Circleback is changing how people first try its meeting notetaker. The Y Combinator-backed startup is adding a free subscription tier, giving users a way to use the product without starting on a paid plan.
The move comes as the meeting note-taker market becomes more crowded. Recent activity from Wispr, Calendly, Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies shows that automated meeting notes are now a competitive category, not a quiet software niche.
What Circleback Is Adding
The new free plan lets users transcribe an unlimited number of meetings. That is the main draw: people can record and process meetings without being blocked by a monthly transcription cap.
There is an important limit. Free users can only access their meeting history for the last 30 days. That makes the plan useful for current work, quick follow-ups, and short-term recall, while keeping longer-term archives for paying customers.
The free tier also includes several product features beyond basic transcription. Users can record meetings, use mobile and Apple Watch apps, query transcripts with AI, and connect Circleback with Linear and Slack.
For users who need more, Circleback’s paid subscription plans start at $14 per month when paid annually. Those plans include all integrations, unlimited meeting history, and full API and MCP access.
Before this change, Circleback did not offer a free tier. Its plans previously started at $20.83 per month.
Why the Free Tier Matters
Circleback is introducing the plan at a time when more companies are trying to own the meeting workflow. In the last few weeks, dictation app Wispr launched its own note-taker and scheduling app, while Calendly added a similar tool to its stack.
Dedicated meeting note-takers are also pushing hard. Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies have raised millions of dollars in funding, according to the source article. Granola added a similar free tier a few months ago.
That context makes Circleback’s change look like more than a pricing update. A free plan can reduce the friction that comes before a user forms a habit. In a market where several tools promise help with notes, transcripts, and meeting memory, getting people into the product may be as important as explaining what it does.
Ali Haghani described the reasoning in direct terms. He said the company saw a big drop-off in users because of its previously limited trial period, which helped push Circleback toward a free plan.
“If we just open the gates and allow more people to use the product, that’s gonna bring Circleback in front of more people. Then we’re very good at making the product good and monetizing those users,” he said.
What Free Users Get And What They Do Not
The free subscription tier is built around access, not full permanence. Users can transcribe as many meetings as they want, but the searchable record available to them is limited to the last 30 days.
That creates a clear split between casual or early users and customers who need a deeper archive. Someone trying Circleback can test recording, transcription, AI transcript queries, mobile access, Apple Watch access, and Slack or Linear workflows. Someone who depends on a long-running record of past meetings will still have a reason to consider a paid plan.
The difference between the free plan and paid plans centers on a few areas:
- Free users get unlimited meeting transcription, but only 30 days of meeting history.
- Free users get Linear and Slack integrations, while paid plans include all integrations.
- Paid plans include unlimited meeting history.
- Paid plans include full API and MCP access.
This structure lets Circleback put a meaningful version of the product in front of more users while keeping advanced access and long-term retention behind paid subscriptions.
The Business Behind The Move
Circleback was founded in 2023 by Ali Haghani and Kevin Jacyna. The company raised $2.5 million in 2024.
Circleback says it has been profitable since then. It also says it has been clocking run-rate revenue of over $1 million per employee with a team of eight people, which roughly translates to a run-rate of about $8 million.
The company says it does not spend on Google Ads or Meta Ads. Instead, the free tier will serve as marketing expenses. In plain terms, Circleback is treating product access as a way to reach users, rather than relying on those advertising channels.
Haghani also said the company is not immediately looking to raise funds despite interest. His explanation was that Circleback does not currently see bottlenecks in its growth trajectory.
“We are consistently competing and winning customers against much bigger companies, both in terms of number of people and funding raised. And I feel like there is now more of an appetite to win,” he said.
That does not mean fundraising is off the table forever. Haghani said the startup would be open to raising money when it realizes that money can solve a problem it is having.
A Crowded Market Gets Another Free Option
Circleback’s new free plan reflects a simple pressure in the meeting notetaker market: users have choices. When tools from startups and established workflow companies are competing for attention, a paid-only entry point can make discovery harder.
The new tier gives Circleback a broader funnel without removing the reasons to pay. Unlimited transcription helps users experience the core product, while the 30-day history limit, integration limits, and restricted API and MCP access preserve a boundary between free and paid use.
For Circleback, the bet is that more usage will create more opportunities to convert customers. For the market, it is another sign that meeting transcription, AI transcript search, integrations, and mobile access are becoming expected parts of the modern meeting software stack.