Skribby

Every year, billions of minutes are spent in virtual meetings across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. With remote work becoming the norm, SaaS companies are racing to build AI-powered notetakers, meeting assistants, and collaboration tools that can automatically record and transcribe these conversations.

But here's the problem: native platform APIs are fragmented, messy, and often incomplete. Zoom's SDK doesn't provide real-time audio streams. Teams Graph API is complex and limited. Google Meet has no direct recording API for most users.

This creates a massive headache for developers who want to build cross-platform meeting solutions. Instead of focusing on their core product, they're stuck wrestling with three different authentication systems, handling various webhook formats, and managing the complexity of real-time audio processing.

Meeting bot APIs solve this by providing a single integration point for all major video platforms. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top solutions for 2025 and help you choose the right one for your project.

Why Record and Transcribe Meetings?

The demand for automated meeting recording and transcription spans multiple industries and use cases:

Sales teams use meeting recordings to analyze calls, coach reps, and extract insights from customer conversations. CRM platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce increasingly integrate meeting intelligence features.
Recruiting platforms need to transcribe candidate interviews, making them searchable and enabling AI-powered candidate evaluation. This helps HR teams review conversations asynchronously and make better hiring decisions.
Healthcare organizations record patient consultations for documentation and compliance purposes, though this requires HIPAA-compliant infrastructure and careful consent management.
Finally, productivity tools use transcription to generate meeting summaries, action items, and follow-up tasks, helping teams stay aligned and accountable.

Why Native APIs Fall Short

If you've tried building meeting recording functionality with native platform APIs, you've likely encountered these frustrations:

Zoom API Limitations

Zoom's SDK provides meeting metadata and some webhook events, but it doesn't offer real-time audio streams for transcription. You can download recordings after meetings end, but this doesn't support live transcription features.

The OAuth flow is notoriously complex, requiring users to install your Zoom app and grant specific permissions. For many use cases, this creates too much friction.

Zoom's Bot SDK exists but has strict requirements around user consent and bot behavior. Getting approval for production use can take weeks or months.

Microsoft Teams Graph API Issues

Teams' Graph API is powerful but messy to implement. Real-time transcription requires complex WebRTC integration, and the documentation can be overwhelming for developers who just want basic recording functionality.

Permission scopes are granular but confusing. Getting the right combination of permissions for recording, transcription, and metadata access often involves trial and error.

The API rate limits are strict, and scaling to handle multiple simultaneous meetings requires careful architecture planning.

Google Meet's Limited Options

Google Meet recording is only available on Google Workspace plans, excluding millions of users on free Gmail accounts. There's no direct API for recording or transcription.

Google's Live Captions API exists but requires complex integration and doesn't provide persistent transcripts. Most developers end up using screen recording solutions, which are unreliable and resource-intensive.

The lack of webhook support means you can't easily detect when meetings start or end, making automated workflows difficult to implement.

The Benefits of Cross-Platform Meeting Bot APIs

Instead of wrestling with three separate APIs, meeting bot platforms provide a unified solution:

Single Integration: One API key, one webhook format, one authentication system. Deploy bots to Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet with the same code.
Real-time Capabilities: Access live audio streams for instant transcription and analysis. No more waiting for recordings to process.
Built-in Transcription: Most platforms include transcription providers like Deepgram, AssemblyAI, or Whisper, eliminating the need for separate transcription service integration.
Secure Storage: Meeting data is encrypted and stored securely, often with compliance certifications like SOC 2 or GDPR compliance built-in.
Faster Time-to-Market: Skip months of platform-specific development and launch your meeting features in days or weeks instead.
Scalability: Meeting bot APIs handle the infrastructure complexity of joining multiple meetings simultaneously across different platforms.

Top Meeting Bot APIs in 2025

Recall.ai - The Enterprise Leader

Recall.ai has established itself as the market leader for enterprise meeting bot functionality. They offer the most comprehensive feature set and support the widest range of video platforms.

Strengths: Recall.ai supports Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, and Slack Huddles. Their real-time WebRTC streaming provides low-latency access to audio and video. The platform includes advanced features like custom bot behavior, detailed analytics, and enterprise-grade security.
Limitations: The pricing model includes a $1,000/month platform fee plus approximately $1/hour usage costs. This makes it expensive for smaller projects or teams with limited meeting volumes. The onboarding process requires sales calls and custom setup, which can delay development timelines.
Ideal for: Large enterprises with high meeting volumes, complex compliance requirements, and budgets that can accommodate premium pricing. Best suited for teams building sophisticated meeting intelligence platforms.
Developer Experience: Comprehensive SDK with detailed documentation, but the complexity can be overwhelming for simple use cases.

Skribby - Developer-Friendly, Reliable and Affordable

Skribby focuses on reliability and developer experience, making meeting bot integration as simple as possible for developers and SaaS teams.

Strengths: Transparent pricing at $0.39/hour with volume discounts available. Reliability is their top priority, ensuring consistent bot performance across platforms. Multiple transcription provider options (not limited to a single provider) allow optimization for different languages and use cases. Fast support response times and active Discord community. Free 5-hour trial allows testing before commitment.
Limitations: Fewer advanced features compared to enterprise platforms like Recall.ai. No SDK option currently, though their REST API is designed for simplicity.
Ideal for: Developers building MVPs, early-stage SaaS products, and cost-conscious applications. Perfect for teams that prioritize reliability and fast implementation over feature complexity.
Developer Experience: Designed specifically for developers with intuitive API design and comprehensive documentation. Fast setup and deployment process.

MeetingBaaS - Feature-Rich with Flexibility

MeetingBaaS positions itself as a comprehensive meeting bot platform with extensive customization options and flexible pricing models.

