In our world of back-to-back virtual meetings, a single missed word can lead to a major misunderstanding. As of mid-2025, real-time subtitles are no longer just an accessibility feature they are an essential tool for focus, clarity, and creating a permanent record of every conversation.
But what’s the difference between the captions built into Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet? And when do you need a more powerful third-party AI meeting assistant to take your productivity to the next level?
This guide provides a tested and reviewed list of the 10 best solutions for live captioning and transcription, so you can choose the perfect tool for your team’s needs.
Quick Picks: The Best Live Caption Tool for Your Platform
| Your Primary Platform | Best Built-in Feature | Best 3rd-Party Upgrade | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams | Teams Premium Captions | Otter.ai | $22/month |
| Zoom | Zoom Automated Captions | Fathom | Free |
| Google Meet | Google Meet Captions | Read.ai | $15/month |
How We Tested & Ranked the Top Captioning Tools
We evaluated each tool based on standardized criteria to ensure our recommendations are based on real-world performance, not just marketing claims.
Our testing methodology focused on:
- Accuracy (Word Error Rate): How many mistakes does the AI make?
- Latency: Is the caption truly real-time, or is there a noticeable delay?
- Language & Accent Support: How well does it handle different languages and accents?
- Speaker Identification: Can it correctly label who is speaking?
- Bonus Features: Does it offer transcription, summaries, or action items?
According to Statista, the video conferencing market reached $14.5 billion in 2024, with real-time captioning becoming a standard expectation for professional meetings.
Part 1: Native Live Captures in Zoom, Teams & Google Meet
Built-in Platform Features Comparison
Microsoft Teams
- Teams Premium Captions
- Copilot AI Integration
- 30+ Language Support
- Speaker Identification
Zoom
- Automated Captions
- Multi-language Support
- Easy to Enable
- Webinar Integration
Google Meet
- Live Captions
- High Accuracy
- Simple Interface
- Google Speech Engine
Microsoft Teams Live Captions (with Copilot)
Best for businesses integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem
Microsoft Teams Live Captions with Copilot represents the most advanced native captioning solution available. It combines excellent speaker identification (“IntelliFrame”), high accuracy, and live translation in over 30 languages when using Teams Premium.
✅ Pros
- Seamless Microsoft 365 integration
- Excellent speaker identification
- Copilot provides AI summaries
- Live translation in 30+ languages
- No third-party setup required
❌ Cons
- Requires Teams Premium subscription
- Limited to Teams meetings only
- Advanced features need Copilot license
- Can be expensive for small teams
Pricing
Teams Premium: $22/month per user
Copilot for Microsoft 365: $30/month per user
Zoom Automated Captions
Best for general use, webinars, and multi-language support
Zoom Automated Captions are widely available on most plans and provide a solid foundation for real-time captioning. They’re particularly strong for webinars and educational content.
✅ Pros
- Available on most Zoom plans
- Easy to enable and use
- Good multi-language support
- Works well for webinars
- No additional setup required
❌ Cons
- Limited speaker identification
- No advanced AI features
- Accuracy varies by accent
- No post-meeting summaries
Pricing
Basic: Included with most Zoom plans
Advanced: Available with Zoom Pro and higher tiers
Google Meet Live Captions
Best for users who prioritize raw accuracy in English
Google Meet Live Captions are powered by Google’s best-in-class speech-to-text engine, providing extremely accurate captions for English content. They’re simple, reliable, and require no additional setup.
✅ Pros
- Industry-leading accuracy for English
- Simple and reliable
- No additional cost
- Fast and responsive
- Clean interface
❌ Cons
- Limited to Google Meet only
- No speaker identification
- Limited language support
- No advanced features
Pricing
Free: Included with Google Workspace
No additional cost for caption features
Part 2: Best Third-Party AI Meeting Assistants (Beyond Captions)
Otter.ai
Best for creating rich, searchable meeting notes and live transcripts
Otter.ai joins your meeting as a participant to provide a real-time, collaborative transcript with speaker labels and highlighted key points. It’s perfect for teams that need detailed, searchable meeting records.
✅ Pros
- Excellent speaker identification
- Searchable transcripts
- Collaborative editing
- Key points highlighting
- Works with all major platforms
❌ Cons
- Can be expensive for large teams
- Requires meeting participant access
- Some features need premium plan
- Occasional sync issues
Pricing
Basic: $10/month - 300 minutes
Pro: $20/month - 1,200 minutes
Business: $30/month - 6,000 minutes
Fathom
Best for individuals and teams looking for a powerful free solution
Fathom is a free AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and generates detailed summaries of your calls, which it shares with all participants. It’s perfect for teams on a budget who need professional-grade features.
✅ Pros
- Completely free to use
- Automatic summaries and action items
- Easy setup and integration
- Shares results with all participants
- No participant limits
❌ Cons
- Limited customization options
- No advanced analytics
- Basic speaker identification
- No premium features available
Pricing
Free: All features included - no premium version
Fireflies.ai
Best for automating post-meeting workflows
Fireflies.ai transcribes meetings and automatically populates your CRM, creates tasks in project management tools, and provides detailed conversation analytics. It’s ideal for sales and customer success teams.
✅ Pros
- Extensive CRM integrations
- Automated task creation
- Detailed conversation analytics
- Custom workflows
- Sales intelligence features
❌ Cons
- Can be complex to set up
- Expensive for small teams
- Requires CRM integration
- Learning curve for advanced features
Pricing
Starter: $10/month - 800 minutes
Business: $19/month - 2,000 minutes
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Read.ai
Best for getting real-time feedback on meeting engagement
Read.ai provides transcription and summaries but also offers live metrics on participant engagement, sentiment, and talk time to help you run better meetings.
