Circleback, a Y Combinator-backed meeting note-taking startup, has introduced a free subscription tier to attract more users in a highly competitive market. The new plan allows for unlimited meeting transcription, but limits access to meeting history to the last 30 days. Free users can also record meetings, use mobile and Apple Watch apps, query transcripts with AI, and integrate with Linear and Slack. Paid plans, which start at $14 per month when billed annually, add unlimited history, all integrations, and full API and MCP access. Previously, Circleback had no free tier and its cheapest plan cost $20.83 per month.
The move comes as the meeting note-taker space grows increasingly crowded. In recent weeks, dictation app Wispr launched its own note-taker and scheduling app, while Calendly added a similar tool to its offerings. Dedicated rivals such as Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies have each raised millions in funding. Granola also added a comparable free tier a few months ago, according to the company.
Circleback was founded in 2023 by Ali Haghani and Kevin Jacyna and raised $2.5 million in 2024. The company reports it has been profitable since then, with a run-rate revenue of over $1 million per employee across its eight-person team, translating to roughly $8 million annually. Co-founder Haghani said the limited trial period previously caused a significant drop-off in users, prompting the shift to a free plan.
Haghani explained that opening the product to more people will put Circleback in front of a wider audience, and the company is confident in its ability to convert those users into paying customers. He noted that the startup does not spend on Google Ads or Meta Ads, and the free tier will function as its marketing expense. This approach reflects a focus on product-led growth rather than paid acquisition.
Regarding fundraising, Haghani said Circleback is not immediately seeking investment despite interest from outside parties, as the company sees no bottlenecks in its growth. He stated that the startup is consistently winning customers against larger competitors in both team size and funding. He added that if the company determines that money could solve a specific problem, it would be open to raising funds at that point.
For the US technology market, this pricing change gives American businesses and individual users a no-cost entry point into AI-powered meeting notes, a category that has seen rapid adoption. The free tier鈥檚 30-day history limit encourages frequent use while pushing power users toward the paid plans. Circleback鈥檚 profitability at a small scale also signals that the crowded note-taking segment can sustain lean operations without heavy ad spending.
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