12 Best Cluely Alternatives - Competitors in 2025

Cluely's controversial hidden AI coaching raises serious ethical and legal concerns. Discover the best Cluely alternatives for transparent, trust-building content creation, AI meeting assistance, and team collaboration.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Cluely vs. ScreenApp

Cluely logo

Cluely

👥 Trusted by 750K+ users
Cluely interface screenshot
ScreenApp logo

ScreenApp

👥 Loved by over 1 million users

Cluely has generated significant controversy as an AI-powered “invisible” meeting assistant that provides hidden real-time coaching during calls, interviews, and presentations. While it promises to make users appear more knowledgeable, its stealth operation and potential ethical violations have led many professionals to search for a more transparent and legally compliant cluely alternative. This comprehensive guide compares Cluely to its top competitors, revealing why ScreenApp’s ethical, all-in-one platform for content creation and collaboration is the superior choice for modern business teams.

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Cluely vs ScreenApp Comparison 2025

Criteria
Cluely (Hidden AI Coach)
Trusted by 750K+ users
ScreenApp (Ethical AI Meeting Assistant)
Loved by 1M+ professionals
Core Function Covert real-time AI prompts & suggestions Transparent AI meeting recording & content creation
Overall Rating 3.8/5 ★★★★☆ 4.8/5 ★★★★★
Platform Availability Web-based only Web, iOS, iPad, Mac, Android
Transparency & Ethics None (Deliberately hidden operation) Full (Clear consent, open collaboration)
Legal Compliance Questionable (GDPR & policy risks) Compliant (Industry-standard practices)
AI Features Hidden real-time prompts & coaching Transparent AI transcription, summaries, content creation
Content Creation None (Coaching only) Video demos, training guides, visual content
Collaboration None (Individual tool) Team collaboration, sharing, editing
Pricing Model Per-user subscription Team-based (no per-user charges)
Value for Money 3.9/5 (High risk investment) 4.8/5 (Long-term trust & skill building)
Best For Individual performance shortcuts Professional teams & authentic skill development

What is Cluely? The Controversial “Invisible” AI Assistant

Cluely is an AI-powered real-time coaching tool that secretly monitors your screen and audio during meetings, interviews, sales calls, and presentations. It provides hidden suggestions, prompts, and AI-generated responses that appear only on your screen, invisible to other participants. The tool gained viral attention after its founder was expelled from Columbia University for using a similar “cheating” tool during technical interviews.

Cluely’s core features include:

  • Invisible overlays during video calls that go undetected by recording software
  • Real-time AI prompts for objection handling, technical questions, and conversation guidance
  • Silent operation designed to bypass monitoring tools and platform detection
  • Smart battlecards that surface competitor information and sales rebuttals instantly
  • Interview assistance providing coding solutions and technical answers in real-time

However, Cluely’s “stealth mode” operation is also its biggest liability. The tool deliberately conceals its presence from other participants, raising serious ethical concerns about misrepresentation, consent violations, and trust. This has led many professionals to seek out transparent alternatives to cluely that build genuine skills rather than creating dependency on hidden AI assistance.

What is ScreenApp? The Ethical AI Meeting Assistant

ScreenApp is a modern platform available on web, iOS, iPad, and Mac that combines high-quality screen recording, transparent AI transcription, and ethical content creation tools. Unlike Cluely’s hidden operation, ScreenApp operates with full transparency and consent, capturing the complete context of your work what you say, what you show, and what you do to help teams create valuable, professional content.

ScreenApp’s approach to AI assistance includes:

  • Transparent recording with clear consent from all participants
  • Advanced AI analysis that provides insights after meetings, not hidden prompts during them
  • Professional content creation tools for demos, training materials, and documentation
  • Team collaboration features that build collective knowledge and skills
  • Compliance-first design that respects privacy laws and professional ethics

Where Cluely hides AI assistance behind deception, ScreenApp showcases the power of ethical, transparent collaboration that builds real skills and trust.

