tl;dv alternatives. Five honest options.
tl;dv sends a bot into Meet, Zoom and Teams calls, and also offers a desktop app that records with no bot. If you want a different price, a free plan with other limits, or capture for in-person meetings, these are the alternatives worth comparing.
One sourced table, then which one fits which reason for leaving.
tl;dv and five alternatives
| tl;dv | Otter | Fireflies | Fathom | Granola | Fluent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid plans | Pro €29/seat/mo, or €18/seat/mo billed yearly. Business €39/seat/mo, or €29/seat/mo billed yearly (prices shown in EUR) | Pro $16.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed yearly. Business $30/mo, or $19.99/mo yearly | Pro $18/seat/mo, or $10 billed yearly. Business $29, or $19 yearly | Premium $20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly. Team $19/user/mo, or $15 yearly. Business $34/user/mo, or $25 yearly | Business $14 per user/mo. Enterprise $35 per user/mo | Pro $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr. Premium $19.99/mo, or $167.99/yr |
| Free plan | Free Forever plan: unlimited recordings and transcriptions in 30+ languages | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | Unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage | Unlimited recordings and transcripts; AI action items and Ask Fathom are limited | Basic: meeting history limited to 30 days | 5 conversations a month |
| Bot in your calls | Bot joins Meet, Zoom and Teams; the desktop app (Mac and Windows) records with no bot | Yes by default (OtterPilot); the desktop app records without one | Yes by default (Fred); the desktop app and Chrome extension record without it | Yes by default; the desktop app records without one | Never | Never |
| In-person meetings | Not stated clearly: tl;dv's pages disagree on whether a mobile app exists | Yes, recorded in the iOS or Android app | Yes, with the mobile app | Yes, in the iOS app | Yes, with the iOS or Android app | Yes — what it is built for |
| Trains AI on your data | No, per tl;dv | Yes, on de-identified data; no opt-out found | Never, per Fireflies | May train its own models on de-identified data; you can opt out | Yes, anonymized, unless you opt out (off by default on Enterprise) | Never used to train models |
Checked October 9, 2026 · Sources: tl;dv pricing, tl;dv, tl;dv desktop app, tl;dv security, Otter pricing, Otter apps, Otter privacy & security, Fireflies pricing, Fireflies mobile, Fireflies desktop, Fireflies security, Fathom pricing, Fathom compatible devices, Fathom privacy policy, Granola pricing, Granola, Granola security, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ, Fluent privacy
Prices are for one user or seat. tl;dv shows its prices in euros. Otter also shows lower prices that its pricing page limits to India-issued cards; those are left out.
Pick by your reason for leaving
You don't want a bot in the call
tl;dv, Otter and Fireflies each have a bot-free desktop option alongside their call bots, and Fathom offers bot-free capture in beta on Mac. Granola uses your computer's audio, and Fluent never joins calls.
You want a pendant
tl;dv's pages don't describe pendant support. Fluent pairs with a Limitless or Omi pendant, or records from your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
You want in-person capture
Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and Granola record in person through their phone apps. Fluent is built for in-person meetings, from a pendant or your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
You want a different free plan
tl;dv's free plan offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions. Fathom offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions with some AI features limited, Fireflies a limited free plan with 400 minutes of storage per team, Otter 300 minutes a month, and Fluent 5 conversations a month.
You want follow-through, not just notes
Fluent turns each conversation into the commitments people made, a profile of everyone you talk to, and coaching. The others focus on per-meeting notes and search.
tl;dv for the call, Fluent for the room
tl;dv is built around Meet, Zoom and Teams calls, and its desktop app lets you record them without a bot. Fluent never joins calls; on a remote call it captures the room: your side, plus anything audible from your speakers. If nearly all your meetings are calls, tl;dv is a sensible place to stay. If your important conversations happen in person, Fluent is built for them.
See Fluent vs tl;dv for the two side by side.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to tl;dv?
On the free plans as listed on October 9, 2026: tl;dv itself offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions, Fathom offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions with some AI features limited, Fireflies offers a limited free plan with 400 minutes of storage per team, Otter allows 300 minutes a month, and Fluent's free plan includes 5 conversations a month.
Is there a tl;dv alternative without a bot?
tl;dv's own desktop app records without a bot, and so do Otter's and Fireflies' desktop apps. Fathom offers bot-free capture in beta on Mac, Granola uses your computer's audio, and Fluent never joins calls.
Is there a tl;dv alternative for in-person meetings?
Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and Granola record in person through their phone apps. Fluent is built for in-person meetings, from a Limitless or Omi pendant or your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
Does tl;dv train AI on my meetings?
Per its security page on October 9, 2026, tl;dv says no customer data is used to train the AI. Otter and Granola train on de-identified or anonymized data, Fathom may, and Fireflies says it doesn't by default; Fluent says it never uses your conversations to train models.
Try the alternative that follows you into the room.
Free for 5 conversations a month. No bot, ever.
Download Fluent for iPhone