Fireflies.ai vs Zoom AI for meeting automation

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.

Fireflies.ai vs Zoom AI: What do users say?

User reviews of Fireflies.ai highlight its strengths as a versatile AI meeting assistant that works across multiple platforms. Many users praise its ease of setup, accurate transcription capabilities (even in multiple languages), and quick delivery of meeting summaries and action items. The mobile app and free tier make it accessible, while integrations with project management and CRM tools enhance team workflows. However, some reviewers note limitations like occasionally high-level summaries that miss nuances, decreased transcription accuracy with accents or technical jargon, and feature restrictions on the free plan. On the other hand, Zoom AI receives positive feedback for its seamless integration within the Zoom platform, requiring minimal setup for existing users. Reviewers appreciate that it's included at no extra cost for paid Zoom accounts and generates instant meeting summaries. The main drawbacks include its limitation to the Zoom platform, unavailability for free Zoom users, relatively basic features compared to dedicated tools, and occasional difficulties sharing AI notes outside of Zoom. For more detailed insights, check out Zoom AI Companion Review by Jamie AI, Reddit discussion on Zoom's AI Companion, Reddit review of Fireflies.ai, and The Business Dive's Fireflies AI Review.

FAQs

• Would Fireflies.ai work for in-person meetings? What about Zoom AI? Yes, Fireflies.ai works for in-person meetings through its mobile app, which can record in-person meetings and voice notes. In contrast, Zoom AI only works for virtual Zoom calls and cannot independently capture in-person audio.

• 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 various platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Webex. Zoom AI doesn't require a separate meeting bot as it's built directly into the Zoom platform.

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

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