2026 Tested: 5 Meeting Minutes Apps Compared—Is Tinrec's Free Plan Enough?

When looking for a meeting minutes app, many people first check which one has the highest transcription accuracy, but overlook their actual needs—whether they need real-time transcription during meetings or post-meeting recording file processing. These two scenarios require completely different tools. In this article, I use Tinrec (MiaoTing Recording) as an example to walk you through the complete process from recording to exporting meeting minutes, while comparing 5 popular tools on the market so you can see if the free plan is sufficient.

Before You Start | What You'll Need

• A computer (Windows or Mac) or phone (iPhone or Android)—Tinrec supports both platforms.
• Download the Tinrec app or use the web version; registration only requires Google or Apple ID login.
• Prepare a meeting: For online meetings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.), use the desktop version of Tinrec; for in-person meetings, place your phone on the table to record.
• A stable internet connection is required for real-time transcription.

Step 1 | Record the Content You Want Transcribed

The goal of this step is to obtain a clear audio recording, which is the foundation for all subsequent steps.

Open Tinrec and select "Record" or "Computer Meeting Recording." For online meetings, the Tinrec desktop app directly captures the computer's system audio, so you don't need to invite a bot to join the meeting—this is much more convenient than Otter or Fireflies. For one-on-one interviews, place the phone between the two people; for group meetings, place it in the center of the table.

Why emphasize recording quality? Because AI transcription accuracy depends on audio quality—even the best engine can't handle blurry recordings. Rather than spending time correcting later, spend an extra 30 seconds confirming placement during recording.

After finishing, you'll see the recording file on the Tinrec main screen, with duration and file size displayed.

(Illustration: A person sitting in a meeting room, phone placed in the center of the table recording, with real-time transcript text on the screen)

Step 2 | Let AI Transcribe It into Text

After recording, Tinrec automatically starts transcription. For live recordings, the transcript appears in real time; for uploaded old audio files, click "Transcribe."

Tinrec supports mixed Chinese-English and real-time translation, so it can correctly recognize mixed-language meetings. Compared to some tools that excel only in English, Tinrec has better command of Taiwanese Mandarin, which was evident in our tests.

Once transcription is complete, the transcript is automatically segmented and speaker-labeled (for multi-speaker recordings). You can click any segment to play the corresponding audio for easy reference.

(Illustration: Computer screen showing transcript, with audio timeline on the left and text paragraphs on the right; user is scrolling through)

Step 3 | Quickly Proofread the Transcript

AI transcription isn't 100% perfect, especially with proper nouns, accents, or overlapping speech. Spend 5 minutes scanning through and fixing obvious errors.

Tinrec's advantage is that you can listen to the audio while editing text—clicking any part of the transcript jumps to the corresponding audio time. If you're on the team plan, admins can set "team keywords" (e.g., product names, people's names) to help the system learn and improve recognition.

During proofreading, you don't need to check every word; focus on keywords, numbers, and action items. Other minor errors won't affect the subsequent summary generation.

(Illustration: User wearing headphones, comparing audio and transcript on screen, selecting text with mouse to edit)

Step 4 | Let AI Generate Meeting Minutes

This step is the biggest difference between Tinrec and typical transcription tools. Most tools only provide transcripts; Tinrec automatically organizes summaries, chapters, key points, and action items.

Click "AI Summary," choose your desired template (meeting minutes, interview notes, course highlights, etc.), and the system generates a structured document. You can also use AI Q&A to ask follow-ups like: "What budget issues were discussed in this meeting?" or "Which action items don't have an assigned owner?"

In our tests, Tinrec's action items were very practical, listing "who, what, when" directly, making them easy to paste into project management tools.

(Illustration: Screen showing meeting minutes with title, summary, action item list, and key sections, with an AI Q&A dialog box on the side)

Step 5 | Export and Share

You can export the finalized meeting minutes as PDF, Word, Markdown, or sync directly to Notion, Google Docs, OneNote, or Dropbox.

For team use, Tinrec's team space allows all members to view and search meeting data; new members can see past meeting records without digging through chat logs.

Individual users can generate share links so people without Tinrec can view the content.

