You’re in a Google Meet trying to type what everyone is saying. Halfway through, you realize you’ve missed half of it. Bluedot solves this by automatically recording and summarizing your meetings, without a disruptive bot appearing in your meeting.
Who is behind Bluedot?
Bluedot was founded in 2021, right in the middle of the remote work and online meeting explosion. The company emerged from a simple problem: existing meeting tools all sent bots to your meetings, which was not only distracting but could also come across as unprofessional to clients.
The solution the team came up with was different from the competition. Instead of using an external bot, they developed a Chrome extension that records locally. This way, you could get all the benefits of automatic notes without others noticing. That focus on discreet recording became their main differentiator.
Since then, Bluedot has positioned itself as the privacy-friendly option in a market full of bot-based tools. The company primarily targets sales teams, recruiters, and customer success managers who regularly conduct client conversations where a visible recording bot is undesirable.
Who is Bluedot for?
Bluedot is built for people who have many online meetings and need to extract action items from them. Sales teams use it to automatically log conversations in their CRM. Recruiters can focus on the candidate instead of taking notes. Customer success managers get automatic summaries they can share with their team.
Remote teams who are in Google Meet daily also find it useful. The tool works best if you use Chrome and primarily use Google Meet as your platform. If privacy is an issue with your clients, the bot-free recording is a major advantage.
Bluedot is less suitable if you primarily use the desktop version of Microsoft Teams, since the extension is browser-based. Also, if you need offline recordings or are looking for a comprehensive mobile app, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Teams that don’t want to use Chrome for security reasons are also in the wrong place here.
What can Bluedot do?
The free version of Bluedot gives you access to basic recording and transcription features, but with a limit of 5 meetings total. For unlimited recordings, CRM integrations, and advanced AI features, you need a paid plan.
- Automatic meeting notes: Bluedot takes notes during your meeting and generates a structured summary afterwards. You don’t have to type anything yourself.
- Google Meet recording and transcription: The Chrome extension records both audio and video without a bot appearing in the meeting. The transcription happens automatically and supports multiple languages.
- Screen recording: In addition to the meeting itself, you can also record your screen. Handy when you’re giving a demo or want to explain something with visuals.
- Speaker identification and analytics: The tool recognizes who is speaking and tracks how much talk time everyone has had. This way you can see at a glance whether the conversation was balanced.
- CRM integrations: Bluedot connects with HubSpot and Salesforce to automatically log your conversations. Slack notifications are also possible so your team is immediately informed.
- AI-generated summaries and action items: After each meeting you get a summary with the key points and concrete actions. You can copy them directly into a follow-up email.
- Search function in transcripts: You can search through your old meetings by keywords. This way you can quickly find what was said about a specific topic.
The AI summaries are surprisingly useful according to users. They not only pick up action items, but also decisions and important quotes. The search function works across all transcripts, which is handy when you need to find a specific comment from a conversation weeks ago.
What does Bluedot cost?
Bluedot has a free plan, but it’s pretty limited. You get a maximum of 5 meetings total, not per month but as a lifetime limit. You also can’t import files. It’s really more of a trial version than a full-fledged free plan.
The Basic plan costs $1 per month, or $1 per month if you pay annually ($1 total). This gives you unlimited recordings and basic AI features. The Pro plan costs $1 per month or $1 with annual payment ($1 total). That adds more advanced integrations and analytics.
For teams, there’s a Business plan at $1 per month. This offers team features and priority support. There’s no free trial period, so you have to pay right away to really test the tool after your 5 free meetings.
The prices are competitive for sales teams that need CRM automation, but on the high side for individuals who just want transcriptions. Especially since the free plan is so limited.
What should you watch out for?
The biggest criticism is the limitation of the free plan. With only 5 meetings total, you can barely evaluate the tool before having to pay. Other tools offer unlimited recordings in their free version, albeit with other limitations.
Bluedot is heavily dependent on Chrome. If your organization requires a different browser or you often work on your phone, you’ll run into limitations. The mobile app does exist but is much less comprehensive than the desktop extension.
Users report that the transcription struggles with strong accents or dialects. With Dutch with an accent, the accuracy can drop significantly. The setup of CRM integrations is also sometimes experienced as complex, especially for people without a technical background.
The tool works best with Google Meet. For Zoom and Teams, you have to use the web versions because it’s a browser extension, which doesn’t always work as smoothly as the native apps.
Bluedot alternatives
If Bluedot doesn’t quite fit what you’re looking for, there are plenty of alternatives. Each with its own focus and benefits.
- Otter.ai: Choose this if you need a mobile app for in-person meetings or recordings outside your computer. Otter does send a bot to online meetings, but has better mobile functionality.
- Fireflies.ai: Go for this if you’re looking for advanced voice command automation and need more integrations. It also uses a bot, but offers more automation capabilities.
- tl;dv: Choose this if you want a free tool for unlimited recordings. The free plan is much more generous than Bluedot’s, but the CRM automation is less extensive.
The choice mainly depends on what’s more important: discreet recording without a bot (Bluedot) or a better free plan and more platform support (the alternatives).
Frequently asked questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions about Bluedot.
Does the other party see that I’m recording?
No, Bluedot works through a Chrome extension and doesn’t add a visible bot to the meeting. The recording happens locally on your computer. Legally and ethically, it is wise to always ask for permission before recording, even though it’s not technically visible.
Does Bluedot work with Zoom and Teams?
Yes, but mainly through the web versions of these platforms because Bluedot is a browser extension. The desktop apps of Zoom and Teams are not fully supported. It works best for Google Meet because that platform is primarily browser-based.
Is my data secure?
Bluedot is GDPR-compliant and stores all data encrypted. The servers are located in both Germany (Frankfurt) and the United States. You can indicate in the settings where you prefer your data to be stored, although that depends on your subscription.
Conclusion
Bluedot does exactly what it promises: record and summarize meetings without others seeing it. For sales teams and recruiters who regularly conduct client conversations, that’s a big advantage. The CRM integrations work well and the AI summaries are useful enough to save time.
The free plan is too limited to seriously consider. If you really want to use the tool, you have to pay. For teams that use Chrome and are mainly in Google Meet, the investment is worthwhile. For individuals or teams with a limited budget, there are cheaper alternatives with better free plans.
Choose Bluedot if discreet recording is important and you still want CRM automation. Look elsewhere if you need a mobile app or don’t want to be dependent on Chrome.
