β° Time & Volume Restrictions
π¨ Primary Usage Limits
Monthly Minute Constraints
π 2025 Allocation Limits:
- β’ Total monthly minutes: 300 transcription minutes maximum
- β’ Calculation method: Actual speech time, not meeting duration
- β’ Rollover policy: No unused minutes carry forward
- β’ Reset schedule: Monthly on account anniversary date
- β’ Shared pool: Live meetings and file uploads count together
- β’ Extension options: 10 minutes daily bonus maximum
π Usage Impact Analysis:
- β’ Meeting capacity: ~7-8 meetings per month
- β’ Average meeting length: 35-40 minutes effective limit
- β’ Heavy user impact: Insufficient for daily meeting users
- β’ Workflow disruption: Forces strategic usage planning
- β’ Mid-month shortage: Common user complaint pattern
- β’ Alternative adoption: 45% explore competing platforms
Session Duration & Frequency Limits
β±οΈ Session Constraints:
- β’ Maximum session length: 30 minutes per continuous recording
- β’ Hard cutoff: Automatic termination at 30-minute mark
- β’ Extension availability: 10 minutes once per 24 hours
- β’ No pause feature: Cannot pause to preserve time
- β’ Restart required: New session needed for continuation
- β’ Warning system: Alerts at 5, 2, 1 minutes remaining
π Frequency & Access Restrictions:
- β’ Daily sessions: No limit on number per day
- β’ Concurrent recordings: Only one active session allowed
- β’ File upload limit: 3 files per month maximum
- β’ File size cap: 100MB per uploaded file
- β’ Processing priority: Lower queue priority vs paid users
- β’ Account sharing: Single user access only
π§ Feature & Functionality Restrictions
βοΈ Limited Feature Access
AI & Advanced Features
β Excluded AI Features:
- β’ AI summaries: No automatic meeting insights
- β’ Action item detection: No task identification
- β’ Smart notes: No AI-generated highlights
- β’ Sentiment analysis: No emotional context analysis
- β’ Topic extraction: No automatic categorization
- β’ Follow-up suggestions: No AI-powered recommendations
π Collaboration Restrictions:
- β’ Team sharing: No multi-user workspace access
- β’ Real-time collaboration: No live editing capabilities
- β’ Commenting system: No collaborative annotation features
- β’ Role permissions: No user access control
- β’ Team templates: No standardized formats
- β’ Workflow integration: No team process automation
Platform Integration Limits
π Basic Integrations Only:
- β’ Video platforms: Basic Zoom and Google Meet only
- β’ Calendar sync: Limited calendar integration
- β’ CRM systems: No Salesforce, HubSpot connectivity
- β’ Productivity tools: No Slack, Teams integration
- β’ API access: No custom integration capabilities
- β’ Zapier automation: No workflow automation options
π± Device & Access Limitations:
- β’ Device limit: Maximum 3 active devices
- β’ Mobile features: Reduced functionality on mobile apps
- β’ Offline access: No offline transcription capability
- β’ Export formats: Basic PDF and text only
- β’ Search capabilities: Limited cross-meeting search
- β’ Backup options: No automatic cloud backup
π Language & Quality Restrictions
π£οΈ Language & Accuracy Limitations
Language Support Constraints
πΊπΈ English-Only Limitation:
- β’ Supported languages: English only for free users
- β’ Accent handling: Optimized for North American English
- β’ International English: Reduced accuracy for UK, Australian accents
- β’ Multilingual meetings: No support for mixed-language conversations
- β’ Translation features: No automatic translation capabilities
- β’ Global teams: Significant limitation for international organizations
π Quality & Accuracy Caps:
- β’ Accuracy ceiling: 85-88% vs 90%+ for paid plans
- β’ Speaker identification: Basic separation, frequent errors
- β’ Technical vocabulary: Limited industry-specific term recognition
- β’ Audio quality sensitivity: Poor performance with background noise
- β’ Processing speed: Slower transcription completion
- β’ Error correction: No automatic quality improvement
Storage & Retention Restrictions
πΎ Storage Limitations:
- β’ Retention period: 30 days maximum storage
- β’ Automatic deletion: Files removed after 30 days
- β’ No extension: Cannot extend storage period
- β’ Download requirement: Must export before expiration
- β’ Recovery options: No data recovery after deletion
- β’ Backup responsibility: User must maintain own copies
π Search & Organization Limits:
- β’ Search scope: Current month transcripts only
- β’ Advanced search: No cross-meeting content discovery
- β’ Tagging system: No custom tags or categories
- β’ Organization tools: Basic folder structure only
- β’ Filtering options: Limited search filters available
- β’ Archive access: No historical transcript access
π§ Support & Service Restrictions
π Limited Support Access
Customer Support Limitations
π¬ Support Channels:
- β’ Email support: Community forums only
- β’ Response time: 48-72 hours typical
- β’ Priority level: Lowest support queue priority
- β’ Live chat: Not available for free users
- β’ Phone support: No phone assistance available
- β’ Escalation paths: Limited escalation options
π§ Service Limitations:
- β’ Custom training: No personalized model training
- β’ Account management: No dedicated account manager
- β’ Setup assistance: No onboarding support
- β’ Integration help: No technical integration assistance
- β’ Training resources: Basic documentation only
- β’ SLA guarantees: No service level agreements
Performance & Reliability Constraints
β‘ Performance Limitations:
- β’ Processing priority: Lower queue position
- β’ Server resources: Reduced computational allocation
- β’ Peak time slowdowns: Slower during high usage periods
- β’ Feature updates: Delayed access to new features
- β’ Performance monitoring: No uptime guarantees
- β’ Reliability standards: Lower service reliability expectations
π Security & Privacy Constraints:
- β’ Data retention: Standard privacy policy only
- β’ Encryption levels: Basic encryption protection
- β’ Access controls: No advanced security features
- β’ Audit trails: No detailed activity logging
- β’ Compliance certifications: No enterprise compliance features
- β’ Data location: No control over data storage location
π οΈ Workarounds & Alternative Solutions
π‘ Strategic Workaround Methods
Multi-Platform Strategy
π Platform Rotation Approach:
- β’ Sembly AI: 2,400 free minutes monthly backup
- β’ Fireflies.ai: 800 minutes additional capacity
- β’ tldv: 1,000 minutes video-focused alternative
- β’ Sequential usage: Rotate platforms throughout month
- β’ Backup accounts: Multiple free accounts strategy
- β’ Total capacity: 4,500+ minutes across platforms
π Usage Optimization Tactics:
- β’ Strategic recording: Record only critical portions
- β’ Manual pausing: Stop/restart to preserve time
- β’ Priority allocation: High-value meetings first
- β’ Voice memos: Personal recordings for overflow
- β’ Hybrid approach: Combine with manual note-taking
- β’ Team coordination: Shared recording responsibilities
Alternative Platform Comparison
| Platform | Free Allowance | Session Limit | Key Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter AI | 300 min/month | 30 minutes | Brand recognition, integrations |
| Sembly AI | 2,400 min/month | 4 hours | Generous free tier, AI features |
| Fireflies.ai | 800 min/month | Unlimited | AI summaries, CRM integration |
| tldv | 1,000 min/month | 2 hours | Video highlights, clips |
| Notta | 120 min/month | 3 minutes | Multi-language support |
π Related Resources
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