Meeting Recording Cost Index (Q1 2026)

Methodology

We track the cost per hour of meeting recording across 12 providers offering recording APIs or services. Prices are normalized to a standard unit: one hour of recorded meeting audio with transcription included. Where transcription is an add-on, we include the cheapest provider-offered option. Enterprise custom pricing is excluded; we use the publicly listed or pay-as-you-go rate.

All prices in USD. Last updated April 2026.

The index

Cost per hour of meeting recording (audio + transcription), Q1 2026:

• Skribby - $0.35/hr (lowest in category)
• MeetingBaaS - $0.40/hr (estimated, token-based pricing)
• Recall.ai - $0.65/hr ($0.50 recording + $0.15 transcription)
• MeetStream - $0.50/hr (estimated, includes basic transcription)
• Deepgram - $0.26/hr (transcription only, no meeting bot)
• AssemblyAI - $0.54/hr (transcription only, with LeMUR features)
• Rev.ai - $1.20/hr (async transcription)
• Rev (human) - $90/hr (human transcription, premium tier)
• Otter.ai Pro - ~$0.85/hr (estimated from $16.99/mo at 20 hrs/mo usage)
• Fireflies.ai Pro - ~$0.95/hr (estimated from $19/mo at 20 hrs/mo usage)
• Fathom Team - ~$1.20/hr (estimated from $24/mo at 20 hrs/mo usage)
• Gong - ~$6.00/hr (estimated from $120/user/mo at 20 hrs/mo usage)

Category average: $0.49/hr (API providers only, excluding consumer tools and human transcription).

Key findings

API pricing has compressed 40% since 2024. Two years ago, Recall.ai was effectively the only option at ~$0.80/hr all-in. New entrants (Skribby, MeetingBaaS, MeetStream) have pushed the floor to $0.35/hr. Competition works.

Transcription-only APIs are the cheapest path. If you already have a way to capture meeting audio (desktop SDK, browser extension, native platform integration), adding Deepgram at $0.26/hr is significantly cheaper than a full meeting bot API. The trade-off is you need to build the capture layer yourself.

Consumer tools cost 2-3x more per hour than APIs. Otter, Fireflies, and Fathom charge $0.85-1.20/hr on a per-use basis. You are paying for the UI, integrations, and convenience. If your team records 100+ hours/month, the API route saves real money.

Gong is 12x the category average. At ~$6/hr, Gong's implicit recording cost is an order of magnitude above API providers. Most of that premium pays for the analytics, coaching, and deal intelligence layers. But for teams that only need recording and transcription, the delta is hard to justify.

Trends to watch

Desktop SDKs will compress bot API pricing further. Recall.ai's Desktop Recording SDK and similar products bypass the meeting platform entirely. No bot participant means no platform restrictions and potentially lower infrastructure cost. If desktop capture becomes the default, bot API pricing will need to drop.

Bundled transcription is becoming standard. Most recording APIs now include basic transcription. The "recording + transcription" bundle is converging toward $0.40-0.50/hr. Premium transcription (speaker diarization, custom vocabulary, real-time streaming) will be the upsell.

How to use this data

This index is designed for engineering and product leaders evaluating meeting recording infrastructure. Use it to benchmark proposals, validate vendor quotes, and estimate costs at scale. If a vendor quotes you more than 2x the category average, ask them why.

We update this index quarterly. If you have pricing data we should include, let us know.