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Updated 13 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

11 best Read AI alternatives in 2027

Mehmet ElmicenniReviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked •How we check

The short answer

The best Read AI alternatives in 2027 are Otter.ai (best overall, $8.33/user/mo billed yearly), Fathom (best free plan) and Meetily (best open source, MIT). Read AI itself starts at $15/user/mo billed yearly. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 13 Nov 2026; 8 more are compared below, including 5 with a free plan and 2 open source.

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Best overallSee in table →
Otter.ai logo

Otter.ai

$8.33/user/mo billed yearly · free plan

8.6
Best free planSee in table →
Fathom logo

Fathom

$16/user/mo billed yearly · free plan

8.8
Best open sourceSee in table →
Meetily logo

Meetily

Free to self-host · MIT

8.4
11alternatives compared
7with a free plan
3open source
$8/user/mo billed yearlycheapest paid · Tactiq
$15/user/mo billed yearlyRead AI starts at
01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Read AI alternatives are worth it in 2027?

Read AI alternatives worth comparing in 2027 are Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Fathom, Granola, tl;dv, Avoma, MeetGeek and Tactiq, plus open-source Meetily, Muesli and Vexa. Yearly seat prices on their pricing pages run from $8 to $19, against Read AI Pro at $15 billed yearly or $19.75 monthly. Free plans differ most in monthly meeting caps.

ToolTypeStarting priceFree plan limitBest forCost for your teamChecked
Read AI logo
Read AIThe tool you are replacing
 You are here
$15/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $15/mo billed yearly or $19.75/mo billed monthly
 5 meeting transcripts a month, 1-hour meetings Meeting reports with coaching and search — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Otter.ai logo
Otter.ai Zekai score 8.6Best overall
 Free plan + paid
$8.33/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $8.33/mo billed yearly or $16.99/mo billed monthly
 300 transcription minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation Live transcripts for individuals and teams — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Fireflies.ai logo
Fireflies.ai Zekai score 9.3
 Free plan + paid
$10/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $10/mo billed yearly or $18/mo billed monthly
 Unlimited transcription, 400 minutes storage per team, 20 AI credits Meeting bot across many calling apps — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Fathom logo
Fathom Zekai score 8.8Best free plan
 Free plan + paid
$16/user/mo billed yearlyPremium, $16/mo billed yearly or $20/mo billed monthly
 Unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI summaries Free unlimited call recording and summaries — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Granola logo
Granola Zekai score 8.6
 Free plan + paid
$14/user/moBusiness, billed monthly (docs state monthly only)
 30 days of note history, Slack integration only, Auto chat model Bot-free notes alongside your own typing — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
tl;dv logo
tl;dv Zekai score 8.8
 Free plan + paid
$18/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $18/mo billed yearly or $29/mo billed monthly
 Unlimited recordings and transcription, AI notes on 10 meetings Free video recorder with AI notes — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Avoma logo
Avoma Zekai score 7.9
$19/user/mo billed yearlyStartup, billed yearly (monthly price not shown in the rendered page)
 No free plan Meeting notes with revenue-team workflows — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
MeetGeek logo
MeetGeek Zekai score 7.5
 Free plan + paid
$9.99/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $9.99/mo billed yearly or $15.99/mo billed monthly
 3 hours of transcription a month, 3 months transcript storage Meeting analytics with bot or bot-free capture — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Tactiq logo
Tactiq Zekai score 7.9Cheapest paid
 Free plan + paid
$8/user/mo billed yearlyPro, $8/mo billed yearly or $12/mo billed monthly
 10 transcripts a month, 5 AI credits a month Browser transcripts for Meet, Zoom, Teams — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Meetily logo
Meetily Zekai score 8.4Best open source
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Local Whisper transcription with Ollama summaries $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
Muesli logo
Muesli Zekai score 6.8
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Bot-free local notes on Apple Silicon Macs $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
Vexa logo
Vexa Zekai score 7.8
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (Apache-2.0) Self-hosted meeting bots with transcript API $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Read AI?

Yes. Read AI Free costs $0 with no credit card and includes 5 meeting transcripts a month, summaries, search, the meeting coach and basic integrations, but meetings are capped at 1 hour and file uploads are not included. Unlimited transcripts start with Pro at $15 per user monthly when billed yearly.

Source: Read AI pricing page, read 13 Nov 2026.

Free$0

5 meeting transcripts a month, 1-hour meetings

Paid from$15/user/mo billed yearly

Pro, $15/mo billed yearly or $19.75/mo billed monthly

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Read AI alternatives?

Fathom has the best free plan among Read AI alternatives, with unlimited recordings and transcriptions and instant AI summaries. tl;dv adds unlimited video recordings, Otter.ai gives 300 transcription minutes a month, MeetGeek 3 hours and Tactiq 10 transcripts. Read AI Free allows 5 meeting transcripts a month and 1-hour meetings.

