HumlaRead.ai alternative
The no-bot, local Read.ai alternative
Read.ai can skip the bot now, but every meeting still lands in its cloud. Humla joins nothing and can keep every meeting on your Mac.
Which should you pick?
- Switch to Humla if you want a free, local, open source alternative that keeps meetings on your Mac.
- Stick with Read.ai if you want meeting analytics and engagement insights, plus a notetaker for calls you don't attend.
Why people leave Read.ai
- Recap emails go out to participants by default, external guests included, unless you mark the meeting private.
- Everything lands in its cloud. Even the bot-free desktop app sends recordings to Read.ai's servers.
- The free tier is capped at 5 meetings a month with a 1-hour limit.
- Paid plans run $20–40/user/month.
What Humla does instead
Humla is the silent, local alternative that never joins the call.
- No bot in the call. Humla records your Mac directly, so clients never see a recorder join.
- On-device, not cloud. Run transcription and summaries entirely on your Mac — nothing is uploaded.
- Nothing to train on. Nothing you record reaches Humla — it only talks to the providers you choose.
- Free and open source. Read.ai runs $20–40/user/month past a 5-meeting free tier; Humla is free forever and MIT-licensed, with optional sync at $5/user/month.
- Own your data. Notes live in local SQLite on your disk, with kept audio you can re-listen to.
- Speaks your language. Around 99 languages via Whisper — on-device or with your own key — plus a dedicated Norwegian model and per-language routing.
When Read.ai is still the better pick
Humla isn't for everyone. Stick with Read.ai if:
- You want meeting analytics and engagement insights, plus a notetaker for calls you don't attend.
- You need deep CRM/workflow integrations and native mobile apps — Humla is Mac-only.
- You need enterprise compliance like HIPAA or SAML/SCIM on higher tiers.
Try it on one meeting before you decide
- 1.Record your next call with HumlaDownload the app. It's free, needs no account, and nothing joins the meeting.
- 2.Bring the recordings you already haveImport audio files and Humla transcribes them, on device or with your own key.
- 3.Add your team when you're readyHumla Cloud syncs notes across the team at $5 per user a month.
Read more before you switch
Questions and answers
Is there a Read.ai alternative that doesn't use a bot?
Yes. Humla records through macOS itself, so nothing joins the call and the other side sees no recorder.
Can I keep my meetings off the cloud?
Yes — Humla can run fully on-device, so audio and transcripts never leave your Mac. Cloud engines are optional with your own key.
Is Humla free like Read.ai's free tier?
Humla is free forever with no meeting cap, unlike Read.ai's 5-meetings-a-month free tier. Optional team sync is $5/user/month.