The Bot Problem: Finding an AI Meeting Assistant That Doesn't Embarrass You
Otter.ai sends your conversations to America. Fireflies announces itself to everyone. Here are 4 European alternatives that actually respect your meetings.
“Otter.ai Notetaker is requesting to join.”
We’ve all seen it. The awkward pause. The client asking “what’s that?” The hasty explanation that it’s “just for notes.”
Here’s my problem with that: If I have to explain my tools to my clients, they’re the wrong tools.
I spent three weeks testing every EU-based meeting assistant I could find. Not just reading their marketing pages—actually using them on real calls with real clients.
The question nobody asks: Why are we okay with our confidential business conversations being transcribed by American companies? When did that become normal?
Skip the Article: The Quick Answer
Don’t want to read 2,000 words? Here’s the cheat sheet:
| If you need… | Use this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No bot, ever | Jamie | Records from your device, invisible to others |
| Context from past meetings | himala | Remembers what you discussed 6 months ago |
| Share clips with your team | tl;dv | Best clipping and sharing features |
| CRM auto-sync | MeetGeek | Logs calls to Salesforce/HubSpot automatically |
| Tightest budget | MeetGeek | €15/mo with free tier available |
| Strictest compliance | himala or Jamie | Zero US sub-processors |
Still here? Let’s get into the details.
himala: The One That Remembers Everything
Hamburg, Germany • Founded 2023 • €14.99/mo
Most meeting assistants help you after the call. himala helps you before.
Here’s what I mean: You have a call with Client X scheduled for Thursday. himala automatically pulls up:
- Notes from your last three meetings with them
- Email threads you’ve exchanged
- Slack messages where they were mentioned
- Open action items you promised
That’s genuinely useful. Walking into a quarterly review knowing exactly what you discussed last quarter? That’s the kind of preparation that makes you look good.
The catch: No in-person meeting recording. Online calls only. And it’s newer than the others—founded 2023, so less battle-tested.
What's Great
- Meeting prep is a genuine differentiator
- Drafts follow-up emails automatically
- Strictest EU compliance (Germany-based)
- No bot required—records from your device
What's Not
- No in-person meeting support
- Newer company, smaller user base
- Desktop app required
- No permanent free tier
Jamie: The Invisible One
Berlin, Germany • Founded 2022 • €24/mo
Jamie’s pitch is simple: Nobody knows you’re recording.
It captures audio from your device’s output. Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, WebEx, phone calls, in-person meetings with your laptop on the table—Jamie records them all. No bot. No notification. No awkward explanations.
Legal note: Just because others can’t see you’re recording doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell them. Recording laws vary by jurisdiction. When in doubt, get consent.
Is this the most feature-rich option? No. There’s no CRM integration, no meeting prep, no clip sharing. But if “bot-free” is your non-negotiable requirement, Jamie is the only tool here that truly delivers it across every platform.
The catch: Most expensive option at €24/mo. And you’re paying for one thing: invisibility. If you don’t need that, you’re overpaying.
What's Great
- Works on any platform, any call type
- In-person meeting recording (laptop mic)
- Zero visible footprint
- Strong German data protection
What's Not
- Most expensive option
- No integrations beyond transcription
- No meeting prep features
- Desktop only
tl;dv: The Sharing-First Option
Lisbon, Portugal • Founded 2020 • Free / €20/mo
tl;dv isn’t trying to be invisible. It’s trying to be useful for teams.
The killer feature: clips. Highlight a 30-second moment from a 1-hour call, share it in Slack, and your team sees exactly what the customer said. No “check out minute 47:23 of this recording.” Just the relevant bit.
For product teams doing user research? This is gold. For sales teams sharing customer objections in training? Same.
The catch: The bot. “tl;dv Notetaker” joins your calls visibly. Some clients won’t care. Some will. Know your audience.
Also: EU-based company, but they use some US sub-processors (AWS). If your compliance requires zero US involvement, himala or Jamie are safer bets.
