Fireflies vs Otter: Which Meeting Note Workflow Fits?

Fireflies Free begins with three website sign-up transcription credits, while its help page says eligible auto-join transcription is unlimited. Summaries and uploaded files consume transcription credits, AI features use 20 monthly AI credits, and storage is listed at 400 minutes. Otter Basic lists 300 monthly transcription minutes and three lifetime audio/video imports. A buyer who mostly joins live calls may see a different limit than one who uploads interviews or needs summaries. Basic also limits each conversation to 30 minutes and history to the 25 most recent conversations. Five hour-long interviews will not fit just because their total equals 300 minutes. Fireflies' 400-minute storage allocation also needs checking: the pricing card says per team, while free-plan help says per seat.

Fireflies can add a Notetaker bot, use a Chrome extension, capture through mobile or desktop apps, or process files. Its Desktop app's system-audio mode avoids the bot but does not save separate audio/video files and does not provide named speaker labels. Otter's Meeting Agent joins scheduled Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls, while its desktop app records bot-free on Mac or Windows. If a replay file matters, confirm the mode and plan before the meeting.

Fireflies connects notes with work apps, and its free-plan help says transcript downloads require a paid plan. Pro explicitly lists downloads for transcripts, summaries and recordings. Otter describes searchable, shareable text and a Google Docs integration; Pro lists advanced export features. Check the exact format and free-plan access in the product before relying on a download. With Fireflies system-audio capture, paying for downloads cannot recover audio or video that was not saved.

Fireflies displays Pro at $18 per seat per month with monthly billing or $10 per seat per month billed annually. Otter's standard Pro amounts are $16.99 per user per month on Monthly and $8.33 per user per month on Annual. Otter also displays promotions, which should not be confused with its standard amounts. Annual numbers are monthly equivalents for an annual commitment. Confirm the total charge, currency, taxes and renewal terms at checkout. Otter explicitly labels its prices USD; Fireflies uses a dollar symbol on the reviewed page.

Otter Pro lists 1,200 monthly meeting/recording minutes, 90 minutes per conversation and ten monthly imports. Business expands meeting/recording minutes and file counts, but the separate imported-file transcription row is 6,000 minutes per month. Fireflies Pro lists 8,000 minutes of storage per seat, while external uploads are subject to source-based rate limits. File count, transcription minutes and stored minutes measure different things; estimate each for an archive before committing.

For recurring calls, check auto-join and calendar permissions first. For uploaded interviews, check file size, monthly import allowance and whether the original recording remains accessible. For sales calls, decide whether named speakers, original audio and CRM updates are required. Notify participants and obtain any required permission, then review names, decisions and action owners before sharing the output. Explore Fireflies on OpenTools or check Otter's official plans. This comparison uses official documentation checked September 10, 2026; transcription quality was not independently tested.