# The best meeting transcription tools with access controls

By [David Wilson](https://testbenchlab.com/authors/david-wilson/). Updated 2026-11-02. US prices checked 2026-10-29.

If your job is making sure meeting transcripts can only be opened by the right people, most 'top 10 transcription tools' lists are useless: they tick a box that says 'SSO' without telling you which plan it is on or what that plan costs. For teams that need one third-party tool across Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, Notta is the strongest overall choice: SAML SSO, audit logs, auto-deletion and full data access control on Enterprise, with IP restriction available from the Business plan. This guide names the tools that genuinely give admins control over who can see, share, export and delete transcripts, and shows the plan and price for every control we could verify. If your company lives entirely inside Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, the platform-native options (Copilot meeting recaps and Gemini notes) keep transcripts inside the identity and retention systems you already govern. We also cover Fireflies for regulated teams that need a BAA, Fellow as the cheapest SSO plan we found, and Granola as the best bot-free option with admin controls.

**How we assessed:** No independent test of transcript access controls exists, so the evidence on this page comes from vendor pricing and trust pages checked on 29 October 2026, competitor research from 2 September 2026, and a hands-on 'retention and AI-training controls' test, rated in a test workspace. We distinguish what a vendor documents from what we have confirmed hands-on, and we flag controls we could not verify rather than assuming them.

## Quick list

| # | Award | Product | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall for access controls | Notta |  | Business $16.67 per user per month; Enterprise custom pricing from 51 seats. Audit logs, auto-deletion and full data access control are on Enterprise; IP restriction is available from Business. |
| 2 | Best for Microsoft 365 organisations | Microsoft 365 Copilot (Teams) |  | Copilot Business add-on $18 per user per month on the promotional rate running until 31 December 2026, then $21; Business Premium with Copilot $32 per user per month. |
| 3 | Best for Google Workspace | Gemini in Google Meet |  | Business Standard $14 per user per month; Business Plus $22 per user per month (includes Vault). |
| 4 | Best cross-platform for regulated teams | Fireflies Enterprise |  | Enterprise $39 per seat per month, billed annually; volume discounts above 50 seats. |
| 5 | Cheapest SSO plan | Fellow Business |  | Business $15 per user per month (annual) or $23 monthly; Enterprise $25 per user per month with a 10-user minimum. |
| 6 | Best bot-free with admin controls | Granola Enterprise |  | Enterprise $35 per user per month. |

## 1. Best overall for access controls: Notta

Notta is the only third-party tool we found that combines SAML SSO, audit logs, auto-deletion and full data access control in one cross-platform package, with IP restriction available from the Business plan rather than locked behind a top-tier contract. It works across Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet as well as uploaded recordings and in-person audio, so mixed-platform teams get one set of admin controls instead of three. Sharing permissions and password-protected links let admins constrain who can open a transcript even after it leaves the workspace.

**Price:** Business $16.67 per user per month; Enterprise custom pricing from 51 seats. Audit logs, auto-deletion and full data access control are on Enterprise; IP restriction is available from Business.

**Pros:**
- Access controls: SAML SSO, audit logs, auto-deletion, full data access control, sharing permissions, password-protected links, IP restriction (from Business). Enterprise plans exclude customer data from AI training.

**Choose it if:** Mixed-platform teams that want SSO, audit logs and enforced retention from a single third-party tool.

## 2. Best for Microsoft 365 organisations: Microsoft 365 Copilot (Teams)

If your company already runs on Microsoft 365, Copilot meeting recaps in Teams give you the strongest access controls of any option here, because transcripts sit under the same Entra ID sign-in, Purview retention, eDiscovery and audit logs as the rest of your data. There is no second vendor to govern and no second consent screen for IT to police. The trade-off is coverage: Copilot governs Teams meetings, not your Zoom or Google Meet calls.

**Price:** Copilot Business add-on $18 per user per month on the promotional rate running until 31 December 2026, then $21; Business Premium with Copilot $32 per user per month.

**Pros:**
- Access controls: Entra ID SSO and SCIM provisioning, Purview retention policies, eDiscovery, audit logs, admin controls over recording and transcription.

**Choose it if:** Microsoft 365 shops that want transcripts governed by the compliance stack they already run.

## 3. Best for Google Workspace: Gemini in Google Meet

Gemini notes in Google Meet are governed from the Workspace admin console, with a per-organisational-unit toggle for whether the AI takes notes at all, and transcripts fall under Vault retention and admin audit on Business Plus. Notes default to being visible to invited guests in your organisation, which is a sensible starting point, and admins can tighten it further. Like Copilot, the limitation is platform: it covers Google Meet, not Teams or Zoom.

