Read.ai and Sam (HeySam) are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Read.ai: AI for meetings that delivers transcripts, summaries, and engagement metrics across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Sam (HeySam): Multi-agent AI sales copilot that joins calls, records and analyzes meetings, and assists sales engineers in Slack. 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 Read.ai when team meeting notes and recaps matters most, and Sam (HeySam) when supporting reps with real-time technical answers during sales calls matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Read.ai is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Sam (HeySam) 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
Standout feature
Action items
AI Sales Engineer that answers technical questions in real time on Slack
Team usage
Meeting engagement and sentiment metrics
Call summaries, video recaps, and CRM updates delivered to Slack
Integrations
Automatic recaps
AI RFP Copilot that completes RFPs in Google Sheets from call data
Languages & capture
Searchable notes
Sizzle Reel short video summaries for follow-ups
Best-fit workflow
Transcripts and AI summaries
Customer-facing Ask AI bot for documentation and communities
Best for
Read.ai
Choose Read.ai if you need team meeting notes and recaps — strengths include adds meeting analytics on top of notes.
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.
Pros & cons
Read.ai
+ Permanent free plan (5 meeting transcripts per month)
+ Strong AI summaries plus a personalized meeting coach
- Free plan capped at 5 transcripts per month
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
FAQ
Is Read.ai or Sam (HeySam) better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Read.ai is strong for team meeting notes and recaps, while Sam (HeySam) is strong for supporting reps with real-time technical answers during sales calls. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Read.ai and Sam (HeySam) compare on price?
Read.ai is a free tier with paid upgrades and Sam (HeySam) 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 Read.ai and Sam (HeySam)?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.