Notion Meeting Recorder vs Read.ai for meeting automation

Notion Meeting Recorder

Notion Meeting Recorder is a tool that captures and transcribes meetings (both virtual and in-person) directly within Notion workspaces. It functions by recording audio through your device, transcribing the conversation, and automatically generating summaries with key points and action items when meetings end. Users can start recording through a /meet command or via Notion calendar events. The recorder works with any meeting platform since it captures audio directly rather than joining as a bot participant. The resulting notes are stored as Notion pages where they can be shared, searched, or linked to tasks and projects.

The feature requires the Notion AI add-on, which costs $10 per member monthly (or $8 if billed annually). It supports 16 languages for transcription and is available on desktop apps (Windows/Mac) and mobile devices (iOS/Android). While it integrates deeply within Notion's ecosystem—allowing notes to connect with tasks, databases, and other Notion content—it doesn't offer direct third-party integrations beyond Notion's platform. The tool captures audio locally from devices, making it suitable for virtual meetings across any platform as well as in-person discussions.

Read.ai is an AI meeting copilot that transcribes meetings and provides analytics beyond basic notes. It offers real-time transcription during calls, post-meeting summaries with key points and action items, plus metrics on speaker participation, sentiment analysis, and engagement levels. The platform integrates with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, supports 20+ languages, and allows users to search across all meeting transcripts. It can also summarize Slack threads and emails for asynchronous work.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model with a free plan allowing 5 meetings monthly, Pro at $19.75/user/month (annual) for unlimited meetings, and Enterprise starting at $29.75/user/month with video playback features. Read.ai works for virtual meetings through browser extensions without requiring meeting bots, and can capture in-person meetings via its iOS app. It integrates with various platforms including HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, and Slack, though it lacks a dedicated desktop application and Android support.

Comparing Notion Meeting Recorder and Read.ai

Notion Meeting Recorder

• Notion Meeting Recorder integrates directly within the Notion workspace, capturing and organizing meeting content without requiring users to switch contexts. The recorder works through local audio capture rather than meeting bots, limiting its reach outside the Notion ecosystem. While it seamlessly connects notes to Notion tasks and projects, it lacks robust external integrations that would make it truly versatile for teams using diverse toolsets.

Read.ai

• Read.ai functions as a dedicated meeting analysis tool that transcribes conversations while providing engagement metrics and sentiment analysis across meeting participants. The platform offers integrations with major tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Slack, but its automation capabilities remain constrained to predefined actions. Despite its analytics capabilities, Read.ai struggles to bridge the gap between meeting insights and meaningful workflow improvements.

Notion Meeting Recorder works best for teams already deeply embedded in the Notion ecosystem who need seamless documentation within their existing workflows. The tool shines when users want meeting content directly connected to their Notion tasks, projects, and knowledge base, but provides limited value for organizations using diverse software stacks.

Read.ai serves teams more focused on meeting analytics and those using various platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Slack. Its engagement metrics and sentiment analysis make it suitable for sales teams and managers concerned with conversation quality, though its higher price point and complex interface create barriers for smaller organizations seeking simpler solutions.

Notion Meeting Recorder vs Read.ai: What do users say?

Notion Meeting Recorder and Read.ai are both AI-powered meeting tools with distinct approaches. Notion integrates meeting recording directly within its workspace, allowing users to transcribe meetings and generate organized summaries with key points and action items immediately after meetings end. Users appreciate how well it integrates into Notion workflows, with no context switching required, and its ability to extract key points from conversations. However, it's primarily valuable for teams already using Notion extensively, with some users finding the learning curve steep for those not familiar with Notion's ecosystem. The AI feature costs $10 per member monthly ($8 if billed annually) as an add-on to any Notion plan. It works well for both virtual and in-person meetings via local recording through device microphones, supporting 16 languages.

Read.ai positions itself as a meeting "copilot" with features beyond basic transcription, including engagement and sentiment analysis. It provides real-time transcription and summaries visible during meetings, plus post-meeting reports with metrics on speaking time and attention scores. Read.ai integrates with numerous platforms including Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, and offers robust connections to tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Notion. Users praise its rich feature set and smart summaries, but some find the free tier (limited to 5 meetings monthly) too restrictive and the interface potentially complex. Pricing ranges from free to $29.75 per user/month for Enterprise features, with an iOS app available for in-person meetings.

For more information about these tools, check out Read.ai reviews on Trustpilot, Read.ai on Microsoft AppSource, Notion Meeting Recording discussion on Reddit, Notion Review by Appy Pie Automate, and Notion Reviews on G2.

FAQs

• Would Notion Meeting Recorder work for in-person meetings? What about Read.ai? Yes, both tools work for in-person meetings. Notion Meeting Recorder can capture in-person discussions using your device's microphone, and works "with every meeting tool" including face-to-face meetings. Read.ai also supports in-person meetings through its iOS app that captures offline meetings with one tap.

• What about meeting bots? Does either of these tools require a meeting bot? Neither tool requires a meeting bot. Notion Meeting Recorder doesn't rely on an external meeting service integration - it records audio locally from your computer. It captures system output and microphone input directly. Read.ai also doesn't use meeting bots - it records virtual meetings via cloud or extension, and offline audio via mobile app.

Another alternative: Circleback

Circleback provides best-in-class AI-powered meeting notes and automations. We support over 100 languages and automatic participant identification in both in-person and online meetings.

• Automatically-identified and assigned action items

• AI-enabled search across all meetings

• Automations with 100+ app integrations

• Industry-leading security with SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and HIPAA compliance

• Ability to capture both online and in-person meetings with desktop and mobile apps