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5 Best Tl;dv Alternatives & Competitors for Meeting Recording in 2024

By 
Max Gayler
 on 
December 21, 2023
Remote Works

It feels like anyone who’s exposed to online meetings is aware of the world of meeting recording. Recording meetings to rewatch yourself or to send to anyone who couldn’t make it isn’t a new idea anymore, in fact, what’s dominating the world of tech now is remote work tools. Tools like Tl;dv.

Tl;dv is an intelligent meeting recorder that provides you with a word-for-word transcript of everything that was said as well as an AI-generated summary so people can catch up without sitting through hours of talking.

It’s a handy tool but it isn’t the only one of its kind. Maybe you need something more powerful, with a better UI, cheaper, or that can replace multiple tools at once. Well that’s what this list is for. Let’s take a look at the best Tl;dv alternatives and competitors for meeting recording and what the market looks like today.

What is Tl;dv?

Tl;dv is a meeting recording and transcription tool designed to simplify the process of capturing and referencing important discussions. It offers a range of features aimed at streamlining meeting documentation and making information easily accessible.

Pros of Tl;dv

To start, let’s talk about the key points that make Tl;dv a great option for your team:

  • AI-Powered Transcription and Summarization: Tl;dv can transcribe meetings in 20+ languages and automatically summarize the topics discussed, highlighting key moments with AI.
  • Integration with Other Platforms: It integrates well with platforms like Notion, Slack, HubSpot, and CRMs such as Salesforce.
  • User-Friendly Interface: It's noted for its ease of use and is suitable for various professionals, including those in UX/user research, sales, hiring, and product teams.
  • Automatic Speaker Recognition: Tl;dv can identify multiple speakers and break this down into the transcript itself. 
  • Video Clip Creation: Tl;dv allows users to create bite-size videos containing meeting insights, which is useful for sharing key moments.

Cons of Tl;dv

Now let’s look at at where Tl;dv might be lacking in certain areas:

  • No Screen Recording: Tl;dv is designed to record meetings and transcribe audio. It doesn’t work as a holistic tool for synchronous and asynchronous video
  • No Highlighted Moments: Tl;dv doesn’t allow you to pin key moments during meetings.
  • Basic Collaboration Features: Tl;dv does allow your team members to share videos between them, however, it doesn’t support video annotation, thread creating, or polls like some competitors do.
  • No Sentiment Analysis: Enterprise level products like Gong break down the word selection and tone of speakers in calls, offering a detailed look at not just what happened in the meeting, but how it happened.
  • No Basic Plan Offering: Tl;dv only offers a free or Pro plan, meaning you are either stuck with a limited free account or have to pay the full amount for a subscription. This may price out some companies.
  • Not an Adequate Video Wiki: Tl;dv does store all your videos for you, however it doesn’t act as a suitable home for your videos. It is designed to be integrated with other tools and have videos hosted there.

Pricing

Tl;dv offers three different kinds of plans, Free, Pro, and Enterprise:

Their Pro plan costs $20 per seat per month and comes with unlimited recording and unlimited transcriptions. It also includes integrations with 5000+ tools, global search, team folders, and unlimited view-only members. If you want SSO, an API and more advanced features you’ll need the Enterprise plan.

Tl;dv free plan

  • Unlimited recordings
  • Unlimited transcripts
  • 20+ languages
  • AI summaries
  • Speaker recognition
  • Slack integration
  • Viewing notifications

Best Overall Alternative: Claap

Exploring the best alternative to Tl;dv leads us to Claap. More than a simple note-taking application, Claap revolutionizes meeting notes and automated transcriptions. It equips businesses for enhanced efficiency with a mix of asynchronous videos, robust meeting recordings, and comprehensive AI-driven summaries, all within an easy-to-use platform. 

What is Claap?

Claap transcends traditional note-taking applications; it functions as an advanced video wiki, transforming how companies manage and leverage their meeting data. Envision a platform where you have the convenience of both written notes and video recordings, complemented by precise transcriptions and AI-driven summaries – this encapsulates the essence of Claap.

What makes Claap stand out from other products in this realm is its holistic approach to collaboration and alignment. It’s not just another tool to add to your stack, it’s the tool that makes your stack smaller but significantly more powerful.

