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Being ''fully there'' in meetings thanks to AI, without sacrificing confidentiality

TL;DR:

  • Why these tools exist: they let you be fully present in the meeting (active listening, natural exchanges) while the AI handles recording, transcription, summaries and action items.
  • Key issue: these tools often handle sensitive data (health, HR, legal, strategy). Privacy, data location and regulatory compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2...) are therefore critical.

Quick overview of solutions (including French support):

  • Noota: excellent UX, EU hosting, strong certifications (GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2). Good balance between usability and sovereignty.
  • Fireflies.ai: very popular with rich integrations; US-based cloud but good security assurances.
  • Otter.ai: simple and efficient, recently added French support, US cloud (careful with GDPR).
  • Notta (formerly Airgram): comprehensive, multilingual transcription plus translation, declared GDPR/SOC 2 compliant.
  • Sembly AI: oriented toward analytics and enterprise, numerous certifications (HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.).
  • Fathom: minimalist and smooth, good for Zoom/Meet, strong compliance.
  • Supernormal: extensive automation of notes and follow-ups, hosted on AWS in the US.
  • Tactiq: extension without a bot, audio not stored, a very good privacy/UX trade-off.
  • MeetGeek: very comprehensive, choice of EU or US hosting, on‑premise option for companies.

Sovereign / maximum confidentiality option:

  • Whisper (open source): local transcription, no data sent to the cloud. Ideal for highly sensitive sectors but requires more technical setup.

Costs:

  • Almost all offer a limited freemium plan.
  • Pro/Business plans generally range between $10 and $40 per user per month, depending on volume, advanced AI features and governance.

Quick conclusion:

👉 There is no single “best” universal solution. The right choice depends on the balance between ease of use, French support, level of confidentiality/sovereignty, and budget.

👉 When used properly, these tools genuinely improve meeting quality by giving people their full attention while AI takes the notes.

The best alternatives to Gemini and Copilot for AI meeting recording

In a context of remote or hybrid meetings, automatic recording and transcription tools allow participants to be fully present in the conversation while generating an accurate report. For example, the platform Notta (formerly Airgram) “records and transcribes every spoken word so you can focus entirely on the discussion without the distraction of note‑taking.” In other words, instead of juggling listening, speaking and writing notes, participants can listen actively and contribute naturally while an AI captures the key points. These tools free up cognitive time and improve focus and collaborative dynamics. Numerous studies on meeting effectiveness show that a digital note‑taking delegate can “turn every meeting into a productive moment” and avoid “meetings without follow‑through” by automating follow‑ups and actions (e.g., Supernormal’s “action items” model).

Privacy and regulatory issues

However, these tools often handle sensitive data (medical, legal or private information) depending on the sector. In healthcare, the US HIPAA imposes strict standards for medical record confidentiality; in Europe, the GDPR (EU/UK) protects personal data and requires “European” or compliant hosting. In HR and legal settings, meetings address confidential (personal or strategic) files where even a minor leak would bring liability and sanctions. It is therefore essential that recordings and transcriptions adhere to clear policies on encryption, retention and access control.

Most of the tools mentioned highlight their certifications and compliance: for example, Noota encrypts all data and stores it in EU data centres, with ISO‑27001, SOC 2 and GDPR certifications. Supernormal states that it uses AWS with AES‑256 encryption in transit and at rest, and emphasises that it is SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant. MeetGeek offers hosting in the United States and Europe with data encryption and SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR compliance. Fireflies, Sembly and Tactiq also stress their HIPAA and GDPR compliance. In practice, these guarantees mean that only authorised people (managers/participants) can access the transcripts and that data is destroyed or anonymised according to the company’s policy.

Thus, depending on the sector, one will favour solutions offering “sovereign” or at least European hosting, or the possibility of self‑hosting. For instance, Whisper (open source) runs locally (no data sent), providing the highest confidentiality (see below). Other cloud‑based SaaS (AWS, Azure) compensate with security certificates and confidentiality agreements (BAA/HIPAA or DPA/GDPR).

