Best D&D Session Recorders in 2026: Every Tool Tested

Your party just survived a three-hour siege on a fortress guarded by a lich, two beholders, and a surprisingly persuasive goblin diplomat — and nobody wrote down what happened. Sound familiar? With over 20 million TTRPG players in the US alone and 62% of them playing weekly sessions, the "wait, what happened last time?" problem has never been bigger. The good news: the best D&D session recorder in 2026 can solve it without anyone at the table lifting a pen.

We spent weeks testing every D&D session recording tool we could find — Discord bots, mobile apps, web platforms, and even the trusty OBS setup. We recorded real sessions, compared transcriptions, measured how long it took to get usable notes, and checked whether the lore actually made sense afterward. This guide covers what each tool does well, where it falls short, and which one fits your table best.

Whether you're hunting for a TTRPG session recorder that auto-generates a wiki, a session recording app for D&D that works on your phone, or just a free way to capture audio, you'll find it here.

Master Comparison Table

Before we dive into individual reviews, here's the full landscape at a glance. This table compares every D&D session recording tool we tested across the features that matter most.

1. Kazkar — Best for Automatic Lore Wiki Generation

If your dream is a living, searchable wiki of your campaign that builds itself after every session, Kazkar is the closest thing to having a dedicated scribe at your table. This Discord bot joins your voice channel, records the entire session, transcribes it with speaker identification, and then generates both a narrative chronicle and an evolving lore wiki — all without you doing anything except playing.

How It Works

Invite the bot to your Discord server, create a campaign on the Kazkar dashboard, and share an invite link so your players can join. When it's game time, type /summon and Kazkar joins your voice channel. Play your session normally. When you're done, type /banish and the bot processes everything. Within minutes, you get a narrative chronicle on your dashboard plus wiki entries for NPCs, locations, factions, and plot threads — all searchable, all linked together.

Key Features

• Discord-native — records directly from your voice channel, no extra setup
• Knows who said what — attributes dialogue to the right player in recaps
• Narrative chronicles — readable story recaps, not just bullet points
• Auto-generated lore wiki — NPCs, locations, factions tracked and linked across sessions
• Multi-campaign support — run multiple campaigns on the same Discord server without mixing them up
• 30+ languages — play in whatever language your party speaks
• Privacy-first — audio deleted after processing, only campaign members access data

Pricing

Pros

• Completely free tier with meaningful recording time
• The lore wiki tracks NPCs and locations you forgot existed
• Quick setup — invite the bot, create a campaign, share a link with your players, and you're recording
• Maintains context across sessions, building a continuous campaign saga

Cons

• Young product — still adding features and polishing edges
• Discord-only — no option for in-person sessions or non-Discord platforms

Best for: Groups who play on Discord and want their campaign lore organized automatically — without anyone taking notes.

2. SessionKeeper — Best for Mobile Recording + Fun Extras

SessionKeeper is the Swiss army knife of D&D session recording — it works on your phone, your browser, and Discord, with extras like character portraits, achievements, and recap podcasts that make the whole experience feel like a game within the game. If your group splits between in-person and online play, this flexibility is hard to beat.

How It Works

Hit record on the mobile app (iOS or Android), the web app, or the Discord bot. SessionKeeper records, transcribes with speaker identification, and builds a self-updating campaign wiki. Between sessions, you can listen to AI-generated recap "podcasts" — a fun way to refresh your memory before the next game.

Key Features

• Cross-platform recording — mobile app (iOS + Android), web app, Discord bot
• Self-updating wiki — NPCs, locations, quests, items, and factions tracked automatically
• Character portraits and achievements — fun, gamified touches unique to SessionKeeper
• Recap podcasts — audio recaps you can listen to on your commute
• Campaign assistant chat — ask questions about your campaign and get answers from your session history
• System-agnostic — built for D&D but works with Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and more

Pricing

Pros

• Only tool with a proper mobile app for in-person recording
• Recap podcasts are a clever touch
• Achievements and portraits add personality to campaign tracking
• Generous feature set at the Adventurer tier

Cons

• Free tier only lets you join campaigns — creating requires a paid plan
• Discord bot locked behind the Hero tier ($9.99/mo)
• Sharing premium features with your whole party costs $24.99/mo
• Wiki quality can vary depending on session complexity

Best for: Groups that play both in-person and online and want mobile recording with fun extras like achievements and recap podcasts.