Otter.ai logo

Otter.ai

Best overallFree plan + paid
300 transcription minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation
Paid from $8.33/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
Fireflies.ai logo

Fireflies.ai

Free plan + paid
Unlimited transcription, 400 minutes storage per team, 20 AI credits
Paid from $10/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
Fathom logo

Fathom

Best free planFree plan + paid
Unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI summaries
Paid from $16/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
Granola logo

Granola

Free plan + paid
30 days of note history, Slack integration only, Auto chat model
Paid from $14/user/mo
vs Read AI →Zekai review
tl;dv logo

tl;dv

Free plan + paid
Unlimited recordings and transcription, AI notes on 10 meetings
Paid from $18/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
MeetGeek logo

MeetGeek

Free plan + paid
3 hours of transcription a month, 3 months transcript storage
Paid from $9.99/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
Tactiq logo

Tactiq

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid
10 transcripts a month, 5 AI credits a month
Paid from $8/user/mo billed yearly
vs Read AI →Zekai review
04 · Open source

What are the best open-source Read AI alternatives?

The best open-source Read AI alternatives are Meetily (MIT, local Whisper or Parakeet transcription), Muesli (MIT, bot-free on Apple Silicon Macs) and Vexa (Apache-2.0, self-hosted meeting bots with an API). Vexa is the closest to Read AI's join-the-call model; Meetily and Muesli record locally and lack CRM sync and coaching reports.

Meetily logo

Meetily

MIT★ 30.9k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Windows or macOS installer, Linux from source; transcription runs locally with Whisper or Parakeet; summaries via Ollama or an API key for Claude, Groq, OpenRouter or OpenAI.
Last release 12 Sep 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Muesli logo

Muesli

MIT★ 1.4k GitHub stars · Oct 2026
To self-host: Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 14.2 or later; speech models download on selection (about 153 MB to 3.8 GB); API keys are optional, only for hosted features.
Last release 8 Nov 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Vexa logo

Vexa

Apache-2.0★ 2.9k GitHub stars · Oct 2026
To self-host: Docker Engine 26+ and make on one host (Ubuntu 24.04 target); transcription needs a free vexa.ai token or your own speech-to-text service; Helm chart for Kubernetes.
Last release 9 Oct 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
05 · Side by side

How does Read AI compare with each alternative?

Read AI joins Zoom, Teams and Meet and adds coaching, engagement metrics and enterprise search; Pro is $15 billed yearly. Otter and Fireflies are cheaper per seat but meter minutes or storage, Fathom is free for unlimited recordings, and Avoma charges only recorder seats. Open-source tools remove seat fees but not setup work.

01
Otter.ai logo

Read AI vs Otter.ai

Best overallFree plan + paid$8.33/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.6
The differenceOtter Pro is $8.33 billed yearly against Read AI Pro's $15, with 1,200 transcription minutes a month and 90-minute meetings; Read AI Pro lists unlimited transcripts and 4-hour meetings.
Switch to Otter.ai ifyou transcribe under 20 hours a month per person and want to pay about half of Read AI Pro yearly
Stay with Read AI ifyou need meetings over 90 minutes, unlimited transcripts per seat, or video highlights on Enterprise
Pros
  • Acts as a dedicated assistant, joining meetings on your behalf.
  • Saves hours weekly by automating note-taking and summaries.
Cons
  • Free plan has significant limits on transcription minutes and file imports.
  • Transcription accuracy can struggle with heavy accents or niche technical jargon.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Otter.ai · Verdict: Your AI Meeting Assistant

Visit Otter.aiRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
02
Fireflies.ai logo

Read AI vs Fireflies.ai

Free plan + paid$10/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20269.3
The differenceFireflies Pro lists unlimited transcription at $10 billed yearly but caps storage at 8,000 minutes per seat and recordings at 2 hours; Read AI Pro includes unlimited storage and 4-hour meetings.
Switch to Fireflies.ai ifyou want a cheaper yearly Pro seat with video recording and API access on the free tier
Stay with Read AI ifyou want unlimited storage on paid plans rather than an 8,000-minute per-seat storage cap
Pros
  • Automatically creates tasks in tools like Asana, Jira, and Trello.
  • Free forever plan available with unlimited transcription.
Cons
  • Free plan has limited storage (400 mins/team).
  • Video recording and advanced analytics are behind a paywall.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Fireflies.ai · Verdict: Automated Meeting Accountability

Visit Fireflies.aiRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
03
Fathom logo

