An AI recording tool without browser extension comes in three forms: a desktop app that captures your computer's audio, a recorder that listens in the room, and an audio file you upload. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv, Notta and Plaud each offer a desktop app that records without a bot, and Fathom's bot-free capture runs on Mac (checked Nov 13, 2026).
Comu makes Comu Note Pro and Comu Action Pro. If you want a recorder that captures sound on the device with nothing to install in a browser, skip to how Comu AI records without any browser extension. If you want the routes side by side first, skip to the situation table.
Which AI recording tools need a browser extension?
Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv and Notta each offer a Chrome extension, and each also offers another capture route that does not use it. Each extension works in Chrome on Google Meet, and Otter's also works on Zoom meeting links.
| Tool | What the Chrome extension does | Where it works | Route without the extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu | No extension in the capture path. A recorder captures the sound and the recording syncs to the Comu app on iOS or Android | Rooms, and phone calls on Comu Action Pro | The recorder itself |
| Otter | Adds Otter AI Notetaker to a meeting, which joins as a participant, or records the browser tab. "Record on my device instead" appears on Google Meet | Google Meet and Zoom meeting links in Chrome. Microsoft Teams and Webex links are not supported | Otter desktop app with botless recording |
| Fireflies | Records audio from a Google Meet tab, opens the Live Assist pane, and invites the Notetaker bot when you want video | Google Meet in Chrome only. For Zoom or Teams, Fireflies points you to its Notetaker bot | Fireflies desktop app with Take Notes |
| Fathom | Shows the green Start Recording button and the Fathom drawer in Google Meet, with site access to meet.google.com turned on | Google Meet | Fathom desktop app with Capture Now (bot-free) |
| tl;dv | The Chrome extension has a bot join and record a Google Meet call | Google Meet | tl;dv desktop app, with or without a bot |
| Notta | Invites the Notta bot into a Google Meet call, and transcribes audio from any Chrome tab | Google Meet and Chrome tabs | Notta Desktop with Bot-Free recording |
Two vendor details matter when extensions are blocked.
The extension is not the only trigger for a bot. Otter states that with auto-join on, Otter AI Notetaker joins your scheduled meetings "without you having to use the extension." Fathom's desktop app has an Add to Meeting option: paste a Google Meet URL and Fathom joins. tl;dv states that if auto-recording is on, it keeps sending bots to meetings after you remove the app. In-room recorder vs meeting bot covers the bot side.
Extensions cover one browser. Otter's extension needs Chrome. Fireflies' extension runs on Google Meet in Chrome only.
AI Note Taker No Extension: Which Tools Are Desktop Apps?
Six vendors run capture from a desktop app instead of the browser, so no extension is involved. The app records your computer's system audio and no bot joins the call.
| Tool | Desktop capture | Runs on | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu | A recorder in the room captures sound | Comu app on iOS or Android | A Comu Note Pro or Comu Action Pro. Recordings sync to the app |
| Otter | Botless recording: click Record in the app and Notetaker does not need to join | macOS 13.0 or later, Windows 10 or later | Microphone permission, plus Screen and System Audio Recording permission on Mac |
| Fireflies | Take Notes captures system audio with no bot | Windows or Mac | The Fireflies desktop app. Take Notes is one of two choices the app offers, next to Invite Notetaker |
| Fathom | Capture Now, bot-free, with transcript-only, audio plus transcript, or audio plus video modes | Mac | The Fathom desktop app |
| tl;dv | Bot-free recording from the desktop app | Mac or Windows | Microphone and Screen Recording permission on Mac. Windows works automatically after install |
| Notta | Notta Desktop Bot-Free recording of computer audio and your microphone | macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 or later | The Notta Desktop app. Notta Web records online meetings with a bot |
| Plaud | Plaud Desktop captures computer audio and sends it to your Plaud account | macOS or Windows | A Plaud device bound to your account. A Plaud account and permission to install apps |
Supported meeting apps differ by vendor.
- Otter: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Slack huddles, plus other video conferencing apps, dialers such as RingCentral and Dialpad, and messaging apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime, Discord and Telegram.
- Fireflies: Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Slack Huddle, WhatsApp, Discord, FaceTime and phone calls, in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and other browsers.