Claap vs Tl;dv: Which Does What Better?Feature

Feature Tl;dv Claap
Screen recording ❌ No ✅ Yes
Meeting recording ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Automated transcript ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Automated AI meeting notes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Video wiki ❌ No ✅ Yes
Comments ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Advanced collaboration ❌ No ✅ Yes

Let's delve into why Claap stands out as a top Tl;dv competitor:

  • Screen Recording Enhancement: Claap includes screen recording, giving it an edge over Tl;dv, especially beneficial for visually-focused teams.
  • Superior Collaboration Tools: Claap surpasses Tl;dv in collaboration, offering interactive tools like speaker recognition and video annotation.
  • Editing Features: Claap's video trimming and stitching surpass Tl;dv, aiding in crafting clear and concise meeting summaries.

Pros

  • Integrated Video & Screen Recording: Claap merges video recordings with transcriptions, offering a comprehensive documentation experience.
  • AI-Driven Summaries: Claap's AI summaries provide insightful overviews, pinpointing crucial meeting points.
  • Customizable Transcriptions: This feature allows tailoring meeting documentation to specific organizational needs.
  • Competitive Pricing: Claap's pricing is accessible for various business sizes, offering substantial features without heavy costs.

Cons

  • Compatibility Issue: Claap's desktop app is presently only for Mac users, with Windows support pending.
  • Lacking Advanced Features: Claap doesn't have certain high-end features like sentiment analysis, which is reflected in its pricing.

Claap pricing

Cost-effectiveness is a significant factor when considering Tl;dv alternatives, and Claap doesn't disappoint. 

A Basic Recorder plan is as cheap as $8 per seat per month when you pay yearly. This level comes with unlimited video recordings, however they are capped at 30 minutes per video. 

If you want something more powerful, the Power Recorder option is as cheap as $24 per seat per month and comes with unlimited everything. An Enterprise plan is also available for businesses that need CRM integrations, advanced privacy, SSO, API, and more.

Claap’s free plan

  • 10 minutes per user
  • 10 minutes per video
  • Maximum 20 recorders per space
  • Chrome extension and Desktop app
  • Video annotations
  • Notion and Slack integrations

Best Free Alternative: Fathom

For individual entrepreneurs, securing the best tools for efficiency and productivity is essential. This is where Fathom stands out as the premier free Tl;dv alternative. Tailor-made for the solo entrepreneur, Fathom combines ease of use with a budget-friendly approach, ensuring vital features are accessible without high costs.

What is Fathom?

Fathom is the go-to Tl;dv alternative for solo entrepreneurs. It focuses on providing a straightforward, economical solution, perfect for those who don't require the intricate features and expenses typical of larger teams or enterprise setups.

Pros

  • Simplicity: Fathom is designed with simplicity in mind, offering a user-friendly interface that eliminates any complex features, making it an ideal tool for solo entrepreneurs who need an efficient and straightforward solution.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: As a Tl;dv alternative, Fathom is budget-friendly, particularly appealing to individual users or small-scale setups, contrasting with the potentially higher costs associated with Tl;dv.
  • Meeting Highlights: Fathom allows users to easily create meeting highlights, a feature beneficial for entrepreneurs needing quick access to important parts of their meetings.
  • Full Transcripts with Speaker Identification: Fathom provides complete transcripts of meetings, including speaker tags, facilitating easier review and organization of meeting content.
  • Strong Free Option: Fathom's free version offers unlimited calls and team members, making it a powerful option for individual entrepreneurs.

Cons

  • Limited Language Support: Fathom supports six languages, which might be limiting for entrepreneurs working in international contexts.
  • No Screen Recording: Unlike some alternatives, Fathom lacks screen recording capabilities, reducing its utility for asynchronous communication needs.
  • Embedding Limitations: Fathom currently faces challenges in embedding seamlessly into emails and other tools, potentially leading to less streamlined sharing of information.

Fathom Pricing

Fathom's pricing is tailored to meet the specific needs of one-person teams and small businesses. 

Fathom also offers a Fathom Teams product that costs $32 per seat per month for a Standard Plan, and $39 per seat per month for a Pro plan which includes CRM sync, SSO and advanced access controls.