Strengths: Offers both pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $0.69/hour and subscription plans with platform fees for higher volumes. Advanced bot customization includes custom names, avatars, and chat message capabilities. Native calendar integration with Google Calendar and Outlook streamlines automated workflows. AI summarization through Gladia integration adds meeting intelligence features.
Limitations: The feature richness can add complexity for developers who need simple recording functionality. Documentation and support quality can vary, and the platform is still maturing compared to more established alternatives.
Ideal for: Mid-market SaaS companies that need comprehensive features and benefit from flexible pricing models. Good for teams building feature-rich meeting assistants with calendar integration requirements.
Developer Experience: Both REST API and SDK options available, with active Discord community for support. Setup can be completed in minutes for basic use cases.

Attendee.dev - Open Source

Attendee represents the open-source alternative for teams that want complete control over their meeting bot infrastructure.

Strengths: Full access to source code allows unlimited customization. Zero licensing costs make it attractive for budget-conscious projects. Active community contributes regular improvements and extensions. Supports Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams with extensible architecture.
Limitations: Requires significant development overhead for setup and maintenance. Transcription and webhook functionality must be implemented manually. No commercial support option means relying on community for troubleshooting.
Ideal for: Technical teams with development resources who need complete control over meeting bot functionality. Best for companies with specific compliance or customization requirements that commercial platforms can't meet.
Developer Experience: Requires strong technical skills and infrastructure management capabilities. Good for teams that prefer building and maintaining their own systems.

What Developers Need to Know About Meeting Bots

Consent and Compliance

Meeting recording laws vary by jurisdiction and use case. In most regions, you need explicit consent from all participants before recording begins.

Meeting bot APIs typically handle consent notifications automatically, displaying messages like "This meeting is being recorded" when bots join. However, you're responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws.

For healthcare, legal, or financial use cases, additional compliance requirements like HIPAA, GDPR, or SOX may apply. Choose platforms that offer appropriate certifications.

Secure Storage and Data Handling

Meeting transcripts contain sensitive business information. Ensure your chosen platform provides:

Encryption in transit and at rest
Secure data retention policies
Data deletion capabilities
Access controls and audit logs

Most platforms store data temporarily (24-48 hours) before automatic deletion unless you explicitly save transcripts to your own systems.

Rate Limits and Scaling

Meeting bot platforms have limits on concurrent meetings and API calls. Plan for scale early:

Understand concurrent meeting limits
Implement proper error handling for rate limit responses
Consider geographic distribution for global teams
Plan for peak usage scenarios (all-hands meetings, conferences)

UX Considerations

Bot behavior impacts user experience significantly:

Choose descriptive bot names that indicate purpose
Consider custom avatars for brand recognition
Handle bot join/leave timing appropriately
Provide clear privacy policies and data usage information

How to Start Recording with Skribby in Minutes

Getting started with Skribby is straightforward. Here's how to deploy your first meeting bot:

Step 1: Get Your API Key

Step 2: Send a Bot to a Meeting

Use this curl command to join a meeting:

curl -i -X POST \
  https://platform.skribby.io/api/v1/bot \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN_HERE>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "transcription_model": "whisper",
    "meeting_url": "https://meet.google.com/osk-sbwe-nff",
    "service": "gmeet",
    "bot_name": "My Meeting Bot"
  }'

Step 3: Receive Real-time Updates

Skribby sends webhook events to your specified URL when the transcription is available.

For complete integration details, check the Skribby documentation.

Conclusion

Building meeting recording and transcription functionality in-house is a significant undertaking. You'll spend months handling platform-specific APIs, managing infrastructure, and debugging audio processing issues.

Cross-platform meeting bot APIs eliminate this complexity, letting you focus on your core product instead of infrastructure. The time savings alone often justify the cost, especially when you factor in ongoing maintenance and platform updates.

Among the available options, Skribby stands out for developer-friendly implementation and transparent pricing. At $0.39/hour with no platform fees, it's the most cost-effective solution for most use cases. The focus on reliability ensures your meeting bots work consistently, and the simple REST API means faster integration.

For enterprise requirements with advanced features, Recall.ai remains the premium option. MeetingBaaS offers a middle ground with comprehensive features and flexible pricing. Attendee.dev provides complete control for teams with specific technical requirements.

The key is matching platform capabilities to your specific needs. Start with a clear understanding of your use case, expected volume, and technical requirements.

Start building today with Skribby. Get 5 free trial hours and launch your meeting bot in minutes.

FAQ

Does Zoom allow third-party recording bots?

Yes, Zoom allows meeting bots through their Bot SDK and third-party platforms. Bots must display appropriate notifications about recording and follow Zoom's terms of service. Meeting hosts and participants will see the bot join the meeting with a clear indicator that recording is active.

Is meeting recording GDPR compliant?

GDPR compliance depends on how you handle recorded data, not just the recording itself. You need explicit consent from EU participants, clear data retention policies, and the ability to delete data upon request. Most meeting bot platforms provide tools to help with compliance, but you're responsible for implementing proper consent workflows.

What's the difference between real-time and post-meeting transcription?

Real-time transcription processes audio as the meeting happens, enabling live captions, instant summaries, and interactive features. Post-meeting transcription processes recordings after meetings end, which is more accurate but doesn't support live features. Most modern meeting bot APIs offer both options.

Can meeting bots work with password-protected meetings?

Yes, meeting bot APIs can join password-protected meetings. You typically include the password in your API request when sending the bot. The bot handles authentication automatically, though some platforms may require additional configuration for meetings with waiting rooms or advanced security settings.

Best Meeting Bot APIs (2025) Zoom, Microsoft Teams & Google Meet