- tl;dv: Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams with or without a bot, and any other platform through system audio, including Slack huddles and Discord calls.
- Plaud: Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in the browser, Zoom Desktop, Microsoft Teams Desktop, Slack Huddles, Cisco Webex Desktop and Lark Desktop. The detected-meeting screen in the Plaud app shows what your device currently supports.
- Fathom: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack huddles.
A desktop app is still software you install. On a Mac, Otter asks for Microphone and Screen and System Audio Recording permission, and tl;dv asks for Screen Recording and Microphone. With Otter's botless recording you can wear headphones and still transcribe what participants say.
Note Taker When Extensions Are Blocked: What Can You Use?
When a work computer blocks extensions, the options are a desktop app, a recorder in the room, or an audio file you already have.
For the Chrome Web Store, Google's Chrome Enterprise help describes three modes an administrator can set:
- Allow all apps and extensions, with the admin managing a blocklist.
- Block all apps and extensions, with the admin managing an allowlist.
- Block all, manage an allowlist, and let users request extensions, which the admin can then allow, block or install automatically.
In the third mode you request the extension you need. The same help page states that an admin can also block extensions by the permissions they ask for, for example those that access cookies.
| If this is true | Route that fits | What the vendors' pages show |
|---|---|---|
| Extensions are blocked, desktop apps can be installed | Desktop app | Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv, Notta and Plaud each ship one (table above) |
| Extensions and desktop apps are both unavailable on your computer | Recorder in the room, or an audio file you already have | Comu devices, Plaud devices and Notta Memo capture sound on the device. Otter and Notta accept uploaded files. The Comu section covers the Comu app |
| The meeting is in a room or on a phone | Recorder | Extensions work inside a browser tab. Fathom does not record phone calls today |
| The meeting is a Google Meet call and Chrome allows only some extensions | Ask the admin to allow one extension, or use the desktop app | Fireflies' extension works on Google Meet in Chrome, and Otter's on Google Meet and Zoom links in Chrome |
Recording rules differ by place and apply to every route, including the ones with no extension. Is an AI note taker legal? covers them.
What does each desktop app record and save?
Fireflies Take Notes saves a transcript and summary, tl;dv bot-free recording saves audio, and Fathom saves the mode you choose.
| Tool | What the app saves | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Comu | Audio on the recorder, synced to the app, then a transcript and summary | Comu AI extracts Actions from the recording, with owner, decision, deadline and next step |
| Otter | Your computer's meeting audio, recorded and transcribed | Botless recording works while you wear headphones |
| Fireflies (Take Notes) | A transcript and summary generated after the meeting | Audio and video files are not saved, and speaker labels read Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 |
| Fathom | The mode you choose: transcript only, audio plus transcript, or audio plus video | You can pick a capture mode per meeting from the app tray |
| tl;dv (bot-free) | Audio, which is your microphone plus any sound playing on the computer, saved to your tl;dv library and processed into AI notes | Video, screen sharing and chat messages are not recorded |
| Notta (Bot-Free) | Computer audio and microphone input, encrypted and uploaded for real-time transcription | Pro Privacy Mode is the separate local-transcription option |
| Plaud Desktop | The audio recording, plus transcripts, summaries, Ask Plaud answers and mind maps | You export audio, transcript, summaries, highlights and the mind map through Plaud Web or the Plaud App |
tl;dv notes that any sound playing on your computer during the meeting, such as music or notifications, is recorded too. Notta gives the same warning about system audio.
A Fireflies bot recording saves audio, video and speaker labels. Take Notes saves no audio or video file and shows Speaker 1 and Speaker 2.
How do desktop apps tell participants about recording?
A bot appears in the attendee list, and bot-free capture adds no participant. The vendors offer notices you switch on instead.
- Fireflies: Take Notes supports a meeting chat notification that tells participants when system audio recording starts.
- Otter: for Microsoft Teams meetings, Otter posts a message to the chat when recording starts. The default text is "I am using Otter to record this meeting." and you can edit it up to 128 characters.
- Fathom: a Consent Chat Message setting sends a consent message in the meeting chat when enabled.
- tl;dv: recording notifications may not appear automatically with bot-free recording, and tl;dv's help states that informing participants is your responsibility.