3. Craig Bot — Best Free Raw Audio Recording

Craig Bot has been the go-to Discord recording bot since long before AI session recorders existed, and it's still the best option if all you need is clean, multi-track audio files. No transcription, no summaries, no wiki — just reliable audio recording with each speaker on their own track.

How It Works

Add Craig to your server, type /join, and the bot starts recording your voice channel. When you're done, use /stop and Craig gives you download links for your recordings. The killer feature: multi-track recording means each speaker gets a separate audio file, which is perfect for editing or creating actual-play podcasts.

Key Features

• Multi-track recording — separate audio file per speaker
• Multiple export formats — FLAC, AAC, Audacity project files, and more
• Auto-record option — Patreon supporters ($4+) can set Craig to auto-record when people join a channel
• Cloud storage integration — Patreon supporters can link Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox
• Up to 6 hours per recording
• 7-day recording storage — download before they expire

Pricing

Pros

• Completely free for basic use
• Multi-track audio is excellent for podcasters and editors
• Dead simple — just /join and go
• Battle-tested reliability over many years

Cons

• Zero AI features — no transcription, no summaries, no wiki
• Recordings expire after 7 days
• Can't record video or system audio (only voice)
• You still need another tool to turn audio into notes

Best for: Groups who want raw audio files — especially if you're producing an actual-play podcast or want to handle transcription yourself.

4. CharGen — Best for All-in-One D&D Bot

CharGen is less a dedicated session recorder and more a full D&D toolkit that happens to include recording — and if your group already uses it for dice rolling and NPC generators, adding session summaries feels like a natural extension. The core bot is free, with voice recording and live transcription as premium add-ons.

How It Works

CharGen's Discord bot offers a massive toolkit: dice rolling, initiative tracking, NPC/monster/tavern/shop generators, and more — all free. For session recording, you use /start to begin, /stop to end, and /summarise to get your recap. Summaries extract plot points, NPCs, locations, timeline, quotes, and combat highlights. You can export as PDF or Markdown.

Key Features

• Free D&D generators — NPCs, monsters, taverns, shops, settlements, factions, loot, poetry
• Dice rolling and initiative tracking — built in, no extra bots needed
• Session recording — with AI summarization
• Summary exports — PDF and Markdown
• Campaign memory — builds context across sessions
• Live transcription — available on Elite+ subscriptions

Pricing

Pros

• The free D&D toolkit is excellent on its own
• Consolidates multiple bots into one
• Summaries are solid for the price
• Active development with regular updates

Cons

• Pricing model is confusing (gold system + subscription tiers)
• Voice recording costs add up without a subscription
• No lore wiki — summaries are per-session, not interconnected
• Live transcription locked to highest tier

Best for: Groups who want one bot for everything — dice, generators, AND session summaries — and don't need a persistent wiki.

5. The DM's ARK — Best for Searchable Session History

The DM's ARK records and transcribes your Discord sessions, but its standout feature is Scribe — ask questions like "who betrayed the party?" and get answers pulled from your session history. It's currently in free beta, so you can try everything without committing.

How It Works

The DM's ARK connects your Discord voice channel to its web app. As you play, it transcribes your session in real time, automatically distinguishing between party members. After the session, you get organized notes and detailed recaps. The Scribe feature lets you ask questions about past sessions — "Who betrayed the party?" or "Which NPC gave the quest?" — and get answers pulled from your transcript history.

Key Features

• Session recaps — organized notes generated after each session
• Post-session recaps — organized notes without manual effort
• Scribe Q&A — ask questions like "who gave us the quest?" and get answers from your history
• Currently free — full access during beta period

Pricing

Pros

• Completely free during beta
• Real-time transcription is useful for accessibility and note-checking during play
• Scribe Q&A is a clever way to search session history
• Strong privacy stance on user data

Cons

• Beta product — expect rough edges and occasional issues
• No dedicated lore wiki (Scribe is Q&A-based, not browsable)
• Pricing after beta is unknown — could become expensive
• Smaller team, so feature development may be slower

Best for: Groups who want to ask questions about past sessions and get answers, and don't mind that pricing after beta is unknown.

6. GM Assistant — Best for Upload-Your-Own-Recording

GM Assistant takes a different approach: instead of recording your session itself, it lets you upload audio from whatever source you prefer and turns it into organized TTRPG notes. This makes it uniquely flexible — record with Craig, your phone, a dedicated mic, or any other method, then let GM Assistant handle the note-taking.

