Best Conversation Intelligence Software for Sales Teams [2026]
Your sales manager listened to three calls last week. Your team had 247. That gap between what leadership sees and what actually happens on calls is where deals slip, reps plateau, and revenue forecasts lie.
Conversation intelligence software closes this gap by recording, transcribing, and analyzing every sales conversation — then surfacing the patterns that separate your top performers from everyone else. The best platforms go beyond transcription to identify deal risks, coach reps in real-time, and connect conversation insights directly to pipeline health.
The market has evolved significantly in 2026. Enterprise stalwarts like Gong now face pressure from AI-native platforms offering comparable analysis at a fraction of the cost. We evaluated 12 platforms across coaching depth, deal intelligence, integration quality, and total cost of ownership.
What Is Conversation Intelligence Software?
Conversation intelligence (CI) software automatically captures and analyzes sales conversations — calls, video meetings, and sometimes email and chat — to extract actionable insights. Core capabilities include:
- Automatic recording and transcription across Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and phone
- AI-powered analysis that identifies objections, competitors mentioned, pricing discussions, and buying signals
- Coaching insights that show talk-to-listen ratios, question frequency, topic coverage, and objection handling
- Deal intelligence that connects conversation patterns to pipeline movement and forecast accuracy
- Searchable libraries that let reps study how top performers handle specific objections or competitors
The key insight: conversation intelligence data is the most honest signal in your sales process. CRM fields are manually entered (and often wrong). Forecasts are optimistic by default. But what your rep said on the call — and how the prospect responded — tells the real story.
How We Evaluated
| Criteria | What We Looked For |
|---|---|
| Transcription Accuracy | Multi-language support, speaker identification, technical terminology |
| AI Analysis Depth | Beyond transcription — deal risk, sentiment, coaching recommendations |
| Real-Time Coaching | Live prompts during calls vs. post-call only |
| Deal Intelligence | Connection between conversations and pipeline health |
| Integration Depth | CRM auto-update, engagement platform connectivity |
| Pricing Transparency | Published pricing vs. "contact sales" opacity |
| Time-to-Value | Setup complexity and team adoption speed |
1. Gong — The Enterprise Category Leader
Best for: Large enterprise sales organizations (100+ reps) with dedicated RevOps teams and substantial budgets.
Gong pioneered the conversation intelligence category and remains the most feature-complete platform. It records and analyzes calls across every channel, provides detailed coaching scorecards, connects conversation patterns to deal outcomes, and offers revenue forecasting based on actual deal engagement.
Key capabilities:
- Multi-channel recording (Zoom, Teams, Meet, phone, email)
- AI deal risk scoring based on conversation signals
- Coaching scorecards with customizable competency frameworks
- Revenue forecasting connected to conversation activity
- Competitive intelligence tracking across all conversations
- Smart trackers for custom topics, objections, and keywords
Strengths: Unmatched analysis depth. Gong's AI models are trained on billions of sales interactions, giving it pattern recognition that newer platforms can't yet match. The deal board connects conversation insights directly to pipeline movement, showing which deals are progressing based on actual buyer engagement rather than rep-reported data. Enterprise-grade compliance and security.
Limitations: Pricing is the elephant in the room. Gong doesn't publish pricing, but market data consistently shows $120-$250/user/month plus mandatory platform fees ($5,000-$50,000) and implementation charges ($15,000-$65,000). A 50-person team can expect $150,000-$300,000 in first-year costs. Multi-year contracts with 5-15% annual uplifts and 50-100% early termination penalties make this a serious commitment. Many mid-market teams report buying licenses for their whole team but only 40-50% of reps actively using the platform — turning a $200/user investment into $400+/active user.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. Market data: $120-$250/user/month + $5,000-$50,000 platform fee + $15,000-$65,000 implementation. Annual contract minimum.
2. Chorus (by ZoomInfo) — CI Bundled with Data
Best for: Teams already on ZoomInfo that want conversation intelligence integrated with their contact database.
Chorus was acquired by ZoomInfo in 2021 and now serves as the conversation intelligence layer within the ZoomInfo ecosystem. It provides call recording, transcription, and analysis with the advantage of connecting conversation insights directly to ZoomInfo's contact and intent data.
