Shadow and tl;dv are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. tl;dv: Video-first AI meeting recorder with searchable clips, 30+ language transcription, and EU/GDPR-friendly hosting. 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 Shadow when capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining matters most, and tl;dv when teams sharing video highlights matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
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
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); tl;dv is from $18/mo (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant
Video clips
Standout feature
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
30+ languages
Team usage
Speaker identification during transcription
EU/GDPR hosting
Integrations
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Speaker recognition
Languages & capture
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Video clips
Best-fit workflow
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
30+ languages
Best for
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.
tl;dv
Choose tl;dv if you need teams sharing video highlights — strengths include free plan with unlimited recording and 30+ language transcription.
Pros & cons
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
tl;dv
+ Free plan with unlimited recording and 30+ language transcription
+ Shareable video clips and timestamps
- Free plan keeps recordings only 3 months and caps AI notes at 10 for the account's lifetime
FAQ
Is Shadow or tl;dv better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining, while tl;dv is strong for teams sharing video highlights. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Shadow and tl;dv compare on price?
Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades and tl;dv is from $18/mo. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Can I use both Shadow and tl;dv?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.