Fireflies.ai vs Otter.ai

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Fireflies.ai

An AI notetaker that records, transcribes and summarises calls, with search and conversation analytics.

Free plan + paid

Visit Fireflies.ai Fireflies.ai profile

Otter.ai

A long-established AI notetaker that transcribes meetings live and writes summaries and action items.

Free plan + paid

Visit Otter.ai Otter.ai profile

The short answer

Both send a bot into Zoom, Teams and Google Meet to transcribe calls and write summaries. Pick Otter if you want strong live transcription for English meetings plus in-person recording from desktop and mobile apps. Pick Fireflies if your meetings span many languages or you want searchable conversation analytics for sales and recruiting teams; it transcribes in 100+ languages.

Fireflies.ai or Otter.ai: our take

Otter.ai was one of the first mainstream live transcription apps. Its notetaker transcribes in real time with speaker labels, then produces summaries, action items and an AI chat you can query across meetings. It stands out for in-person use: you can record from its iOS, Android, Mac and Windows apps or import audio files. Fireflies.ai sends its bot, Fred, to Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and other platforms, and leans into conversation intelligence: talk time, sentiment and question counts that sales and recruiting teams use for coaching, plus topic trackers and search across your meeting history. Both connect to CRMs and offer an API; Otter also has an MCP server.

Language support is a real dividing line. Fireflies transcribes in 100+ languages, while Otter is strongest in English. If your team meets in several languages, that alone may decide it.

On price, Otter's free Basic plan includes 300 transcription minutes/month and only a few file imports. Otter Pro costs $8.33 per user/month billed annually or $16.99 per user/month monthly, and Business and Enterprise add unlimited meetings, SSO and an optional HIPAA add-on. Fireflies has a free-forever plan with limited AI summaries and storage, which fills quickly. Pro starts at $10 per seat/month billed annually and Business is $19 per seat/month billed annually; AI credits sit on top of seat pricing, which takes some understanding. HIPAA compliance is at its top tier.

Both rely on a bot joining the call, which some participants dislike, so check auto-join settings. For individuals and English-speaking teams who want live transcripts and in-person recording, Otter is the simpler choice. For multilingual teams and revenue teams who want analytics and wide integrations, Fireflies fits better. Both free plans are enough for a trial.

Choose Fireflies.ai if…

Teams that want searchable meeting transcripts and conversation analytics across many tools
You need Browser extension, which Otter.ai doesn't list
Transcription in 100+ languages
Search and analytics across all meetings

Choose Otter.ai if…

Individuals and teams who want reliable live transcripts and summaries of video calls
You need Windows and macOS, which Fireflies.ai doesn't list
Live transcription with speaker identification
Works across Zoom, Teams and Google Meet plus in-person recording

What is Fireflies.ai?

Fireflies.ai sends a bot called Fred into Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other platforms to record and transcribe meetings, then generates summaries, action items and topic trackers. Transcripts are searchable across your whole meeting history, and conversation intelligence shows talk time, sentiment and question counts, which sales and recruiting teams use for coaching. It transcribes in over 100 languages, offers real-time notes, has Android and iOS apps and a Chrome extension, connects to CRMs and project tools, and provides an API. The free plan includes transcription with limited AI summaries and storage; Pro, Business and Enterprise add unlimited summaries, video recording, more storage, analytics and, at the top tier, HIPAA compliance, SSO and private storage. Fireflies is a good all-rounder for teams, although the free tier's storage cap fills quickly and the AI credit system on top of seat pricing takes some understanding.

What is Otter.ai?

Otter.ai was one of the first mainstream live transcription apps and is now a full meeting assistant. Its notetaker joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls, transcribes in real time with speaker labels, and produces summaries, action items and an AI chat you can query within and across meetings. You can also record in person from the iOS and Android apps or desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and import audio files. Newer features include AI meeting workflows, CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot, an Otter API and an MCP server for connecting AI tools. The free Basic plan includes a monthly allowance of transcription minutes and only a few file imports; Pro raises the limits for individuals, and Business and Enterprise add unlimited meetings, admin controls, SSO and an optional HIPAA add-on. Otter is strongest in English, and its bot joining calls automatically has annoyed some participants, so check the auto-join settings.

Side by side

Attribute	Fireflies.ai	Otter.ai
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Best for	Teams that want searchable meeting transcripts and conversation analytics across many tools	Individuals and teams who want reliable live transcripts and summaries of video calls
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Fireflies.ai	Otter.ai
Free plan	Yes, free forever	Yes, 300 transcription minutes/month
Starting price	$10 per seat/month, billed annually (Pro)	$8.33 per user/month, billed annually (Pro)