Key capabilities:
- Meeting recording and transcription across video platforms
- Momentum signals tracking deal progression
- Relationship intelligence mapping stakeholder engagement
- Integration with ZoomInfo contact data for meeting prep
- Team coaching dashboards and call libraries
Strengths: The ZoomInfo integration means conversation insights about a prospect automatically connect to their company profile, intent signals, and organizational chart. For teams already paying for ZoomInfo, adding Chorus creates a unified view of who you're talking to and what they're saying.
Limitations: Chorus has received less development investment since the acquisition, and G2 reviews note the platform feels dated compared to AI-native alternatives. It's primarily sold as a ZoomInfo bundle add-on, making standalone purchase difficult. Limited real-time coaching capabilities compared to Gong or newer entrants.
Pricing: Bundled with ZoomInfo Advanced/Elite tiers. Standalone pricing not readily available. ZoomInfo plans start at $15,000/year; Chorus typically adds $4,000-$8,000/year for the bundle.
3. Fathom — Free CI That Actually Works
Best for: Individual contributors, small teams, and anyone who wants meeting intelligence without a five-figure contract.
Fathom has disrupted the CI market by offering genuinely useful conversation intelligence for free. The platform joins your Zoom, Teams, or Meet calls automatically, provides real-time transcription, generates AI summaries using 17 built-in frameworks (including MEDDPICC, BANT, and SPICED), and syncs notes to your CRM.
Key capabilities:
- Free automatic recording and transcription
- AI-generated meeting summaries with customizable templates
- Real-time note-taking with timestamped highlights
- CRM sync to Salesforce and HubSpot
- Searchable meeting library
- Action item extraction
Strengths: The free tier is legitimately useful, not a crippled trial. Setup takes minutes — OAuth connection to your calendar and you're recording. The AI summaries are surprisingly good, often better than manual notes. For individual reps or small teams, Fathom delivers 80% of what Gong offers at 0% of the cost.
Limitations: Designed as a meeting assistant, not a revenue intelligence platform. No deal board, no coaching scorecards, no team-level analytics. Can't connect conversation patterns to pipeline health. No phone call recording (video meetings only). CRM sync is limited to Salesforce and HubSpot.
Pricing: Free tier (unlimited meetings). Team plans from $24/user/month for advanced features.
4. Avoma — Affordable Full-Suite for SMBs
Best for: Small to mid-sized sales teams (5-50 reps) that want coaching and analytics without enterprise pricing.
Avoma provides the full conversation intelligence stack — recording, transcription, AI summaries, coaching scorecards, and deal intelligence — at pricing that mid-market teams can actually afford. The modular pricing means you can start with basic meeting intelligence and add coaching as you grow.
Key capabilities:
- Automatic recording across Zoom, Teams, Meet, and phone
- AI-generated summaries with customizable templates
- Coaching scorecards with customizable competency frameworks
- Custom smart trackers for keywords and topics
- Call scoring with automatic evaluation
- Revenue intelligence dashboards
- Live answer cards for real-time coaching
Strengths: Best value in the category. The $19/user/month starter plan includes transcription and AI summaries. The $49/user/month plan adds coaching scorecards. The $79/user/month plan includes full revenue intelligence. For a 20-person team, Avoma costs $12,000-$19,000/year vs. Gong's $100,000+. The platform also supports 60+ languages.
Limitations: Smaller market presence means fewer pre-built integrations compared to Gong. The AI analysis, while good, doesn't match Gong's model trained on billions of interactions. Enterprise features like custom security policies and advanced compliance are less mature.
Pricing: Starter: $19/user/month. Plus: $49/user/month. Business: $79/user/month. Enterprise: $129/user/month.
5. Outreach (Conversation Intelligence) — CI Built Into Sales Engagement
Best for: Teams already using Outreach for email sequencing that want conversation intelligence in the same platform.
Outreach added conversation intelligence to its sales engagement platform, creating a unified workflow where email sequences, phone calls, and meeting analysis live in one system. The key advantage is that conversation insights feed directly into deal management and forecasting within the same tool.
