The best AI notetakers for small law firms (2026)
Summary: For a solo or small firm, the useful questions are the price you can see, whether there is a seat minimum, whether the features you need for client confidentiality sit on an enterprise plan, and whether the notes reach your case management system. Astrid, VXT, Querious, Lua Legal and Call Connector publish prices with no seat minimum and connect to legal case management systems. LegalMate publishes no price and describes its best fit as 5 or more attorneys and staff. General notetakers such as Otter, Fireflies and Circleback are cheaper and have free plans, but file nothing to a matter, and several put their recording disclaimer or HIPAA terms on enterprise plans.
We make Astrid, so weigh our row accordingly. Every statement about another product comes from that vendor's own pricing page, help center, documentation or security page, checked between October 6 and October 22, 2026. Prices change; confirm with the vendor before you buy.
Where small firms stand
Clio's 2025 Legal Trends report for solo and small firms found that 72% of solo and 67% of small-firm legal professionals use AI in some capacity, but only 8% of solos and 4% of small firms have adopted it widely. The same report found 79% of solos and 81% of small firms already use cloud practice management, and 84% bill hourly. So most small firms trying a notetaker already have a case management system the notes should reach, and many need the time recorded too.
Price, minimums and case management
| Tool | Lowest paid price per user per month | Seat minimum or sales-only | Free plan or trial | Files notes to case management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astrid | $40 monthly, or $400 a year | None | 14-day trial | Yes: Clio Manage, Smokeball, CasePeer, MyCase, Lawcus |
| VXT | $60 monthly, or $45 billed yearly, plus $5 a month per number | None, but calls require moving your numbers to VXT | None stated | Yes: Clio, MyCase, Smokeball and others |
| Querious | $59.99 monthly, or $49.99 billed yearly | None stated | Free trial | Clio, MyCase, Smokeball; on Clio and Smokeball, a time entry |
| Lua Legal | $50 to $75, depending on billing term and how much of the firm uses it | None stated | 7-day trial | Logos shown; what syncs is not described |
| Call Connector | $49 billed monthly, for transcripts and summaries | None | Free logging tier | Call logs to Clio; listed on the Smokeball Marketplace |
| LegalMate | Not published | Demo only; best fit 5 to 25 or more attorneys and staff | Demo | Clio and Filevine |
| Otter.ai | Pro $16.99 monthly, or $8.33 billed yearly | SSO needs a 100-user license | Free plan | No |
| Fireflies | Pro $18 monthly, or $10 billed yearly | None stated | Free plan | No |
| Fathom | Team $19 monthly | Team and Business plans need 2 users | Free plan | No |
| Read AI | Pro $19.75 monthly | Enterprise+ needs 5 or more licenses | Free plan, 5 meetings a month | No |
| Circleback | Pro $18 monthly | None | Free plan, 30 days of history | No |
| Jamie | Plus $29 monthly | None stated | Free plan, meetings capped at 30 minutes | No |
| Clio Manage AI | Included on Core and above, which are priced on request | Sales for AI tiers | Free trial | It is the case management system; no call transcription found |
The costs that are not on the price tag
- Consent features on enterprise plans. Otter's recording disclaimer email and its Teams recording permission are Enterprise features. For a firm in an all-party consent state, that is the feature you need. Astrid sets a firm-wide consent mode, keeps a consent record for every call, and its meeting bot plays an audible disclosure, on every plan.
- HIPAA terms on enterprise plans. A personal injury or family law file often holds medical information. Fireflies, Circleback and Read AI offer a BAA on Enterprise plans, and Otter sells HIPAA as an Enterprise add-on.
- Training defaults. Otter, Fathom and Granola train on de-identified or anonymized content unless you are on Enterprise or turn it off in settings. On a small firm's plan, someone has to remember to change that setting.
- Moving your phone numbers. VXT captures calls on its own phone system, so you port your numbers to it. Astrid and LegalMate work with phone systems you already have, and Astrid's dial-in bridge works from any cell or landline.
- Your case management plan. MyCase integrations need its Pro or Advanced plan, and Smokeball's automatic time tracking is included with Prosper and is an add-on for Grow. Check your own plan before you count on a sync.
- The copying. A general notetaker leaves someone to copy each note into the matter. At ten client calls a week, that is real staff time.
Picks by situation
- A solo attorney who mostly meets on Zoom and has no case management system: a general notetaker's free or entry plan may be enough. Turn off training if the plan has it on.
- A small firm on Clio, Smokeball, MyCase, CasePeer or Lawcus that wants the note on the matter: Astrid files an attorney-approved note and follow-up tasks (task filing to MyCase is not live yet), with no seat minimum, from calls on your existing phones, video meetings and in-person meetings.
- A small firm ready to replace its phone system: VXT bundles phones and notes.
- A firm that bills hourly and wants time entries: Astrid's billable hours add-on ($59 per timekeeper per month) drafts entries for review; Querious and VXT also send time entries. See our Clio comparison for what each files.
- A firm whose priority is privilege controls during a meeting: Lua Legal.
What the ethics opinions ask, in one paragraph
ABA Formal Opinion 512 says lawyers should read each AI tool's terms and privacy policy, and that boilerplate in an engagement letter is not informed consent where consent is required. The NYC Bar's Formal Opinion 2025-6 says clients must be notified and consent obtained when an AI system records their calls, and that attorneys should review any transcript or summary. The State Bar of California's 2026 guidance says reasonable efforts take more than relying on a vendor's marketing. A small firm has no IT department to do this, so prefer a vendor whose pages answer these questions plainly. Astrid's security page says what is and is not in place, including that it has no SOC 2 report yet.
Sources
- Clio: 2025 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms highlights and pricing
- ABA: Formal Opinion 512
- NYC Bar: Formal Opinion 2025-6
- State Bar of California: Practical Guidance for the Use of Generative AI
- VXT: pricing
- Querious: pricing
- Lua Legal: home and pricing
- Call Connector: pricing
- LegalMate: llms.txt
- Otter.ai: pricing
- Fireflies: pricing
- Fathom: pricing
- Read AI: pricing
- Circleback: pricing
- Jamie: pricing
- MyCase: pricing
- Smokeball: pricing
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI notetaker for a small law firm?
For a small firm that uses a case management system, pick a tool with a published price, no seat minimum, and filing to that system: Astrid, VXT, Querious, Lua Legal and Call Connector meet those tests in different ways. For a solo who mostly needs meeting summaries, a general notetaker's free or entry plan may be enough.
Which AI notetakers have a seat minimum?
By their pricing pages, Fathom's Team and Business plans need 2 users, Read AI's Enterprise+ needs 5 or more licenses, and Otter's SSO needs a 100-user license. LegalMate publishes no price and describes its best fit as 5 to 25 or more attorneys and staff. Astrid has no minimum.
Are free AI notetakers safe for client calls?
Check the plan's training setting and consent features before using one. Otter, Fathom and Granola train on de-identified or anonymized content unless you opt out or are on Enterprise, and some tools put their recording disclaimer and HIPAA terms on enterprise plans. Bar opinions ask lawyers to read the terms and get client consent to recording.
How much does Astrid cost for a small firm?
Astrid is $40 per person per month billed monthly, or $400 per person per year billed annually, with no seat minimum and a 14-day free trial. The billable hours add-on is $59 per timekeeper per month.