TL;DR
What's the cheapest alternative to tl;dv?
Often it's tl;dv's own free plan: unlimited recordings and transcription, AI notes for 10 meetings and 3 months of data retention. Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai and Read AI have free plans too. The cheapest paid swap is Otter.ai Pro at US$8.33/month billed yearly, against US$18/month billed yearly (US$216/year) for tl;dv Pro. Prices are US$ before tax, price checked Oct 25, 2026.
What tl;dv costs right now
tl;dv Pro is US$29/month billed monthly, or US$18/month billed yearly (US$216/year), before tax. Business is US$39/month, or US$29/month billed yearly, per seat. tl;dv says yearly billing saves up to 40%. Price checked Oct 25, 2026.
tl;dv records Zoom, Meet and Teams calls and writes AI notes and reports. If you have a handful of client calls a month, the free plan or a cheaper notetaker may cover it. If you want AI notes on every call, the free plan's 10 meetings will run out fast. Nobody needs premium notes for a weekly "quick sync" that's never quick.
Cheaper doesn't always mean the same. Alternatives can differ in features and quality, so try the free plan before you switch.
tl;dv Pro vs alternatives
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Cheaper than tl;dv Pro? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tl;dv Pro (what you pay now) | Yes | Pro: US$29/month, or US$18/month on a yearly plan (US$216/year) | — | meeting recording, AI meeting notes |
| Otter.ai | Yes | Pro: US$16.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan | Yes, US$9.67/month less | meeting notes, live transcription |
| Fireflies.ai | Yes | Pro: US$18/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year) | Yes, US$8/month less | meeting notes, call transcription |
| Read AI | Yes | Pro: US$19.75/month, or US$15/month on a yearly plan (US$180/year) | Yes, US$3/month less | meeting summaries, meeting coach |
Paying for more than tl;dv? Tick everything you pay for in the Nerdy Savings calculator, or browse every transcription & meeting notes tool we've priced.
The alternatives
Otter.ai
Joins your calls to transcribe, summarize and pull out action items.
Free plan: Yes: 300 transcription minutes/month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 lifetime file imports.
Paid from: Pro: US$16.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Save 51% with annual billing on Pro; Business monthly promo 20% off for 3+ months (US$24 instead of US$30).
Cheaper or similar: Fireflies.ai, Read AI
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Fireflies.ai
AI notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes meetings.
Free plan: Yes: Limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team, 20 AI credits.
Paid from: Pro: US$18/month, or US$10/month on a yearly plan (US$120/year)
Discounts: Save up to 44% with annual billing; volume discounts mentioned in FAQ.
Cheaper or similar: Otter.ai, Fathom
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Read AI
Summarizes meetings, email and chats and lets you search across them.
Free plan: Yes: 5 meeting transcripts per month.
Paid from: Pro: US$19.75/month, or US$15/month on a yearly plan (US$180/year)
Discounts: 25% off with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai
Checked Oct 26, 2026
FAQ
Is tl;dv free?
Yes. tl;dv's free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription, AI notes for 10 meetings and 3 months of data retention. Pro is US$29/month, or US$18/month billed yearly (price checked Oct 25, 2026).
How much does tl;dv cost in 2026?
tl;dv Pro is US$29/month billed monthly or US$216/year billed yearly (US$18/month). Business is US$39/month or US$29/month billed yearly, per seat. Prices are US$ before tax, price checked Oct 25, 2026.
What's the cheapest paid alternative to tl;dv?
Otter.ai Pro, at US$8.33/month billed yearly or US$16.99/month billed monthly. Fireflies.ai Pro is US$10/month billed yearly (US$120/year), and Read AI Pro is US$15/month billed yearly (US$180/year). Price checked Oct 25, 2026.
What do the free AI meeting notetaker plans include?
Otter.ai's free plan gives you 300 transcription minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation and 3 file imports in total. Fireflies.ai's includes limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team and 20 AI credits. Read AI's covers 5 meeting transcripts a month.
Is Otter.ai cheaper than tl;dv?
Yes, on both billing options. Otter.ai Pro is US$16.99/month or US$8.33/month billed yearly, against US$29/month or US$18/month billed yearly for tl;dv Pro. Otter says yearly billing saves 51% on Pro (price checked Oct 25, 2026).
Sources
- tl;dv pricing — free plan, Pro and Business prices
- Otter.ai pricing — free plan limits, Pro price
- Fireflies.ai pricing — free plan, Pro price
- Read AI pricing — free plan, Pro price