Meeting note-taker app Circleback announced in August 2026 that it is introducing a free subscription tier alongside revised paid plans starting at $14 per month, down from a previous entry price of $20.83 per month.
The free plan allows users to transcribe an unlimited number of meetings, though meeting history is limited to the last 30 days. It also includes access to mobile and Apple Watch apps, AI-powered transcript querying, and integrations with Linear and Slack. Users who want all integrations, unlimited meeting history, and full API and MCP access must subscribe to a paid plan.
Y Combinator-backed Circleback was founded in 2023 by Ali Haghani and Kevin Jacyna and raised $2.5 million in 2024. The company says it has been profitable since then, with a run-rate revenue of over $1 million per employee across a team of eight — roughly translating to around $8 million in annual run-rate revenue.
Haghani said the decision to offer a free tier was driven by a significant user drop-off linked to the previously limited trial period. “If we just open the gates and allow more people to use the product, that’s gonna bring Circleback in front of more people,” he said. The company does not spend on Google or Meta advertising and intends the free tier to function as its primary marketing vehicle.
The move comes as competition in the meeting note-taker space intensifies. The source notes that dictation app Wispr recently launched its own note-taker, Calendly added a similar tool, and dedicated players such as Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies have raised millions in funding.
Despite reported investor interest, Haghani said the company is not actively seeking to raise additional funds, noting it sees no current bottlenecks in its growth. He added the startup would consider fundraising if it identified a problem that capital could solve.
Source: TechCrunch