- Notta and Plaud: both tell you to follow consent law and workplace recording policy before you record.
Do hardware recorders and file uploads need an extension?
No. A hardware recorder captures sound with its own microphones, and a file upload takes audio you already have, so neither one touches the browser.
Hardware recorders. Three vendors make a recorder for this route:
- Comu Action Pro and Comu Note Pro record in the room. Action Pro also records phone calls through its bone-conduction microphone.
- Plaud devices are built for in-person capture, and Plaud Desktop covers conversations on your computer. Plaud Desktop needs a Plaud device bound to your account.
- Notta Memo captures in-person conversations and supported phone calls without a meeting bot and stores audio on the device. Its bone-conduction microphone handles phone calls when Memo is attached to the back of a phone. Transcription needs a sync to Notta.
File uploads. Otter imports an audio or video file from your computer or mobile device and creates the transcript. Notta turns uploaded recordings into searchable knowledge. The Comu section below covers the Comu app. How to transcribe long meetings walks through the upload route.
How do the capture routes compare by situation?
The situation decides the route more than the vendor does.
| Situation | Comu recorder | Desktop app | Chrome extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting in a room | Yes. Comu Action Pro picks up sound from 7 m indoors and Comu Note Pro from 5 m | Records computer audio. Fathom's iOS app and Plaud devices capture in-person meetings | Works on meeting links. Otter: Zoom or Google Meet |
| Phone call | Comu Action Pro records the call through its bone-conduction microphone, placed against the phone | Fireflies records iPhone calls on Mac, and Android or iPhone calls on Windows. Fathom does not record phone calls today | Not applicable |
| Video meeting on your computer | On Comu Note Pro, the computer or phone plays the meeting sound out loud and the device records it | Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv, Notta and Plaud | Google Meet, plus Zoom on Otter |
| Audio or video file you already have | Comu app (see the Comu section) | Otter and Notta accept files | Otter's extension can also record the audio of a browser tab, such as an online video |
Let Comu AI Record Without Any Browser Extension
Comu records on a device, so the capture needs no browser, no extension and no bot. A Comu recorder captures sound through its own microphones, and the recording syncs to the Comu app on iOS or Android, where Comu AI turns it into a transcript and summary.
Two recorders. Comu Action Pro costs $169.99 (regular $256.99) and Comu Note Pro costs $128.99 (regular $158.99) on the Comu US store on Nov 13, 2026. Comu Action Pro has six microphones (four omnidirectional MEMS, one directional MEMS and one bone-conduction), a 7 m indoor pickup range, up to 70 hours of continuous recording on a 1,000 mAh battery and 16 GB of storage. Comu Note Pro is credit-card sized at 27.6 g, with two MEMS microphones plus one VPU (bone conduction), a 5 m indoor pickup range and 45 hours of continuous recording.
What the plan that comes with the device includes. Every Comu device ships with Starter, which needs no subscription. Starter includes unlimited real-time transcription, speaker identification, basic summaries and 113 languages, and you tap to transcribe and summarize a recording after it syncs. Premium and Elite do it automatically. The Comu numbers on this page cover Starter. Premium costs $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year, Elite starts from $29.99 a month billed annually, and you buy both inside the Comu app.
Phone calls and online meetings. Comu Action Pro records phone calls with its bone-conduction microphone placed against the phone. For online meetings on Comu Note Pro, the computer or phone plays the meeting sound out loud and the device records it. Neither case needs software in the browser.
Setup. Hold the record key on Comu Action Pro for 3 seconds to power on, pair it by Bluetooth in the Comu app, then hold the key for 2 seconds to start recording. Hold 2 seconds again to stop, and the screen shows "Saved." On Comu Note Pro, recordings transfer over Bluetooth by default in the background, and you can switch to Wi-Fi to speed up long recordings.
Software only. You can subscribe in the Comu app without buying hardware and upload audio files; MP4 up to 500 MB.
Privacy. Comu is GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant, encrypts files, does not sell data to third parties and does not use data to train AI. You can delete a single recording or your whole account in the app.
What should you check before you choose a route?
Check where the meeting is held, what you must keep, where the audio goes and what your company allows.
