Head-to-head
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai: which one in 2026?
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai are both AI meeting assistants that join Zoom, Meet and Teams calls and return transcripts, summaries and action items. Otter counts usage in minutes and caps each conversation by plan, while Fireflies gives unlimited transcription on every plan and limits storage and recording length instead.
Verdict
Fireflies is the better default for most teams because its limits fall on storage and meeting length, not on how much you can transcribe, and it covers far more languages. Otter is the better fit for a mostly English, individual user who values live transcripts and wants the lower annual list price. Both visibly join the call, so neither solves a no-bot requirement.
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai side by side
| Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | $8.33 per user per month, billed annually | $10 per user per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | 300 transcription minutes per month, 30 minutes per conversation, three lifetime file imports, and only the 25 most recent conversations kept. | Unlimited transcription, but storage is 400 minutes per team, meetings are limited to two hours, and video recording is not included. |
| Entry paid price | Pro lists $16.99 per user monthly or $8.33 billed annually, though the page also shows lower promotional figures. | Pro is $10 per seat billed annually or $18 monthly, with Business at $19 annually and $29 monthly. |
| Transcription languages | Six languages on every plan: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese, with no wider list on paid tiers. | States 100 or more languages with automatic detection, and a multi-language mode that begins on Business. |
| Length limits | 30 minutes per conversation on Basic, 90 on Pro, four hours on Business and Enterprise. | Two hours per meeting on Free and Pro, three hours on Business, four hours on Enterprise. |
| Storage | Pro advertises unlimited storage and history, while Basic keeps only the 25 most recent conversations. | 400 minutes per team on Free, 8,000 minutes per seat on Pro, unlimited from Business upward. |
| Training on your data | De-identifies data automatically before training its own models, and says its AI vendors do not train on customer data. | Says meeting data is not used for AI training by default and that vendors are contractually barred from it. |
| Certifications stated | SOC 2 Type 2 report; policies based on ISO 27001 without claiming that certification; HIPAA as an Enterprise add-on. | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA are stated on its security page; ISO 27001 is not mentioned. |
| Integrations and API | Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier connections arrive on Pro, while the API and webhooks are reserved for the Enterprise plan. | Unlimited integrations from Pro, with API limits described by plan; Enterprise adds private storage and audit logs. |
Where each one wins
Otter.ai wins on
- Longer conversations are allowed on Business, and live transcription with speaker labels is its core feature
- Annual Pro list price of $8.33 undercuts the $10 annual Fireflies Pro seat
- Includes an AI Chat allowance and an MCP server on every plan, even Basic
Fireflies.ai wins on
- Far wider language coverage, with 100 or more languages stated
- Unlimited transcription on the free plan, with no monthly minute pool to exhaust
- Unlimited storage and integrations arrive earlier, at Business and Pro respectively
Which to pick
Pick Otter.ai if
Your calls are in English or one of five other languages, and you want live captions and a mobile app on a low annual seat price.
Pick Fireflies.ai if
Your team works in several languages, wants unlimited transcription on every plan, or needs integrations and storage without paying for Business.
Each tool in context: Otter.ai profile, Fireflies.ai, and the full Best AI Meeting Assistants in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fireflies cheaper than Otter?
On annual billing, Otter Pro lists $8.33 per user and Fireflies Pro lists $10 per seat, so Otter is slightly cheaper at the entry tier. On monthly billing Otter is $16.99 against $18. At Business level Fireflies is $19 annually and Otter is $19.99, so the gap closes. Figures are as of October 2026.
Which of the two handles long meetings better?
It depends on the plan. Fireflies allows two hours per meeting on Free and Pro and three on Business. Otter caps at 30 minutes on Basic and 90 on Pro, then reaches four hours on Business. A free user with long calls is better served by Fireflies, while a Business user gets more from Otter.
Do Otter and Fireflies use my recordings to train AI?
Fireflies says meeting data is not used for AI training and that vendors may not train on it. Otter says it de-identifies data automatically before training its own models and that its AI providers do not train on customer data. They differ on the first point, so enterprise buyers should request each contract terms in writing.
Can either tool record without a bot in the meeting?
Neither lists a bot-free capture mode on the pricing and security pages we checked. Both send a participant to Zoom, Meet or Teams meetings. If a visible bot is a problem, look at Granola, or the bot-free modes listed by Fathom and Krisp, and test them on the platforms your company uses.