Circleback vs Inbox Zero
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Circleback has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $20 for Inbox Zero.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Detailed AI notes
- Action items
- Rule-based automations
- Bot or bot-free recording
- Meeting search
- Plain-English email rules
- Reply drafting
- Bulk unsubscriber
- Cold email blocker
- Email analytics
| Feature | Circleback | Inbox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AI meeting notes and automations for online and in-person meetings | Open-source AI email assistant for sorting, replies and unsubscribing |
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Circleback | Inbox Zero |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Circleback has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $20 for Inbox Zero.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- AI meeting notes and action items
- Online and in-person meetings
- API, MCP and CLI access
- 2 teams
Pro
$15/mo
- Per user
- Unlimited meeting history
- 1 year of recording storage
- Custom AI insights
Business
$25/mo
- Per user
- Admin roles, unlimited free viewers
- 2 years of recording storage
- Unlimited teams
Enterprise
$35/mo
- Per user, volume discounts
- SSO and SCIM
- Unlimited recording storage
- HIPAA compliance
4 plans
Free
Free
- Email app free to use
Starter
$20/mo
- Per user
- AI sorting and labels
- Drafts replies in your voice
- Cold email blocker, bulk unsubscribe
Plus
$35/mo
- Per user
- 2 email accounts per user
- AI meeting notetaker
- Slack and app integrations
Professional
$50/mo
- Per user
- Team-wide analytics
- Priority support
- Dedicated onboarding manager
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Circleback
- Notes are thorough and well organized
- Useful post-meeting automations
- Free plan without meeting cap
- Smaller company than main rivals
- Automations need setup time
Inbox Zero
- Open source and self-hostable
- Flexible natural-language rules
- Handy cleanup tools
- Rules need tuning
- Smaller team behind it
Which one should you choose?
Choose Circleback if you want:
- Notes are thorough and well organized
- Useful post-meeting automations
- Free plan without meeting cap
Watch out: smaller company than main rivals.
Choose Inbox Zero if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Flexible natural-language rules
- Handy cleanup tools
Watch out: rules need tuning.
Circleback vs Inbox Zero FAQ
What is the difference between Circleback and Inbox Zero?
Circleback: AI meeting notes and automations for online and in-person meetings. Inbox Zero: Open-source AI email assistant for sorting, replies and unsubscribing. Both are productivity tools.
Is Circleback or Inbox Zero cheaper?
Circleback has the lower starting price: about $15 a month, against $20 for Inbox Zero.
Do Circleback and Inbox Zero have free plans?
Circleback: Yes. Inbox Zero: Yes.
Who makes Circleback?
Circleback is made by Circleback, based in United States.
Who makes Inbox Zero?
Inbox Zero is made by Inbox Zero.
Which should I choose, Circleback or Inbox Zero?
Choose Circleback if you value notes are thorough and well organized and useful post-meeting automations. Choose Inbox Zero if you value open source and self-hostable and flexible natural-language rules.