#1: ETHICS & TRANSPARENCY: THE TRUST FOUNDATION

Cluely

Operates in complete stealth mode, deliberately concealing its AI assistance from other participants. This creates serious trust issues, potential policy violations, and ethical concerns that can damage professional relationships and career prospects.

Risk: Legal violations, trust erosion, career damage, policy breaches

ScreenApp

Complete transparency in all operations. Clear consent for recording, visible AI assistance features, and open collaboration tools that build trust and professional credibility.

Benefit: Legal compliance, trust building, professional credibility, ethical standards

Winner: ScreenApp

In today's business environment where authenticity and trust are paramount, transparency is non-negotiable. ScreenApp's ethical approach builds long-term professional relationships.

#2: SKILL DEVELOPMENT: SHORTCUTS vs. GROWTH

Cluely

Creates dependency on hidden AI prompts, potentially stunting genuine skill development. Users risk becoming reliant on artificial assistance rather than developing authentic expertise and communication abilities.

Issue: Skill atrophy, dependency, performance gaps when tool unavailable

ScreenApp

Empowers users to create better content, analyze their performance, and develop real skills through practice, feedback, and collaborative learning. The AI assists learning rather than replacing it.

Benefit: Genuine skill development, sustainable growth, authentic expertise

Winner: ScreenApp

It builds long-term professional capabilities instead of creating short-term performance illusions. ScreenApp helps you develop genuine expertise that makes you genuinely more effective.

Cluely

Operates in legal gray areas with potential GDPR violations, workplace policy breaches, and consent issues. Many jurisdictions require disclosure of AI assistance, making Cluely's stealth operation potentially illegal.

Risk: GDPR violations, policy breaches, legal liability, potential lawsuits

ScreenApp

Designed with compliance in mind, following industry standards for data privacy, consent, and professional ethics. Reduces legal risk while maximizing productivity.

Benefit: Industry-standard compliance, reduced legal risk, ethical operations

Winner: ScreenApp

Professional teams cannot afford the legal and reputational risks associated with hidden AI tools. ScreenApp's compliance-first design protects your organization while maximizing productivity.

Summary and Top Recommendations

Our Top 3 Picks

1

ScreenApp - Ethical AI Meeting Assistant

Best overall alternative with transparency, compliance, and team value

2

Otter.ai - Transparent Transcription

Trusted AI meeting assistant focused on open collaboration

3

Fireflies.ai - Conversation Intelligence

Specialized AI assistant for sales and customer-facing teams

Choose Based on Your Needs

Ethical AI Meeting Assistant

ScreenApp (transparency + compliance)

Transparent Transcription

Otter.ai (open collaboration)

Free Basic Meeting Notes

→ Fathom (simple, free transcription)

Sales Team Analysis

→ Fireflies.ai (conversation intelligence)

Team Collaboration

ScreenApp (team-based value)

Top 12 Cluely Alternatives for 2025

1

ScreenApp

Rating: 4.8/5 · The best overall cluely alternative for its ethical approach, transparent AI meeting assistance, and comprehensive content creation capabilities.

ScreenApp delivers transparent recording, multi-modal AI analysis, and team-ready collaboration without hidden coaching. It captures what you say and what you show, turning every meeting into reusable assets.

Focus: Ethical AI meeting assistant and content creation platform.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Transparent by design, captures visual + audio context, and scales across the entire company with team-based pricing.
2

Otter.ai

Rating: 4.5/5 · A trusted AI meeting assistant and transcription platform focused on open collaboration and transparent note-taking.

Otter.ai excels at live transcription with speaker identification for audio-first teams that prioritize trustworthy note sharing.

Focus: Real-time meeting transcription and collaboration.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Adds full visual context via screen recording and keeps transparency at the forefront with multi-modal analysis.
3

Fireflies.ai

Rating: 4.4/5 · Popular conversation intelligence platform offering transparent team collaboration and CRM-connected meeting analysis.