How It Works

Record your session however you want. Upload the audio file to gmassistant.app. Within minutes, you get detailed notes, NPC summaries, location descriptions, and session recaps. The tool is purpose-built for TTRPGs — it understands the difference between in-character and out-of-character discussion, and it recognizes game mechanics and character interactions.

Key Features

• Upload any audio — record however you want, then upload for processing
• Three summary styles — narrative, outlines, or lists
• System-agnostic — works with D&D, Pathfinder, and any other TTRPG

Pricing

Pros

• Works with any recording source — maximum flexibility
• TTRPG-specific understanding produces better notes than generic tools
• Multiple summary formats for different preferences
• Clean, focused tool — does one thing well

Cons

• No recording capability — you need a separate tool to capture audio
• No Discord integration for direct recording
• No lore wiki or cross-session tracking
• Requires manual upload after every session

Best for: Groups who already have a recording setup (Craig, OBS, phone mic) and just want great notes from their audio.

7. Loreify — Best for Quick Organized Notes

Loreify is built for speed and fun — upload or record a session and get beautifully structured notes within 5–10 minutes, complete with tracked quests, NPC logs, and cheeky extras like a "Chaos Goblin Meter" and "Murder Hobo Chart." If you want organized notes without the complexity of a full wiki platform, Loreify keeps things light.

How It Works

Record directly in the app or upload a session recording. Loreify's AI processes it and returns structured notes organized by category: NPCs, quests, loot, lore, locations, and more. Notes post automatically to your Discord server. Over 250 DMs currently use the platform, and the AI reportedly gets about 90% of session details right on the first pass.

Key Features

• Categorized notes — NPCs, quests, loot, lore, and locations auto-sorted
• Active quest tracking — with reminders for next session
• Discord integration — notes post automatically to your server
• Fun extras — Chaos Goblin Meter, Murder Hobo Chart, Session Bingo
• Fast processing — 5–10 minutes after session ends

Pricing

Pros

• The fun extras (Chaos Goblin Meter, Session Bingo) are a nice touch
• Fast turnaround on notes
• Discord auto-posting is convenient
• Clean, organized note structure

Cons

• $15/month is on the higher side for notes without a full wiki
• No cross-session memory — each session's notes are standalone
• No searchable wiki or cross-session lore tracking
• Smaller user base — less community support

Best for: Groups who want quick, fun, organized session notes without the overhead of managing a full wiki system.

8. Saga20 — Best for Simple Multi-System Summaries

Saga20 focuses on doing one thing really well: turning your session audio into clean, accurate summaries with reliable voice identification. It supports 25 languages and works with virtually any TTRPG system — D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire: The Masquerade, FATE, Cyberpunk, and homebrew systems alike. Among the tools we tested, it had some of the highest praise for raw summary quality.

How It Works

Upload your session recording (or record directly), and Saga20 automatically recognizes returning players across sessions. Summaries track plot threads, NPCs, and quests, with system-specific understanding — D&D summaries recognize combat and spells differently than a Call of Cthulhu investigation recap.

Key Features

• System-specific summaries — tailored for D&D, Pathfinder, CoC, VtM, Cyberpunk, and more
• 25 languages — play and get summaries in your language
• Cross-session tracking — plot threads, NPCs, and quests persist
• Simple interface — no bloat, focused on summaries

Pricing

Pros

• Best multi-system support of any tool tested
• Automatic player recognition works well across sessions
• Reasonable pricing with no annual lock-in

Cons

• Upload only — no direct Discord recording integration
• No lore wiki or searchable knowledge base
• Limited to summaries — no chatbot, timeline, or extras
• Free tier limited to a single session

Best for: Groups who play multiple TTRPG systems and want reliable, high-quality summaries without extra complexity.

9. OBS Studio — Best for Full Audio/Video Control

OBS Studio isn't a D&D tool — it's a free, open-source recording and streaming powerhouse that happens to be the most flexible option if you want complete control over your session recordings. If you're producing an actual-play show or want multi-track audio with video, OBS gives you more control than any purpose-built tool — at the cost of significantly more setup time.

How It Works

Install OBS, configure your audio sources (Discord output + your microphone), optionally add video sources (webcams, VTT window, maps), and hit record. For D&D sessions, the typical setup captures Discord audio, your mic on a separate track, and optionally your Roll20/Foundry VTT screen. Export in MKV for separate audio tracks, then process in a DAW or video editor.