Key capabilities:
- Conversation recording and analysis across video and phone
- Deal Agent that auto-updates CRM fields from conversation data
- Rep coaching recommendations based on conversation patterns
- Pipeline management connected to conversation activity
- Forecasting that incorporates actual engagement data
Strengths: Eliminates the "multiple tools" problem. When conversation data lives alongside email engagement and phone activity, you get a complete picture of deal health without stitching data from three platforms. The Deal Agent's ability to suggest CRM updates from conversation analysis reduces admin burden significantly.
Limitations: Conversation intelligence is one module within a larger platform — it's not as deep as Gong's standalone analysis. Enterprise pricing means this isn't accessible for smaller teams. The platform's complexity can overwhelm teams that just want basic call recording and coaching.
Pricing: Enterprise pricing, not publicly listed. Platform costs typically start at $100/user/month for the full suite including CI.
6. SalesLoft (Conversation Intelligence) — Engagement + CI Unified
Best for: Teams using SalesLoft's Rhythm workflow engine that want CI insights feeding directly into prioritized seller actions.
SalesLoft integrated conversation intelligence into its platform through its acquisition of conversation analytics capabilities. The Rhythm engine connects conversation signals to the prioritized action queue, surfacing recommended next steps based on what happened in calls.
Key capabilities:
- Call and meeting recording with AI transcription
- Conversation analytics with coaching dashboards
- Rhythm engine integration for signal-driven actions
- Deal intelligence connected to engagement data
- Team performance benchmarking
Strengths: The Rhythm workflow engine is genuinely differentiated — it takes conversation signals and translates them into prioritized seller actions. Instead of reviewing a call dashboard, your rep sees "Follow up with Sarah about the budget concern she raised on Tuesday's call" in their daily workflow.
Limitations: CI depth doesn't match Gong's analysis capabilities. SalesLoft's pricing structure has drawn complaints — Vendr data shows total costs of $8,000-$50,000/year for a 10-50 person team, with significant add-on charges for premium features. Annual contracts with auto-renewal are standard.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. Market data suggests $125-$165/user/month for the full platform. Annual contract required.
7. Clari — Revenue Intelligence with CI Built In
Best for: RevOps teams focused on forecast accuracy who want conversation data feeding directly into revenue predictions.
Clari approaches conversation intelligence from the revenue operations angle. Rather than starting with call recording and adding deal intelligence, Clari starts with revenue forecasting and connects conversation data as an input signal. This means CI serves the forecasting mission rather than standing alone.
Key capabilities:
- Revenue forecasting powered by conversation signals
- Deal inspection with engagement scoring
- Conversation recording and analysis
- Mutual action plan tracking
- Revenue leak identification
Strengths: Best-in-class revenue forecasting. If your primary problem is forecast accuracy rather than rep coaching, Clari's approach of using conversation data as one input among many (email, CRM, calendar, product usage) gives the most complete picture of deal health. Strong executive dashboards.
Limitations: Conversation intelligence is a feature within the revenue platform, not the primary focus. Coaching capabilities are less developed than Gong or Avoma. Enterprise pricing and complexity make it impractical for teams under 50 reps. Setup requires significant RevOps investment.
Pricing: Enterprise pricing, not publicly listed. Market data suggests $50,000-$100,000+/year depending on modules and team size.
8. Fireflies.ai — AI Meeting Assistant with Team Features
Best for: Teams that want affordable meeting transcription with basic conversation analytics.
Fireflies provides automated meeting transcription, AI-powered summaries, and searchable conversation libraries with a focus on simplicity and affordability. The platform supports integrations with 50+ apps and provides AskFred, an AI assistant that can answer questions about your meetings.
Key capabilities:
- Automatic recording across Zoom, Teams, Meet, and phone dialers
- AI-generated summaries with custom topics and smart filters
- AskFred AI chatbot for querying meeting content
- Conversation analytics (talk time, sentiment, topics)
- Team collaboration features (comments, soundbites, playlists)
- API access for custom integrations
Strengths: Very accessible pricing ($10-$19/user/month for paid plans). The AskFred feature lets you query across all your meetings naturally ("What did Sarah say about budget concerns?"). Good for teams that want transcription and basic analytics without the complexity of enterprise CI platforms.
Limitations: Analytics depth is limited compared to true CI platforms. No coaching scorecards, no deal intelligence, no pipeline connection. The "meeting assistant" positioning means it doesn't replace a conversation intelligence platform for teams serious about coaching and deal management.