**Price:** Business Standard $14 per user per month; Business Plus $22 per user per month (includes Vault).

**Pros:**
- Access controls: Admin console controls per organisational unit, Vault retention and admin audit (Business Plus), sharing defaults scoped to invited guests in the organisation.

**Choose it if:** Google Workspace teams that want AI notes without adding a third-party vendor.

## 4. Best cross-platform for regulated teams: Fireflies Enterprise

Fireflies is the option for regulated teams that need a BAA: the Enterprise plan bundles SSO, custom retention, Private Storage and a BAA, and Fireflies states that customer data is not used for training. It works across Zoom, Teams and Meet, with volume discounts above 50 seats. It is more expensive than Notta for the same cross-platform coverage, and its admin controls are exposed through an Enterprise API rather than a console, which matters if your security team wants to review audit trails without engineering help.

**Price:** Enterprise $39 per seat per month, billed annually; volume discounts above 50 seats.

**Pros:**
- Access controls: SSO, custom retention, Private Storage, BAA on Enterprise, audit logs via the Enterprise API, zero retention / no training on customer data.

**Choose it if:** Regulated teams that need a BAA and cross-platform coverage in one third-party tool.

## 5. Cheapest SSO plan: Fellow Business

Fellow is the cheapest plan we found with SSO: it is listed on Business at $15 per user per month (annual), with Okta and OneLogin support and HIPAA/BAA also listed on that tier. Admins can set retention windows, including zero days, which effectively turns transcripts off at a defined boundary. Advanced recording permissions arrive on Enterprise, so read the tier boundaries carefully before rolling it out.

**Price:** Business $15 per user per month (annual) or $23 monthly; Enterprise $25 per user per month with a 10-user minimum.

**Pros:**
- Access controls: SSO (Okta, OneLogin) and HIPAA/BAA on Business; admin-set retention including 0 days; admin limits and delegated access; advanced recording permissions on Enterprise.

**Choose it if:** Teams that need SSO on a budget and can live without formal audit logs.

## 6. Best bot-free with admin controls: Granola Enterprise

Granola is the pick for teams that want bot-free capture without giving up admin control. The Enterprise plan adds SSO, SCIM, workspace-wide sharing controls, an org-wide AI-training opt-out, retention windows from 1 day to 1 year, an Audit API, MDM/Intune support and HIPAA workspaces. Notes are private by default, which is the safest sharing default of any tool here. The catch is that audit access is via API, and per-user retention only becomes org-wide on Enterprise.

**Price:** Enterprise $35 per user per month.

**Pros:**
- Access controls: SSO, SCIM, workspace-wide sharing, org-wide retention windows (1 day to 1 year), AI-training opt-out, Audit API, MDM/Intune, HIPAA workspaces (Enterprise).

**Choose it if:** Bot-free teams that still need SSO, retention windows and audit access.

## Also considered

- [Read AI Enterprise+](https://www.read.ai/plans-pricing): SSO, SCIM and HIPAA are available, but retention controls only arrive at the top Enterprise+ tier ($29.75 per user per month annual, $39.75 monthly), and audit logs are not confirmed.
- [Otter Enterprise](https://otter.ai/pricing): SSO and SCIM require 100 users, which rules out smaller teams. Activity logs exist on Business, but formal audit logs are not confirmed. Otter also uses de-identified data for training. Enterprise pricing is custom.
- [Fathom Enterprise](https://www.fathom.ai/pricing): SSO, SCIM and custom retention are on Enterprise, and a HIPAA BAA is listed, but the tier is not clear and pricing is quote-only. Audit logs are not confirmed, and de-identified data may be used for training.
- [Zoom AI Companion](https://zoom.com): Included in paid Workplace plans, with admin portal locks and audit logs. A reasonable choice if you only run Zoom meetings, but it does not cover Teams or Meet calls.

## How we chose

We evaluated each tool against the access controls IT and security teams actually ask for: SSO with provisioning, role-based permissions, sharing limits, audit logs, and enforced retention and deletion. We verified every plan and price on vendor pricing and trust pages on 29 October 2026, and cross-checked feature claims against competitor research from 2 September 2026 and a hands-on 'retention and AI-training controls' test, rated in a test workspace. Where a control could not be confirmed, we say so plainly rather than assuming it exists. The full evaluation criteria are in our meeting recorder IT checklist.

## Which access controls matter for meeting transcripts?

Five controls separate a tool IT can approve from one it has to block. SSO with provisioning means transcripts sit behind your identity provider, so a departed employee loses access the moment their account is disabled. Role-based permissions determine who can view, share, export and delete transcripts, not just who can record. Sharing limits stop a transcript from travelling to a personal email or an external collaborator after the meeting ends. Audit logs let an admin prove who opened, exported or deleted a transcript, which is what security reviews and regulators actually ask for. Enforced retention and deletion means an admin sets the window, not each individual user. A tool that leaves any of these to end-user discipline is a tool your security team will eventually ask you to remove.

