Sales conversation intelligence (CI) tools have seen a meteoric rise in the past few years. Gong has been instrumental in the field, and arguably the largest company built on CI. But as we enter the golden age of AI, what were once frontrunners are now finding stiff competition. AI-first companies are changing the landscape fast, and solving customer use cases that were unsolvable just a few months ago.

In this post, we’ll compare Gong with six competitors. We index heavily on tools that have taken an AI-forward approach, are solving core use cases of sales reps, and ones that are consistently going deeper into existing use cases with product innovation.

But First, Why Look for a Gong Alternative?

Gong has been a significant player in the sales tech space and grew rapidly from 0 to $100M+ in revenue over just about half a decade. It has built its reputation on call recording, transcription, and having a data-driven approach to sales coaching.

But it has its own set of limitations:

1. It doesn’t go the last mile: while Gong throws up insights and topics from sales calls, it leaves it to the sales rep or the manager to take action on it. It doesn’t provide the workflows and automations needed to go from insights to follow-ups or visibility to action.
2. Despite being in the AI era, Gong's workflows lack substantial automation, leaving Account Executives (AEs) burdened with manual tasks. Gong doesn’t auto-fill your CRM, or auto-create your follow-up emails, or auto-update your forecast. These closing-the-loop workflows are hard, and stuff that Gong has left to other players in the market. As the market expectations have risen, there is a significant hole that Gong hasn’t yet filled, and sales teams expect to be far more productive now than ever before with AI.
3. In the economic conservatism era of 2022-23, its high pricing and platform fee puts the ROI into some serious question.

Let’s look at what some of these gaps are and how other tools in the sales tech space are jumping to fill in.

Finding the Perfect Gong Alternative: Key Features to Consider

When on the hunt for a Gong alternative, it's essential to keep your unique needs in mind. There's a plethora of sales tools available, each with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. As we mentioned earlier, we focus a lot more here on finding an alternative to Gong’s core feature set around call recordings and associated workflows, and we don’t go into allied use cases where Gong is trying to expand into, including cold outreach, forecasts, and mroe.

Here are some key features to consider when evaluating alternatives:

1. AI-Powered Automation for follow-ups: A sales tool that records calls simply doesn’t have an excuse now to not assist in follow-ups. Gone are the days when a rep would take notes or watch “the last 5 mins of the call” to write their follow-up emails. This is the number one use case for conversation intelligence and automation, and a competitive tool should solve it well. In order to make it super easy for a rep to follow-up after a call, the tool must provide an actionable and digestible call summary, as well as a tentative follow-up email that the rep can edit according to their style and send off.

2. Automatic CRM updates: It's crucial to leverage automation to streamline your workflows and give your sales pros more hours in a day. Look for tools that offer AI-powered assistance across workflows - from call summaries and auto-generated follow-up emails to CRM updates and inter- and intra-team collaboration. This will not only save time but also provide deeper insights to help you refine your sales strategy.

3. High-quality Video Recording and Accurate Transcription: Even though conversation intelligence has been around for a while, the quality of video recordings, transcripts, and the accessibility of the UI are mediocre at best even with some of the most popular tools. Ensure that the tool you choose provides accurate transcripts (with the proper matching of speakers to sentences) and a high-quality video recording (preferably in the gallery view, otherwise how would you see your prospects’ facial reactions?). Remember, the devil is in the details, so the ability to capture every nuance of a call can be a game-changer.

4. Comprehensive Summaries: Post-call summaries can be invaluable for identifying key insights and planning next steps. A tool that provides detailed and accurate summaries will help you stay on top of your game.

5. Workflows and Integrations: A tool's worth can be greatly magnified by its ability to integrate seamlessly into your existing workflow. Check whether the tool can easily integrate with your CRM (Salesforce, Hubspot, and the like), communication platform (Slack/Microsoft Teams) and video recording platform (Zoom/Google Meet/Microsoft Teams), and other tools you're currently using. This will ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption to your workflow.

6. Emotional Intelligence: The ability to understand and interpret emotions and nonverbal cues in sales calls can be a powerful weapon in a salesperson's arsenal. Tools that offer this lens can provide a deeper understanding of your prospects, allowing you to tailor your approach accordingly.

By focusing on these key features, you'll be well-equipped to find a Gong alternative that not only meets your needs but also offers a competitive edge in your sales efforts. Or if you’re earlier in your buying journey, comparing these features can help you get a sense of whether you even want to go for an alternative or not.

Remember, the best sales tool is the one that complements your strategy and enhances your team's productivity, not the first one you find on Google search results!

Gong Alternative #1: Gong Vs Sybill - The Left & Right Brain Showdown

Stepping into the ring first, we have Sybill, the generative AI company for sales.

Even with Gong, AEs find themselves shouldering a lot of the grunt work. You know, the kind of tedious, time-consuming tasks that AI was supposed to eliminate in the first place.

