The Circleback Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Circleback in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Circleback
The Insider’s Guide
AI meeting notes, action items and post-meeting automations
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI meeting note takers, read from Circleback’s own pages.
Made by Circleback AI, Inc. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Circleback’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Circleback’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 38 of the 48 other AI meeting note takers we grade
Circleback writes meeting notes and assigns action items automatically for online and in-person meetings. Online calls are captured by a bot or by a desktop app that joins nothing, and phone and Apple Watch apps record conversations in person. Automations push the results to apps such as Notion, HubSpot and Linear, and an assistant answers questions across past meetings.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Circleback, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for notes that update your other apps for you
Circleback writes meeting notes, assigns each action item to a person and pushes results to Notion, HubSpot or Linear, catching online calls with or without a bot and meetings in person on phone or Apple Watch.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per user / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
AI notes and action items, Ask Circleback, bot or bot-free capture and API access, with 30 days of meeting and recording history, limited automations and 2 teams.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Notes and action items
Notes are written automatically after each meeting, and action items are captured, assigned to people and organized without manual entry.
- 6
Bot or bot-free capture
A bot can join online meetings, or the desktop app for macOS and Windows records any call on the computer without one, including Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex and Discord.
- 7
In-person meetings
Mobile apps for iOS and Android and an Apple Watch app record conversations that happen away from a computer.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 38 of 48
That is against the other AI meeting note takers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Circleback you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Circleback at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial offered on Pro, Business and Enterprise; the pricing page does not state its length
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Circleback AI, Inc.
- Category
- AI Meeting Notes
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for notes that update your other apps for you
Circleback writes meeting notes, assigns each action item to a person and pushes results to Notion, HubSpot or Linear, catching online calls with or without a bot and meetings in person on phone or Apple Watch. Free has no meeting cap but keeps only 30 days of history. Pro is $15 a month on the yearly plan, the dear end of this category, recordings are kept 1 to 2 years below Enterprise, and there's no Linux app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $15 a user a month billed yearly, $18 monthly, the dear end of a category that starts near $10. It buys unlimited meeting history, a year of recording storage and automations with every integration. Recordings kept for good need Enterprise at $35. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free has notes, action items, Ask Circleback, bot or bot-free capture, and API, MCP and CLI access, so one person could live on it. It only keeps 30 days of history, though, and automations are limited. |
| Features | B | It covers the job: notes written after every meeting with action items handed to named people, automations that update Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce or Linear, Ask Circleback across every conversation, and phone and Apple Watch apps for meetings in person. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but nothing to set up: notes and action items turn up on their own, and the desktop app means you needn't invite a bot to anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and Apple Watch, with Slack, Notion, Linear, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio and Zapier, and API, MCP and command-line access on every plan including Free. No Linux app or browser extension. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Circleback is for
- Fits if you want your CRM or issue tracker updated after calls without doing it yourself
- Works for developers giving AI agents meeting context through the API or MCP
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free and need to look back, since history covers only 30 days and automations are limited
- Pricey if notes are all you want, at $15 a month on the yearly plan ($18 monthly) in a category that starts near $10
- Not for you if you want recordings kept for good, as Pro stores them for 1 year and Business for 2; unlimited needs Enterprise at $35
- Watch out: SSO, SCIM and HIPAA are Enterprise only, billed yearly, and the trial length isn't stated
- Skip it if you're on Linux or want a browser extension, as neither is listed
Good to know
Good for
- Individuals who want unlimited meetings on a free plan
- Teams that update a CRM or issue tracker automatically after calls
- People who meet in person as well as online
- Developers giving AI agents meeting context through the API or MCP
Worth knowing
- The Free plan keeps only 30 days of meeting and recording history and has limited automations.
- Recordings are stored for 1 year on Pro and 2 years on Business. Unlimited recording storage needs Enterprise.
- Single sign-on, SCIM and HIPAA compliance are on Enterprise, which is billed yearly only.
- Desktop apps are offered for macOS and Windows; no Linux app or browser extension is listed.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Circleback has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per user / month, billed yearly.
It buys unlimited meeting history, a year of recording storage and automations with every integration.
Free
$0
AI notes and action items, Ask Circleback, desktop and mobile apps, and API, MCP and CLI access, with 30-day history, limited automations and 2 teams.
Pro
$15
per user / month, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)
Unlimited meeting history, 1 year of recording storage, automations with all integrations, custom AI insights and 5 teams.
Business
$25
per user / month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
Admin and member roles, unlimited free viewers, custom data retention, enforceable settings, 2 years of recording storage and unlimited teams.
Enterprise
$35
per user / month, yearly billing only
SAML or OIDC single sign-on, SCIM, invoice billing, unlimited recording storage and HIPAA compliance. The per-user rate falls above 50 users.
The free plan
AI notes and action items, Ask Circleback, bot or bot-free capture and API access, with 30 days of meeting and recording history, limited automations and 2 teams.
Trying it first
Free trial offered on Pro, Business and Enterprise; the pricing page does not state its length
Read from circleback.ai on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower per-user price on yearly billing
At listed prices Pro costs $180 a year ($15 a month) instead of $18 a month, and Business $300 a year ($25 a month) instead of $29 a month, per user.