✅ Pros
- Real-time engagement metrics
- Sentiment analysis
- Talk time tracking
- Meeting effectiveness insights
- Easy to understand dashboards
❌ Cons
- Limited to engagement focus
- Can be distracting during meetings
- Privacy concerns for some users
- Requires participant consent
Pricing
Free: 3 meetings per month
Pro: $15/month - Unlimited meetings
Tactiq
Best for a lightweight, browser-based solution for Google Meet
Tactiq is a Chrome extension that provides a real-time transcript right beside your meeting window, with features to highlight key details and generate summaries with one click.
✅ Pros
- Lightweight Chrome extension
- One-click summaries
- Easy to use
- No meeting participant required
- Affordable pricing
❌ Cons
- Limited to Google Meet
- Basic features only
- No advanced analytics
- Browser dependency
Pricing
Free: 3 meetings per month
Pro: $8/month - Unlimited meetings
Avoma
Best for sales teams needing conversation intelligence
Avoma provides transcription and summaries but also analyzes sales calls for topic duration, keyword usage, and coaching opportunities.
✅ Pros
- Advanced sales analytics
- Topic tracking and keyword analysis
- Coaching and training tools
- CRM integrations
- Performance insights
❌ Cons
- Expensive for small teams
- Complex setup process
- Sales-focused only
- Steep learning curve
Pricing
Starter: $25/month - 300 minutes
Growth: $50/month - 1,000 minutes
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Rev Live Captions
Best for high-stakes events requiring maximum accuracy
Rev Live Captions is a premium service that combines AI with professional human captioners to deliver broadcast-quality, highly accurate captions for webinars and important events.
✅ Pros
- 99%+ accuracy with human review
- Broadcast-quality captions
- Professional service
- Custom formatting options
- Reliable for high-stakes events
❌ Cons
- Very expensive
- Not suitable for regular meetings
- Requires advance booking
- Limited to special events
Pricing
AI Captions: $0.25/minute
Human Captions: $1.25/minute
Custom: Contact for enterprise pricing
Key Features to Consider When Choosing
Accuracy & Latency
Look for tools with low word error rates and minimal delay. Native platform features often provide the best real-time performance, while third-party tools offer more features.
Language Support
Consider your team's language needs. Microsoft Teams leads with 30+ languages, while Google Meet excels in English accuracy. Third-party tools vary widely in language support.
Speaker Identification
Advanced tools can identify and label different speakers, making transcripts much more useful for follow-up and reference.
Integration & Workflow
Evaluate how well the tool integrates with your existing workflow. Some tools automatically create tasks, update CRMs, or generate meeting summaries.
Privacy & Security
Consider data handling policies, especially for confidential meetings. Native platform features typically offer better privacy guarantees.
Cost & Scalability
Balance features with cost. Free tools like Fathom offer excellent value, while premium services like Rev provide maximum accuracy for special events.
A Note for Multilingual Teams
For teams managing meetings with multiple languages, the choice becomes more complex. While the native captioning in Google Meet is improving for various languages, the real power comes from third-party tools like Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai. They can create unified transcripts and provide better support for understanding various accents common in global business environments.
According to Statista, English is used in 60% of international business communications, making multilingual captioning tools essential for global teams.
A Crucial Note on Privacy & Security
Using a third-party AI assistant involves giving a ‘bot’ access to your meeting. Before using any tool for confidential discussions, check their privacy policy and security certifications (like SOC 2 compliance). Native platform features typically offer better privacy guarantees since the data stays within the platform’s ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enable live captions in Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet?
Zoom: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Enable “Always show meeting controls” → Click “Live Transcript” during meetings.
Teams: Click the three dots → “Turn on live captions” (requires Teams Premium for advanced features).
Google Meet: Click the three dots → “Turn on captions” (available to all users).
What is the most accurate live transcription service in 2025?
For English content, Google Meet Live Captions provides the highest accuracy due to Google’s advanced speech recognition. For comprehensive features, Microsoft Teams with Copilot offers excellent accuracy plus AI summaries and action items.
Can these tools translate captions into different languages in real-time?
Microsoft Teams Premium leads with live translation in 30+ languages. Zoom offers growing language support, while most third-party tools focus on transcription accuracy rather than real-time translation.
Are there any completely free tools for live captioning and meeting summaries?
Fathom is completely free and provides AI summaries, action items, and transcripts. Google Meet and Zoom offer free basic captioning, while Microsoft Teams requires a premium subscription for advanced features.
Which tool is best for sales teams?
Fireflies.ai and Avoma are specifically designed for sales teams, offering CRM integrations, conversation analytics, and automated task creation. They provide insights into call performance and coaching opportunities.
Conclusion: The Best Tool for Your Workflow
In 2025, the best tool for you depends on your goal. For basic accessibility, the native captioning in Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet is powerful and convenient. But for true productivity including searchable transcripts, AI summaries, and automated action items a dedicated AI meeting assistant like ScreenApp’s transcription tools or Fathom is the new standard for effective teams.
Looking for more productivity tools? Check out our guides on AI video summarizers, screen recording solutions, screenshot Chrome extensions, and AI meeting assistants to enhance your workflow further.
What tool has made the biggest difference in your virtual meetings? Share your experience in the comments!