This is where Sybill takes center stage. With its top-tier AI capabilities, Sybill automates key parts of the sales process with impressive efficiency. Sybill outshines Gong in AI-powered automation in these ways:

• Automated call summaries are delivered straight to Slack, email, and CRM systems
• AI-powered follow-up emails after each call so that you don’t have to write one from scratch.
• Auto-fill of standard and custom CRM fields based on each call and email exchanged in a deal.

The cherry on top is Sybill's AI-driven, exceptional ability to analyze emotional intelligence. This helps sellers deeply understand what was important and engaging for each buyer in demos and discovery calls, especially in multi-party conversations. This lens of looking at each interaction means AEs can finally focus on what they are supposed to do - build relationships and close deals, not keep shifting attention just so they don’t miss emotional cues from their prospects.

Sybill also delivers sharp coaching insights and deal intelligence for sales leaders, based on conversational and emotional intelligence, pushing these automated updates into their Slack. This ensures complete yet efficient transparency on team performance and forecasts.

Sybill has integrations with Chorus and Gong, such that if you already use Gong, Sybill can sit right on top and provide summaries, follow-up emails, and CRM field filling. Sybill works with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, enabling B2B sales pros to leverage AI assistance and emotional intelligence superpowers, no matter where their calls happen.

Verdict: Gong brings a lot to the table, but when it comes to leveraging the full potential of emotion and generative AI-based automation and assistance, Sybill takes the cake. In this face-off, Sybill emerges as the tool that truly empowers AEs and sales leaders to work smarter, not harder.

Gong Alternative #2: Gong Vs Avoma

Avoma and Gong are equally matched when it comes to video recording and transcription services, offering a reliable base for capturing and documenting sales interactions.

Where they start to diverge is in their approach to summaries and AI assistance. Gong focuses on providing more detailed summaries and deal intelligence, while its ecosystem of workflows and integrations aims to make it a versatile tool in your sales arsenal. However, the tool seems to be lagging behind in other meeting automation workflows.

Avoma aims to be the all-in-one meeting intelligence tool, solving use cases in pre-meeting (setting agendas), during meetings (real-time bookmarks), and post-meeting (transcription and notes). Gong doesn’t focus as much on the pre- and during-meeting use cases, while Avoma is lagging behind Gong in many forecasting and revenue intelligence workflows.

Neither tool offers emotional intelligence from sales calls, keeping their role restricted to insights from a single modality - text. Prospects’ non-verbal cues are missing from any insights that you can hope to get from Avoma or Gong.

Verdict: Avoma works for meeting intelligence and costs a tad bit less, while Gong might appeal to those who prioritize the brand name and broader integrations.

Know more about why modern sales pros need more than conversational intelligence.

Gong Alternative #3: Gong Vs Chorus

Chorus and Gong are similar in many ways. We did a pretty comprehensive Gong Vs Chorus comparison recently, which you can refer to if you are considering Chorus.ai as a Gong Alternative.

In short, both offer video recording, transcription, and summaries, reflecting an evenly-matched, though not well-rounded, capability to document and decipher sales calls through conversational intelligence.

Gong has constructed a solid structure of workflows and integrations, making it a capable player in the field. However, Chorus doesn't fall behind and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Gong in this aspect, offering an equally robust ecosystem. After being acquired by ZoomInfo, Chorus has further expanded on its set of partners and ecosystem by integrating deeply into the Zoom OS system.

Gong overshadows Chorus in a few domains, owing to its forecasting module and Gong Assist. However, the fact that Chorus comes much cheaper now, being a part of ZoomInfo, also justifies some of the shortcomings. Traditionally, Chorus was the technically superior product, but it seems from their public reviews that Gong has bridged the gap.

Where both these tools stumble is in the realm of AI-powered assistance and emotional intelligence analysis. Neither tool has managed to fully harness the potential of AI for automating follow-ups or analyzing the emotional undertones of sales interactions. This leaves a noticeable void, a gap that other sales tools are filling. Rapidly, might we add?

Verdict: While Chorus and Gong have similar features, they fall short in the realm of AI assistance and emotional intelligence analysis. It's a draw here, with both Gong and Chorus leaving room for leveraging AI to its full potential.

Gong Alternative #4: Gong Vs Wingman by Clari

Wingman by Clari (now rebranded as the Clari Copilot) takes off well in the sales tool arena with its reliable video recording, transcription, and summary capabilities.

However, when it comes to workflows and integrations, Gong takes a confident stride forward. Gong's offering is more extensive and seamless, providing a more comprehensive and flexible framework for sales teams to work within. This level of sophistication in integrating with other platforms (including Sybill) and creating efficient workflows is where Gong secures its upper hand.

That said, both Gong and Wingman could do with an upgrade in the AI-powered assistance and follow-ups department. Neither tool has fully exploited the potential of AI in this sphere, leaving room for improvement. Similarly, they leave what’s unsaid out of the insights equation, with no focus on emotional intelligence for holistic insights on deal progress.

