Read.ai offers a comprehensive meeting analysis platform that goes beyond basic transcription to provide engagement metrics, sentiment analysis, and speaker balance insights. The tool supports multiple platforms including Zoom, Teams, and Meet, with features like real-time translation across 16+ languages and AI-powered search across meeting archives. However, the extensive feature set creates a complex interface that some users find overwhelming, and the free tier's limitation of just 5 meetings per month is restrictive compared to competitors.

Read.ai works best for data-driven teams and managers who want detailed analytics about meeting effectiveness and participant engagement. The pricing at $19.75-$29.75 per user monthly makes it most suitable for established businesses rather than small teams or individual users. While it offers integrations with popular tools like HubSpot and Notion, the connections don't create deep workflow automation that would truly streamline post-meeting tasks.

Zoom AI provides seamless meeting summaries and action items directly within Zoom's platform at no additional cost for paid subscribers. The tool allows real-time questions during meetings and generates instant post-meeting recaps, making it extremely user-friendly for existing Zoom customers. Its main limitation is being restricted to Zoom meetings only, with minimal integration capabilities outside of Zoom's ecosystem.

Zoom AI suits organizations already committed to Zoom as their primary meeting platform who want basic AI assistance without additional complexity or cost. It's particularly appealing for cost-conscious businesses since it's included with paid Zoom subscriptions starting around $15 per user monthly. However, like Read.ai, it lacks the deeper integrations and workflow automation needed to truly transform meeting insights into actionable business outcomes.

Comparison table

What users say about Read.ai and Zoom AI

Read.ai has received mixed reviews from users, with some praising its technical capabilities while others express significant concerns. One reviewer was particularly impressed by Read's ability to capture multiple languages in the same call automatically, highlighting its advanced transcription features. However, users on Trustpilot have been much more critical, with the platform showing a concerning 1 out of 5 star rating and complaints about the app automatically adding itself to meetings even when users only intended to read others' notes.

Zoom AI Companion appears to generate curiosity among users but faces questions about practical utility and effectiveness. Users are actively discussing whether people actually use Zoom AI summaries, with some expressing interest in features like the ability to query past meetings for instant accountability. Professional reviews cover the platform's features, pros, and cons, suggesting that while the tool exists and has various capabilities, users may still be evaluating its real-world value and comparing it to alternative AI meeting assistants.

Users switch away from Read.ai primarily due to its restrictive free tier limitations. The platform only offers 5 meeting transcripts per month on the free plan, which many users find too limiting compared to competitors that provide more generous free offerings. This constraint forces users to upgrade to paid plans relatively quickly, creating a barrier for individuals and small teams who want to test the platform thoroughly before committing financially.

The complexity and cluttered nature of Read.ai's user interface presents another significant deterrent for users. With numerous features including notes, analytics, and search functionality all packed into the interface, users report experiencing a steep learning curve that can be overwhelming. Some reviews specifically describe the platform as "confusing" and note that it doesn't deliver the expected time-saving benefits due to this complexity, leading users to seek simpler alternatives to Read.ai that are more intuitive to navigate.

Privacy concerns and high pricing also drive users away from Read.ai. Privacy-conscious users have raised issues about joining meetings without proper consent, with discussions on platforms like Reddit warning about potential boundary violations. Additionally, the pricing structure is considered expensive, particularly for full functionality and Enterprise features like video playback, with costs reaching $29.75 per user per month for the Enterprise tier. Small teams and budget-conscious organizations often find these rates prohibitive and migrate to more affordable solutions.

Users switch away from Zoom AI primarily because of its limited platform compatibility. While Zoom AI works seamlessly within Zoom meetings, it becomes completely unusable when teams need to conduct meetings on other platforms like Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. This platform-specific limitation forces organizations that use multiple video conferencing tools to seek alternatives to Zoom AI that can work across different meeting platforms.

The restricted integration capabilities of Zoom AI also drive users to look for alternatives. Unlike competitors that offer robust integrations with popular business tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, and Slack, Zoom AI remains largely confined to Zoom's own ecosystem. This limitation becomes particularly problematic for teams that need to automatically sync meeting notes and action items to their existing CRM systems or project management tools, forcing them to manually transfer information or adopt more comprehensive solutions.

Users also find Zoom AI's feature set too basic compared to more advanced alternatives. While Zoom AI provides automated summaries and basic Q&A functionality, it lacks sophisticated analytics like engagement scoring, sentiment analysis, and speaker balance metrics that other tools offer. Additionally, Zoom AI cannot capture in-person meetings independently, unlike competitors that offer mobile apps for offline audio recording. These functional limitations become apparent when users need more comprehensive meeting intelligence and analysis capabilities.

Using Read.ai

Does Read.ai work for in-person meetings?

Yes, Read.ai works for in-person meetings. It has an iOS app that can capture in-person and offline meetings with one tap.

Does Read.ai require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

No, Read.ai does not require a meeting bot to join the meeting. It records virtual meetings via cloud or extension, and offline audio via mobile app without using meeting bots.

What do users say about the quality of Read.ai transcriptions?

Users consider Read.ai's summaries to be "smart," capturing questions asked and topics discussed effectively. The platform supports transcription and summaries in 20+ languages including English, Spanish, Russian, and Italian, and even offers real-time translation features that appeal to global teams.

How does Read.ai help users follow up on action items?

Read.ai automatically generates reports after meetings that include key points and action items. It also provides automatic meeting summaries in Slack and can sync with platforms like Notion or Confluence for documentation, helping integrate follow-ups into existing workflows.

Does Read.ai integrate with software like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Yes, Read.ai offers robust integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Confluence, Jira, Notion, Slack, and other platforms. Its AI Copilot can auto-sync notes to CRM systems.

Using Zoom AI

Does Zoom AI work for in-person meetings?

No. Zoom AI only works for virtual Zoom calls and cannot independently capture in-person audio.

Does Zoom AI require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

No. Zoom AI is built directly into the Zoom platform, so it works seamlessly within the app without requiring a separate meeting bot.

What do users say about the quality of Zoom AI transcriptions?

Users find that summaries and highlighted action items are generated almost instantly after meetings, which they find handy for sharing recaps. The AI provides live transcription in 30+ languages and supports 36 languages total.

How does Zoom AI help users follow up on action items?

Zoom AI automatically generates meeting summaries and next-action items at the end of Zoom calls. It also assists with composing emails, chats, and creating documents related to meetings.

Does Zoom AI integrate with software like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Linear?

No. Zoom AI has limited integrations and stays within Zoom's ecosystem with few native integrations. It does not have direct HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar CRM sync capabilities.

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