Fireflies.ai brings analytics to sales and success conversations with searchable transcripts and action tracking.

Focus: Sales conversation intelligence and meeting analytics.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Goes beyond sales with richer content creation for product, support, and training teams all still fully transparent.
4

Fathom Notetaker

Rating: 4.2/5 · Straightforward, free meeting assistant prioritizing transparency for Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.

Fathom offers auto-recording, summaries, and highlights at no cost ideal for startups needing honest notes.

Focus: Free, basic meeting documentation.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Adds pro-grade AI analysis, editable video assets, and team collaboration that grows with the organization.
5

tl;dv

Rating: 4.1/5 · Ethical meeting recorder supporting remote teams with video documentation and transparent insights.

tl;dv documents meetings, adds timestamps, and helps distributed teams replay key moments responsibly.

Focus: Video-first meeting documentation.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Higher AI accuracy, richer editing features, and deeper integrations for end-to-end content workflows.
6

Tactiq

Rating: 4.0/5 · Chrome extension for real-time transcripts that stays transparent inside video calls.

Tactiq is a plug-and-play capture tool for Google Meet that keeps transcripts visible to everyone involved.

Focus: Browser-based meeting transcription.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Works across browsers, devices, and meeting types while converting recordings into reusable content.
7

Grain

Rating: 3.9/5 · Meeting insights platform for customer-facing teams that share conversations ethically.

Grain clips highlights and turns customer conversations into shareable, trustworthy recaps.

Focus: Customer conversation highlights and insights.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Supports internal and external storytelling with full-length recordings, transcripts, and AI-authored documentation.
8

Rev.com

Rating: 4.8/5 · Professional transcription service delivering human and AI accuracy with full transparency.

Rev.com is the go-to for certified transcripts, captions, and compliance-backed documentation.

Focus: Professional transcription services.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Brings the speed of real-time capture plus automated content repurposing at a fraction of the ongoing cost.
9

Descript

Rating: 4.3/5 · Advanced audio and video editor that lets teams edit media transparently through text.

Descript powers creative teams with overdub, text-based edits, and collaborative production workflows.

Focus: Advanced content editing and production.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Simpler UX for everyday teams plus instant AI notes, SOPs, and documentation straight from recordings.
10

Loom

Rating: 4.1/5 · Lightweight video messaging for quick, transparent screen communications.

Loom makes it easy to record async updates and share them instantly with teammates.

Focus: Asynchronous video messaging.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Adds AI analysis, professional editing, and collaborative knowledge hubs so videos become long-term assets.
11

Krisp

Rating: 4.0/5 · AI-powered noise cancellation tool enhancing call quality with visible, consent-based filters.

Krisp is loved by hybrid teams that need crystal-clear calls without intrusive bots.

Focus: Audio enhancement and noise cancellation.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Combines clean audio with recording, transcription, and AI summaries so teams capture the whole conversation.
12

Notion AI

Rating: 3.8/5 · Workspace AI built for transparent note-taking and collaborative documentation.

Notion AI enriches wikis and project docs with quick summaries and collaborative editing.

Focus: Collaborative workspace with AI assistance.
Why ScreenApp is Better: Purpose-built for visual knowledge turns meetings, demos, and workflows into searchable video-to-document assets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cluely legal to use in professional meetings and interviews?

Cluely's legality is questionable and varies significantly by jurisdiction. Many regions (including EU countries under GDPR) require disclosure of AI assistance and consent from all participants. Using hidden AI coaching can violate employment policies, data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, professional ethics standards in regulated industries, and academic integrity rules for interviews and assessments. ScreenApp eliminates these legal risks by operating with full transparency, proper consent mechanisms, and industry-standard compliance practices.

What are the real risks of using hidden AI coaching tools like Cluely?