What's Great
- Best clip creation and sharing
- Generous free tier (unlimited recordings)
- Strong Notion/Slack/HubSpot integrations
- Searchable meeting archive
What's Not
- Visible bot joins every call
- Zoom and Meet only (no Teams yet)
- Some US sub-processors
- No in-person support
MeetGeek: The Budget CRM Option
Bucharest, Romania • Founded 2020 • Free / €15/mo
MeetGeek’s angle: automatic CRM updates.
Have a sales call? MeetGeek transcribes it, summarizes it, and logs everything to your Salesforce or HubSpot record. No manual note-taking. No forgetting to update the CRM.
If you’re a sales team running dozens of calls per week and your CRM data is always outdated, this solves a real problem.
The catch: Like tl;dv, there’s a visible bot. And like tl;dv, there’s some US sub-processor involvement. Plus the feature set outside CRM integration is fairly basic.
What's Great
- Cheapest paid option (€15/mo)
- Excellent CRM auto-sync
- Supports all major platforms
- Has a mobile app
What's Not
- Visible bot in meetings
- Basic outside of CRM features
- Some US sub-processors
- Smaller community/support
Transcript Accuracy: They’re All Fine
I tested all four on the same recorded meeting. Results:
| Tool | Accuracy (clear audio) | Accuracy (accents) |
|---|---|---|
| himala | 96% | 91% |
| Jamie | 95% | 93% |
| tl;dv | 95% | 90% |
| MeetGeek | 94% | 89% |
Verdict: The differences are marginal. Your microphone quality matters more than which tool you pick.
The GDPR Deep Dive
Not all “EU-based” is equal. Here’s what actually matters:
| himala | Jamie | tl;dv | MeetGeek | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company HQ | Germany | Germany | Portugal | Romania |
| Data processing | Germany only | Germany only | EU (some US) | EU (some US) |
| US sub-processors | None | None | AWS, others | Yes |
| Certifications | SOC 2, CASA | ISO 27001 | SOC 2 | SOC 2 |
If your legal team asks "does any US company ever touch our data?", only himala and Jamie can answer "no." The others are EU-first but not EU-exclusive.
My Recommendations (Finally)
himala
The meeting prep alone is worth it. Walking into calls with full context closes more deals than perfect transcripts.
Jamie
When your clients are paying €200/hour, they don't want to see a bot in their meeting. Jamie keeps things professional.
tl;dv
Clip-sharing is genuinely valuable for user research. The free tier is generous enough to try it properly.
MeetGeek
If CRM sync is your main need and €15/mo is your ceiling, MeetGeek delivers.
What About Otter.ai, Fireflies, etc.?
They’re good products. I’ve used them. But:
- Otter.ai – US-based, US data processing. If you’re reading an article about EU alternatives, this isn’t what you’re looking for.
- Fireflies – Same. Great features, but your data goes through America.
- Granola – Interesting new entrant, but US-based.
If data residency doesn’t matter to you, Otter.ai is genuinely excellent. This article isn’t for you.
Quick FAQ
Do I need to tell people I’m recording? Usually yes. Laws vary. Germany requires all-party consent. Check your jurisdiction.
Which has the best transcript accuracy? They’re all within a few percentage points. Focus on other differentiators.
Can I use these with Microsoft Teams? himala, Jamie, MeetGeek: Yes. tl;dv: Not yet.
What if I need more than one? You don’t. Pick based on your main use case. These aren’t tools you mix and match.
Try them:
- himala – 7-day free trial
- Jamie – Free tier with limits
- tl;dv – Free forever tier
- MeetGeek – Free tier available
Related:
- MeetGeek vs Himala: Head-to-Head – Detailed comparison
- Himala Review: 47 Meetings Later – Deep dive
- EU Alternatives to Otter.ai
- Why EU Software Matters
Last updated: January 2026