Read.ai vs Zoom AI for meeting automation

Here's what you should look for in an AI meeting automation tool:

• Transcripts that create a word-for-word record of the meeting. For example, a one-hour product development meeting generates a searchable document containing every feature discussion, technical requirement, and team decision.

• Action items are pulled directly from the conversation. When someone says "John will update the wireframes by Friday," the AI automatically creates a tracked task with the assignee and deadline.

• Meeting summaries distill hour-long conversations into 2-3 paragraphs. A 45-minute sprint planning meeting becomes a concise overview of sprint goals, resource allocation, and key decisions.

• Topic segmentation breaks discussions into labeled sections. A client call covering multiple projects is automatically divided into sections like "Website Redesign," "Q1 Marketing Campaign," and "Budget Review."

Other key features

In addition to the quality of these deliverables, we'll want to look at a number of other key factors:

• Ease-of-use: does it have a simple, intuitive setup that works for non-technical users?

• In-person meeting support: can it transcribe audio from live recordings or uploaded files, not just virtual calls?

• Security and privacy: how is customer data handled on the platform?

• Integrations: can it connect with your existing stack, like HubSpot, Notion, or Slack?

• Functionality: does it go beyond transcriptions and actually help you take action?

• Languages: can it transcribe and summarize meetings in different languages?

• Desktop and mobile apps: can you access it on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android for on-the-go meetings?

Understanding Read.ai and Zoom AI

Read.ai is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes and analyzes meetings across platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Meet. It generates real-time transcriptions and post-meeting reports containing key points, action items, and metrics such as speaking time, sentiment analysis, and attention scores. Beyond meetings, it can summarize Slack threads and emails, provides AI search across all meeting transcripts, and captures in-person meetings via its iOS app. It offers integrations with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, and Slack.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model: a free plan limited to 5 meeting transcripts monthly, a Pro plan at $19.75/user/month (annual) for unlimited meetings and advanced integrations, and Enterprise plans starting at $29.75/user/month with additional features like video playback. Read.ai works through web apps and browser extensions rather than a dedicated desktop client. It supports transcription in over 20 languages but currently offers mobile functionality only on iOS, not Android.

Zoom AI is a built-in feature for paid Zoom subscribers that works directly in the platform without additional setup. It automatically generates meeting summaries with action items after calls, lets participants ask questions during meetings (like "What did I miss?"), and helps compose related emails and documents. The feature operates within Zoom's interface and produces near-instant meeting recaps.

The tool only functions within Zoom meetings and isn't available for other platforms or in-person gatherings. While included at no extra cost for paid Zoom accounts (starting at $15/user/month), it's unavailable to free plan users beyond limited trials. It offers transcription in over 30 languages but has limited external integrations, keeping functionality mostly within Zoom's ecosystem rather than connecting to tools like HubSpot or Notion.

Comparing Read.ai and Zoom AI

Read.ai

• Read.ai offers analytics beyond just transcription, with engagement metrics and sentiment tracking, but lacks comprehensive integrations that would help users actually take action on meeting insights. While it works across multiple platforms and handles in-person meetings, the complex interface and limited free tier restrict accessibility.

• The tool provides impressive features like searchable meeting archives and real-time translation across multiple languages, but falls short on workflow automation capabilities. Its pricing structure, starting at $19.75/user/month for unlimited meetings, may be prohibitive for small teams seeking basic functionality.

Zoom AI

• Zoom AI provides native meeting summarization and question-answering within Zoom's platform at no additional cost to paid subscribers, but is limited to Zoom meetings only and lacks meaningful integrations outside Zoom's ecosystem. The simplicity comes at the cost of versatility across different meeting contexts.

• The tool generates instant meeting recaps and action items with minimal setup, but the platform-specific nature restricts its utility for teams working across multiple communication tools. Its inability to capture in-person meetings further limits its applicability in hybrid work environments.

Read.ai works best for teams using multiple meeting platforms who need advanced analytics and a searchable knowledge base. Organizations with distributed teams will benefit from its cross-platform support and in-person meeting capabilities, despite paying a premium for these features.

Zoom AI is the logical choice for teams already invested in Zoom who need basic meeting summaries without additional costs. Small businesses with simple needs and budget constraints will appreciate its seamless integration, though they'll have to accept its limitations for non-Zoom meetings and lack of workflow automation.

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