AI Note Taker for Therapists: 4 Best Picks in 2026

AI Note Taker for Therapists: 4 Best Picks in 2026

Why Therapists Need an AI Note Taker

Clinical documentation is one of the most time-consuming parts of a therapist’s day. After each session, practitioners must write progress notes, update treatment plans, and maintain records that meet professional and legal standards. For many therapists, this documentation work extends the workday by two to four hours — time that could otherwise go toward clients or professional development.

An AI note taker addresses this directly. By transcribing sessions and generating structured summaries, these tools give therapists a first draft to review, edit, and sign — rather than starting from a blank page. The result is faster documentation, fewer late evenings, and better clinical records.

The standard format for therapy progress notes is the SOAP note:

• S — Subjective: What the client reports — mood, symptoms, and concerns in their own words.
• O — Objective: Clinician observations — affect, behavior, appearance, test scores, and measurable data.
• A — Assessment: Clinical interpretation, diagnosis progress, risk assessment, and clinical reasoning.
• P — Plan: Next steps, therapeutic interventions, homework assignments, and the next appointment date.

The best AI note takers produce structured output that maps to this format — or provide a detailed transcript that makes manual SOAP note writing significantly faster. Either approach reduces the cognitive load of post-session documentation.

What to Look for in an AI Note Taker for Therapy

Not every AI transcription tool suits a clinical environment. Here are the criteria that matter most for therapists evaluating their options:

• Transcription accuracy: Clinical terminology, medication names, and diagnostic language must be captured correctly. Poor accuracy creates more editing work, not less.
• Data privacy and security: Therapy sessions contain sensitive client information. Review the vendor’s data handling policies, retention practices, encryption standards, and any compliance certifications relevant to your jurisdiction before use.
• SOAP note or structured output support: Can the tool produce output aligned with SOAP format, or offer customisable templates for clinical notes?
• Audio file upload: For therapists who record on a separate device or conduct in-person sessions, the ability to upload audio files for transcription is essential.
• Platform compatibility: If you conduct telehealth on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, the tool must integrate cleanly with those platforms.
• Editing and export: AI-generated notes need clinical review before entering a client record. Easy editing, PDF export, or EHR-friendly output formats reduce friction.
• Pricing and plan flexibility: Solo practitioners and large group practices have very different budget constraints. Look for plans that match your caseload size.

Best AI Note Takers for Therapists in 2026

1. Owll — Best Overall for Therapists

Owll is an AI meeting recorder and note-taker built for professionals who need accurate transcription and structured summaries across audio and video calls. For therapists conducting telehealth on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams — or recording sessions locally — Owll offers a straightforward documentation workflow without the complexity of tools designed primarily for sales or engineering teams.

A standout capability for clinical use is Owll’s audio file upload feature. Therapists who record in-person sessions on a separate device can upload that audio file and receive a full transcript and summary — no live call required. Combined with enterprise-grade security infrastructure, Owll gives practitioners a solid foundation for AI-assisted documentation.

• Real-time AI transcription during live telehealth sessions
• Audio file upload for transcription of pre-recorded or in-person sessions
• Auto-generated summaries and action items after each session
• Native support for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams
• Multi-language support for multilingual client populations
• Enterprise-grade security infrastructure

Pros:

• Audio file upload makes it usable for both telehealth and in-person session recording
• Clean summary output gives therapists a strong starting draft for progress notes

Cons:

• No dedicated SOAP note template — notes require manual clinical structuring after the summary is generated
• HIPAA compliance status should be verified directly with Owll before use with protected health information

Pricing: See owll.ai/pricing for current plans.
Best for: Therapists conducting telehealth via Zoom, Meet, or Teams, and those needing audio file upload for offline session recordings.

2. Otter.ai — Best for Real-Time Collaboration in Group Practices

Otter.ai is one of the most widely used AI transcription tools, offering real-time captions, speaker identification, and searchable transcript archives. Its integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams make setup straightforward for telehealth practitioners. For group practices, Otter’s shared workspace lets multiple clinicians access transcripts from a central account.

• Real-time transcription with speaker labels
• Automated meeting summaries after each call
• Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams integration
• Searchable, time-stamped transcript archive
• Shared workspace for multi-clinician practices

Pros:

• Robust free tier lets solo practitioners test the workflow before committing to a paid plan
• Searchable transcripts make it easy to reference specific client statements during note writing

Cons:

• No built-in clinical note templates — SOAP note structuring requires manual work after the transcript is generated
• Verify HIPAA compliance status and BAA availability directly with Otter.ai before use with client data

Pricing: Free tier available; see Otter.ai pricing page for paid plans.
Best for: Group practices that need shared transcription workspaces and a well-established tool with broad platform support.

