Our verdict
Otter for live transcription and simplicity; Fireflies for integrations and searchable meeting knowledge.
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai both record, transcribe and summarise meetings. Otter is known for live transcription; Fireflies for integrations and search across conversations.
Choose Otter.ai if…
- You want live transcription during meetings
- In-person recording matters
- You want a familiar, simple tool
Choose Fireflies.ai if…
- You want deep CRM and tool integrations
- You need conversation search and analytics
- You record many platforms
Side by side
| Criterion | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.9 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Features & fit | 8.0 | 8.6 |
| Ease of use | 9.0 | 8.6 |
| Value for money | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Support & reliability | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Security & privacy | 7.4 | 7.6 |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 7.6 | 8.6 |
| Starting price (indicative) | Free plan; paid from around $8–17 / user / month | Free plan; paid from around $10–19 / seat / month |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Best for | Teams with frequent internal meetings | Sales teams |
Feature by feature
| Feature | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Live transcription | Strong | Yes |
| Languages | Limited | Many |
| CRM integration | Yes | Extensive |
| Conversation intelligence | Basic | Strong |
| Mobile/in-person | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Live notes | Integrated meeting knowledge |
Pricing compared
Otter.ai
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Up to 1 user |
| Pro | ≈ $8 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Business | ≈ $20 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | — |
Fireflies.ai
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — |
| Pro | ≈ $10 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Business | ≈ $19 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | — |
| Team size | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| 5 seats | $40 (Pro) | $50 (Pro) |
| 10 seats | $80 (Pro) | $100 (Pro) |
| 25 seats | $200 (Pro) | $250 (Pro) |
Indicative USD list prices; excludes tax, add-ons and promotions. Confirm on each vendor’s site.
Live vs after
Otter shines at live captions and notes. Fireflies focuses on post-meeting notes, search and integrations.
Integrations
Fireflies integrates with many CRMs and tools.
Languages
Fireflies supports many languages; Otter has narrower language support.
Live vs post-meeting
Otter is known for real-time transcription you can follow during the meeting, plus a mobile app for in-person conversations. Fireflies focuses on post-meeting summaries, search and analytics across your meeting library.
Integrations
Fireflies integrates with a wide range of CRMs, project tools and an API. Otter integrates with major calendars, meeting platforms and selected business apps. Sales teams often prefer Fireflies' CRM sync.
Pros & cons
Otter.ai
- Real-time transcripts
- Easy setup
- Searchable history
- Minute limits on lower plans
- Fewer CRM integrations
Fireflies.ai
- Extensive integrations
- Conversation intelligence
- Searchable transcripts
- Storage limits on free plan
- Bot presence can deter some guests
Key features of each
Otter.ai
- Live transcription. See text as people speak.
- Summaries. Automatic recaps and action items.
- OtterPilot. Auto-joins calendar meetings.
- Otter Chat. Ask questions across meetings.
Integrates with: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce.
Fireflies.ai
- CRM sync. Push notes to Salesforce, HubSpot and more.
- Topic tracking. Track keywords across calls.
- Soundbites. Share clips of key moments.
- AskFred. AI assistant over your meetings.
Integrates with: HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Asana, Zoom, Google Meet.
Who should avoid each
Skip Otter.ai if…
- Heavy CRM integration needs
- Languages beyond those supported
Best for: Teams with frequent internal meetings; Real-time transcription; Interview notes.
Skip Fireflies.ai if…
- Teams uncomfortable with recording bots
- Strict on-premise requirements
Best for: Sales teams; CRM-centric workflows; Conversation analytics.
Switching between Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai
Migration difficulty: Easy
Export important transcripts, then connect calendars to the new tool.
- Export key transcripts.
- Disconnect the old bot from calendars.
- Connect the new tool and set join rules.
- Update consent messaging.
- Cancel old seats.
Weigh it your way
Adjust the weights to your priorities to see which tool comes out ahead for you. Print or export the result for your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Fireflies.ai | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 8.19 |
| 2. Otter.ai | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.91 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
How our scores and weights work · Add a third tool side by side
Frequently asked questions
Which is more accurate?
Both are accurate in clear audio; test with your accents and vocabulary.
Do both have free plans?
Yes, with limits.
Does Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai have a free plan?
Otter.ai has a free plan; Fireflies.ai has a free plan. Indicative starting prices: Otter.ai — Free plan; paid from around $8–17 / user / month; Fireflies.ai — Free plan; paid from around $10–19 / seat / month.
Which is cheaper for a team of 10, Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users costs about $80 per month on Otter.ai (Pro) and about $100 on Fireflies.ai (Pro), so Otter.ai is cheaper at that size. Taxes, add-ons and discounts are excluded — and the plan you actually need may be higher.
Which scores higher in our review, Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai?
Fireflies.ai scores 8.2/10 and Otter.ai 7.9/10 on our weighted rubric. Fireflies.ai leads on 3 of six criteria. A higher score does not make it right for every buyer — see the “choose if” lists above.
