Many users report serious frustrations with Gong's performance and reliability. One significant issue is extremely slow processing times, with some users waiting up to 60 minutes for call recordings to become available after completion. This delay makes it difficult to follow up on important conversations promptly. The slow processing undermines the tool's usefulness for teams that need quick access to meeting information.

Users also express disappointment with the overall value proposition, particularly given Gong's high cost. Some customers report spending $20,000 on the platform only to find it doesn't meet their expectations for performance and reliability. The combination of technical issues and premium pricing leaves many feeling they haven't received adequate return on their investment. This creates frustration for teams trying to justify the expense to their organizations.

The delayed availability of recordings creates operational challenges for sales and customer success teams who rely on timely access to conversation details. When call recordings take an hour to process, it becomes nearly impossible to send immediate follow-ups or address urgent customer concerns that arose during the conversation. This timing issue can hurt customer relationships and slow down sales processes that depend on quick responses.

In contrast, Circleback addresses these core issues with faster processing and more reliable performance. While Gong users wait up to an hour for recordings, Circleback provides immediate access to meeting transcripts and notes, enabling prompt follow-ups and action item completion. The platform offers transparent pricing starting at $25 per month for individuals, making it more accessible than enterprise-focused solutions that require large upfront investments. Circleback's automation features also help teams stay on top of follow-ups automatically, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks due to processing delays.

For more detailed user experiences, you can read reviews at 1 and 2.

Gong delivers powerful AI-driven conversation intelligence that excels at sales coaching and deal analysis. Users consistently praise its ease of setup, seamless integrations with existing tools, and rich call analytics that provide valuable insights into sales performance. The platform is widely considered a "game changer" for improving sales team performance and coaching effectiveness.

However, Gong comes with significant drawbacks that limit its accessibility and reliability. The platform is notably expensive compared to competitors, requiring substantial annual commitments with enterprise-level pricing that can be prohibitive for smaller teams. Users frequently report processing delays, transcription inaccuracies, and privacy features that sometimes hide useful call information.

Gong's technical capabilities are solid but have some limitations compared to more modern solutions. While it supports 70+ languages and offers extensive integrations, it lacks a dedicated desktop application and relies primarily on web-based access. The platform does provide good mobile app functionality and supports both in-person and local recording capabilities.

Where Gong falls short compared to Circleback is in transcript accuracy, ease of use, and pricing flexibility. Circleback offers superior transcription quality with 95%+ accuracy, supports 100+ languages versus Gong's 70+, and provides more accessible pricing with monthly options starting at $25. Additionally, Circleback includes both desktop and mobile apps while Gong only offers web and mobile access.

Why users switch away from Gong

High cost structure

Users frequently cite Gong's expensive pricing as a major reason for switching to alternatives. The platform requires a significant upfront investment with annual platform fees around $5,000 for small teams, plus $1,400-$1,600 per user annually. Additional onboarding services can add another $7,500 to the total cost. For many businesses, especially smaller ones, this pricing structure becomes difficult to justify when more affordable options are available in the market.

Technical performance issues

Despite its advanced features, users report frustrating technical problems that impact daily workflow. Call processing often experiences lags and delays, which can slow down sales teams who need quick access to meeting insights. The transcription accuracy is also inconsistent, leading to unreliable data that teams can't fully trust for important sales decisions and coaching purposes.

Privacy features that limit functionality

While Gong includes privacy protections like phone number redaction, these same features sometimes work against users by hiding information that would actually be useful for their sales processes. When important details from calls get obscured or removed due to privacy settings, it reduces the platform's value for deal analysis and follow-up activities, prompting teams to look for solutions that better balance privacy with practical functionality.

FAQs

Gong does work for in-person meetings through its mobile app, which can capture face-to-face conversations and upload them for analysis.

For most web-based meetings, Gong does require a meeting bot to join and record the session. However, for phone calls and in-person meetings, you can use local recording through the mobile app instead.

Users report that transcription quality has some issues. There are occasional transcription inaccuracies that can affect the reliability of the AI insights and analysis.

Gong does help with follow-up through its automation engine, which can generate follow-up tasks automatically and provide AI recommendations. However, this is primarily focused on sales processes rather than general meeting action items.

Yes, Gong integrates with HubSpot and Salesforce, along with over 250 other tools. It does not have a native Linear integration, though connections might be possible through third-party services like Zapier.

Another alternative: Circleback

Gong users frequently encounter significant operational challenges that Circleback directly addresses through its technical architecture and design choices.

Processing speed and reliability

Gong's most commonly reported issue is slow processing times, with users waiting up to 60 minutes for call recordings to become available. This delay prevents immediate follow-ups and slows down sales processes that depend on quick responses to customer concerns. Circleback eliminates this bottleneck by providing instant access to meeting transcripts and notes immediately after meetings end. The platform processes recordings in real-time, allowing teams to send follow-ups and complete action items without delays.

Cost structure and accessibility

Gong requires substantial upfront investments with enterprise-level pricing that includes annual platform fees around $5,000 for small teams, plus $1,400-$1,600 per user annually. Additional onboarding services can add another $7,500. This pricing structure creates barriers for smaller teams and organizations with limited budgets. Circleback offers monthly pricing starting at $25 per individual user, with team plans at $30 per user monthly. This pricing model provides more flexibility and lower barriers to entry, making advanced meeting intelligence accessible to organizations of all sizes.

Transcription accuracy and technical performance

Users report inconsistent transcription accuracy with Gong, leading to unreliable data that teams cannot trust for important sales decisions and coaching. Technical lags and delays in call processing further impact daily workflows. Circleback addresses these issues with 95%+ transcription accuracy and superior technical performance. The platform supports over 100 languages compared to Gong's 70+ languages, providing broader language coverage for international teams.

Platform access and flexibility

Gong operates primarily through web-based access, lacking a dedicated desktop application. This limitation affects how users integrate the platform into their daily workflows. Circleback provides both desktop applications for Windows and macOS, as well as full-featured mobile apps. This multi-platform approach allows users to capture meetings locally without requiring meeting bots, and enables in-person meeting recording through mobile devices.

Immediate actionability

While Gong focuses on sales coaching and deal analysis, its processing delays often prevent teams from taking immediate action on meeting insights. Circleback's automation engine creates immediate actionability by automatically identifying and assigning action items, integrating with project management tools, and sending structured follow-ups. The platform transforms meeting outputs into actionable workflows without manual verification or long processing waits.

Trial and evaluation options

Gong's enterprise focus means potential customers must go through custom quote processes to evaluate the platform. Circleback offers a 7-day free trial that provides full access to all features, allowing teams to test the platform's capabilities before committing to a subscription.

These differences make Circleback particularly suitable for teams that need reliable, immediate access to meeting intelligence without the complexity and cost barriers associated with enterprise-focused platforms.