Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Sembly AI.
Want the closest match?
Otter.aiMost similar to Sembly AI in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Otter.ai in a new tab)Need a free plan?
Fireflies.aiHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5.
Visit (opens Fireflies.ai in a new tab)Want to pay less than Sembly AI?
FellowFrom $7/mo, against from $10/mo for Sembly AI.
Visit (opens Fellow in a new tab)Want the best rated?
GrainRated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 4.2 for Sembly AI.
Visit (opens Grain in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Sembly AI, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sembly AIBaseline | 4.2 | $10/mo | Yes | One of several meeting-notes tools in this category, worth comparing directly | |
| Otter.ai | 4.3+0.1 | $17/mo$7 more | Yes | One of the original names that made AI meeting transcription mainstream | vs Sembly AI |
| Fireflies.ai | 4.5+0.3 | $10/moSame price | Yes | One of the earliest and most established names in AI meeting notes | vs Sembly AI |
 ScreenApp | 3.7−0.5 | Free | Yes | "AI That Actually Listens" - up to 99% transcription accuracy turns hours of recordings into searchable insights and structured meeting notes, serving 8.1M+ users. | vs Sembly AI |
| Grain | 4.4+0.2 | $15/mo$5 more | Yes | Built around pulling shareable clips out of meetings | vs Sembly AI |
 MeetGeek | 4.3+0.1 | $15/mo$5 more | Yes | Scores meeting effectiveness, not just transcribes them | vs Sembly AI |
 Circleback.ai | 4.2Same | $20.83/mo$10.83 more | Yes | AI meeting assistant recording, transcribing, and turning conversations into notes, action items, and CRM updates automatically. | vs Sembly AI |
 tl;dv | 4.4+0.2 | $18/mo$8 more | Yes | Positions as a sales coaching platform, not just a note-taker | vs Sembly AI |
| Fellow | 4.4+0.2 | $7/mo$3 less | Yes | Structures meetings before they happen, not just notes after | vs Sembly AI |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Sembly AI.
Otter.ai
4.3$17/mo
vs Sembly AI$7 more+0.1
One of the original names that made AI meeting transcription mainstream.
- One of the earliest mainstream AI meeting transcription tools
- Large, established existing user base since 2016
- Core transcription accuracy refined over nearly a decade
Longest track record specifically in core transcription accuracy
More minutes and advanced features require a paid plan
Fireflies.ai
4.5$10/mo
vs Sembly AISame price+0.3
One of the earliest and most established names in AI meeting notes.
- Extensive integration ecosystem with CRM and project tools
- One of the earliest AI meeting transcription tools
- Free tier for standard use
Long operating history and refinement relative to newer competitors
More features and storage require a paid plan
ScreenApp
3.7Free
vs Sembly AI−0.5
"AI That Actually Listens" - up to 99% transcription accuracy turns hours of recordings into searchable insights and structured meeting notes, serving 8.1M+ users.
- Up to 99% transcription accuracy
- Automatic summarization and key-insight extraction
- Video frame and audio analysis for specific moments
Published accuracy figure gives a real, checkable performance benchmark
Free plan limited to a capped number of transcription minutes
Grain
4.4$15/mo
vs Sembly AI$5 more+0.2
Built around pulling shareable clips out of meetings.
- Shareable short clips pulled directly from meeting recordings
- Meeting transcription and AI summarization
- Free tier for limited recordings
Clip-first sharing communicates key moments faster than a full recording
More storage and advanced features require a paid plan
MeetGeek
4.3$15/mo
vs Sembly AI$5 more+0.1
Scores meeting effectiveness, not just transcribes them.
- Meeting effectiveness scoring and analytics
- Talk-time balance and engagement pattern tracking over time
- Free tier for standard use
Effectiveness scoring adds insight beyond a plain transcript
More storage and advanced features require a paid plan
Circleback.ai
4.2$20.83/mo
vs Sembly AI$10.83 moreSame
AI meeting assistant recording, transcribing, and turning conversations into notes, action items, and CRM updates automatically.
- Automatic recording and transcription across Zoom, Meet, Teams, and Slack huddles
- AI-generated meeting notes, summaries, and action items
- Draft follow-up email generation after each meeting
Founding team has direct relevant experience (Stripe LLM integration, Tableau analytics)
Team-tier pricing ($25/user/month) scales up cost fast for larger organizations
tl;dv
4.4$18/mo
vs Sembly AI$8 more+0.2
Positions as a sales coaching platform, not just a note-taker.
- Sales playbook adherence and objection-handling tracking
- AI-selected clips for onboarding new sales reps
- Automatic CRM logging and follow-up email drafting
Genuinely free-forever plan with unlimited meetings, unusual in this category
Sales-coaching focus matters less for non-sales meeting use cases
Fellow
4.4$7/mo
vs Sembly AI$3 less+0.2
Structures meetings before they happen, not just notes after.
- Collaborative meeting agendas built before meetings happen
- Structured one-on-one meeting templates
- AI note-taking and action item tracking
Addresses meeting structure and quality before the meeting, not just after
More collaboration features require a paid plan
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Sembly AI free?
Sembly AI has a free plan, and paid plans start from $10/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Sembly AI?
Fireflies.ai is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Grain, tl;dv, Fellow.
What is the cheapest alternative to Sembly AI?
Among paid plans, Fellow has the lowest starting price (from $7/mo). If you need it free, start with Fireflies.ai.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.