Compare › Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai: free plan compared
Side by side, from each vendor's own pages. Last checked 2026-10-16.
| Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan details | 300 transcription minutes per month; only the first 30 minutes of each conversation are viewable on Basic; 3 lifetime file imports; 20 AI Chat queries per user. | Free forever: 400 minutes of storage per team, 20 AI credits, limited AI summaries. Accounts created on or after 1 Sep 2026 get 3 meeting transcriptions by default; unlimited transcriptions only with Auto-join calendar meetings turned on. Older accounts unaffected. |
| Monthly transcription minutes (free) | 300 | unknown |
| Max length per meeting (free) | 30 min | unknown |
| Meetings per month (free) | unknown | unknown |
| AI summary limits (free) | Automated summaries listed on Basic; AI Chat limited to 20 queries per user (3 per conversation). | Limited AI summaries; 20 AI credits. |
| Transcript / notes retention | Basic shows your 25 most recent conversations; older ones are archived, not deleted (help article last updated Dec 2023, may be stale). | Storage capped at 400 minutes per team (shared across the workspace). |
| Paid plan from | $8.33/user/mo (Pro); billed monthly: 16.99 USD | $10/seat/mo (Pro); billed monthly: 18 USD |
| How it records | Bot joins call. Notetaker joins Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet; can also live-transcribe via the Otter app. | Bot joins call. Bot joins Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and 10+ others; pricing page lists 'Record using Chrome extension without Fireflies bot' as a feature (which plans get it is unclear). |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet | Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, 10+ others |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese | English primary; Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and 100+ others in beta |
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FAQ
Which has the better free plan, Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai?
It depends on your meeting load. Otter.ai: 300 transcription minutes per month; only the first 30 minutes of each conversation are viewable on Basic; 3 lifetime file imports; 20 AI Chat queries per user. Fireflies.ai: Free forever: 400 minutes of storage per team, 20 AI credits, limited AI summaries. Accounts created on or after 1 Sep 2026 get 3 meeting transcriptions by default; unlimited transcriptions only with Auto-join calendar meetings turned on. Older accounts unaffected. Use the calculator to check your own numbers.
Do Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai need a bot to join the call?
Otter.ai: Bot joins call. Notetaker joins Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet; can also live-transcribe via the Otter app. Fireflies.ai: Bot joins call. Bot joins Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and 10+ others; pricing page lists 'Record using Chrome extension without Fireflies bot' as a feature (which plans get it is unclear).
How much do Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai cost after the free plan?
Otter.ai starts at $8.33/user/mo; Fireflies.ai starts at $10/seat/mo (lowest listed paid prices, usually billed annually).
Sources
Otter.ai
- Otter pricing · checked 2026-10-16
- Otter help: Basic plan limits · checked 2026-10-16 (seen via search index)
Fireflies.ai
- Fireflies pricing · checked 2026-10-16
- Fireflies guide: Unlock unlimited transcriptions on the Free plan · checked 2026-10-16
- Fireflies guide: Learn about transcription credits · checked 2026-10-16 (seen via search index)
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