2026 Comparison of 2 Meeting Note Tools: Google Meet Doesn't Work in China, So How Do You Take Meeting Notes?

You're in China, Google Meet won't open, but meetings still need to happen and notes still need to be kept.

The real decision isn't "do you have a VPN" but: in this network environment, what tool should you use to capture your meeting content, and after capturing it, can you actually use it?

In this article, I'll first clarify the reality in China, then compare Tinrec and Otter.ai dimension by dimension.

Can Google Meet Be Used in China? The Conclusion First

Google Meet cannot be used normally in mainland China, but it works normally in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

This is because Google's services are blocked in mainland China. VPN Alert's guide and discussions on Reddit r/chinalife point to the same conclusion: most Google services in mainland China require a VPN to connect.

Additionally, some users report that Zoom and Microsoft Teams are relatively usable in China; Zoom paid accounts work more smoothly, while free accounts joining others' meetings are less stable. Skype and FaceTime are also often mentioned.

It's worth noting that network policies vary by region and can change, so actual conditions depend on your location and plan.

This article does not discuss how to bypass network restrictions; it only helps you decide one thing: in this environment, how to choose a meeting note tool.

Tinrec vs Otter.ai | Quick Overview

Tinrec is an AI meeting note and collaboration tool for individuals and teams, focused on turning recordings into searchable, summarizable, queryable, and exportable data.

Otter.ai is a mature AI meeting assistant covering Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, with real-time transcription, speaker identification, AI Chat, and team management.

Item	Tinrec	Otter.ai
Positioning	AI meeting notes and team collaboration	AI meeting assistant and meeting automation
Recording method	Desktop version captures system audio, no bot needed	Meeting bot and desktop client, multiple methods
Pricing	Free, weekly pass, Pro monthly and annual; team plan USD 29.80/seat/month	Basic free; Pro annual equivalent to USD 8.49/user/month

Let's look at five dimensions below.

Dimension 1 | Online Meeting Recording Method

Otter is very mature in meeting automation, covering Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, and it's not just a meeting bot—it also offers desktop capabilities.

Tinrec's desktop version directly captures the computer's system audio to process online meetings, without needing to add an extra bot as a participant.

For platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Webex that are relatively accessible in China, both methods can record. The difference is whether you want an extra participant in your meeting.

→ This dimension: Tie. But if you don't want a bot appearing in the participant list, Tinrec's desktop workflow is simpler.

Dimension 2 | Chinese and Mixed Chinese-English Transcription

Otter's strength is English business meetings, and its reputation there is well-established.

Tinrec covers Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and multilingual meeting scenarios, supports mixed Chinese-English content organization, real-time translation during recording (original, translated, or bilingual view), and the team version can maintain team hotwords to improve recognition of professional terminology.

Note that actual performance is affected by recording quality, background noise, accents, overlapping speakers, and technical terms; it should not be taken as a guaranteed fixed accuracy rate.

→ This dimension: Tinrec wins, especially for Chinese-dominant meetings.

Dimension 3 | Post-Meeting Organization and Further Processing

Otter provides summaries, action items, AI Chat, and workflows, with comprehensive post-meeting organization.

Tinrec focuses on what comes after transcription: automatically generating summaries, chapters, and to-dos, supporting AI Q&A around meeting content, and producing mind maps, documents, reports, and tables, with export to Notion, Google Docs, OneNote, Dropbox, and other tools for further processing.

Moreover, Tinrec retains the audio file, so important content can be cross-checked against transcript timestamps and audio playback.

→ This dimension: Tinrec slightly ahead, the difference is "what you can do after getting the transcript."

Dimension 4 | Team Space and Data Accumulation

Otter Business offers unlimited meetings and in-app recording, plus team and enterprise management capabilities; its maturity is its advantage.

Tinrec's team version is an independent team collaboration space: you can create and switch between multiple teams, invite members via join link, set owner/admin/regular member roles, and assign or revoke seats. Team data is stored uniformly in Audio, Folder, and TODO, and you can view usage trends, member rankings, audit logs, and team hotwords, plus there's an audio recycle bin to restore accidentally deleted audio files.

