For small businesses in 2026, Circleback is a strong pick: Free has unlimited meetings and members, and Pro is $15/user/month billed annually. Otter.ai Pro ($8.33) and Fireflies.ai Pro ($10) cost less on annual billing. Granola Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly. All prices are list prices per user per month, as of October 2026.
Price and plan comparison, as of October 2026
| Tool | Free plan limits | Cheapest paid plan (annual / monthly) | Team features on that plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circleback | Unlimited meetings and members, limited automations, API/MCP/CLI; meetings older than 30 days locked, not deleted (Pro unlocks them) | Pro: $15 / $18 | Unlimited meeting history, automations with all integrations (Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, webhooks) |
| Fireflies.ai | Free plan exists; limits not listed in the pricing details we reviewed | Pro: $10 / $18 | App and CRM integrations |
| Fathom | Limited use of advanced summaries and Ask Fathom; pricing table also lists CRM sync (max 3 users per domain), though Fathom's CRM page puts CRM sync on paid plans | Team: $15 / $19 (2-user minimum) | Team features not listed in the pricing details we reviewed |
| Granola | Basic: $0, 30-day history | Business: $14 per user per month, billed monthly (no annual option) | Unlimited history, integrations with Attio, Notion, HubSpot, Affinity, Zapier |
| Otter.ai | Basic: 300 transcription minutes a month | Pro: $8.33 / $16.99 | 1,200 transcription minutes a month |
| tl;dv | Free plan exists; limits not listed in the pricing details we reviewed | Pro: $18 / $29 | Team features not listed in the pricing details we reviewed |
Sources: Fireflies.ai pricing, Fathom pricing, Granola pricing, Otter.ai pricing, tl;dv pricing, Fathom help center.
Circleback
Circleback turns conversations into speaker-labeled transcripts, notes, assigned action items, automations, and searchable context. The Free plan is permanent, not a trial. It has unlimited meetings and members, and Circleback sets no minute or meeting caps on any plan. Free automations cover Slack, Linear, and Share meeting.
Pro is $15 per user per month billed annually, or $18 monthly. It adds automations with every integration, including Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, and webhooks, plus unlimited meeting history. On Free, meetings older than 30 days (imports included) are locked, not deleted (recordings follow the default 1-year retention, as on Pro), and upgrading to Pro unlocks them.
Best for: small teams that want unlimited members on a free plan and a paid tier with no meeting caps. Limitation: on annual billing Pro costs more per seat than Otter.ai Pro and Fireflies.ai Pro, and on monthly billing it costs more than Granola Business ($18 vs $14), and unlimited free viewers are a Business and Enterprise feature (Business is $25 annual, $29 monthly).
Fathom
Fathom syncs meeting summaries to HubSpot, Salesforce, Pylon and Zero. As of October 2026, Fathom's CRM page puts CRM sync on paid plans, while its pricing table also lists CRM sync on Free and Premium (max 3 users per domain), and CRM field sync starts on Business. Free includes limited use of advanced summaries and Ask Fathom. Premium is $16 annual ($20 monthly). Team is $15 annual ($19 monthly) with a 2-user minimum.
Best for: very small sales-facing teams that want summaries logged to the CRM at a low price. Limitation: Fathom's own pages differ on whether CRM sync is free, the individual-plan listing caps it at 3 users per domain, and the Team plan needs at least 2 seats.
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai Pro is $10 per user on annual billing and $18 monthly. Its pricing FAQ lists app and CRM integrations on Pro and Business. Business is $19 annual ($29 monthly), and Enterprise is $39, annual only.
Best for: teams that want integrations at a low per-seat price. Limitation: the $10 rate needs annual billing; monthly is $18.
Granola
Granola's Basic plan is $0 with 30-day history. Business is $14 per user per month and adds unlimited history and integrations with Attio, Notion, HubSpot, Affinity, and Zapier. Enterprise is $35.
Best for: teams that want unlimited history and CRM and workspace integrations at a price under $15. Limitation: Business is billed monthly only; Granola's help center says annual billing is for Enterprise contracts.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai Basic is free with 300 transcription minutes a month. Pro is $8.33 per user on annual billing ($16.99 monthly) and includes 1,200 minutes. Business is $19.99 annual ($30 monthly), and Enterprise is custom.
Best for: the lowest annual price in this comparison. Limitation: both plans have minute caps, so a team with many long meetings should check usage against 300 or 1,200 minutes.
tl;dv
tl;dv has a free plan. Pro is $18 per user per month billed annually ($29 monthly). Business is $29 ($39). Enterprise is custom.
Best for: teams that want to start free and move to Pro at $18 billed annually. Limitation: the free plan limits and Pro team features are not listed in the pricing details we reviewed.
How to choose on a small budget
- Add up your monthly meeting minutes first. Otter.ai caps Basic at 300 minutes and Pro at 1,200. Circleback has no minute or meeting caps.
- Count seats and decide whether you will pay annually. Otter.ai ($8.33) and Fireflies.ai ($10) are the lowest annual prices, but both rise sharply on monthly billing ($16.99 and $18).
- Check how far back you need to search. On Circleback Free, meetings older than 30 days are locked, not deleted, and Pro unlocks them. Granola Basic has 30-day history, and Granola Business removes that limit.
- List the tools your team already uses, then check which plan includes them. Circleback Pro covers Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, and webhooks. Granola Business covers Attio, Notion, HubSpot, Affinity, and Zapier. Fireflies.ai Pro lists app and CRM integrations.
- Count your CRM users and check Fathom's current terms before relying on free CRM sync. Its CRM page puts CRM sync on paid plans, and its pricing table caps individual-plan CRM sync at 3 users per domain.
FAQ
Which AI meeting tools are best for small businesses?
It depends on budget and usage. Otter.ai Pro ($8.33) and Fireflies.ai Pro ($10) have the lowest annual prices. Circleback offers unlimited meetings and members on Free and Pro at $15 annual, and Granola Business is $14 per user per month, billed monthly. Fathom logs summaries to HubSpot, Salesforce, Pylon and Zero; check its current terms for whether CRM sync is on the free plan. All prices are as of October 2026.
Is there a free AI meeting tool with no time limit?
Yes. Circleback Free is a permanent plan with unlimited meetings and members; meetings older than 30 days are locked, not deleted, and upgrading to Pro unlocks them. Fathom, Fireflies.ai, and tl;dv also list free plans, and Otter.ai Basic gives 300 minutes a month. Granola Basic is $0 with 30-day history.
What do I lose on Circleback Free after 30 days?
Meetings older than 30 days, including imports, are locked, not deleted (recordings follow the default 1-year retention, as on Pro). Upgrading to Pro unlocks them, and Pro has unlimited meeting history.
Which tool is cheapest on monthly billing?
Among the monthly prices listed here, Granola Business is $14, Otter.ai Pro is $16.99, Fireflies.ai Pro and Circleback Pro are $18, and Fathom Team is $19. tl;dv Pro is $29.