Tactiq and CraftNote are both genuinely bot-free — neither adds a visible participant to your calls. Tactiq does it by running as a Chrome extension that reads live captions inside the browser tab; CraftNote does it by recording directly from your device across five native platforms. The real differences are platform reach (Chrome-only vs. native everywhere) and how each free plan is metered. This page is written against Tactiq's own published pricing page as of 2026-08-26.
Overview
CraftNote
CraftNote is a bot-free AI note taker available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and the web. It records directly from your device — nothing joins your calls as a visible participant — and works equally for scheduled meetings, lectures, in-person conversations, phone calls, and uploaded audio/video/PDF/YouTube/podcast content. The free plan meters by weekly usage (2 hours of recording, 10 uploads) on an ongoing basis.
Tactiq
Tactiq is a bot-free Chrome extension (plus a Mac app limited to Zoom desktop calls) that captures live captions from Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams directly in the browser, then generates AI summaries, action items, and follow-up emails. It has no native iOS or Android app, so capture outside a browser-joined meeting — a lecture, an in-person conversation, a phone call — isn't part of its design.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CraftNote | Tactiq | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture method | Bot-free, native recording on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and web. | Bot-free, but via a Chrome extension reading live captions in-browser, plus a Mac app limited to Zoom desktop calls. | ― |
| Platform coverage | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and web — full parity across all five, including offline mobile capture. | Chrome extension is the primary product; a Mac app covers Zoom desktop only. No native iOS or Android app. | ✓ |
| Free plan | 2 hours of recording + 10 uploads/imports per week, ongoing — no lifetime cap. | 10 meeting transcripts per month + 5 AI credits per month, free forever, no credit card required. | ― |
| Paid pricing | $9.99/month, or $8.33/month billed annually ($99.99/year) — one flat individual tier, unlimited notes. | Pro: $8/user/month billed annually, unlimited transcripts but only 10 AI credits/month. Team: $16.67/user/month annually for unlimited AI credits. | ― |
| AI usage limits on paid plans | Individual tier ($9.99/mo) includes unlimited notes/transcripts and AI summaries — no credit metering. | Even the paid Pro tier caps AI credits at 10/month; unlimited AI summaries require stepping up to Team at $16.67/user/month. | ✓ |
| Beyond scheduled video calls | Built for lectures, in-person conversations, phone calls, and uploaded audio/video/PDF/YouTube/podcasts as first-class use cases. | Tied to a browser tab during a live video call; no support for lectures, in-person conversations, or phone calls without a joined browser meeting. | ✓ |
| In-meeting utility | Live transcript and recording available; live in-call annotation is not the core focus. | Live captions appear on-screen during the call itself, with the ability to highlight key moments as they happen — a genuine strength for real-time note-taking. | ✓ |
| Language support | 100+ languages for transcription and translation. | Supports over 30 languages for live captioning and transcription. | ✓ |
| Compliance | No specific compliance certifications currently claimed. | SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance, with SAML SSO available on the Business plan ($29.17/user/month annually, 20-200 users). | ✓ |
Who Should Pick Which?
Choose CraftNote if…
Anyone who needs bot-free capture beyond the browser — lectures, in-person conversations, phone calls, or a mobile app in your pocket — without AI-summary credits running out mid-month.
Choose Tactiq if…
Chrome-based teams focused entirely on scheduled Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams calls who want live on-screen captions during the meeting itself and don't need a mobile or desktop-native app.