Pricing: Free tier (limited credits). Pro: $10/user/month. Business: $19/user/month. Enterprise: $39/user/month.
9. tl;dv — Affordable Recording with AI Summaries
Best for: European teams and startups that want GDPR-compliant meeting recording at a low cost.
tl;dv provides meeting recording, AI transcription in 30+ languages, and automated CRM updates. The platform is particularly strong for European teams needing GDPR-compliant meeting recording with EU data residency.
Key capabilities:
- Meeting recording across Zoom, Teams, and Meet
- AI summaries and timestamped highlights
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Multi-language transcription (30+ languages)
- Automated workflows for post-meeting actions
- GDPR-compliant data handling
Strengths: Generous free tier with unlimited recordings. Strong multi-language support for international sales teams. GDPR compliance with European data residency options. Simple, focused product that's easy to adopt.
Limitations: Not a true CI platform — no coaching scorecards, no deal intelligence, no competitive tracking. Best thought of as a smart meeting recorder rather than a revenue intelligence tool. Limited phone call support.
Pricing: Free tier (unlimited recordings). Pro: $18/user/month. Business: $59/user/month. Enterprise: custom pricing.
10. Jiminny — Real-Time Coaching for Mid-Market
Best for: Sales managers who want to coach reps during live calls without the prospect knowing.
Jiminny's standout feature is real-time, incognito coaching — managers can join calls invisibly and send private messages to reps during live customer conversations. This "whisper coaching" lets managers intervene at critical moments without disrupting the call flow.
Key capabilities:
- Real-time incognito coaching during live calls
- AI-powered post-call feedback and scoring
- Customizable coaching scorecards
- Revenue intelligence with deal risk alerts
- Conversation transcription in 60+ languages
- Pipeline health dashboards
Strengths: The real-time coaching capability is genuinely unique. For teams investing in rep development, having a manager able to say "Ask about their timeline now" during a live call accelerates learning dramatically. Strong Salesforce native app integration.
Limitations: Mid-market to enterprise pricing (not published, but reports suggest $50-$85/user/month). The platform requires manager engagement to unlock real-time coaching value — if your managers don't have time to join calls, you're paying for a feature you won't use. Limited North American presence compared to UK/EU.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. Estimates: $50-$85/user/month depending on team size.
11. Revenue.io — Real-Time Guided Selling
Best for: Phone-heavy sales teams that want AI coaching during live calls (not just video meetings).
Revenue.io focuses on real-time guided selling with AI prompts that appear during live phone calls and video meetings. The platform provides real-time objection handling suggestions, competitive battlecard surfacing, and talk-track recommendations based on conversation context.
Key capabilities:
- Real-time AI coaching during live calls
- Smart dialer with conversation intelligence
- Automated call logging to Salesforce
- Coaching notifications triggered by specific conversation moments
- Pipeline analytics connected to conversation patterns
Strengths: One of the few platforms that provides real-time coaching on phone calls (not just video). The automated Salesforce logging eliminates manual CRM entry after calls. Strong for teams where phone outbound is the primary channel.
Limitations: Heavily Salesforce-dependent — limited CRM support outside Salesforce. The real-time coaching requires initial setup investment to define talk tracks and triggers. Pricing is enterprise-tier and not publicly available.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. Enterprise pricing — typically $80-$150/user/month.
12. Modjo — European CI with Revenue Intelligence
Best for: European sales teams wanting conversation intelligence built for EMEA market needs.
Modjo is a French-born CI platform that combines conversation analysis with revenue intelligence, specifically designed for European sales organizations. The platform provides meeting recording, AI analysis, deal tracking, and coaching with strong multi-language support.
Key capabilities:
- Conversation recording and analysis across video and phone
- Deal intelligence with risk scoring
- Coaching dashboards and performance tracking
- Multi-language transcription (EU language support)
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Revenue forecasting connected to conversation data
Strengths: Purpose-built for European sales teams with EU data residency, GDPR compliance, and strong support for European languages. Combines CI with deal intelligence at pricing below Gong. Growing quickly in the EMEA market.
Limitations: Limited North American presence and brand recognition. Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to US-based platforms. Less training data than Gong means AI insights may be less nuanced for specific industries.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. Reports suggest €60-€100/user/month depending on features and team size.