Stated on circleback.aiEducation
50% education discount for students
Circleback's pricing FAQ offers students 50% off. It applies automatically when signing up with a school email, or through support with proof of student status.
Stated on circleback.aiNonprofit
30% non-profit discount
The pricing FAQ states a 30% discount for non-profits: sign up with a non-profit email and contact support to have it applied.
Stated on circleback.aiStartups
Deals for startups of partner firms
Circleback's startups page says startups affiliated with its partners can get special deals and discounts. The amounts are not published.
Stated on circleback.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
AI meeting notes, action items and post-meeting automations. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, meeting notes, transcription, chat assistant, workflow automation.
- Notes and action items
- Notes are written automatically after each meeting, and action items are captured, assigned to people and organized without manual entry.
- Bot or bot-free capture
- A bot can join online meetings, or the desktop app for macOS and Windows records any call on the computer without one, including Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex and Discord.
- In-person meetings
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android and an Apple Watch app record conversations that happen away from a computer.
- Ask Circleback
- An assistant that answers questions using every conversation in the account. It is included on the Free plan and can also be used from Slack.
- Automations
- Rules run after meetings to update other apps, for example Notion pages, HubSpot or Salesforce records and Linear issues. Free has limited automations; Pro opens all integrations.
- API, MCP and CLI
- Every plan, including Free, lists API, MCP and command-line access, and webhooks can send meeting data to custom integrations.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Slack
- Notion
- Linear
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Attio
- Zapier
- Google Calendar
Circleback is made by Circleback AI, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
38/48
Other AI meeting note takers it is graded above
Circleback's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 38 of the 48 other AI meeting note takers we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 30 of 48) and worst on value for money (C, above 13).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 33 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 AI meeting note takers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Circleback’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 48
- BFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 48
- BFeaturesAbove 10 of 48
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 48
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 30 of 48
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 48 AI meeting note takers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Circleback is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Circleback you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 38 of the 48 other AI meeting note takers we grade. It costs $180 a year.
What you could not
- A bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Circleback’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Granola, Fathom, Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and Jamie
The 5 tools Circleback is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Granola
Free plan · from $14/mo
AI notepad that transcribes meetings from device audio, no bot.
- Only Circleback lists a web app.
- Circleback also covers workflow automation.
- Granola also covers templates.
- 2.8GPA
Fathom
Free plan · from $15/mo
AI notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with a free plan.
- Only Circleback lists a web app.
- Only Circleback lists an Android app.
- Circleback also covers workflow automation.
- 3.2GPA
Fireflies.ai
Free plan · from $10/mo
Meeting notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes calls.
- Only Fireflies.ai lists a browser extension.
- Circleback also covers workflow automation.
- Fireflies.ai also covers dictation.
- 3.0GPA
Otter.ai
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Live meeting transcription with summaries and AI chat.
- Only Otter.ai lists a browser extension.
- Circleback also covers workflow automation.
- 2.4GPA
Jamie
Free plan · from €21/mo
Bot-free AI note taker with EU data hosting.
- Only Circleback lists a web app.
- Circleback also covers workflow automation.
- Jamie also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Circleback free?
Circleback has a free plan. AI notes and action items, Ask Circleback, bot or bot-free capture and API access, with 30 days of meeting and recording history, limited automations and 2 teams.
How much does Circleback cost?
Circleback lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Circleback work on?
Circleback is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Circleback offer any discounts?
Circleback publicly lists the following: Lower per-user price on yearly billing; 50% education discount for students; 30% non-profit discount; Deals for startups of partner firms.
Does Circleback have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Circleback is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Circleback open source?
Circleback is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Circleback have an API?
Yes. Circleback offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Circleback integrate with?
Circleback's listing names Slack, Notion, Linear, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Zapier and Google Calendar.
Does Circleback have a student discount?
50% education discount for students. Circleback's pricing FAQ offers students 50% off.
Does Circleback have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial offered on Pro, Business and Enterprise; the pricing page does not state its length.
Who makes Circleback?
Circleback is made by Circleback AI, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Circleback?
The closest alternatives to Circleback in our directory are Granola, Fathom, Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and Jamie.
How does Circleback compare with other AI meeting note takers?
Circleback's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 38 of the 48 other AI meeting note takers we grade, and level with 7.
Is Circleback good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Circleback C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 33 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Circleback?
To replace Circleback you would be making a bot that joins your calls and turns the talk into notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Circleback’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Circleback's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-03.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Circleback AI, Inc. Prices change, so check circleback.ai before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Circleback, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/circleback
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Circleback: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/circleback
Know someone choosing between AI meeting note takers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/circleback/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI meeting note takers after Circleback, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Meeting Notes Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 AI meeting note takers we grade, compared
- HyNote Insider's GuideAI note taker for meetings, audio, PDFs and videos3.4 GPA
- Wave AI Insider's GuideAI note taker and recorder for meetings, calls and lectures3.4 GPA
- Fireflies.ai Insider's GuideMeeting notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Circleback’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Circleback is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Circleback AI, Inc. Prices and plans change: check circleback.ai before you buy.