Read AI vs Fathom

Best free planFree plan + paid$16/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.8
The differenceFathom's free plan lists unlimited recordings and transcriptions, against Read AI Free's 5 transcripts a month, and its Team plan adds HIPAA compliance with a standard BAA from $15 yearly.
Switch to Fathom ifyou want unlimited free recording, or HIPAA-ready team controls without Read AI's Enterprise+ tier
Stay with Read AI ifyou want email and messaging summaries and enterprise search across tools, not only call recordings
Pros
  • Generous 'Free Forever' plan with unlimited recordings.
  • Automatically syncs call notes and summaries to popular CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.
Cons
  • The free plan has limited use of advanced AI features like action items and 'Ask Fathom'.
  • Team features and CRM sync require a paid plan with a 2-user minimum.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Fathom · Verdict: Automate Sales Call Admin

Visit FathomRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
04
Granola logo

Read AI vs Granola

Free plan + paid$14/user/mo · checked 13 Nov 20268.6
The differenceGranola captures device audio with no bot and Business is $14 monthly-only; its free Basic plan keeps 30 days of history, versus Read AI Free's 5 transcripts a month.
Switch to Granola ifyou join calls where a bot is unwelcome and want unlimited notes for $14 a month
Stay with Read AI ifyou want automatic joining of Zoom, Teams and Meet plus coaching and engagement metrics
Pros
  • Operates locally without an intrusive bot, ensuring client privacy.
  • Generous free tier with unlimited meeting notes (30-day history).
Cons
  • Free plan has a 30-day limit on accessing past notes.
  • Advanced AI models and key integrations (Notion, Slack) require a paid plan.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Granola · Verdict: Private, Bot-Free Meeting Notes

Visit GranolaRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
05
tl;dv logo

Read AI vs tl;dv

Free plan + paid$18/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.8
The differencetl;dv's free plan lists unlimited video recordings and transcription in 100+ languages with AI notes on 10 meetings; Pro is $18 billed yearly and Read AI Pro is $15.
Switch to tl;dv ifyou want unlimited free video recordings and a 5,000+ integration catalogue on a paid plan
Stay with Read AI ifyou want a lower $15 yearly Pro price with unlimited meeting reports and storage
Pros
  • Generous 'Free Forever' plan with unlimited recordings.
  • Saves significant time on manual note-taking and summarization.
Cons
  • Lacks a native mobile app, relying on auto-recording for on-the-go meetings.
  • Advanced AI reports and coaching features are geared more towards sales teams.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of tl;dv · Verdict: Effortless Meeting Mastery

Visit tl;dvRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06
Avoma logo

Read AI vs Avoma

$19/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20267.9
The differenceAvoma charges only for recorder seats with unlimited free view-only users, and sells Conversation Intelligence and Revenue Intelligence add-ons at $29 per seat yearly; Read AI licenses every user.
Switch to Avoma iffew people record calls, everyone else only reads notes, and you want scheduling and CRM-linked revenue add-ons
Stay with Read AI ifyou want a permanent free plan and a $15 yearly Pro seat for every user
Pros
  • All-in-one platform replaces multiple point solutions (scheduling, notes, CI).
  • Significantly more affordable than competitors like Gong or Chorus.
Cons
  • Individual modules may lack the deep feature set of dedicated market leaders.
  • The all-in-one approach can be overwhelming for teams needing only a simple note-taker.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Avoma · Verdict: Unified Sales Intelligence

Visit AvomaRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
07
MeetGeek logo

Read AI vs MeetGeek

Free plan + paid$9.99/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20267.5
The differenceMeetGeek Pro lists 20 hours of transcription a month for $9.99 billed yearly, with $0.50 per extra hour; Read AI Pro lists unlimited transcripts at $15 billed yearly.
Switch to MeetGeek ifyou want a sub-$10 yearly seat with Zapier, Make and n8n and can stay within 20 hours monthly
Stay with Read AI ifyou do not want to meter transcription hours or pay overage charges
Pros
  • Works across all major video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Teams, Meet).
  • Flexible recording options including a bot, browser extension, and mobile app.
Cons
  • AI summaries may require review to perfectly capture internal jargon or context.
  • Free tier has limitations on storage and features.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of MeetGeek · Verdict: Automated Meeting Mastery

Visit MeetGeekRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
08
Tactiq logo

Read AI vs Tactiq

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid$8/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20267.9
The differenceTactiq's Free plan caps transcripts at 10 a month and 5 AI credits; Pro at $8 billed yearly unlocks unlimited transcripts, and Team at $16.67 adds unlimited AI credits.
Switch to Tactiq ifyou mostly need browser transcripts from Meet, Zoom or Teams at the lowest yearly paid price
Stay with Read AI ifyou want coaching, metrics and unlimited reports on the same seat instead of 10 AI credits
Pros
  • Discreetly transcribes meetings without a bot participant.
  • Strong security posture with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance.
Cons
  • Free plan is limited to 10 transcripts and 5 AI credits per month.
  • Unlimited AI credits and transcripts require a 'Team' plan or higher.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Tactiq · Verdict: Your Silent Meeting AI