(Illustration: User selecting export format; screen shows icons for PDF, Word, Notion, Google Docs)

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Q: The transcription has many errors. What should I do? Usually, the recording environment is too noisy or the distance is too far. Try placing the phone or microphone closer to the speaker, and avoid placing it on vibrating surfaces or near drafts. For online meetings, ensure the Tinrec desktop app is correctly capturing system audio.

Q: Is the free plan sufficient? Tinrec's free plan includes basic transcription credits, suitable for occasional meeting notes or trying out the service. If you have multiple meetings per week, consider the Pro plan; for long-term use, the annual plan offers better value. In comparison, Notta's free plan offers 120 minutes per month but limits each session to 3 minutes, while Otter offers 300 free minutes. Tinrec's free plan is designed to let you fully experience the core workflow.

Q: Do I need to invite a bot to online meetings? No. The Tinrec desktop app directly records system audio, so no extra bot appears in the meeting. This is especially convenient for client meetings or internal discussions where you don't want third parties involved.

Q: Does it support Chinese? Yes, it supports Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, and mixed Chinese-English, plus real-time translation in multiple languages. The team plan allows setting keywords to improve recognition of professional terms.

Q: Can I share meeting notes with colleagues? The personal plan allows exporting files or generating share links; the team plan includes a dedicated team space where data belongs to the team, and records are retained even after members leave.

Pro Tips | 3 Ways to Double Your Efficiency with Tinrec

1. Use AI Q&A to Search Across Meetings: Tinrec allows you to ask questions across multiple meeting records, such as "What product issues were mentioned in client interviews over the past three months?" This is much faster than reading through transcripts one by one. Most competitors only support Q&A within a single meeting; cross-meeting search is Tinrec's strength.
2. Real-Time Translation for Bilingual Meetings: Tinrec can display original text, translation, or bilingual side-by-side during recording, so you don't have to wait for post-meeting translation in cross-language meetings. Notta also offers translation, but mainly for post-processing; real-time bilingual display is useful during the meeting itself.
3. Team Keywords for Better Professional Recognition: The team plan allows uploading company product names, project codes, and people's names, which the transcription prioritizes, reducing "AI mishearing professional terms." This is an area where English-focused tools like Otter and Fireflies are less optimized for Traditional Chinese.

If You Don't Use Tinrec, Here Are Alternatives

Otter.ai: Mature automation for English meetings and team analytics, but Chinese experience is average; free plan offers 300 minutes. If you mostly have English meetings and need automatic calendar meeting joining, consider it.

Notta: Comprehensive multilingual transcription and translation features; free plan offers 120 minutes per month but limits each session to 3 minutes, suitable for short clips. However, it requires a bot to join online meetings and has no bot-free mode.

If your needs are Chinese meetings, no bot joining, and quick post-meeting organization into action items that are stored for the team, Tinrec is a better fit.

Conclusion

Now that you've learned these 5 steps, you can use Tinrec to convert meeting recordings into transcripts, generate summaries and action items, export to your favorite tools, and use AI Q&A to find key points. Next step: Download the Tinrec free plan, try it on a real meeting, and see if it solves your note-taking pain points.

References

• AI Meeting Minutes Software Recommendations: 5 Apps Tested and Compared, Auto-Transcription Makes Meetings Easy!
• Meeting Ink - 2026 AI Meeting Notes Tools Tested: 7 Voice-to-Text and Summary Speed Showdown | Meeting Ink - AI Meeting Notes Assistant, Auto-Transcribe and Summarize
• AI Meeting Minutes - Google Play App
• Recently, many people ask me if there's an AI tool for meeting notes. They still type manually and often can't multitask, which wastes time. My answer is always — SeaMeet. Why recommend it? Here are the key points: - Integrates with Google Meet, real-time transcription for online meetings, plus instant summaries, super convenient. - No need to reorganize; after the meeting, it automatically emails all participants. - Extremely easy to use; I taught middle-aged and older people with no AI experience in 10 minutes. - In-person meetings
• Unlimited Time! 3 Free AI Transcription Tools, Highly Recommended! AI Voice Notes for Meeting Minutes, Presentations, Mind Maps | 104 Career Center