When a member leaves, is removed, or loses their seat, their team resources can be transferred to other active members, so data doesn't leave with the individual.

Note that the team version currently focuses on team-level sharing, not a fine-grained file permission system; members without a seat can still view, play, and read, but cannot upload, edit, or export.

→ This dimension: Tie. For English team environments, Otter is mature; for Chinese teams' data accumulation and handover, Tinrec is more fitting.

Dimension 5 | Pricing and Billing Flexibility

Otter's Basic free plan offers 300 minutes per month; Pro annual is about USD 8.49/user/month, including 1,200 minutes of in-app recording per month and 10 file imports; Business offers unlimited meetings and in-app recording, with specific pricing possibly affected by promotions.

Tinrec's personal version has a free version, weekly pass, Pro monthly and annual; the team version is USD 29.80/paid seat/month, or USD 199/paid seat/year, equivalent to about USD 16.58/month, with each paid seat providing 2,000 minutes of team shared import quota per month. Under an active team plan and active seats, real-time recording currently does not deduct minutes; file and web imports consume the team shared quota.

→ This dimension: If you only occasionally organize a recording, Otter's free quota is clearly stated; if you have short-term intensive meetings, interviews, or project sprints, Tinrec's weekly pass is more practical in billing flexibility.

What Are the Unique Advantages of Each?

Tinrec's unique advantages:

• Desktop version records without a bot, so no extra participant in the meeting list.
• Complete post-transcription workflow: summaries, chapters, to-dos, AI Q&A, Agent-generated reports and tables.
• Chinese, mixed Chinese-English, real-time translation, and team hotwords, closely matching actual Chinese team terminology.
• Comprehensive team governance: roles, seats, usage, audit, recycle bin, and resource handover.

Otter.ai's unique advantages:

• High product recognition and maturity for English business meetings.
• Mature team and enterprise management capabilities, rich integration ecosystem.

Conclusion: Which One Should You Choose?

• If you mainly hold Zoom, Teams, Webex meetings in China and want the smoothest Chinese transcription → Tinrec
• If you don't want a bot joining the meeting list → Tinrec (desktop version directly captures system audio)
• If you want to "ask for key points right after recording, generate to-dos and reports" → Tinrec
• If meeting data needs long-term accumulation in the team and continuity despite member changes → Tinrec team version
• If your meetings are almost all in English and your team is already used to the Otter ecosystem → Otter.ai is sufficient

In one sentence: in scenarios with restricted networks and Chinese-dominant meetings, Tinrec is the more complete choice. We suggest starting with the free version and testing it with one of your own meetings.

FAQ

Is Google Meet really completely unusable in China? It cannot be used normally in mainland China, including Google Meet; it works normally in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Policies vary by region and can change, so it's best to confirm again before you go.

What platform should I use for meetings in China? According to third-party user reports, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are relatively usable, and some also use Skype and FaceTime. Actual conditions vary by region, plan, and network environment.

Can Tinrec record Google Meet? Yes, by capturing computer system audio through the desktop version, without inviting a bot. The prerequisite is that you can open the meeting normally; this article does not cover methods to bypass network restrictions.

Is Tinrec's free version enough? The free version allows you to experience recording, import, summaries, and transcription with a basic quota; once used up, you need to upgrade. For short-term high-frequency use, consider the weekly pass; for long-term stable use, look at Pro monthly or annual.

Do I need to inform others before recording? Yes. Please comply with local laws and obtain participant consent when necessary.

What's the difference between the team version and personal version? Personal version data belongs to the individual account; the team version is an independent team space with additional members, roles, seats, shared benefits, usage analysis, audit logs, and audio recycle bin.

References

• r/chinalife on Reddit: Is Google Meet banned in China?
• Good VPN for Google Meet in China?
• Can You Use Google in China in 2026?
• Countries where you can use a phone with Meet - Google Meet Help
• Calling from China: Can I Use Skype, Zoom, or Facetime?