## Which tools have SSO without an Enterprise contract?

Only two tools we checked offer SSO below a top-tier or custom-priced plan. Fellow Business is the cheapest at $15 per user per month (annual), with Okta and OneLogin support. Notta makes IP restriction available from its Business plan at $16.67 per user per month, with SAML SSO on Enterprise. Everyone else gates SSO behind Enterprise or Enterprise+ tiers: Fireflies at $39 per seat per month (annual), Granola at $35, Read AI at $29.75 (annual), and Otter requires 100 users before SSO and SCIM are even on the table. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini inherit SSO from Entra ID and Google Workspace respectively, so if you are already paying for those suites, SSO is not an extra line item.

| Tool | SSO plan | Price (USD, checked 29 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Notta | Enterprise (IP restriction from Business) | Business $16.67; Enterprise custom from 51 seats |
| Fellow | Business | $15/user/mo (annual) |
| Granola | Enterprise | $35/user/mo |
| Read AI | Enterprise+ | $29.75/user/mo (annual) |
| Fireflies | Enterprise | $39/seat/mo (annual) |
| Otter | Enterprise (100-user minimum) | Custom |

## Which tools keep audit logs?

Audit logs are the most frequently claimed and least frequently verified control in this category, so here is exactly what we could confirm. Microsoft Purview provides audit and eDiscovery for Copilot meeting recaps. Google Workspace provides admin audit for Gemini notes. Notta Enterprise includes audit logs alongside auto-deletion and full data access control, which makes it the strongest third-party option for teams that need to prove who did what to a transcript. Granola exposes an Audit API on Enterprise, and Fireflies exposes audit logs through its Enterprise API. Beyond those, audit logs are not confirmed: Otter has activity logs on Business but no confirmed formal audit trail, and for Fathom and Read AI we could not confirm audit logging at all. If your security review requires audit logs, treat 'not confirmed' as 'not available' until the vendor proves otherwise in writing.

## Who can see a transcript by default?

Defaults matter because most sharing incidents come from nobody changing anything. Gemini notes in Google Meet default to being visible to invited guests in your organisation, which is a reasonable starting position that admins can tighten per organisational unit. Granola notes are private by default, the most conservative default of any tool here. Notta gives admins sharing permissions and password-protected links, so access can be constrained even when a transcript is shared outside the workspace. The platform-native options inherit the meeting's own access model, which is why they score well on this question inside their ecosystem. Before you roll out any tool, share a transcript to an external email address in a trial and check whether an admin can see it, block it, or revoke it after the fact.

| Tool | Default |
|---|---|
| Gemini in Google Meet | Invited guests in your organisation; admin can tighten per OU |
| Granola | Private by default |
| Notta | Admin-managed sharing permissions and password-protected links |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Inherits Teams meeting access under Entra ID |

## Can admins force retention and deletion?

Retention is only a real control when the admin sets the window, not the user. Granola Enterprise supports org-wide retention windows from 1 day to 1 year. Notta Enterprise adds auto-deletion, so transcripts age out on a schedule your security team defines rather than one each user picks. Fellow lets admins set retention to 0 days, which effectively means transcripts are deleted as soon as the workflow allows. Fireflies offers custom retention on Enterprise, including a zero-retention option. Microsoft Purview and Google Vault apply your existing retention policies to Copilot recaps and Gemini notes respectively. If a tool's retention setting lives in a per-user menu, it is a preference, not a control.

## Are built-in tools more secure than a third-party note taker?

Built-in tools keep transcript data inside a system you already govern, with identity, retention, audit and eDiscovery handled by the same consoles your compliance team already uses. That is a genuine advantage, and it is why Copilot and Gemini are picks on this page. The limitation is coverage: they only govern meetings on their own platform, so a company that runs Zoom, Teams and Meet calls gets two or three separate governance stories instead of one. That is where a third-party tool with real admin controls earns its place. Notta is the strongest example: SSO, audit logs, auto-deletion and full data access control across Zoom, Teams and Meet, with IP restriction available from the Business plan, give mixed-platform teams a single set of controls comparable to what the platform-native options provide inside their own ecosystems. For a deeper comparison of built-in, cloud and local transcription, see our guide to built-in versus cloud versus local meeting transcription.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which AI note takers support SAML SSO?

Notta (Enterprise), Fireflies (Enterprise), Granola (Enterprise), Read AI (Enterprise+), Fellow (Business), Otter (Enterprise, 100-user minimum) and Fathom (Enterprise) all list SAML SSO. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini in Google Meet inherit SSO from Entra ID and Google Workspace. Fellow Business is the cheapest SSO plan we found at $15 per user per month (annual); Notta makes IP restriction available from its Business plan at $16.67 per user per month.

