Compare/Head to head

Gong vs Grain

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Gong

Sales-quoted

Revenue AI that records and analyzes customer calls for sales and CS teams. Quote-based: per-user licenses plus a platform fee.

Where Gong fits

  • Sales teams that want call recording, coaching and deal warnings
  • Revenue leaders who already live in a major CRM
  • Enablement teams building call libraries and scorecards
  • CS teams reviewing customer conversations after handoff

Grain

$15/seat/mo Free tier 14 day free trial

General AI note taker that works with or without a bot and charges only for people who record. Free plan, plus a 14 day free trial of the paid Starter, Business and Enterprise plans.

Where Grain fits

  • Teams where a few people record and many people read
  • Recruiters sharing screening calls with hiring managers
  • Teams on Webex or Slack huddles as well as Zoom, Meet and Teams
  • Buyers who want monthly billing without an annual contract

At a glance

DetailGongGrain
Starting priceSales-quoted$15/seat/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialNot on record14 day free trial
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underAI note takers, Lead generation, CRMAI note takers
Capterra4.8 from 561 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Gong

Stands out: Captures calls from web meetings, dialers and phones into one deal timeline, with a hosted MCP server for AI assistants.

Watch out: No public seat price. The platform fee scales with how many users you support. Built for GTM teams, not recruiting ops.

Not the right fit for

  • SMBs that need a published per-seat checkout
  • Recruiting teams looking for an ATS or sourcing tool

Grain

Stands out: Grain splits paid seats from free viewer seats, so hiring managers and the rest of the team can read and comment on shared calls without a licence.

Watch out: There is no ATS writeback. Custom AI prompts start on Starter, and AI coaching and custom follow up emails need Business.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need interview notes filed in an ATS
  • Buyers who want coaching features on the entry paid plan

Pros and cons

Gong

  • Call recording, transcripts and coaching in one
  • Stack integrations included in the quote
  • Public API and hosted MCP server
  • Quote-only, no public seat price
  • Platform fee grows with the user count
  • Not built for recruiting teams

Grain

  • Free viewer seats for the whole team
  • Bot free AI notes on every plan
  • No required annual contract
  • No ATS writeback
  • Coaching only on Business and above
  • Custom prompts not on the free plan

What each one costs

Gong

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Licenses are priced per user plus a platform fee based on the number of users, and integrating your existing tech stack is included. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Grain

$15/seat/mo

Grain has a free plan and three paid plans. Starter is $15 per seat a month billed annually or $19 monthly, and Business is $29 per seat a month billed annually or $39 monthly; Enterprise is priced through sales. There is no required annual contract. You pay only for seats that record, upload or import meetings; free viewer seats can read and comment on shared meetings. Paid plans have a 14 day free trial and a 30 day money back guarantee. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Gong or Grain for free?
Grain carries a free tier on our listing. Grain offers a 14 day free trial.
Does Gong or Grain have an MCP server?
Gong ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?