Exploring the Best AI Tools for Note-taking in 2025

Taking notes in lectures can be overwhelming, especially when information comes fast and distractions are constant. That’s where AI-powered note-taking tools come in. These smart apps are designed to help university students capture, organise, and review lecture content with less stress and more accuracy.

Whether you’re recording classes from your student accommodation, summarising key points, or syncing notes across devices, the right AI tool can save you hours each week.

This blog explores the best AI note-taking tools available in 2025, how they work, and which ones are most useful for different learning styles and needs. If you’re looking to streamline your study process and stay on top of coursework, these tools offer practical, real-world support that fits the demands of student life today.

Benefits of using AI note-taking tools

AI note-taking tools offer real advantages for university students juggling heavy workloads. First, they save time by automatically transcribing lectures, so you can focus on listening instead of scrambling to write everything down.

Many tools also summarise key points, making revision quicker and more effective. They’re especially useful for students who learn better visually or prefer organised digital notes. AI can also catch details you might miss and help you stay engaged during class.

Some tools even sync with calendars and to-do lists, making it easier to manage study schedules. For non-native English speakers or students with learning differences, AI tools can improve accessibility and understanding. Overall, they make studying more efficient, accurate, and less stressful.

Best AI note-taking tools for Uni Students

Otter.ai

Otter.ai is one of the most powerful AI tools for students who want to take smarter, faster notes. It offers real-time transcription during lectures, meetings, or seminars, capturing everything said with impressive accuracy.

After recording, Otter generates clear, searchable summaries and highlights, making it easy to review key points. You can even add images, comments, or slides to your notes.

It works seamlessly across web and mobile, and syncs with tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Dropbox. Otter’s free plan includes 300 monthly transcription minutes with basic features.

Paid plans start at around £6/month, offering more minutes and advanced functionality. For students who struggle to keep up with fast-paced lectures or want reliable, organised notes, Otter.ai is a game-changing study tool.

Notion AI

Notion AI is an all-in-one workspace that becomes even more powerful with its AI features, making it ideal for university students. It helps with note formatting, automatic summarisation, and even turning messy notes into clear, organised documents. You can ask it to generate to-do lists, outline essays, or summarise lecture content in seconds.

Notion AI integrates with calendars, databases, and task lists, keeping everything in one place. Students on a budget can access basic Notion for free, while Notion AI is an add-on priced at £8.50/month or included in some paid plans.

The downside? It doesn’t transcribe audio, and it needs an internet connection to work. Still, for written content and study organisation, it’s a top-tier productivity tool for students.

Tactiq

Tactiq is a smart AI note-taking tool built specifically for capturing real-time transcripts and highlights during Google Meet calls, making it ideal for online lectures, study groups, or virtual tutorials. It transcribes conversations as they happen, allowing you to highlight key points and questions.

The notes are automatically saved to Google Drive and can sync with tools like Notion, Slack, or Google Docs. This is especially useful for students who need clear records of what was discussed without the distraction of constant note-taking.

Tactiq offers a free plan with limited transcription credits, while the premium version starts at around £6.50 per month, unlocking unlimited transcripts and additional features. The main downside is that it only works with Google Meet and requires an internet connection.

Fireflies

Fireflies records and transcribes online sessions automatically, offers searchable summaries, integrates with Zoom and Google Meet, and starts free. Paid plans begin at approximately £7/month, offering unlimited recordings, team collaboration, and advanced AI features.

It’s perfect for students who attend virtual lectures or group study sessions and want accurate, organised notes without multitasking. Key features include smart search, timestamps, speaker identification, and note sharing.

You can highlight important moments and revisit key discussions later. It also integrates with apps like Notion, Slack, and Google Drive.

However, it doesn’t support in-person classes and requires permission for recordings. Also, the interface can feel business-focused rather than academic. Still, it’s a strong tool for managing study sessions and online coursework effectively.

Scribewave

Scribewave is a versatile audio-to-text tool that supports transcription in multiple languages, making it ideal for international students or anyone attending multilingual lectures. It converts audio recordings into accurate, editable text and works well with pre-recorded files or live sessions.

Scribewave supports over 90 languages and automatically adds punctuation, speaker tags, and paragraph breaks to improve clarity.

It’s particularly useful for students who prefer reviewing text over listening to audio. The free plan includes a limited number of transcription minutes per month, while paid plans start around £9/month, offering higher limits and faster processing.

While it’s great for language accessibility, Scribewave lacks deep integration with other productivity tools and doesn’t offer real-time transcription, which may limit its use in live classes.

Fathom

Fathom is an AI-powered tool designed to automatically record, transcribe, and summarise Zoom , Teams and Google Meets calls, making it perfect for university students attending virtual classes. After each session, it provides a neatly structured summary, complete with timestamps and key highlights, so you can quickly review what matters most.

You can also click on specific moments to replay parts of the discussion. Fathom helps students stay engaged without worrying about note-taking during live sessions. It’s especially useful for group projects, online tutorials, and revision.

The tool is currently free for individual users, making it highly accessible for students on a budget.

AI note-taking tools are transforming how university students capture and review information. With features like real-time transcription, smart summaries, and multi-language support, these tools make studying more efficient and less stressful. Whether you’re attending live lectures, online classes, or group discussions, there’s a solution to suit your needs and learning style.

Many of these tools also offer free plans, making them accessible for students on a budget. While each tool has its pros and cons, the right one can significantly improve your academic performance. Try a few, see what fits, and take your note-taking to the next level with AI.