Fathom’s free plan

  • Unlimited minutes
  • Unlimited users
  • Salesforce, Hubspot, Notion and Slack integrations.

Best Just Audio Alternative: Otter

If your needs stop at audio then the best Tl;dv alternative for you might be Otter. Their product is focused much more on transcription than meeting recording. It comes with a range of integrations though so you can plug it into your workflow with ease. 

Otter is an AI-driven transcription and note-taking tool that not only offers robust features but also provides a generous free plan, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users.

What is Otter?

Otter is designed to cater to a wide range of users, including those who are just starting their journey with note-taking tools or need an economical option. Its standout feature is its very accurate transcription model which claims to be 99%+ accurate.

Pro

While Tl;dv is known for its advanced features, Otter's free plan makes it an appealing choice for users who don't require the full spectrum of capabilities provided by Tl;dv. Let's delve into why Otter is a noteworthy Tl;dv competitor:

  • Free Plan: Otter's complimentary offering is a significant draw, especially for those starting out or operating on a limited budget. This plan allows users to access essential features without financial constraints, unlike Tl;dv.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Otter is designed with simplicity in mind, making it more approachable for users who may find Tl;dv' array of features overwhelming.
  • Real-time Transcription: Otter provides real-time transcription capabilities, ensuring that you can capture discussions as they happen, which can be especially useful for live meetings.
  • Slide Capture: Otter has the capability to copy the text from slides as well as voice to make sure it doesn’t miss a single detail in the meeting.
  • Chat Capabilities: Recently, Otter AI Chat has been launched. This allows deeper collaboration so you can get answers to meetings questions instantly by using your database of transcripts.

Cons

  • Poor Meeting Analytics: Some tools provide deeper analytics of meeting content, such as sentiment analysis, trend identification, and detailed participant engagement metrics, which are beyond the basic transcription services of Otter.ai.
  • No Integrated Video Recording: Unlike some of its competitors, Otter.ai primarily focuses on audio transcription and may not offer integrated video recording or the ability to directly capture and sync video content with notes.
  • Automated Action Item Extraction: Some note-taking tools have the capability to automatically identify and extract action items or tasks from meeting transcripts, a feature that might not be as developed in Otter.ai.
  • Limited AI Summaries: While Otter.ai offers transcription services, it may not provide as advanced AI-powered summarization of meetings as some other tools do. These summaries are often context-aware and highlight key discussion points more effectively.
  • Non-Customizable Transcripts: Advanced customization options for transcripts, such as adding annotations, custom tags, or editing layouts, might be more limited in Otter.ai compared to some other platforms.
  • Missing Integration with a Wider Range of Business Tools: While Otter.ai integrates with popular platforms, other tools might offer a broader range of integrations, particularly with specialized business applications.
  • No Speaker Identification and Attribution: Some competitors might offer more advanced speaker identification and attribution features, which are crucial in multi-speaker environments to accurately track who said what.
  • Unlimited Access is Expensive: Otter does not have an unlimited option. Thye offer an Enterprise service for high demand accounts but the price of this can become expensive.
  • Privacy scandals: Otter has a history of audio files being sent to third parties. Of course, Otter has now made efforts to rectify this, however, stories from customers are still off putting to read.

Otter Pricing

While Otter's free plan is its standout feature, it also offers paid plans for users who require additional features and usage limits. 

A Pro account costs $17 per seat per month and comes with 1200 minutes of transcription. That includes a maximum session time of 90 minutes. You can also import up to 10 audio or video files per month. 

Their Business plan costs $40 per user per month and allows 6,000 monthly minutes and sessions of up to 4 hours. 

Otter’s free plan

  • Otter AI chat
  • Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet integrations
  • 300 transcription minutes
  • 30 minutes per sessions
  • Up to 3 audio or video files

Best Live Transcription Alternative: Reduct

A lot of Tl;dv alternatives wrestle over which records meetings better and can give you a transcript at the end. But what if you need something more instantaneous? Something that happens in real-time? Reduct is a great option for anyone who needs live transcription in their meetings.

What is Reduct?

Reduct is an innovative AI-based platform that reinvents the traditional approach to taking meeting notes. It serves as a collaborative, transcript-based tool for video and audio content, allowing for efficient review, searching, highlighting, and editing of people talking at scale. This platform is especially useful for a range of fields including qualitative research, film production, legal and criminal justice, marketing, content creation, and education.

