Avoma vs Fireflies.ai for meeting automation

Here's what you should look for in an AI meeting automation tool:

• Transcripts that create a word-for-word record of the meeting. For example, a one-hour product development meeting generates a searchable document containing every feature discussion, technical requirement, and team decision.

• Action items are pulled directly from the conversation. When someone says "John will update the wireframes by Friday," the AI automatically creates a tracked task with the assignee and deadline.

• Meeting summaries distill hour-long conversations into 2-3 paragraphs. A 45-minute sprint planning meeting becomes a concise overview of sprint goals, resource allocation, and key decisions.

• Topic segmentation breaks discussions into labeled sections. A client call covering multiple projects is automatically divided into sections like "Website Redesign," "Q1 Marketing Campaign," and "Budget Review."

Other key features

In addition to the quality of these deliverables, we'll want to look at a number of other key factors:

• Ease-of-use: does it have a simple, intuitive setup that works for non-technical users?

• In-person meeting support: can it transcribe audio from live recordings or uploaded files, not just virtual calls?

• Security and privacy: how is customer data handled on the platform?

• Integrations: can it connect with your existing stack, like HubSpot, Notion, or Slack?

• Functionality: does it go beyond transcriptions and actually help you take action?

• Languages: can it transcribe and summarize meetings in different languages?

• Desktop and mobile apps: can you access it on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android for on-the-go meetings?

Understanding Avoma and Fireflies.ai

Avoma is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings. It breaks notes into organized topics like pain points and next steps, then generates actionable insights from conversations. The platform includes agenda templates, live note collaboration, and CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot. It works across both online and offline meetings through its mobile app, and offers transcription in over 20 languages with reported 95% accuracy even with jargon.

The system operates via a web-based platform with iOS and Android mobile apps but no desktop application. It includes automation for note-taking, follow-up emails, and CRM data entry. Pricing ranges from a limited free plan (approximately 10 meetings monthly) to paid tiers from $19 to $129 per user monthly. While comprehensive for sales and customer success teams, some users find it excessive for simple transcription needs, occasionally experience minor bugs with meeting joins, and note that higher pricing tiers can be expensive for small teams.

Fireflies.ai is a cloud-based AI meeting assistant that joins virtual meetings as a bot participant to record, transcribe, and summarize discussions across platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. The core functionality includes speaker-labeled transcripts, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, keyword searching of transcripts, and the AskFred chatbot for querying meeting content. It connects with external tools like Slack, Asana, and CRM systems, and offers a mobile app that can record in-person meetings.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model with a free forever plan offering limited credits, a Pro plan at approximately $10/user/month for unlimited audio recording and transcripts, and a Business plan at around $19/user/month adding video recording and analytics. Fireflies transcribes in over 100 languages but lacks a dedicated desktop application. Transcription accuracy can decrease with heavy accents or technical jargon, and some users report that the AI summaries sometimes miss nuance or specific phrasing from the original conversation.

Comparing Avoma and Fireflies.ai

Avoma

• Avoma functions as an all-in-one meeting tool that records, transcribes, and generates topic-based notes. Its integration with CRMs helps automate workflow but lacks depth in truly transforming meeting content into actionable tasks.

Fireflies.ai

• Fireflies joins meetings as a bot participant across various platforms to provide transcripts and summaries with key points and action items. While it offers numerous integrations, it struggles with generating nuanced summaries that maintain context and drive meaningful post-meeting action.

Avoma suits larger sales and customer success teams that need deeper workflow automation and structured note organization. The platform's higher price point reflects its comprehensive feature set, though smaller teams might find it excessive for basic transcription needs.

Fireflies.ai works better for individuals and teams seeking a straightforward, affordable transcription tool across multiple platforms. Its broader language support and lower entry price make it accessible, but organizations requiring robust automation capabilities should consider its limitations in driving follow-through on meeting outcomes.

Another alternative: Circleback

Circleback provides best-in-class AI-powered meeting notes and automations. We support over 100 languages and automatic participant identification in both in-person and online meetings.

• Automatically-identified and assigned action items

• AI-enabled search across all meetings

• Automations with 100+ app integrations

• Industry-leading security with SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and HIPAA compliance

• Ability to capture both online and in-person meetings with desktop and mobile apps