Visit TactiqRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
09
Meetily logo

Read AI vs Meetily

Best open sourceOpen sourceFree (self-hosted)8.4
The differenceMeetily is MIT-licensed and transcribes locally with Whisper or Parakeet; Read AI is a hosted service with Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps and CRM integrations.
Switch to Meetily ifyou want transcripts processed on your own machine with no seat fee and your own LLM choice
Stay with Read AI ifyou need Salesforce or HubSpot sync, enterprise search and hosted reports without maintaining software
Visit MeetilyRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
10
Muesli logo

Read AI vs Muesli

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)6.8
The differenceMuesli is MIT-licensed, bot-free and Apple Silicon-only (macOS 14.2 or later); Read AI offers Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps and joins calls as an assistant.
Switch to Muesli ifyour team uses Apple Silicon Macs and wants bot-free local notes at no cost
Stay with Read AI ifyou have Windows or mobile users, or need shared workspaces and admin controls
Visit MuesliRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
11
Vexa logo

Read AI vs Vexa

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)7.8
The differenceVexa is Apache-2.0 and exposes meeting bots for Google Meet, Teams and Zoom through an API you host; Read AI is a finished product with reports and coaching.
Switch to Vexa ifyou want to self-host meeting bots and a transcript API for your own application
Stay with Read AI ifyou want ready-made meeting reports and scoring, not Docker infrastructure to run
Visit VexaRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06 · What changed

Why do people leave Read AI?

  • Read AI Free is capped at 5 meeting transcripts a month and 1-hour meetings, with audio and video file uploads not included. (source)

  • Audio and video playback and video highlights are not in Pro; they start on Enterprise at $22.50 per user billed yearly or $29.75 billed monthly, and HIPAA and SAML start on Enterprise+. (source)

08 · FAQ

Questions people ask about Read AI alternatives

What is the best alternative to Read AI in 2027?

Otter.ai is the best overall Read AI alternative on this page ($8.33/user/mo billed yearly). For no cost, Fathom has a free plan (Unlimited recordings and transcriptions, instant AI summaries). To self-host, Meetily is open source (MIT).

Is there a free version of Read AI?

Yes. Read AI has a free plan: 5 meeting transcripts a month, 1-hour meetings. Paid plans start at $15/user/mo billed yearly, checked on 13 Nov 2026.

Is there a 100% free alternative to Read AI?

Yes. Meetily, Muesli, Vexa are open source and free to self-host. Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Fathom, Granola, tl;dv, MeetGeek, Tactiq have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

What is cheaper than Read AI?

Tactiq starts at $8/user/mo billed yearly, against $15/user/mo billed yearly for Read AI, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 13 Nov 2026.

How much do Read AI alternatives cost for a team of 5?

If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 13 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is Tactiq $40/mo, Otter.ai $41.65/mo, MeetGeek $49.95/mo, against Read AI $75/mo for Read AI. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

Which is better, Otter.ai or Read AI?

Otter Pro is $8.33 billed yearly against Read AI Pro's $15, with 1,200 transcription minutes a month and 90-minute meetings; Read AI Pro lists unlimited transcripts and 4-hour meetings. Choose Otter.ai if you transcribe under 20 hours a month per person and want to pay about half of Read AI Pro yearly. Stay with Read AI if you need meetings over 90 minutes, unlimited transcripts per seat, or video highlights on Enterprise.

Why are people leaving Read AI?

The documented reasons are: Read AI Free is capped at 5 meeting transcripts a month and 1-hour meetings, with audio and video file uploads not included (13 Nov 2026); Audio and video playback and video highlights are not in Pro; they start on Enterprise at $22.50 per user billed yearly or $29.75 billed monthly, and HIPAA and SAML start on Enterprise+ (13 Nov 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

What are the best Read AI alternatives?

Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai are the closest paid rivals, Fathom has the strongest free plan, and Meetily or Vexa are open-source options.

09 · Method

How did Zekai check this page?

Zekai independently reviews AI tools. For this page we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages and recorded the starting price, the free-plan limit and the date of the check. Only tools that do the same job as Read AI are listed, and sponsors never change the order or the scores.

Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai
Mehmet Elmicenni

Founder of Zekai. Reviews the alternatives pages and the price checks behind them.

About the founder · How Zekai scores tools

JSON copyMarkdown copy
1 · Same job onlyEvery alternative does the same task as Read AI; tools for other jobs are left out.
2 · Vendor pages onlyPrices and free limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, never from blogs.
Zekai score0–10, from four published weights: ease 25%, output quality 30%, value 20%, time saved 25%. How we score
3 · Re-checkedA price older than 35 days is re-read or the page falls back to an older version.
Change log

  • Page rebuilt on v6; all prices re-read on vendor pages.

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