Summary AI and Tana are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Summary AI: Mobile-first AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings on-device and offers an AI agent that joins online calls to summarize them. Tana: AI workspace with a bot-less meeting notetaker that transcribes and summarizes meetings directly into a connected knowledge base. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
For ai-meeting-assistants workflows, shortlist Summary AI when recording and summarizing in-person meetings or interviews from a phone matters most, and Tana when transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Mobile-first AI note taker that records and transcribes meetings on-device and offers an AI agent that joins online calls to summarize them.
AI bullet-point summaries with decisions, action items, and deadlinesAI Meeting Assistant agent that joins Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams callsChat-with-your-meeting Q&A and keyword jump-to-moment search
Summary AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Tana is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
One-tap recording with transcripts and speaker labels
Bot-less meeting capture using computer system audio
Standout feature
AI bullet-point summaries with decisions, action items, and deadlines
Transcription and AI summaries for online and in-person meetings
Team usage
AI Meeting Assistant agent that joins Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams calls
Action items pushed directly to task boards in the workspace
Integrations
Chat-with-your-meeting Q&A and keyword jump-to-moment search
Links meeting notes to relevant people and projects
Languages & capture
Recording and transcription across many languages with live translation
Automatic meeting detection on Mac
Best-fit workflow
Export to PDF and team sharing
60+ language support with automatic detection
Best for
Summary AI
Choose Summary AI if you need recording and summarizing in-person meetings or interviews from a phone — strengths include flexible capture via both on-device recording and an agent that joins online calls.
Tana
Choose Tana if you need transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call — strengths include captures meetings without adding a bot to the call.
Pros & cons
Summary AI
+ Flexible capture via both on-device recording and an agent that joins online calls
+ Mobile-first design suits in-person meetings, interviews, and lectures
- Centered on mobile, with no dedicated Mac or Windows desktop recorder app
Tana
+ Captures meetings without adding a bot to the call
+ Meeting notes flow into a connected, structured knowledge base
- Requires the Tana desktop app and adopting its outliner workflow
FAQ
Is Summary AI or Tana better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Summary AI is strong for recording and summarizing in-person meetings or interviews from a phone, while Tana is strong for transcribing and summarizing meetings without a bot in the call. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Summary AI and Tana compare on price?
Summary AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Tana is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Can I use both Summary AI and Tana?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.