Bot-free vs. bot-based meeting recorders — what's the difference?

If you've used an AI note taker, you've probably seen a bot named something like "Otter.ai Notetaker" join your call. That bot is doing the recording. There's another way to do it — recording your computer's screen and audio directly — and the difference matters more than it sounds.

How bot-based recorders work

A bot-based recorder joins your meeting as a participant. To do that, it needs:

• access to your calendar, so it knows which meetings to join,
• permission to enter the call, and
• everyone's awareness that recording is happening (the bot is visible).

It only works on supported video platforms, and never for in-person meetings.

How bot-free recording works

A bot-free recorder like Eavesy captures the audio your computer is already playing, plus your microphone. Nothing joins the call. That means:

• It works everywhere — any call, any platform, and in person.
• No calendar access is required.
• No bot appears in the participant list.

Which should you choose?

Bot-based tools can be convenient if you want recordings to happen automatically for scheduled calls and don't mind the bot being visible. Bot-free tools win when you value privacy, record in person, or simply don't want a robot announcing itself to everyone on the call.

For a deeper look at how the bot-free approach works end to end, see how Eavesy works.