Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai for checked meeting notes
Choose by capture and handoff constraints. Otter Basic has monthly minutes and lifetime file-import limits. Fireflies Free has 400 total storage minutes per seat; its Free help page lists three meeting transcriptions by default and requires Auto Join to unlock unlimited transcription for supported meetings. Check the exact capture, export, sharing and AI limits. No accuracy winner is measured here.
| Decision point | Otter.ai | Fireflies AI |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Capturing a meeting, reviewing its transcript, and turning verified discussion into a short recap and action list. | Teams that search meeting records and route reviewed summaries into follow-up work. |
| Plans and cost | Basic is free. The monthly selector shows Pro at US$16.99 per user/month; annual views display multiple discounted amounts, so verify the annual price in checkout before quoting it. | The Free plan lists 400 minutes of total storage per seat. Transcript and media downloads require a paid plan. |
| Limitations | Basic allows 300 transcription minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, and three lifetime audio/video imports; Basic exports text as TXT only. Otter lists six transcription languages, with Simplified Chinese and German marked beta on its Help page. | Free storage is a total per-seat allowance, not a monthly reset. Desktop Take Notes does not save replayable media. |
Choose by the job
- You process a modest number of meetings and want a predictable free transcription allowance: start with Otter.ai. Its Basic plan lists 300 transcription minutes per month and three lifetime audio/video imports. Check the 30-minute-per-conversation ceiling and TXT-only export before using it for a handoff.
- You need to upload recordings and keep searchable recaps: start with Fireflies AI. Its Free plan lists 400 minutes of total storage per seat and limited AI summaries; paid download and upload requirements differ by plan. Compare the limits that apply to your actual archive.
- You need a transcript for another tool or collaborator: start with Otter.ai. Basic export is TXT-only; paid plans list additional formats. Fireflies lists multiple transcript formats, while account and branding options should be checked before a batch export.
Trade-offs that change the choice
| Check | Otter.ai | Fireflies AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance shape | Basic: 300 transcription minutes monthly; three lifetime file imports; 30-minute maximum conversation. | The current Free help page lists three meeting transcriptions by default; Auto Join unlocks unlimited transcription for supported meetings. Storage is 400 total minutes per seat, with separate AI-feature limits. |
| Handoff formats | Basic can export TXT only; paid access adds formats such as DOCX, PDF, and SRT. Verify role and shared-conversation export permission. | The download guide lists PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, JSON, and Markdown; check the account's current download and branding options before relying on them. |
| Language and review | Pricing lists transcription for English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese. Review names and mixed-language turns against audio. | Pricing advertises transcription in 100+ languages. Treat that as a vendor-published capability, not an accuracy guarantee for your speakers or terminology. |
| What a trial can establish | A short, consented sample can reveal where a transcript needs correction; this page contains no recorded test. | A short, consented sample can reveal whether upload, search, and recap flow meet your process; this page contains no recorded test. |
| Sharing risk | Export options depend on plan and access rights for shared conversations. | A public recap link can expose the transcript to anyone with the link; choose a restricted sharing scope and confirm the audience. |
Run your own like-for-like check
This is a proposed evaluation protocol. No new head-to-head product run is reported here.
- Write down the actual output: live notes, transcript, audio, searchable archive, action list, or captions. Remove any meeting that is not approved for testing.
- Check each plan's recording minutes, per-meeting duration, file-import limits, storage, language needs, AI-summary allowance, and export format.
- Use the same short, consented audio file or the same typed fictional fixture; note the plan, date, source format, and settings.
- Compare corrected words, speaker labels, uncertainty, and exported file content against the original. Do not rate a tool from its marketing claims.
- Select a service only after checking meeting access permissions, archive access, retention, costs per seat, and any manually required import or export steps.
Record these outcomes
- Both services receive the same approved input and comparable instructions.
- Every name, number, negation, and action owner has been checked against source audio.
- A conditional statement was not converted to a commitment.
- Export opens in the target application and preserves the required labels or timestamps.
- The chosen plan covers real monthly minutes, imported files, storage, and seat count.
- Recap links are restricted to the intended audience; participants were informed and gave permission.
Take the comparison into a workflow
Sources for these trade-offs
- Otter official pricing, language and usage comparison ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Otter export formats and Basic-plan restriction ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Otter supported media import formats and allowances ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Fireflies official plan, storage, language, and export comparison ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Fireflies file upload formats and plan-specific limits ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Fireflies official transcript, summary, and recording download steps ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Fireflies recap visibility settings and public-link behavior ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
- Fireflies Free defaults, Auto Join condition and per-seat storage ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-15
Use the same input
Fictional typed fixture for a future, consented test: Asha commits to sending an outline Thursday; Ben offers to review after receipt but gives no date; Carla says a fee is undecided. Run the same approved audio or text and require no invented deadlines.
What a successful result must preserve
Check word and speaker fidelity; whether conditionals stay conditional; names, numbers, and negations; owner and date extraction; editable transcript and audio export formats; monthly minutes, file imports, storage, summary limits, and who can access a recap.
Evidence and test status
Official specification comparison using the vendors' current plan and help pages. The shared fixture is an evaluation protocol, not a product run, transcription benchmark, or measured result. Obtain participant permission before any real recording and manually verify names, numbers, and decisions.
- Otter.ai — Official product homepage ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official plans, prices, and free limits ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official Help Center: transcription languages ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official Help Center: export formats ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official Help Center: Notetaker behavior and recording notice ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15)
- Fireflies AI — Official plans ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official Free storage and AI-credit limits ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official recording notice controls ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official exports and downloads ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official desktop capture output ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15)