SaaS solutions for AI recording and transcription

Here is a comparison of the main SaaS solutions mentioned, along with their support for French:

Noota

Noota is a multilingual meeting AI assistant promoted for its quality and security. According to the site, Noota can record Google Meet, Zoom, Teams or Webex meetings and transcribe “with remarkable accuracy” more than 50 languages including French.

  • Ease of use (UX): Noota offers a browser extension and calendar bots. It provides automatic analytics (key points, tasks, follow‑up emails). It integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion, Slack, Zapier, etc. Its app sends reminders and action items.
  • Privacy and compliance: All data are encrypted and stored in Europe (EU data centres), with SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification in addition to GDPR. Noota emphasises that only authorised persons can access recordings and transcripts.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: SaaS hosted on a European cloud (likely AWS/Azure in the EU, but it simply mentions “EU data centres”). No self‑hosting option is indicated.
  • Pricing: Noota offers a free plan (300 minutes of recording per month, limited export) and two paid tiers: Pro (~$19 per user per month billed annually) for 1,000 monthly minutes, and Business (~$45 per user per month) with unlimited minutes and advanced governance.

Fireflies.ai

Fireflies is one of the oldest “AI notetakers” on the market. Its strength is transcribing more than 100 languages (including French) with a claimed 95% accuracy. It offers several recording modes: via a bot or Chrome extension, or by uploading audio/video files. It also provides advanced analytics (search, sentiment, flows).

  • Ease of use: The Fireflies bot can be invited by email or activated via the calendar to automatically join and record scheduled meetings. The Chrome extension also works for real‑time note‑taking. You can also upload a file.
  • Privacy and compliance: Fireflies emphasises its SOC 2, GDPR and HIPAA compliance. Data are stored on a secure private cloud with no unnecessary retention (no training with your data). Encryption is end‑to‑end.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: Proprietary cloud (probably AWS or Google Cloud). No explicitly “sovereign” option, but the site assures “dedicated private” storage.
  • Pricing: A free unlimited plan lets you record without time limits, with 800 minutes of storage per seat (but limited AI summaries). The paid plans are: Pro ($10 per user per month) and Business ($19), then Enterprise ($39). The paid tiers offer unlimited transcription, more storage, advanced analytics, etc.

Otter.ai

Otter is very popular, notably for its easy integration with collaboration tools. Since late 2024, Otter supports transcription in French (and Spanish) – you just speak French in the meeting and the tool detects the language. Its model also produces a summary and generates “smart notes” with links to the timing and transcripts.

  • Ease of use: OtterBot automatically joins Zoom/Teams meetings (when you activate it) and records/transcribes live. The Chrome extension allows real‑time transcription on Google Meet. The mobile app adds in‑person note‑taking.
  • Privacy and compliance: Otter encrypts all data (stored on AWS S3, AES‑256 encryption). It is certified HIPAA compliant for health data, but it has no European data centre. Users must sign a DPA to be GDPR‑compliant.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: AWS cloud (mainly in the US). European users need to check GDPR compliance (Otter provides a DPA), but data may travel outside the EU.
  • Pricing: Basic free plan (300 minutes/month, 30 min max per meeting). Paid plans: Pro (~$8.33 per month billed annually) – 1,200 minutes/month, file imports, advanced summaries, etc.; Business (~$20 per user per month) – unlimited transcription, advanced collaboration, export formats, SSO. Enterprise plan: compliance options (SOC 2, HIPAA), 100 h/month.

Notta (Airgram)

Notta is the evolution of Airgram, recently merged with Notta. It is a full‑stack meeting AI assistant: audio/video recording, transcription and summarisation. It supports 58 languages, including French.

  • Ease of use: Notta integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and Webex – the bot joins the meeting as soon as it starts. You can also record in‑person meetings via the mobile app. The web interface is intuitive (topic lists, comments).
  • Privacy and compliance: Notta claims to be “SOC‑2 and GDPR compliant.” Data are encrypted in transit and at rest. It is not explicitly stated where the servers are hosted (probably in the United States or Asia).
  • Hosting/infrastructure: Cloud SaaS. No self‑hosted mode. The founders are Japanese, which may imply data centres in Asia or the United States. Check the Data Processing Addendum (DPA).
  • Pricing: Free version (120 minutes/month, meetings up to 3 minutes, up to 50 files transcribed, AI summary, 120 minutes of storage). Pro plan (~$8.17 per month per user billed annually): 1,800 minutes/month, meetings up to 1 hour, unlimited export. Business plan (~$20): unlimited transcription, advanced summaries, governance, etc.

