meetings already contain the insights, decisions, and commitments your team needs. The right AI meeting assistant turns those conversations into searchable, actionable intelligence instead of letting them disappear.

If you are ready to stop losing context between Zoom calls, start your free trial of Fellow. Join teams at Shopify, HubSpot, Vidyard, and Motive who trust Fellow to capture every critical conversation with enterprise-grade security.