Fireflies.ai vs Otter.ai for meeting automation

Fireflies.ai is a cloud-based AI meeting assistant that joins video conferences as a participant to record, transcribe, and summarize discussions. The system works across major platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, providing transcripts with speaker labels and AI-generated summaries of key points and action items. Users can search transcripts by keyword, query meeting content with the AskFred chatbot, and connect to workflow tools like Slack, Asana, and CRM systems. It offers mobile app support and can handle in-person meetings and voice notes.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model with a free plan offering limited credits, a Pro plan ($10/user/month) for unlimited audio recording, and a Business plan ($19/user/month) that adds video recording and analytics. Fireflies transcribes in over 100 languages and offers numerous integrations, though it lacks a dedicated desktop app. Users report good transcription quality across languages but note that accuracy can decrease with heavy accents or technical jargon, and some find the AI summaries too high-level.

Otter.ai is an AI note-taking service that transcribes meetings and audio recordings in real-time, providing searchable transcripts with speaker identification. It integrates with video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Teams through an assistant that can join meetings, and can capture content from screens including slides. The platform automatically generates summaries and highlights of key discussion points, allowing users to comment or highlight sections during meetings.

The service offers tiered pricing starting with a free plan allowing 600 minutes of transcription monthly, with paid plans starting around $10/month for increased minutes and features. It works for both online and in-person conversations through its web and mobile apps, though it primarily supports English with limited Spanish and French capabilities. Otter includes the "OtterPilot" feature that automates summary creation and integrates with tools like HubSpot, Notion, and Slack.

Comparing Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai

Fireflies.ai

• Fireflies joins meetings as a bot to record, transcribe and generate action items with capabilities across major platforms. The tool offers searchable transcripts and chatbot functionality, but lacks deep workflow integrations that would make meeting content truly actionable beyond basic summaries.

• While Fireflies supports 100+ languages and integrates with common platforms like Salesforce and Slack, users report issues with summary quality and transcription accuracy for accents or technical jargon. The limited automation capabilities and feature restrictions on lower-tier plans reduce its utility for teams needing comprehensive meeting intelligence.

Otter.ai

• Otter provides live transcription during meetings with speaker identification and automatic summaries, working across platforms through its meeting assistant. Despite offering real-time features, Otter's integration ecosystem lacks depth needed to effectively transform transcripts into actionable workflows that improve productivity.

• Users appreciate the real-time transcription capabilities and time-saving aspects, but encounter problems with verbose, poorly structured transcripts and accuracy issues with complex audio. The limited language support (primarily English with some Spanish and French) and basic automation restrict its utility for global organizations.

Fireflies.ai tends to work better for multinational teams needing language support across diverse meeting contexts. The tool's strengths in supporting numerous languages and basic CRM integrations make it suitable for sales teams and global organizations that require simple meeting capture across different communication platforms.

Otter.ai is more appropriate for English-speaking users who need real-time transcription and the ability to interact with transcripts during meetings. Its OtterPilot feature offers slightly more robust automation for teams that primarily use English and need basic follow-up mechanisms, though both tools ultimately fall short on transforming meeting content into truly actionable workflows.

Fireflies.ai vs Otter.ai: What do users say?

User reviews of Fireflies.ai highlight its ease of use and strong transcription quality, with many praising its ability to accurately capture meeting content even in multiple languages. Users appreciate the quick delivery of summaries and action items, which streamlines follow-ups. The integration capabilities with project management and CRM tools are frequently mentioned as beneficial for team workflows. However, some reviewers note that summaries can be too high-level, missing nuance or original phrasing. Transcription accuracy diminishes with heavy accents or technical jargon, and some users find the interface cluttered or receive too many notifications. The free plan's limitations on advanced features are also a common complaint.

Otter.ai receives positive feedback for its intuitive interface and real-time transcription capabilities. Users value the ability to highlight or comment during meetings and appreciate the time-saving aspect of automatic note generation. The generous free tier is also mentioned favorably. However, many reviewers point out that transcripts can be excessively verbose and poorly structured, making it difficult to quickly identify key information. Accuracy issues are reported with complex audio, and some users complain about the assistant joining unwanted meetings or sending too many calendar invites. The 40-minute cap on free Zoom meetings is a frequently cited limitation.

For more information about these AI meeting assistants, readers can check out CNET's review of Otter.ai, Reddit discussions about Otter.ai's effectiveness, Trustpilot reviews of Otter.ai, user experience with Fireflies.ai on Reddit, and The Business Dive's comprehensive review of Fireflies.ai.

FAQs

• Would Fireflies.ai work for in-person meetings? What about Otter.ai? Yes, both Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai work for in-person meetings. Fireflies.ai has a mobile app that can record in-person meetings and voice notes. Similarly, Otter.ai can transcribe live in-person conversations via its app.

• What about meeting bots? Does either of these tools require a meeting bot? Fireflies.ai works by sending a bot participant ("Fred") that joins meetings to record, transcribe, and summarize discussions across platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Webex. Otter.ai also has an assistant that can join meetings in real time for Zoom, Teams, etc.

• What do users say about the quality of transcriptions? For Fireflies.ai, users report good transcription quality, even in other languages like Dutch, though accuracy can dip with heavy accents or technical jargon, with some reviewers noting misidentified speakers or missed slang.

For Otter.ai, users mention that transcripts can be overly verbose and lack structure. Some reviews note mistakes in transcription or speaker identification, especially with complex audio.

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