- Where is the meeting held? The extensions in this article work in Chrome on meeting links: Google Meet for all five vendors, plus Zoom for Otter. For a room, the recorders above apply. For a phone call, Comu Action Pro, Notta Memo and Fireflies' desktop app apply.
- What must you keep? Fireflies Take Notes keeps a transcript and summary without audio. tl;dv keeps audio. Comu keeps the recording on the device and in the app. Pick the route whose saved output matches the review you need.
- Where does the audio go? Notta's standard Bot-Free recording uploads encrypted audio for real-time transcription, and its Pro Privacy Mode is the separate local option. Plaud Desktop sends recordings to your Plaud account. Comu sends audio securely to AI service providers only to deliver transcription, summaries and insights.
- What does your company allow? In-room recorder vs meeting bot lists eight questions for IT and the meeting host.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an AI note taker with no extension?
Yes. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv, Notta and Plaud each run capture from a desktop app, and Comu records on a recorder in the room. None of these routes uses a browser extension. Fathom's bot-free capture runs on Mac, and Plaud Desktop needs a Plaud device bound to your account (checked Nov 13, 2026).
Which AI note takers have a Chrome extension?
Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv and Notta each have one. Otter's covers Zoom and Google Meet links in Chrome, Fireflies' covers Google Meet in Chrome only, and Fathom, tl;dv and Notta each offer an extension for Google Meet. Each of them also offers a desktop route.
Can I record a Google Meet call without an extension?
Yes. Use a desktop app that captures system audio: Otter's botless recording, Fireflies Take Notes, Fathom Capture Now, tl;dv bot-free recording, Notta Desktop or Plaud Desktop. Comu Note Pro also records a meeting when the computer plays the sound out loud.
What can I use when my company blocks browser extensions?
A desktop app, a recorder in the room or an audio file you already have. Chrome Enterprise help describes a mode where users request an extension and the admin allows it.
Does a desktop app add a bot to the call?
Not in bot-free capture. Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, tl;dv, Notta and Plaud each describe their desktop capture as bot-free: it records your computer's audio and joins no call. A bot joins when you or an auto-join setting invites one, for example Fireflies' Invite Notetaker.
Does a Comu recorder need a browser extension?
No. A Comu recorder captures sound through its own microphones and syncs to the Comu app on iOS or Android. Comu Action Pro costs $169.99 and Comu Note Pro costs $128.99 on the Comu US store on Nov 13, 2026.
Can I use Comu without buying a recorder?
You can subscribe in the Comu app without buying hardware and upload audio files; MP4 up to 500 MB.
Can I record a phone call without an extension?
Yes, with a recorder or a desktop app that supports calls. Comu Action Pro records phone calls through its bone-conduction microphone placed against the phone. Fireflies records iPhone calls on Mac, and Android or iPhone calls on Windows through its desktop app.
Related reading
- In-room recorder vs meeting bot: when each is allowed at work: how platform controls treat bots and what to ask IT.
- Physical AI recorder vs browser-based transcription tool: the hardware route against browser tools by situation and cost.
- Is an AI note taker legal?: the consent rules that apply to every route.
- How to record Google Meet and Microsoft Teams meetings: the steps for recording inside the platform.
- AI note taker: what it is, types and how to choose: the bot, bot-free and recorder types side by side.
Sources
Checked Nov 13, 2026.
- Otter Help Center: Otter Desktop App (Mac & Windows), Otter Chrome extension, Transcribe an existing conversation recording
- Fireflies Knowledge Base: Getting Started with the Fireflies Desktop App, How to Record Meetings Without a Bot on the Fireflies Desktop App, Learn about the Fireflies Chrome Extension
- Fathom: Overview, Help Center Fathom Desktop App, Using Fathom with Google Meet
- tl;dv: Recording without a bot, Record on any platform (Desktop App), Record Google Meet
- Notta: Transcribe Sensitive Meetings Without a Meeting Bot, Notta for Chrome
- Plaud Help Center: Download the Plaud Desktop, Before you start: Plaud Desktop FAQ
- Google Chrome Enterprise and Education Help: Allow or block apps and extensions
- Comu product knowledge base (Oct 27, 2026 edition): Action Pro and Note Pro hardware, plans, Premium and Elite pricing, security and privacy. Comu prices from the Comu US store, Nov 13, 2026: Comu Action Pro, Comu Note Pro
