Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bluedot vs HEY

Bluedot logo

Bluedot

Productivity

Bot-free meeting recorder and AI note taker that runs as a browser extension

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bluedot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bluedot cancelling ends access immediately and recordings are permanently deleted after thirty days, so the product is unsuitable as a meeting archive and any record you need to keep must be exported before the subscription lapses.; HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • They diverge on capability: Bluedot covers Bot-free capture, HEY covers The Screener.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bluedot and HEY actually diverge.

Attributes where Bluedot and HEY differ
AttributeBluedotHEY
Starting priceFree$99/year
Pricing modelPer recording user per monthPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Chrome, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidMac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bluedot

  • Bot-free capture
  • Transcript-based video editing
  • Custom note templates
  • Record-only seat pricing
  • CRM and ATS push
  • Imports
  • Webhooks
  • SSO and SCIM

Only in HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bluedot

  • A sales team where prospects decline to admit recording bots but the manager still needs call notes in the CRMnot HEY
  • A recruiter conducting interviews who wants a structured summary per candidate without a visible third party in the callnot HEY
  • A customer success team of thirty where only four people run calls, so per-recorder pricing costs a fraction of a per-seat competitornot HEY
  • Cutting a short clip from a long call to share internally, done by deleting text from the transcript rather than opening a video editornot HEY

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Bluedot
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Bluedot
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Bluedot
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Bluedot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bluedot

  • Cancelling ends access immediately and recordings are permanently deleted after thirty days, so the product is unsuitable as a meeting archive and any record you need to keep must be exported before the subscription lapses.
  • The Basic tier at $14 records audio only and caps recordings at one hour, which excludes most workshops, training sessions and long client calls and pushes anyone with real meetings to Pro.
  • The free tier gives five meetings in total rather than five a month, so it functions as an extended trial and cannot be used as a genuine free option for occasional users.
  • Recording without a visible bot removes the prompt that alerts participants, but not the consent obligation in jurisdictions requiring all parties to agree, and the product design makes that omission easy to overlook.
  • It is a small independent vendor in a category where Zoom, Microsoft and Google now bundle equivalent summarisation into subscriptions customers already hold, which is sustained pressure on both pricing and survival.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bluedot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 meetings in total, not per month
    • Chrome extension and desktop and mobile apps
    • Basic integrations
  • Basic$14/month
    • Unlimited audio meetings
    • One hour maximum per recording
    • Webhook access
  • Pro$20/month
    • Video meetings as well as audio
    • No recording duration limit
    • Custom templates
  • Business$32/month
    • CRM and applicant tracking integrations
    • SSO and SCIM
    • Admin controls

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

Which should you pick?

Choose Bluedot if

  • You need bot-free capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want transcript-based video editing.
Bluedot review

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Questions people ask

Is Bluedot or HEY better?
Neither clearly leads. Bluedot starts at Free and HEY at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bluedot or HEY?
Bluedot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bluedot and $99/year for HEY.
Does Bluedot or HEY run on more platforms?
Bluedot runs on Web, Chrome, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bluedot for free?
Yes. Bluedot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is Bluedot best used for?
Bluedot is most often used for a sales team where prospects decline to admit recording bots but the manager still needs call notes in the crm, a recruiter conducting interviews who wants a structured summary per candidate without a visible third party in the call, a customer success team of thirty where only four people run calls, so per-recorder pricing costs a fraction of a per-seat competitor, cutting a short clip from a long call to share internally, done by deleting text from the transcript rather than opening a video editor. Of those, a sales team where prospects decline to admit recording bots but the manager still needs call notes in the crm and a recruiter conducting interviews who wants a structured summary per candidate without a visible third party in the call are not what HEY is typically brought in for.
What can Bluedot do that HEY cannot?
Bluedot covers Bot-free capture, Transcript-based video editing, Custom note templates, Record-only seat pricing. HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bluedot: Does Bluedot join the meeting as a bot?

No. It captures through the browser extension or desktop app, so no additional participant is visible to anyone in the call.

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Bluedot: How is it priced?

Per workspace, with charges only for users who record. Free covers five meetings in total, Basic is $14, Pro is $20 and Business is $32 a month on annual billing.

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Bluedot: What happens to my recordings if I cancel?

Access ends at cancellation and recordings are permanently deleted after thirty days. Export anything you need to keep before you cancel.

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Bluedot: Can I record video, not just audio?

Only from the Pro tier. Basic is audio only and limits each recording to one hour.

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