Verdict: While Wingman by Clari puts up a spirited fight, Gong takes the trophy home in this comparison, thanks to its superior workflows and integrations and a much wider set of use cases.

Gong Alternative #5: Gong Vs Revenue.io

Revenue.io enters Gong’s very own territory - revenue intelligence.

Revenue.io and Gong have much in common, making this a closely contested comparison.

Starting with video recording, transcription, and summaries, both Gong and Revenue.io perform remarkably well. They offer reliable solutions, ensuring accurate transcriptions and meaningful summaries, thereby simplifying the job for sales teams.

The area of workflows and integrations also sees a tie. Revenue.io, much like Gong, provides comprehensive workflows that are capable of integrating seamlessly with numerous third-party platforms.

However, where both these platforms could improve is in the application of AI-powered assistance and follow-ups. In the golden age of AI, the potential of automation and intelligence to aid sales teams is vast. Incorporating more AI-powered features could significantly streamline the sales process, reducing manual work for the AEs and increasing productivity. Unfortunately, both Revenue and Gong have been on slow footing here.

Similarly, emotional intelligence, an often overlooked but crucial aspect in sales interactions, is yet another area where both Gong and Revenue.io don’t quite stack up. Understanding a prospect’s emotional state and responding appropriately can make or break a sales deal, and having an AI tool that can assist in this can be a game-changer.

Verdict: This is a neck-and-neck race. However, both Gong and Revenue.io could up their game by integrating more AI capabilities and offering more in-depth emotional intelligence insights. They're equally matched as it stands, but the future could favor the one that embraces AI more proactively.

Gong Alternative #6: Gong Vs Otter

Otter has built a strong reputation in the transcription services market. But it doesn’t quite serve as a holistic sales enablement tool.

When it comes to video recording and transcription, Otter certainly holds its own. Its transcription service is top-notch, delivering accurate and timely transcriptions that sales teams can rely on. Otter also offers video recording and creates summaries, features that are almost at par with Gong's offerings in these areas.

However, Gong pulls ahead when we examine workflows and integrations. Gong's platform is designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of external tools and systems, which is a vital aspect for sales teams operating in a multi-software environment. The comprehensive workflows in Gong help streamline operations, making the sales process more efficient.

Where both Otter and Gong could stand to improve is in the realm of AI-powered assistance & follow-ups. Despite being in an era where AI is revolutionizing every field, these tools have yet to fully harness its potential in this area. More AI-driven automation could significantly lighten the load for AEs and enhance overall productivity.

The same goes for emotional intelligence analysis, which neither Gong nor Otter offer. The ability to gauge a prospect's emotional state and respond accordingly can greatly impact the success of a sales call. Thus, having a tool that can assist in this aspect could be a significant advantage for sales teams.

Verdict: While Otter can compete with Gong in transcription, Gong emerges ahead due to its superior workflows and integrations. Gong is also designed for sales teams, and that thought permeates all of their product decisions, which Otter doesn’t take (being a tool adopted by a broader spectrum of teams). However, both tools have considerable potential for improvement in the areas of AI-powered assistance and emotional intelligence analysis.

Gong Alternatives: How to Make the Right Choice

While Gong has led the sales intelligence field, the era of AI superpowers demands more.

As we've seen, many Gong alternatives provide similar or even superior features. I might be a bit biased here, but only Sybill seems to be marching ahead in truly leveraging AI to not just augment sales workflows, but automate them, and help sellers focus on selling. Automated email follow-ups, CRM field entries and high-quality summaries (which others like Avoma and Wingman have tried to catch up to) have been game-changers for account executives and sales leaders alike.

By automating workflows and providing AI-powered assistance & follow-ups, Sybill is an excellent choice for modern sales teams seeking to maximize efficiency and results.

Gong and Chorus follow. Sybill integrates with these two tools closely, enabling Gong and Chorus users to easily leverage Sybill’s automation and EQ superpowers.

What’s abundantly clear is that the status quo is being challenged. The once-dominant players are now finding themselves contending with innovative alternatives offering advanced AI capabilities. The landscape is evolving, and we're thrilled to be part of this exciting journey.

Final Verdict: AI-powered Disruption is Here to Stay

In a world where time is money, and efficiency is king, AI-automated solutions are the future. It's time for sales teams to embrace this change and experience the power of AI automation firsthand.

As we continue to navigate this new sales AI landscape, it's clear that the sales intelligence and enablement landscape is ripe for disruption. And while Gong has its merits, the market is teeming with Gong alternatives that offer competitive, and in some cases, superior offerings.

But here’s an important consideration. What about the golden age of empathy? That’s not about to go out of style any time soon. What AI can - and must - do is to allow sales pros more time and mindspace to hone in on their natural emotional intelligence and EQ to build lasting relationships.

That’s precisely what we’ve set out to do with Sybill. Sign up for free to check us out.

So, here's to the future of sales intelligence - a future that looks increasingly automated, increasingly intelligent and empathetic, and increasingly tailored to the needs of modern sales teams.

‍