Grain is an AI meeting assistant that joins or bot-lessly captures Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls, then automatically transcribes and summarizes them. It supports 130+ languages with speaker recognition, extracts action items, and can export clean meeting notes directly into Claude or ChatGPT via an MCP server and API for further AI workflows. Beyond raw transcripts, Grain generates highlight reels and shareable clips from meetings, syncs notes into CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, and surfaces conversation and revenue intelligence for sales and customer-facing teams. It targets growing teams that want meeting context captured automatically rather than relying on manual note-taking.
tl;dv ("Too Long, Didn't View") is an AI-powered meeting notetaker that records, transcribes, and summarizes Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls without requiring a visible bot in every meeting. It goes beyond single-call notes by aggregating insights across many meetings, letting sales or product teams ask questions like "what are the common objections from prospects this week" and get answers pulled from recent calls. The platform transcribes and translates meetings in 30+ languages, integrates with over 5,000 tools including CRMs, and includes an AI sales-coaching layer that tracks playbook adherence and surfaces coaching moments from real calls. tl;dv partners with Anthropic for its generative AI and anonymizes metadata while processing meetings in randomized chunks; it's SOC2 and GDPR compliant with EU hosting options, and offers a genuinely free-forever plan alongside paid Pro and Business per-seat tiers.
- Free tier includes 20 meetings with real AI notes, not just a limited trial
- Bot-less recording option avoids an intrusive bot joining every call
- Strong AI-workflow integration via MCP server and direct export to Claude/ChatGPT
- No long-term contract required, with a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free-forever plan includes unlimited meetings and transcriptions with no time cap
- Cross-meeting AI insights go beyond single-call summaries to spot trends across many calls
- Support for 30+ languages makes it strong for globally distributed teams
- Explicit privacy design (anonymized metadata, randomized chunk processing) differentiates it on data handling
- Free plan caps recordings at 45 minutes, which is tight for longer meetings
- Business plan pricing is not publicly listed and requires signing up or contacting sales to see
- Advanced coaching and revenue intelligence features are gated behind the higher-priced Business tier
- No native mobile app; mobile recording relies on browser-based meeting platforms instead
- Sales coaching and CRM automation features require the pricier Business tier
- Exact current pricing requires checking third-party sources since the live pricing page returned inconsistent figures during verification
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing datatl;dv offers unlimited free transcription and cross‑meeting insights but lacks a mobile app, while Grain provides richer language support and shareable highlights but limits free recordings to 45 minutes.
Key differences
- •Unlimited free recordings and transcriptions vs. 20‑meeting free limit with 45‑minute cap
- •Cross‑meeting AI insights and automated CRM updates (tl;dv) vs. bot‑less recording and instant highlight reels (Grain)
- •30+ languages (tl;dv) vs. 130+ languages with speaker recognition (Grain)
- •No native mobile app for tl;dv vs. no mobile‑only recording option for Grain
- •Pricing transparency: tl;dv’s free‑forever plan is clear; Grain’s Business pricing is hidden behind sales contact
Pricing & value
tl;dv’s free‑forever plan includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions; Grain’s free tier caps at 20 meetings and 45 min each.
Ease of use / learning curve
Grain offers bot‑less recording and one‑click AI export, reducing setup friction compared to tl;dv’s browser‑only mobile approach.
Features & depth
tl;dv excels in cross‑meeting insights and CRM automation; Grain shines in multi‑language speaker‑recognition and highlight reels.
Integrations & ecosystem
Grain integrates directly with Claude, ChatGPT, and offers MCP server export; tl;dv lists many tools but no AI‑model integrations.
Collaboration
Grain creates shareable highlight clips and action items, facilitating team distribution; tl;dv focuses on internal insights.
Scalability
Unlimited free recordings allow tl;dv to scale with high meeting volume without extra cost.
Support & security
tl;dv emphasizes anonymized metadata processing and privacy design; Grain’s support includes live chat but no specific privacy claims.
Choose Grain if…
Teams that value multi‑language speaker ID, shareable video highlights, and bot‑less recording, and can accept free‑tier limits.
Choose tl;dv if…
Teams needing unlimited free transcription, cross‑meeting analytics, and strong privacy, willing to work without a mobile app.
Common questions
Is there a cost to use either tool beyond the free tier?
tl;dv’s free plan is unlimited; advanced sales coaching and CRM automation require a paid Business tier. Grain’s free tier is limited; Business pricing is not publicly listed.
Can I record meetings from my phone?
tl;dv has no native mobile app; mobile recording works only via browser‑based meeting platforms. Grain also lacks a dedicated mobile app and relies on desktop capture.
Which tool supports more languages?
tl;dv supports transcription and translation in 30+ languages. Grain supports transcription in 130+ languages with speaker recognition.