What sets Reduct apart is its Live Capture feature, which automatically transcribes spoken words in real-time during meetings. This means that users can focus more on the discussion rather than taking notes. The platform supports transcription in over 30 different languages and can import directly from various sources like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Zoom.

Pros

  • Automatic Real-Time Transcription: Reduct's Live Capture feature automatically transcribes conversations in real-time during meetings, providing an accurate record of discussions. This feature is particularly useful for ensuring that no important detail is missed during meetings.
  • Multi-Language Support: The platform supports transcription in over 30 different languages, making it versatile and suitable for global teams and multinational projects.
  • Advanced Search Capabilities: With all content transcribed, Reduct allows users to search their entire repository of transcriptions. This includes the ability to search for exact matches or use natural language processing-powered fuzzy search to find relevant ideas and phrases.
  • Collaborative Videoboard Feature: Reduct provides a 2D digital canvas called Videoboard for organizing and analyzing highlights and recordings. This feature enables teams to collaboratively storyboard, map out ideas, or perform affinity mapping, enhancing the team's ability to visualize and work with the data.
  • Transcript Correction and Tagging: Users can correct transcription errors and use tags to categorize highlights, making it easier to navigate and organize key themes across recordings. This feature is especially useful for maintaining accuracy and improving the organization of meeting content.

Cons

  • Screen Recording: Unlike Claap, Reduct does not offer a screen recording feature. This functionality can be crucial for teams that rely heavily on visual aids and need to record their screens during meetings or presentations.
  • Automated Meeting Summarization: Tl;dv and Claap provide automated AI-driven meeting summaries, which can be a significant time-saver. Reduct, while offering transcription and video editing tools, does not specifically mention automated summarization of entire meetings, which might be a drawback for users looking for quick meeting overviews.
  • Advanced Collaboration Tools: Tools like Claap offer advanced collaboration features such as video annotation, threads, and polls to enhance the meeting experience. Reduct focuses more on transcription and video editing, and may not offer the same level of in-depth collaboration tools.
  • Embedding Options in Other Tools: Competitors like Tl;dv offer more seamless integration and embedding options with other tools and platforms. Reduct, on the other hand, may have limitations in terms of embedding its content easily into emails or other collaboration tools.
  • Specialized Features for Sales Teams: Gong, another competitor, provides specialized features for sales teams, like deal intelligence and conversation analysis with AI. Reduct, while versatile, does not appear to have features specifically tailored for sales optimization.

Reduct Pricing

Reduct is the only offering here that does not have a free option. They do offer a 14 day free trial to any of their paid plans, however, your account will no longer work after those 14 days are up. 

Standard Plan: Priced at $30 per editor, per month, this plan offers access to Reduct's comprehensive platform features. It includes 10 hours of pooled transcription each month for each editor, allows up to 10 free commenters, and offers 1080p video exports. Users also benefit from unlimited storage with an individual media file size limit of up to 4GB.

Advanced Plan: At $50 per editor, per month, this plan includes everything in the Standard plan, along with additional perks. Users get up to 50 free commenters, video and audio redaction features, and cross-project functionality. It also offers more transcription export formats, Zapier integrations, high-resolution 4K exports, and supports individual media files up to 75GB. A free 14-day trial with all Advanced features is available, including 2 hours of AI transcription.

Enterprise Plan: Starting at $75 per editor, per month, the Enterprise plan encompasses all features of the Advanced plan. It provides SSO integration (SAML or Google-based), advanced access controls, SOC2 Type II and annual pentest reports, data processing agreement for GDPR & CCPA compliance, and a signed MSA with SLA including invoiced, annual billing. This plan also offers priority support.

Best Enterprise Alternative: Gong

For major corporations in search of an all-encompassing solution surpassing basic note-taking, Gong presents itself as a leading alternative to Tl;dv. More than a mere note-taking application, Gong is an integrated platform offering a blend of meeting transcriptions, analytics, and coaching, enabling enterprises to derive practical insights from their communications.

What is Gong?

Gong is tailored for organizations that need sophisticated analytics, coaching, and comprehensive insights into their communications and meetings. It serves as more than a note-taking application, acting as a key resource for boosting team efficiency and decision-making processes.

