Compare/Head to head

Grain vs tl;dv

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

Starting price

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

tl;dv

$18/seat/mo Free tier

General AI meeting recorder with unlimited recordings and transcription in 30+ languages on the free plan. Pro is $18/seat/mo billed annually with unlimited AI notes.

Where tl;dv fits

  • Recruiters who interview in several languages
  • European teams that want EU data hosting
  • Teams that want an API, webhooks and MCP server on Pro
  • Agencies that also coach on client calls

At a glance

DetailGraintl;dv
Starting price$15/seat/mo$18/seat/mo
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underAI note takersAI note takers

Where they pull apart

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

tl;dv

Stands out: tl;dv never caps recordings or transcription, even on Free, and it is hosted and stored in the EU with GDPR and SOC 2 compliance.

Watch out: The free plan writes AI notes for only 10 meetings and keeps data up to 3 months. There is no ATS writeback, and cross-meeting AI insights need Business.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need notes filed in an ATS
  • Free plan users who want to keep recordings past 3 months

Pros and cons

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

tl;dv

  • Unlimited recordings and transcription free
  • EU hosting, GDPR and SOC 2
  • API, webhooks and MCP server on Pro
  • AI notes limited to 10 meetings on Free
  • 3 month data retention on Free
  • No ATS writeback

What each one costs

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

tl;dv

$18/seat/mo

Free has unlimited recordings and transcription, with AI notes on 10 meetings and data kept up to 3 months. Pro is $18/seat/mo billed annually with unlimited AI notes, custom templates, the API, webhooks and an MCP server. Business is $29/seat/mo billed annually and adds multi-meeting insights, playbook monitoring and team automations. Enterprise is quoted. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is Grain cheaper than tl;dv?
Grain starts lower, at $15/seat/mo against $18/seat/mo for tl;dv. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Grain or tl;dv for free?
Grain and tl;dv carry a free tier on our listing. Grain offers a 14 day free trial.

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