Fireflies.ai vs Zoom 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 Fireflies.ai and Zoom AI

Fireflies.ai is a cloud-based meeting assistant that joins calls across platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet to record, transcribe, and summarize discussions. It creates searchable transcripts with speaker labels, generates summaries with action items, and offers an AskFred chatbot to query meeting content. The system includes integrations with productivity tools like Slack, Asana, and CRM systems, and works for both virtual and in-person meetings through its mobile app. It supports transcription in over 100 languages and allows offline file uploads.

The service operates on a tiered pricing model with a free plan offering limited credits, a Pro plan ($10/user/month) providing unlimited audio recording and transcripts, and a Business plan ($19/user/month) adding video recording and analytics. While the system generally produces accurate transcriptions, quality can decrease with heavy accents or technical jargon. Some users report that AI-generated summaries can be overly high-level, and the interface has been described as cluttered by some reviewers.

Zoom AI is a native intelligence feature built into the Zoom platform that requires no additional setup for existing users. It automatically generates meeting summaries, identifies action items after calls, and enables participants to ask questions during meetings like "What did I miss?" to catch up on discussions. The tool also helps compose emails, chats, and meeting-related documents within the Zoom ecosystem.

The service comes included at no extra cost for paid Zoom subscribers but isn't available on the free Basic plan beyond limited trials. It works only within Zoom meetings (not other platforms or in-person gatherings), offers live transcription in over 30 languages, and functions across desktop and mobile Zoom applications. Its limitations include basic integration with Zoom Chat, constrained external sharing options, and fewer customization controls compared to dedicated meeting assistant tools.

Comparing Fireflies.ai and Zoom AI

Fireflies.ai

• Fireflies captures meetings across multiple platforms by joining as a bot participant and transcribes conversations with decent accuracy. The tool offers a searchable database of meeting content and integrations with common workflow apps, but lacks depth in helping users actually manage meeting outcomes.

• The pricing model starts with a free tier and scales up to business plans with more features, costing approximately $10-19 per user monthly. While Fireflies works across meeting platforms and offers limited automation capabilities, its practical utility is constrained by basic integrations that don't fully address post-meeting workflow needs.

Zoom AI

• Zoom AI provides built-in meeting summaries and action items exclusively within the Zoom platform, offering no support for other meeting tools. The system allows live AI interaction during meetings but remains confined to Zoom's ecosystem with minimal external integrations.

• The service comes included with paid Zoom subscriptions at no additional cost, starting around $15 monthly per user. While convenient for dedicated Zoom users, the tool's limited integration capabilities and lack of cross-platform functionality restrict its ability to meaningfully connect meeting insights to users' broader workflows.

Fireflies.ai serves teams that use multiple meeting platforms and need to centralize meeting content across tools. It's a better fit for organizations that prioritize flexibility and integration with project management systems, especially those with international teams needing broad language support. The free tier makes it accessible for smaller teams to try before committing.

Zoom AI is the logical choice for companies already standardized on Zoom who want a zero-setup solution with no additional cost. It's ideal for teams seeking simplicity over extensive features and who rarely conduct meetings outside the Zoom ecosystem. The tool works best in environments where meeting documentation needs are straightforward and don't require complex integrations.

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