Pro

Gong sets itself apart as a top choice for large enterprises, with several distinctive features making it a strong competitor to Tl;dv:

  • Deal Intelligence: Gong's ability to analyze customer interactions across multiple channels (such as emails, calls, and meetings) is remarkable. This feature aids sales teams in discerning effective sales techniques and offers real-time advice on improving conversation strategies for better results.
  • Revenue Intelligence: Differing from standard CRM data, Gong provides a comprehensive overview of customer interactions and sales procedures. This broader perspective allows for a deeper understanding of customer journeys, supporting data-informed decision-making aligned with revenue objectives.
  • AI-Powered Conversation Analysis: Gong utilizes advanced AI for analyzing conversations, focusing on aspects like customer sentiment, key spoken words, competitive mentions, and engagement levels. This analysis yields practical insights for refining sales tactics and customer interactions.
  • Customized Coaching and Training: Utilizing its data on conversation intelligence, Gong offers tailored coaching and training suggestions for sales teams. By studying successful sales discussions and identifying effective practices, Gong guides sales personnel in improving communication strategies and overall performance.

Cons

Despite its robust features, Gong has certain drawbacks:

  • High Cost: Gong's pricing can be steep, with a minimum annual expenditure of $9,000 and an approximate installation fee of $5,000. For moderately sized sales teams, the cost can easily exceed $40,000 annually.
  • Sales-centric Design: Gong is specifically engineered for sales teams, which might limit its applicability in other departments like product development or technology teams.
  • Occasionally Inaccurate Analysis: Some users have noted inaccuracies in Gong's tone analysis and other advanced features.
  • Complex User Interface: Users might find it challenging to locate specific video recordings using the built-in search function.
  • Takes Weeks to Install: Gong isn’t something you can just download onto your Chrome browser, no, no, no. You will need to speak to their engineers to get their code installed into your system. That can take weeks of work, making this not a great option for those in need quickly.

Gong Pricing

Gong's pricing is tailored to meet the needs of larger enterprises, with customizable plans and features. That means they do not offer a free trial and they do not publicize their pricing.

They do require a minimum spend of $9,000 per year per account, and there is an installation cost of roughly $5,000.

Which Tl;dv Alternative is Right For You?

Now that we've explored a range of Tl;dv alternatives, the question remains: which one is the right fit for you and your business needs? Choosing the perfect alternative depends on several factors, including your budget, the size of your team, and the specific features that matter most to you.

Claap - The Best Overall Alternative

Ideal for: Businesses of all sizes looking for a comprehensive note-taking and meeting documentation solution.

Why Choose Claap: Claap's integration of video, AI-powered summaries, customizable transcripts, and competitive pricing make it a compelling choice for those who want to capture every detail of their meetings with ease.

Fathom - The Best Free Alternative

Ideal for: Budget-conscious users, students, freelancers, or small teams with basic transcription needs.

Why Choose Fathom: Fathom’s generous free plan, user-friendly interface, and AI summary capabilities are perfect for those who want to leverage AI transcription committing to a big yearly cost.

Otter - The Best Just Audio Alternative

Ideal for: Solo entrepreneurs and small teams seeking simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

Why Choose Otter: Otter’s user-friendly interface, affordability, and quick setup are tailor-made for one-person teams and small businesses looking for a straightforward note-taking solution.

Reduct - Top Live Transcription Choice

Ideal for: Teams and professionals in various sectors needing instant, accurate meeting transcriptions.

Why Choose Reduct: Reduct excels with its Live Capture for real-time transcription, appealing to those in research, legal, marketing, and more. It supports over 30 languages and offers a collaborative Videoboard for organizing meeting content. 

Gong - The Best Enterprise Alternative

Ideal for: Larger enterprises in need of advanced analytics, coaching, and in-depth insights from meetings.

Why Choose Gong: Gong's advanced analytics, coaching and training features, and seamless integration make it a strategic asset for enhancing team performance and decision-making in larger organizations.

Consider your unique requirements, budget constraints, and the specific features that align with your business goals when making your choice. Each of these Tl;dv alternatives offers a distinct set of advantages, ensuring that there's a perfect match for every user, regardless of their needs and preferences.

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