Circleback vs Grain — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Circleback starts at $25/mo. Grain starts at $19/mo. Grain is $6/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Circleback.
See price history: Circleback · Grain
AI meeting notetaker positioned as the fastest and most accurate for individual users. Pricing: Individual $25/mo, Team $35/user/mo. No free tier — free trial only. Popular with high-earning individual professionals (consultants, executives) who prioritize accuracy over price.
AI-native meeting recorder with searchable highlight clips. Pricing: Free (limited meetings), Starter $19/user/mo, Business $39/user/mo (unlimited meetings + integrations), Enterprise custom. Popular with sales teams that use highlight clips to share prospect insights with leadership, and with customer research teams for interview synthesis.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Circleback monthly | Circleback annual | Grain monthly | Grain annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Free | — | — | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Individual / Starter | $25 | $25 | $19 | $15 |
| Teams | Team / Business | $35 | $35 | $39 | $29 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Circleback is worth it if… individual professionals (consultants, execs, coaches) who want the highest-accuracy AI meeting notes without messing with team features. Individual at $25/mo is priced above Otter and Fathom because Circleback pitches on accuracy — measurably better summaries and action-item extraction.
Grain is worth it if… sales and customer research teams that want to turn meeting recordings into shareable highlight clips (30-60 seconds) that make it into leadership decks and Slack. Free tier for evaluation; Starter ($19/user/mo) suits solo AEs; Business ($39/user/mo) is the strategic tier with CRM sync + unlimited meetings.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Circleback over Grain if…
Choose Circleback if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $25/mo).
- You match the profile Circleback is built for: individual professionals (consultants, execs, coaches) who want the highest-accuracy AI meeting notes without messing with team features.
- You need a general-purpose ai notetakers option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Grain if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Grain is built for: sales and customer research teams that want to turn meeting recordings into shareable highlight clips (30-60 seconds) that make it into leadership decks and Slack.
- You need a general-purpose ai notetakers option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Circleback | Grain | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Entry price | $25/mo | $19/mo |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Verification | Checked October 4, 2026 | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified October 4, 2026. Verification cadence varies by tool; check each tool page.