Quick Summary 💡
🏆 Most Generous
tl;dv - Unlimited free transcription
🥈 Standard Leader
Otter.ai - 600 minutes/month
🥉 Most Restrictive
Notta - 120 mins (3 min/recording)
📋 Complete Monthly Limits Breakdown
| Tool | Monthly Minutes | Per Recording Limit | Storage Limit | Key Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tl;dv | Unlimited | No limit | Unlimited | None for core features |
| Otter.ai | 600 minutes | 40 minutes | Limited | 3 transcripts/month import limit |
| Fireflies.ai | Unlimited transcription* | No limit | 800 minutes total | 20 AI credits/month for summaries |
| Notta | 120 minutes | 3 minutes | Limited | Extremely restrictive per-recording limit |
| Grain | N/A (meeting limit) | 45 minutes | Forever storage | 20 meetings total (not monthly) |
| Rev.com | Pay per minute | No limit | N/A | $0.25/minute - no free tier |
| Gong | No free plan | N/A | N/A | Enterprise only - ~$1,000/user/year |
💰 Value Per Minute Analysis
🎯 Best Value Champions
tl;dv
Unlimited free = $0/minute forever
Fireflies.ai
Free transcription + 20 AI credits monthly
Otter.ai
600 minutes = reliable for heavy users
⚠️ Limited Value
Notta
3-minute limit makes 120 minutes unusable
Grain
20 meetings total, then $15/month required
Rev.com
$0.25/minute adds up quickly
🎭 Which Tool for Your Usage?
📅 Light Users (0-200 mins/month)
💼 Regular Users (200-600 mins/month)
🚀 Heavy Users (600+ mins/month)
📈 What Happens When You Exceed Limits?
🚫 Hard Stops
Otter.ai
Recording stops when 600 minutes exceeded. Must wait until next month or upgrade.
Notta
3-minute per recording limit enforced strictly. Cannot record longer meetings.
Grain
After 20 meetings, must upgrade to $15/month Starter plan.
✅ Flexible Options
tl;dv
No limits to exceed! Unlimited free transcription continues indefinitely.
Fireflies.ai
Transcription continues free. Only AI summary credits are limited to 20/month.
Rev.com
Pay-as-you-go model. No limits, just $0.25 per additional minute.
🎯 Pro Tips: Maximize Your Free Minutes
🧠 Smart Usage Strategies
- ✅Record only essential meetings- Skip informal check-ins
- ✅Use multiple free accounts- Different email addresses for team members
- ✅Combine tools- Use tl;dv for transcripts + Otter for summaries
- ✅Monitor usage mid-month- Track minutes to avoid surprises
⚠️ Common Minute Wasters
- ❌Recording daily standups- Use for important meetings only
- ❌Leaving recordings running- Stop when meeting content ends
- ❌Recording personal conversations- Focus on work meetings
- ❌Ignoring per-session limits- Notta's 3-min limit kills usability
🚀 When to Upgrade & What to Expect
💼 Business Usage Thresholds
Small Team (2-5 people)
1,000+ minutes/month
Otter Business ($10/user) or Fireflies Pro ($10/user)
Growing Team (5-20 people)
2,000+ minutes/month
tl;dv Pro ($25/month) or Fireflies Business ($19/user)
Enterprise (20+ people)
5,000+ minutes/month
Gong or custom enterprise plans
💰 Cost Breakdown: Free vs Paid
| Tool | Free Limit | Paid Plan | Cost Per Additional Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai | 600 min | $10/user/month | ~$1.67/hour (6,000 min plan) |
| Fireflies | Unlimited* | $10/user/month | N/A (unlimited on all plans) |
| tl;dv | Unlimited | $25/month | $0 (unlimited on free) |
| Rev.com | None | Pay per use | $15/hour ($0.25/min) |
🔗 Related Comparisons
Ready to Choose Your Perfect Tool? 🎯
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