3. Fireflies.ai — Best for Custom SOAP Note Templates

Fireflies.ai is an AI meeting assistant with a strong emphasis on customisable workflows. For therapists, the most clinically relevant feature is its custom note templates — allowing you to define a SOAP-aligned structure that Fireflies applies automatically to each session transcript. This is the closest any general-purpose tool comes to producing output that mirrors a clinical progress note format without a separate documentation step.

• AI transcription and automated meeting notes
• Custom note templates (configurable for SOAP note structure)
• Speaker identification and conversation summaries
• Audio file upload support
• Integrations with over 40 third-party apps

Pros:

• Custom templates allow you to build a SOAP-aligned output format that fits your documentation standard
• Audio file upload support covers both telehealth and in-person session recording workflows

Cons:

• Conversation intelligence and sentiment analysis features are oriented toward sales use cases and may feel out of place in a therapy context
• Verify HIPAA compliance status and BAA availability directly with Fireflies.ai before clinical use

Pricing: Free tier available; see Fireflies.ai pricing page for paid plans.
Best for: Therapists who want to configure a SOAP note template within the tool and reduce manual structuring after transcription.

4. tl;dv — Best for Reviewing Specific Session Moments

tl;dv (too long; didn’t view) is an AI meeting recorder focused on video meeting highlights and timestamped clip creation. For therapists conducting telehealth sessions, tl;dv allows you to mark key moments during or after a session and jump back to precise transcript segments when writing notes. If your documentation process involves reviewing what a client said at a specific point in the session, this timestamped review capability is a practical advantage.

• AI-generated meeting summaries and highlighted moments
• Timestamped notes and shareable clip creation
• Zoom and Google Meet integration
• Speaker identification across the recording
• Multi-language transcription support

Pros:

• Timestamped clips make it easy to return to specific session moments when writing progress notes
• Clean interface with a free tier that works well for individual practitioners

Cons:

• Less focused on clinical documentation workflows than other tools on this list — no note templates or SOAP-aligned output
• Verify HIPAA compliance status directly with tl;dv before clinical use

Pricing: Free tier available; see tl;dv pricing page for paid plans.
Best for: Therapists who want to review specific timestamped moments from recorded telehealth sessions during the note-writing process.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Our Pick: Decision Guide

Not every therapist has the same session format or documentation workflow. Use this guide to match a tool to your practice:

• If you conduct telehealth on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet and want the fastest setup → Owll. Real-time transcription and auto-summaries work out of the box across all three platforms, with no custom configuration required.
• If you record in-person sessions on a separate device and need audio file upload → Owll or Fireflies.ai, both of which accept uploaded audio files for transcription.
• If building a SOAP note template inside the tool is a priority → Fireflies.ai‘s custom template feature is the strongest option among general-purpose tools.
• If you want a free starting point before committing to a paid plan → Otter.ai or tl;dv offer free tiers that let you test AI transcription in your actual workflow.
• If reviewing specific session moments during note writing is your main need → tl;dv‘s timestamped clip feature is the most purpose-built for that use case.

For most therapists looking for a reliable, privacy-conscious tool that covers all major telehealth platforms, Owll offers the most complete feature set without unnecessary complexity. Its combination of real-time transcription, audio file upload, and enterprise-grade security infrastructure makes it the most adaptable to varied clinical workflows.

If you conduct sessions involving sensitive disclosures, also read our guide on using an AI meeting recorder with privacy for sensitive calls before setting up your recording workflow.

How We Evaluated These Tools

We assessed each tool against a consistent set of criteria relevant to clinical practice. Our evaluation did not involve compensation from any of the vendors listed.

1. Transcription quality: Accuracy with clinical vocabulary, speaker separation, and natural conversational speech patterns.
2. Security posture: Published data handling policies, encryption standards, and any available compliance certifications. We did not assume HIPAA compliance for any tool — therapists must verify this independently before clinical use.
3. Clinical workflow fit: How well the tool’s output maps to SOAP note documentation, and how much manual editing is required before a note is clinically usable.
4. Platform compatibility: Support for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams — the three platforms most used for telehealth delivery.
5. Audio file upload: Whether the tool accepts recordings made outside of a live video call, covering in-person session workflows.
6. Ease of use: Setup time, interface clarity, and the overall friction in the post-session documentation process.
7. Pricing accessibility: Whether plans are viable for both solo practitioners and multi-clinician group practices.

For a broader look at how AI transcription tools work in meeting and clinical contexts, see our guide to AI scribes for meetings and our complete AI note taker guide.

Frequently Asked Questions