Earkeep
The tl;dv alternative that never joins your call
Last updated: · Reviewed quarterly
tl;dv fits if you live in Zoom or Google Meet and want to clip and share moments. Earkeep never joins a call: it listens in the background, online or in person, and processes audio only on your machine.
14-day full trial, no account required.
- No bot ever joins the call
- In-person meetings count too
- €39 once, not $20-35 per seat
The short answer
For shareable clips in Zoom and Meet, paid per seat, tl;dv is built for it. For everything captured with no bot, audio that never leaves your computer, and one payment, Earkeep is.
Why people look for a tl;dv alternative
Nothing to invite, nothing to start
tl;dv records only the Zoom or Meet calls its bot is invited into, never an in-person meeting or phone call. Earkeep listens continuously, and you or your calendar mark the meeting afterwards.
Transcribed on your device, not on someone's servers
Earkeep transcribes locally with Whisper or Parakeet, in memory, never uploaded. tl;dv records and processes on its servers, which is what makes its real-time transcription and instant clips possible.
A record you own, in files your agents can read
tl;dv's differentiator is timestamped highlights: share a short clip instead of the recording, from calls it joined, kept in its account. Earkeep keeps plain files that in-app agents and an MCP server can read. We found no MCP or agent integration in tl;dv as of June 2026.
Side by side
| Capability | Earkeep | tl;dv |
|---|---|---|
| Always-on capture | No start/stop | Only meetings it joins |
| Bot-free | No bot ever joins | Auto-joins Zoom and Google Meet |
| Records a meeting you can't attend | Only what your device hears | The bot goes without you |
| Audio processed on your device | Never leaves the computer | Cloud recording and transcription |
| Captures in-person meetings | Any app, in person too | Only inside Zoom or Meet |
| Retroactive spans | Define the meeting afterward | A meeting is a bot join |
| AI summary when it ends | No, but an agent you connect writes them from the transcript | Summary and action items |
| Labels who said what | Not yet | Speaker recognition |
| Keeps a recording you can replay | No audio or video is ever kept | Timestamped video you can scrub |
| Share with people who weren't there | No, but your agent files the notes where your team already reads | Timestamped clips, its whole differentiator |
| Your own agents can read it | ACP agents plus an MCP server | None found as of June 2026 |
| Free tier that doesn't expire | 14 days free, then €39 once | Free tier for Zoom and Meet |
| One-time purchase | €39, one device | Per user, per month |
| Pricing | €39 one time, one device | Free tier, then $20-35/user/month |
| Platform | macOS 13+, Windows 10+ | Web app; joins Zoom and Google Meet only |
Built inNo, but an agent you connect canPartlyNot available
What each one costs by year five
Switching takes an afternoon
- Install it, then let a day run. Earkeep listens from launch. Nothing migrates: your tl;dv clips stay in tl;dv.
- Mark yesterday, or connect a calendar. Drag a span where a meeting was, or let Google, Apple, Outlook or any ICS calendar title the spans.
- Stop paying per seat once you trust it. As of June 2026, tl;dv's free tier allows 10 AI notes a month; Pro is $20/user/month ($15 annually), Business $35 ($25 annually). Earkeep is €39 once.
Which one fits you
Choose Earkeep if
You want everything kept, wherever it happened.
- Much of your week is in person, or on a platform tl;dv doesn't join
- The audio must not leave your computer
- You want the whole conversation, not just clipped moments
- You'd rather pay €39 once than per seat forever
- Your own agents should read your meetings directly
Choose tl;dv if
tl;dv is purpose-built for a workflow Earkeep has no answer to.
- You need Salesforce and HubSpot sync out of the box
- Clip-sharing is your main workflow: the 30-second moment, dropped in Slack
- You want zero setup in the browser, not a desktop download
- You want a free tier indefinitely: unlimited meetings, 10 AI notes a month
- You need web access; Earkeep is a desktop app
For weeks full of unscheduled 1:1s and huddles, see product managers and engineering leads.
Other tools people weigh this against
Frequently asked questions
Is Earkeep a good tl;dv alternative?
If you want everything captured rather than moments clipped, yes. It doesn't attend meetings without you, label speakers, keep video, or make clips.
Does tl;dv work for in-person meetings?
No, it only joins Zoom or Google Meet. Earkeep covers in-person meetings with a laptop open the same way as online ones.
Is tl;dv's free tier good enough to skip Earkeep entirely?
It depends: unlimited meetings, but 10 AI notes a month and only Zoom and Meet. Earkeep caps no meetings and hears every platform, but its trial runs 14 days.
Does Earkeep sell to teams the way tl;dv does with per-seat plans?
No. Earkeep is €39 once per device, with no per-seat tier to set against tl;dv's Pro, Business and Enterprise plans.
Is my audio ever sent to tl;dv's or Earkeep's servers?
tl;dv processes audio on its infrastructure. Earkeep processes it in memory on your device and never uploads it.
Try Earkeep
14-day full trial, no account required.