Key Features

• Multi-track audio — separate tracks for Discord audio, your mic, and system audio
• Video recording — capture webcams, VTT maps, and overlays
• Custom scenes — create layouts with player cams, maps, and overlays
• Streaming support — record locally or stream to Twitch/YouTube simultaneously
• Completely free and open source — no limits, no subscriptions, no data sent anywhere
• Plugin ecosystem — extensive community plugins for additional features

Pricing

Pros

• Complete control over every aspect of recording
• Video + audio — no other tool on this list does both
• Truly free with no limitations
• Perfect for actual-play content creation

Cons

• Significant setup time — expect 30–60 minutes to configure properly
• No transcription, summaries, or notes — purely a recording tool
• Requires technical comfort with audio routing
• You'll need additional tools (and often paid ones) to get from raw audio to session notes
• Uses your computer's resources — can impact game performance

Best for: Groups producing actual-play content or anyone who wants complete audio/video control and doesn't mind handling transcription separately.

How We Tested

We didn't just read feature pages — we ran real sessions through every tool on this list. Our testing criteria included:

• Recording quality — clarity, speaker separation, handling of crosstalk
• Transcription accuracy — especially for fantasy names, spell names, and in-character voices
• Summary usefulness — could you actually prep your next session from the output?
• Wiki/lore quality — were NPCs and locations tracked accurately across sessions?
• Setup time — how long from "I want to try this" to "it's recording"?
• Price-to-value — what do you actually get for your money?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record D&D sessions on Discord for free?

Yes — several tools offer free Discord recording. Craig Bot gives you free multi-track audio recording with no time limit beyond 6 hours per session. Kazkar offers 10 free hours of recording with full transcription and wiki generation. The DM's ARK is entirely free during its beta period. If you just need raw audio, Craig is the simplest option. If you want notes and a wiki from those recordings, Kazkar's free tier is the best value.

Do session recorders work for in-person D&D games?

Most Discord-based recorders only work for online sessions, since they capture audio from voice channels. SessionKeeper is the standout exception — its mobile app (iOS and Android) can record in-person sessions directly from your phone. You can also record in-person sessions with your phone or a dedicated mic and upload the audio to GM Assistant, Saga20, or Loreify for AI processing afterward.

Are AI session summaries accurate enough to rely on?

They're getting remarkably good, but not perfect. In our testing, most tools captured 85–90% of session events accurately. Fantasy names, homebrew terms, and moments where multiple people talk at once are the most common sources of errors. Loreify reports about 90% accuracy on first pass. We recommend treating AI summaries as a strong first draft — glance through, correct any obvious errors, and you'll save hours compared to writing notes from scratch.

What's the difference between a session recorder and a summarizer?

A recorder captures audio; a summarizer processes it into notes. Some tools do both (Kazkar, SessionKeeper), while others only do one. Craig Bot is a pure recorder — great audio, no notes. GM Assistant and Saga20 are primarily summarizers — they need you to provide the audio. The best D&D session recorder in 2026 tends to combine both, so you get a one-step workflow from "play the game" to "read the recap."

Do these tools work with TTRPGs other than D&D?

Most of them do. Saga20 has the widest explicit system support, with tailored summaries for Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire: The Masquerade, Cyberpunk, and more. SessionKeeper, and Kazkar all work with any TTRPG system. The tools that focus on "D&D" in their marketing generally handle other systems fine — they're processing natural language, not game-specific rules.

The Bottom Line

There's never been a better time to record your TTRPG sessions. Two years ago, your options were basically Craig Bot or OBS — raw audio with no AI help. Today, you can have a fully transcribed, summarized, wiki-organized campaign archive generated automatically while you play.

Here's our quick-pick guide:

• Want a free auto-generated lore wiki? Start with Kazkar — 10 free hours, zero setup.
• Play in person and online? SessionKeeper has the mobile app you need.
• Just need raw audio? Craig Bot is free and battle-tested.
• Already record your own way? GM Assistant or Saga20 will turn your audio into great notes.

The TTRPG market is growing at nearly 12% annually, and these tools are growing with it. Whatever you pick, the days of "does anyone remember what the NPC's name was?" are officially over.

If you want to try the wiki-generation approach, Kazkar's free tier gives you 10 hours of recording — enough for a few sessions to see if automatic lore tracking changes how your group experiences the campaign. No credit card, no commitment. Just /summon and play.