← All comparisons
Josh Mohrer··

The 5 Best Bluedot Alternatives in 2026

Bluedot is a clean, bot-free note taker: a Chrome extension and desktop apps that record the call without a third party joining, plus iPhone, Android and Apple Watch apps for in-person meetings. People look for an alternative when the free plan's 5 lifetime meetings run out, when they need regular phone calls recorded, or when they wear a Wear OS watch.

352,143 people use Wave30 minutes free every month. No credit card.

The best Bluedot alternative for most people is Wave AI: it records meetings without a bot on Mac and Windows like Bluedot, records in person from iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, and Wear OS, records regular phone calls through its Phone Bridge, and has a free plan of 30 minutes every month rather than 5 meetings for the lifetime of the account. Granola is the best pick for typed notes, Fathom the best free option for video calls, Otter.ai the most established, and Fireflies.ai the pick for sales teams.

Bluedot is already bot-free and already on your phone and wrist, so “no bot” isn’t the wedge. The recurring reasons people look elsewhere: the free plan is a trial in practice, they need a real phone call captured, or they use Android watches.

Here are the five best alternatives, starting with the one that covers the most ground.

1. Wave — best overall Bluedot alternative

Wave keeps what people like about Bluedot (bot-free meeting capture with transcripts and AI notes) and adds phone calls, Wear OS, and a monthly free plan:

  • Bot-free, like Bluedot. The Wave desktop app captures mic + system audio directly on Mac and Windows, so nothing joins your call.
  • Phone calls. On every plan, the Phone Bridge records incoming and outgoing calls on your real number, both sides transcribed and summarized. On Free, calls count toward the 30 minutes a month; Wave Pro is unlimited.
  • In person and on your wrist. Record from iPhone, Android, or native Apple Watch and Wear OS apps, with no external device to buy, charge, or carry.
  • Ask your archive. Every recording is searchable, and Wave’s chat answers questions from any past transcript.

Wave’s free plan includes 30 minutes of recording per month with full transcription and summaries; paid plans start at $80 a year or $15 a month. For a head-to-head breakdown, see Wave vs Bluedot.

2. Granola — best for typed notes without a bot

Granola captures your computer’s audio during video calls and turns your rough notes into clean ones with no bot, a similar bot-free spirit to Bluedot. It runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android with an Apple Watch app, but keeps no audio or video to replay, and its free plan keeps 30 days of meeting history.

3. Fathom — best free option for video calls

Fathom’s free plan covers unlimited recordings, transcription and instant AI summaries for Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams, and it records video like Bluedot. The trade-off: it joins with a bot by default (bot-free is a Mac-only beta), records in person only from its iPhone app, and does not record phone calls.

4. Otter.ai — most established name

Otter pairs real-time transcription with a meeting bot and iPhone, Android, and web apps that record in person. Its free plan gives 300 min/month, capped at 30 min per conversation, every month. No phone-call recording and no watch app.

5. Fireflies.ai — best for CRM-heavy sales teams

Fireflies records with a bot, or without one from its desktop app and Chrome extension, records in person from its mobile app, and organizes everything into a shared team workspace with CRM integrations. Pro is $10 a seat per month billed yearly.

At a glance

ToolBest forMain limitation
WaveEvery conversation type — meetings, phone calls, in-person, watchFree plan capped at 30 min/month
GranolaClean typed notes, no botNo saved audio
FathomFree video-call recordingBot by default; no phone calls
Otter.aiReal-time meeting transcription30-min free conversation cap; no phone calls
Fireflies.aiSales teams with CRM workflowsTeam-priced; no phone calls

The bottom line

If your conversations are mostly video meetings and you want the video kept, Bluedot does it cleanly. If they also happen on the phone, or you want a free plan that renews every month, Wave is the bot-free alternative built for all of it. For every bot-free option side by side, see the best AI note takers without a bot, or start with the free plan and see how it fits.

Common questions about Bluedot alternatives

Which Bluedot alternative can record phone calls?

Wave. Its Phone Bridge records incoming and outgoing calls on your real number with both sides transcribed and summarized, on every plan (on Free, call minutes count toward the 30 minutes a month; Wave Pro is unlimited). Bluedot’s site lists phone calls but does not describe a call-recording method, and Fathom, Otter, and Fireflies have no way to record a regular phone call. See the best call recorder apps.

Is there a Bluedot alternative that's also bot-free?

Yes. The Wave desktop app captures mic and system audio directly on Mac and Windows, so no bot joins the call, the same bot-free approach as Bluedot. Granola is bot-free too, on Mac and Windows. Wave also records phone calls and records in person from phones and watches.

Which Bluedot alternative works on a watch or phone?

Wave has iPhone and Android apps plus native Apple Watch and Wear OS apps, so you can record in-person conversations from your wrist or pocket with no external device. Bluedot itself has iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch apps but no Wear OS app; Granola also has an Apple Watch app. See the best Apple Watch voice recorder apps.

Try the Bluedot alternative that runs on the devices you already own

30 minutes free every month. No credit card.

Compare Wave with other tools: Wave vs Otter.ai · Wave vs Fireflies.ai · Wave vs Fathom · Wave vs Granola · Wave vs Descript · Wave vs Plaud · Wave vs Notta · Wave vs tl;dv · Wave vs Krisp · Wave vs Read.ai · Wave vs Zoom AI Companion · Wave vs Bluedot · Best Otter.ai alternatives · Best Fireflies.ai alternatives · Best Fathom alternatives · Best Granola alternatives · Best Descript alternatives · Best Plaud alternatives · Best Notta alternatives · Best tl;dv alternatives · Best Krisp alternatives · Best Read.ai alternatives · Best Zoom AI Companion alternatives · Otter.ai review · Fireflies.ai review · Granola review · Best Turbo AI alternatives · Best Coconote alternatives · Turbo AI review · Coconote review · Best Bee AI alternatives · Best Limitless Pendant alternatives · Otter.ai pricing · Granola pricing · Fireflies.ai pricing · Best call recorder apps · Best AI note takers for in-person meetings · Best AI note takers without a bot · Best Apple Watch voice recorder apps · Best AI note takers for meetings

Wave app screenshot showing meeting transcription
Wave AI note taker background pattern