Sembly AI

Sembly is an intelligent assistant that records and analyses meetings. It supports 48 languages, including French. Sembly focuses on analytics: summary, key points, decision/action detection (task assignment).

  • Ease of use: SemblyBot automatically joins scheduled meetings or records them when you tell it to. It then sends the minutes and notes to a shared collaborative space (Google Drive, Slack, Trello, etc.).
  • Privacy and compliance: Sembly is officially compliant with HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, PCI, FERPA and GDPR standards, which is rare and signals a strong “enterprise” focus. The policy includes a retention and anonymisation cycle for audio and transcript data. Only relevant members can access it.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: Cloud (presumably AWS or Google Cloud, perhaps global, but the page does not specify the location). Multiple certifications suggest secure hosting.
  • Pricing: Free plan (1 hour/month, basic AI notes, limited storage). Pro at $15/month per user: 3 hours/month, extended summaries, audio reminder (podcast), speaker IDs, etc. Team at $29/month per user: 10 hours/month, advanced collaboration. Enterprise at $59/month: advanced features, access control.

Fathom AI

Fathom is a simple tool focused on Zoom/Meet note‑taking. It displays live transcripts directly (without an extension) in its app, and automatically identifies actions and important points. Fathom aims for a smooth experience, ideal for quick meetings.

  • Ease of use: A Fathom bot joins your meeting or you start the recording via the app. After the meeting, you receive a transcript enriched with actions, notes and a summary. Fathom integrates with many tools (Notion, Zapier, HubSpot…).
  • Privacy and compliance: Fathom is HIPAA, SOC 2 and GDPR compliant. Transcripts are encrypted and the company says they undergo security audits. Fathom does not detail the hosting location (probably US).
  • Hosting/infrastructure: Probably US‑based (American startup) on AWS. Offers a HIPAA addendum for healthcare.
  • Pricing: Fathom offers a fairly generous free plan (unlimited Zoom calls, unlimited transcription but advanced features limited to 5 calls/month). The Pro plan is $20 per month per user (billed annually) and allows unlimited transcriptions, more summaries, CRM integrations and account management.

Supernormal

Supernormal is an AI assistant designed to automate meeting notes and post‑meeting tasks. It relies on a bot (“Norma”) that joins Google Meet, Zoom and Teams, or via a Chrome extension. It automatically adds follow‑ups (emails, tasks, etc.) on Slack, Gmail or Notion.

  • Ease of use: The Norma bot appears in your meeting (name can be modified) to transcribe and summarise automatically. The web interface displays a video player, an interactive transcript with highlighting, assignments and integrations. Supernormal supports over 50 languages.
  • Privacy and compliance: Supernormal uses AWS (multi‑zone) for hosting. It performs TLS 1.2+ encryption in transit and AES‑256 at rest. The company mentions annual SOC 2 security reviews but does not explicitly mention HIPAA.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: AWS (United States). For sensitive organisations, the absence of servers in Europe may be a hindrance (no mention of “sovereign” hosting).
  • Pricing: Supernormal offers a Free (Starter) plan with 1,000 minutes of storage per member and basic integrations. The Pro plan costs $10 per member per month (billed annually) or $18 monthly, and unlocks unlimited notes, advanced integrations, custom templates, etc. The Business plan ($29) adds SSO, more security and premium support.

Tactiq

Tactiq is a Chrome extension without a bot that transcribes meetings in real time on Google Meet, Zoom or Teams. More than just a transcript, it automatically generates key points and summaries using AI. Tactiq does not record your voice; transcription is done client‑side.