Conversation Intelligence Comparison Matrix
| Tool | Real-Time Coaching | Deal Intelligence | Starting Price | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gong | ❌ | ✅ (Best) | ~$120/user/mo + fees | ❌ | Enterprise (100+ reps) |
| Chorus | ❌ | ✅ | ZoomInfo bundle | ❌ | ZoomInfo customers |
| Fathom | ❌ | ❌ | Free | ✅ | Individuals, small teams |
| Avoma | ✅ (Answer cards) | ✅ | $19/user/mo | ❌ | SMB (5-50 reps) |
| Outreach CI | ❌ | ✅ | ~$100/user/mo | ❌ | Outreach customers |
| SalesLoft CI | ❌ | ✅ | ~$125/user/mo | ❌ | SalesLoft customers |
| Clari | ❌ | ✅ (Forecasting) | Enterprise | ❌ | RevOps teams |
| Fireflies | ❌ | ❌ | $10/user/mo | ✅ | Budget transcription |
| tl;dv | ❌ | ❌ | $18/user/mo | ✅ | EU teams, startups |
| Jiminny | ✅ (Best) | ✅ | ~$50/user/mo | ❌ | Coaching-focused teams |
| Revenue.io | ✅ (Phone) | ✅ | ~$80/user/mo | ❌ | Phone-heavy teams |
| Modjo | ❌ | ✅ | ~€60/user/mo | ❌ | European teams |
How Conversation Intelligence Connects to Your SDR Workflow
Conversation intelligence tells you what happened on the call. But what happens between calls is where most deals are won or lost. The real value of CI data emerges when it connects to your broader sales workflow:
Before the call: Signal tools identify which accounts are in-market, so you're calling warm prospects. Tools like MarketBetter's daily playbook prioritize accounts based on buying signals — website visits, intent data, and engagement history — so your rep walks into every call with context.
During the call: Real-time coaching (Jiminny, Revenue.io) provides in-the-moment guidance. Most platforms record for post-call analysis.
After the call: CI extracts insights, updates CRM fields, and flags deal risks. The best workflows feed these insights back into the next day's priorities, creating a loop where every conversation improves the next one.
The gap most teams face: They invest in CI for call analysis but don't connect those insights to prospecting and prioritization. A rep learns they need to discuss budget earlier — but they're still cold-calling from a static list instead of working signal-prioritized accounts.
Platforms that combine buying signals, SDR workflow automation, and conversation intelligence create the complete loop that actually improves win rates.
How to Choose the Right Platform
By Budget
Free / Under $20/user: Fathom, Fireflies, or tl;dv. You'll get transcription and basic analysis. Won't get coaching or deal intelligence.
$20-$80/user: Avoma is the clear winner. Full coaching scorecards, deal intelligence, and revenue analytics at a price that doesn't require CFO approval.
$80-$150/user: Jiminny (real-time coaching), Revenue.io (phone-focused), or platform-bundled CI from Outreach/SalesLoft.
$150+/user: Gong or Clari for enterprise-grade analysis, forecasting, and cross-team intelligence.
By Primary Need
Call recording and notes: Fathom or tl;dv (start free) Rep coaching: Avoma or Jiminny Deal intelligence: Gong or Clari Revenue forecasting: Clari Phone call coaching: Revenue.io European teams: Modjo or tl;dv All-in-one sales platform: Outreach or SalesLoft (CI as a module)
By Team Maturity
Just starting with CI: Begin with Fathom (free) to build the recording habit. Upgrade to Avoma when you need coaching.
Growing team: Avoma or Jiminny for the coaching investment at reasonable cost.
Mature RevOps: Gong or Clari for the analysis depth and forecasting connection.
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Bottom Line
The conversation intelligence market has bifurcated. Enterprise platforms like Gong deliver unmatched depth at unmatched cost. AI-native alternatives like Avoma and Fathom deliver 80% of the value at 10-20% of the price. The right choice depends on whether that remaining 20% justifies a 5-10x cost difference for your team.
One thing is clear: in 2026, not recording and analyzing your sales conversations is like coaching a sports team without watching game film. The question isn't whether to invest in CI — it's how much analysis depth your team needs relative to what you're willing to pay.
Want to see how conversation intelligence connects to your daily SDR workflow? Book a demo of MarketBetter →