Sam (HeySam) and Shadow are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Sam (HeySam): Multi-agent AI sales copilot that joins calls, records and analyzes meetings, and assists sales engineers in Slack. Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
For ai-meeting-assistants workflows, shortlist Sam (HeySam) when supporting reps with real-time technical answers during sales calls matters most, and Shadow when capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Multi-agent AI sales copilot that joins calls, records and analyzes meetings, and assists sales engineers in Slack.
AI RFP Copilot that completes RFPs in Google Sheets from call dataAI Sales Engineer that answers technical questions in real time on SlackCall summaries, video recaps, and CRM updates delivered to Slack
A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant.
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participantCaptures on-screen content in addition to spoken audioCustomizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Sam (HeySam) is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Joins and records calls on Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant
Standout feature
AI Sales Engineer that answers technical questions in real time on Slack
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
Team usage
Call summaries, video recaps, and CRM updates delivered to Slack
Speaker identification during transcription
Integrations
AI RFP Copilot that completes RFPs in Google Sheets from call data
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Languages & capture
Sizzle Reel short video summaries for follow-ups
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Best-fit workflow
Customer-facing Ask AI bot for documentation and communities
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
Best for
Sam (HeySam)
Choose Sam (HeySam) if you need supporting reps with real-time technical answers during sales calls — strengths include surfaces sales-engineering expertise on calls without a human se on every meeting.
Shadow
Choose Shadow if you need capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining — strengths include does not add a visible bot to meetings.
Pros & cons
Sam (HeySam)
+ Surfaces sales-engineering expertise on calls without a human SE on every meeting
+ Deep native Slack integration suits Slack-centric go-to-market teams
- Slack-centric workflow may not fit teams that do not standardize on Slack
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
FAQ
Is Sam (HeySam) or Shadow better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Sam (HeySam) is strong for supporting reps with real-time technical answers during sales calls, while Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Sam (HeySam) and Shadow compare on price?
Sam (HeySam) is a free tier with paid upgrades and Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Can I use both Sam (HeySam) and Shadow?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.