The risks extend far beyond immediate detection. Professional risks include career damage if discovered during or after important meetings, trust erosion with colleagues and clients, skill atrophy from dependency on artificial assistance, and performance gaps when the tool isn't available. Legal and compliance risks include policy violations leading to disciplinary action or termination, legal liability under privacy and consent regulations, reputational damage in professional networks, and potential lawsuits from deceived business partners. ScreenApp's transparent approach builds genuine capabilities while avoiding these pitfalls entirely.

How do AI meeting assistants like ScreenApp compare to hidden coaching tools?

The fundamental difference lies in philosophy and outcomes. Hidden coaching (Cluely-style) creates dependency on external prompts, operates through deception and concealment, provides short-term performance boosts with long-term risks, offers no genuine skill development, and potentially violates trust and legal requirements. Transparent AI assistance (ScreenApp-style) builds real skills through analysis and feedback, operates with full disclosure and consent, provides sustainable performance improvements, enhances team collaboration and knowledge sharing, and maintains ethical standards and legal compliance.

Can Cluely actually improve your performance in meetings and interviews?

Research and user reports suggest Cluely may actually decrease performance. Cognitive load issues include splitting attention between conversation and reading prompts, delayed responses while processing AI suggestions, unnatural speech patterns from following scripts, and confusion when AI suggestions don't match context. Detection risks include suspicious pauses and timing inconsistencies, generic or off-topic responses that don't fit the conversation, lack of follow-up knowledge when questioned deeper, and body language that suggests divided attention. ScreenApp helps you perform better by developing genuine expertise through post-meeting analysis, skill-building exercises, and collaborative learning.

What's the best ethical alternative to Cluely for sales teams?

For sales teams seeking performance improvement without ethical risks, ScreenApp offers transparent call recording with client consent for review and coaching, AI-powered conversation analysis to identify successful patterns and improvement areas, team collaboration tools for sharing best practices and insights, performance analytics that track real skill development over time, and compliance-first design that builds rather than undermines client trust. This approach builds sustainable sales capabilities while maintaining the trust essential for long-term client relationships.

Are there any legitimate use cases for real-time AI assistance in meetings?

Yes, but they require transparency and consent. Ethical real-time AI applications include accessibility tools for hearing or cognitive assistance (disclosed), translation services for multilingual meetings (visible to all), technical documentation for complex product demos (acknowledged), and note-taking assistance with participant awareness and consent. The key difference is transparency. Legitimate AI assistance enhances communication openly rather than creating unfair advantages through deception.

How can I improve my meeting performance without hidden AI tools?

Proven strategies for authentic improvement include: Preparation - research participants and topics thoroughly, practice key talking points and responses, prepare relevant examples and case studies, review previous meeting recordings (with ScreenApp). During meetings - focus fully on listening and engagement, ask thoughtful questions to show genuine interest, take notes the traditional way to stay engaged, be authentic about your knowledge and limitations. Post-meeting development - use ScreenApp to review and analyze your performance, identify patterns in successful vs. challenging interactions, practice based on real feedback and observations, build expertise through continuous learning and application. This approach builds lasting capabilities that make you genuinely more effective rather than just appearing more competent.

Final Verdict: Choose Authentic Growth Over Artificial Enhancement

While Cluely offers a tempting shortcut for individual performance enhancement, its hidden operation, ethical concerns, and legal risks make it a dangerous choice for any professional serious about their career and reputation.

ScreenApp is the superior alternative because it builds rather than fakes competence. It’s a comprehensive, ethical platform that empowers your entire team to develop genuine skills, create valuable content, and collaborate authentically while maintaining the trust essential for long-term professional success.

The choice is clear: you can rely on hidden AI prompts that create dependency and risk exposure, or you can build real capabilities that make you genuinely more effective and valuable to your organization.

Don’t fake expertise. Build it.

Professional success comes from authentic skill development, transparent collaboration, and trustworthy relationships not from deceiving colleagues and clients with hidden AI assistance.

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