> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useraven.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Raven vs Sembly

> A free, open-source Sembly alternative - live in-call help and local notes, with no per-seat cloud subscription (Sembly retired its free plan in 2026).

Sembly is a cloud notetaker with structured minutes, task detection, and analytics, captured by a **bot**. As of 2026 it **retired its free plan** (now a 7-day trial), and it's **per seat**. Raven keeps a **free** tier, runs **local** with **no bot**, is **open source**, and helps you **live during** the call.

## At a glance

|                          | Raven                             | Sembly                                                     |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Live in-call assist      | **Yes**                           | No - minutes after the call                                |
| Free tier                | **Yes** - full app                | **No** (retired March 2026; 7-day trial)                   |
| Capture                  | Local, bot-free (Mac + Windows)   | Bot joins the call                                         |
| Where your meetings live | Local SQLite                      | Sembly's cloud                                             |
| Price                    | Free, open source (your own keys) | Basic \$10/mo; Pro \$20/user/mo; MAX \$30/user/mo (annual) |
| Open source              | Yes                               | No                                                         |

## Price

Sembly's old free Personal plan is gone. Paid plans (annual) are **Basic \$10/mo** (1 user), **Pro \$20/user/mo**, and **MAX \$30/user/mo** (3-seat minimum), all higher month-to-month.

Raven is free; you pay your own AI/transcription usage (a few dollars a month), no seat fee.

## What Sembly does better (honestly)

* Structured **meeting minutes**, automatic task/risk detection, and an analytics dashboard.
* Broad integrations and multi-meeting AI chat on higher tiers.

If you want automated formal minutes across a team, Sembly is designed for that.

## When Raven wins

* You want a real **free** tier - not a 7-day trial then per-seat billing.
* You want **live help during** the call, meetings kept **local**, and **no bot**.
* You want a **free**, **open-source**, auditable tool.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Download Raven" icon="download" href="https://useraven.ai/download">
    Free, open source, Mac + Windows. Bring your own keys.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compare the field" icon="scale-balanced" href="/compare/best-ai-meeting-assistants">
    Raven vs the whole category, honestly ranked.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>Sembly pricing verified August 2026 (sembly.ai/pricing). Vendors change pricing often - confirm before relying on a figure.</Note>