Best AI Interview Note-Takers for Recruiters (2026): Metaview vs BrightHire vs Fireflies
Prices and facts checked October 13, 2026. We don't accept payment for rankings.
On this page
Short answer: Metaview is the best AI note-taker built specifically for recruiting. Its free plan covers 25 calls a month, and Pro is $60 per user per month for unlimited calls. On a tight budget, Fireflies is a general meeting note-taker from $10 per seat per month billed annually that also syncs notes to Lever. BrightHire suits larger in-house teams that want interview coaching and analytics (quote-only), and Pillar makes most sense if you already use Employ's ATS brands (JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite).
Our picks
- Best for recruitersMetaview: free for 25 calls/mo; Pro $60/user/mo See Metaview
- Best budget optionFireflies: from $10/seat/mo billed annually See Fireflies
- Best for in-house interview qualityBrightHire: custom pricing See BrightHire
Comparison table
| Metaview | Fireflies | BrightHire | Pillar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Recruiting | All meetings | Recruiting (in-house) | Recruiting |
| Free plan | 25 calls/month, basic transcription | Yes: limited summaries, 400 min storage | No | Not published |
| Paid price | Pro $60/user/mo, unlimited calls | Pro $10, Business $19/seat/mo (annual) | Custom | Custom |
| ATS sync | Yes (Notetaker agent within its recruiting platform) | Lever (per Fireflies) | 1-click scorecards, deep ATS integrations (Teams) | Built into Employ's ATS brands |
| Other AI | Sourcing agent ($100–$300/user/mo), application review | General AI assistant, AI apps | AI screening interviewer, coaching, analytics | Interview intelligence |
| Bias audit | n/a | n/a | Third-party bias audit listed | n/a |
Sources: Metaview pricing; Fireflies pricing; Fireflies Lever integration; BrightHire pricing; HR Dive (Employ press release).
1. Metaview: best for recruiters
Price: Metaview now sells separate AI "agents":
- Notetaker: Free for 25 calls a month with basic transcription; Pro $60 per user per month for unlimited calls and priority processing; Enterprise is custom.
- Sourcing: Free for your first 100 profiles, then $100 (200 profiles a month) or $300 (unlimited) per user per month.
Assistant questions and note regenerations don't cost extra (Metaview pricing).
Why recruiters choose it: it's built around interviews rather than general meetings, so notes come out structured for hiring decisions and feed into the rest of Metaview's recruiting tools. If you also want AI sourcing, compare it with the tools in our best AI sourcing tools guide.
2. Fireflies: best budget option
Price (per seat per month, billed annually):
- Free: limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage
- Pro: $10 ($18 monthly), unlimited summaries and 8,000 minutes of storage per seat
- Business: $19 ($29 monthly), unlimited storage plus conversation intelligence and team analytics
- Enterprise: $39, adding HIPAA compliance, SSO and custom data retention
Recording limits run from 2 to 4 hours per meeting by plan (Fireflies pricing).
ATS sync: Fireflies' Lever integration syncs summaries and transcripts to existing candidate profiles, and creates the candidate if none exists (Fireflies Lever). The integration page doesn't say which plan is required, so confirm during the trial.
Trade-off: it's a general meeting tool, so you'll do more setup to get hiring-specific notes than with Metaview.
3. BrightHire: best for in-house interview quality
Price: custom; BrightHire tailors a quote after a demo. There are three tiers:
- Recruiters: AI notes, candidate summaries, alerts, 1-click ATS scorecards and a third-party bias audit
- Teams: adds agents and copilots for job descriptions, interview plans and debriefs, plus interview coaching, candidate comparisons, quality analytics and SSO
- Enterprises: adds custom reporting, customized data retention and an API
BrightHire Screen, an AI interviewer that candidates answer by voice or video in their own time, is sold alone or as a bundle. There are no extra fees for training or implementation (BrightHire pricing).
Best for: talent teams that want to improve interviewer quality and consistency, not just save time on notes.
4. Pillar: if you use Employ's ATS brands
Employ, the parent company of JazzHR, Lever and Jobvite, acquired Pillar in March 2025 to "own the interview intelligence roadmap." Employ cites recruiters saving 40 hours a month (company figures) (HR Dive). If you're on one of those ATSs, ask your account manager about Pillar pricing first.
Recording interviews: the compliance checklist
AI note-takers record candidates, which brings in rules most recruiters already know from other AI tools:
- Get consent to record. Several US states require all-party consent for recordings. Announce the recorder and let candidates opt out.
- Keep humans making the decisions. AI summaries and "candidate alerts" shouldn't become automatic rejections. The laws in New York City, Illinois and Colorado and California's ADMT rules all scrutinize automated decisions.
- Set data retention. Decide how long transcripts are kept, and make sure the plan you're on lets you control it.
- Watch for bias. Ask vendors for bias audits. BrightHire lists a third-party audit, and the lawsuits against Workday and Eightfold show the stakes.
Which should you choose?
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Are a recruiter who wants structured interview notes | Metaview (start free) |
| Want the cheapest paid note-taker that syncs to Lever | Fireflies Pro |
| Lead an in-house team focused on interview quality | BrightHire |
| Already run JazzHR, Lever or Jobvite | Ask about Pillar |
FAQ
Is there a free AI note-taker for recruiters?
Yes. Metaview's free Notetaker plan covers 25 calls a month, and Fireflies has a free plan with limited summaries.
Do I need candidate consent to record interviews?
In all-party consent states, yes, and it's best practice everywhere. Tell candidates up front and give them the option to decline.
Can AI interview notes be used to reject candidates?
Use them to support a human decision, not replace it. Several state and local laws regulate automated hiring decisions.
Sources
Pages we used for this article, checked on or before the update date above.
- Metaview pricing · metaview.ai
- Fireflies pricing · fireflies.ai
- Fireflies Lever integration · fireflies.ai
- BrightHire pricing · brighthire.com
- HR Dive (Employ press release) · hrdive.com
Changelog: Oct 13, 2026: first published.