  • Ease of use: No installation on the meeting; you just add the Tactiq extension to your browser. The transcription happens in the window (always hidden by default from other participants). You can then export to Google Docs, Notion, Slack, etc. Handy for frictionless adoption.
  • Privacy and compliance: Tactiq highlights “enterprise” security: certified ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II, with full GDPR and HIPAA compliance. It does not store audio (everything is done locally), and the transcription can be anonymised. The company offers dedicated support for businesses.
  • Hosting/infrastructure: As an extension, Tactiq does not require additional cloud for the user; it uses OpenAI’s Enterprise API (via dedicated servers) for summarisation and translation. Data are encrypted and sent directly to your browser.
  • Pricing: Tactiq offers a Free plan: 10 transcriptions/month, 5 AI credits for summaries, note export. Pro plan (~$12/month): unlimited transcriptions, 10 AI credits, branding removal, full export, team sharing. Team plan (~$20/month per user): unlimited AI, advanced export, dashboards. Enterprise plan: enhanced security, SSO, support.

Jamworks

Jamworks is a solution oriented toward education (note‑taking for classes and lectures). It is a European cloud platform (United Kingdom) that transcribes and analyses audio/video recordings of courses, identifies key concepts and generates personalised revision flashcards. It does not appear to handle French.

MeetGeek

MeetGeek is a complete “all‑in‑one” AI assistant for Teams/Zoom/Meet meetings. It automatically records (bot or extension), transcribes and produces a summary and analysis (action items, timeline, etc.). It integrates with many platforms (Notion, Google Docs, Slack, etc.), supports 16 languages (including French) and offers an on‑premise option.

  • Ease of use: MeetGeek automates recording – no need to start manually: as soon as the bot joins, it records, transcribes and analyses. It also offers “no‑bot” options via a Chrome extension, and intelligent “highlights.” The minutes are sent directly to Notion/Google Docs/Slack, etc.
  • Privacy and compliance: MeetGeek states that all recordings/transcripts are encrypted, and the user controls retention and sharing. They describe themselves as SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR and ISO‑27001 compliant. The Enterprise plan includes a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
  • Hosting/infrastructure: Global cloud with EU/US servers, full encryption. A distinctive feature: the Enterprise plan allows on‑premise (self‑hosting) and custom retention policies.
  • Pricing: MeetGeek offers a Free (BASIC) plan providing 3 hours of transcription per month, 3 months of storage. Pro plan at $9.99 per month per user: 20 hours of transcription, 1 year of storage, multiple integrations and sharing. Business plan (~$20): unlimited transcription, 3 years of storage, export, API. Enterprise plan (on quotation): on‑premise, advanced security, support.

Self‑hosting: Whisper (Open Source) and others

For users concerned about total confidentiality, open source and self‑hosted solutions are an alternative. OpenAI’s Whisper is one of them: it is an automatic speech recognition (ASR) model that can transcribe locally without sending data. To use it, you need to install the model and recording/transcription software (such as Audio‑MD or the Whisper CLI).

The advantage is that everything happens on your machine: no audio file is sent to a cloud. Data can therefore remain 100% private. However, you need a powerful machine (GPU) for fast transcriptions. In addition, the interface is less user‑friendly than a SaaS, and you may have to code scripts to integrate it into your workflows.

Other open source projects exist (your own transcription APIs, or platforms like Jitsi Meet + STT plugin), but they are generally less accurate or less user‑friendly. Whisper remains the best compromise between confidentiality and quality.

Conclusion and sources

In summary, many alternatives to Gemini or Copilot exist for AI meeting recording in French. Among the SaaS, Noota, Fireflies, Otter, Notta/Airgram, Sembly, Fathom, Supernormal, Tactiq, Jamworks and MeetGeek stand out for their features and levels of confidentiality. Whisper offers a sovereign solution to install locally.

Finally, keep in mind the key benefit: these tools allow participants to remain fully present during meetings, which can increase engagement, collaboration and effectiveness.

Sources and bibliography

  • Official sites (Product, Pricing, Security pages) of Noota, Fireflies, Otter, Notta/Airgram, Sembly, Fathom, Supernormal, Tactiq, Jamworks, MeetGeek.
  • Excerpts and FAQs from those sites for information on languages, integrations, compliance.
  • Specialist articles and blogs (e.g. legal analysis of Otter in August 2025, feature comparisons).
  • Professional forums and press releases for legal matters (GDPR, HIPAA) and news (Airgram/Notta merger).
A little note (for a very big year!)