### Does Otter have audit logs?

Otter has activity logs on its Business plan, but formal audit logs are not confirmed. If your security review requires a documented audit trail, Notta Enterprise, Granola's Enterprise Audit API, Fireflies' Enterprise API, Microsoft Purview and Google admin audit are the options we could verify.

### Can I stop people sharing meeting transcripts outside the company?

Partly. Notta gives admins sharing permissions and password-protected links; Granola keeps notes private by default with workspace-wide sharing controls on Enterprise; Gemini notes default to invited guests in your organisation; and Fellow offers admin limits and delegated access. No tool can fully prevent a determined user from copying text out of a transcript they are entitled to read, so combine sharing controls with user training and audit logs.

### Is Copilot more secure than Fireflies?

Inside a Microsoft 365 estate, Copilot has the stronger position: transcripts sit under Entra ID, Purview retention, eDiscovery and audit with no second vendor to govern. Fireflies' advantage is cross-platform coverage plus a BAA, custom retention and Private Storage on Enterprise at $39 per seat per month. If your meetings are all on Teams, Copilot is the simpler and more governable choice; if you also run Zoom and Meet calls, a cross-platform tool with comparable controls, such as Notta or Fireflies, is the more practical option.

### Which meeting transcription tool is HIPAA compliant?

Fireflies offers a BAA on Enterprise, Fellow lists HIPAA/BAA on Business, Granola offers HIPAA workspaces on Enterprise, and Read AI supports HIPAA on Enterprise+. Notta, Microsoft and Google all offer enterprise agreements for regulated teams. A BAA is necessary but not sufficient: also check retention, deletion, audit logs and AI-training terms, which we cover in our guide to transcription software for regulated teams.

## Related reading

- [What IT should check in a meeting recorder for Zoom, Teams and Google Meet](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/meeting-recorder-it-checklist/)
- [Transcription software for regulated teams: what to check before you choose](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcription-software-for-regulated-teams/)
- [How to stop AI note takers joining your meetings (Teams, Zoom and Google Meet)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/stop-ai-note-takers-joining-meetings/)
- [Built-in meeting summaries vs cloud note takers vs local transcription](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/built-in-vs-cloud-vs-local-meeting-transcription/)
- [Is Plaud HIPAA compliant?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/is-plaud-hipaa-compliant/)
- [Our methodology](https://testbenchlab.com/methodology/)

## Sources

1. [Notta pricing](https://www.notta.ai/en/pricing) — Notta; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
2. [Microsoft 365 Copilot for Business pricing](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/business) — Microsoft; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
3. [Google Workspace pricing](https://workspace.google.com/pricing) — Google; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
4. [Google Workspace Admin: let Gemini take notes for your users](https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/meet/let-google-meet-ai-take-notes-for-my-users?hl=en) — Google Workspace Admin Help; checked 29 October 2026
5. [Fireflies pricing](https://fireflies.ai/pricing) — Fireflies.ai; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
6. [Fellow pricing](https://fellow.ai/pricing) — Fellow; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
7. [Granola pricing](https://www.granola.ai/pricing) — Granola; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
8. [Granola for regulated teams: HIPAA workspaces, retention windows, redaction and deletion](https://www.granola.ai/blog/granola-for-regulated-teams-hipaa-workspaces-retention-windows-redaction-and-deletion) — Granola; checked 29 October 2026
9. [Read AI plans and pricing](https://www.read.ai/plans-pricing) — Read AI; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
10. [Otter pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing) — Otter.ai; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
11. [Fathom pricing](https://www.fathom.ai/pricing) — Fathom; vendor pricing page; checked 29 October 2026
12. [Practical365: Using third-party AI notetaking apps with Teams meetings](https://practical365.com/?p=62457) — Practical365 (Tony Redmond); checked 29 October 2026
13. [Office 365 for IT Pros: New Teams policy controls meeting recording and notetaking bots](https://office365itpros.com/2026/08/24/teams-meeting-notetaking-bots/) — Office 365 for IT Pros (Tony Redmond); checked 29 October 2026
14. [HHS OCR: Guidance on HIPAA and cloud computing](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/health-information-technology/cloud-computing/index.html) — HHS Office for Civil Rights; checked 29 October 2026
15. [ZwillGen: First Major AI meeting assistant lawsuit, practical lessons](https://www.zwillgen.com/litigation/first-major-ai-meeting-assistant-lawsuit-practical-lessons-otter-ai-litigation/) — ZwillGen; checked 29 October 2026