Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai is an AI meeting notetaker that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings, with unlimited transcription via Auto Join on all plans but storage and advanced AI features metered by plan and credits.
What is Fireflies.ai?
Fireflies.ai is an AI notetaker built around recording, transcribing, and summarizing spoken conversations. It sends a bot (Fred) to scheduled meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and other platforms, or records through a Chrome extension and mobile app. It produces speaker-labeled transcripts, AI-generated summaries, action items, and a searchable meeting archive, with CRM and project-management sync on higher plans.
Fireflies is not a general-purpose AI assistant. Its value is concentrated in meeting capture and post-meeting retrieval. The product is broader than a simple transcriber—it includes conversation intelligence, sales-oriented AI Skills, and an API—but those layers are metered separately from transcription. The most important thing to understand before choosing a plan is that “unlimited transcription” on Fireflies does not mean unlimited storage or unlimited AI. The Free plan pairs unlimited Auto Join transcription with a 400-minute team storage cap and 20 one-time AI credits, which is a materially different trade-off from competitors that meter monthly transcription minutes or AI summaries.
How does Fireflies.ai work?
After connecting a calendar, Fireflies’ notetaker joins scheduled meetings automatically, or users can start recording via the Chrome extension or mobile app without a bot in the call. The bot records audio (and video on Pro+), transcribes in real time, and identifies speakers.
Transcription itself is not charged against AI credits; it is covered by the plan. AI credits only apply to the advanced layer: AskFred queries, AI Skills, custom summary sections, Magic Soundbites, Voice Agents, Sales Assist, and similar features. Summaries and action items are generated using available AI credits. Users can search across meetings, clip Soundbites, comment on timestamps, and push notes and tasks to connected CRMs and project tools. Transcripts can be edited for accuracy, but downloads require Pro.
Use Cases
- Automatically capturing and archiving recurring sales or client calls without manual note-taking
- Searching past conversations for decisions, commitments, or specific speaker comments across a team
- Generating structured meeting summaries and action items and syncing them to a CRM or task manager
- Transcribing interviews, webinars, or in-person conversations (2-hour limit per meeting on Free/Pro)
- Applying sales methodologies (BANT, MEDDIC) through AI Skills on Pro and above
Pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
| Plan | Price | Billing | Included usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | Unlimited transcription via Auto Join; limited AI summaries; 400 minutes of storage per team; 20 one-time AI credits per seat; 2-hour recording limit per meeting; 3 public channels; API access with rate limits. | — |
| Pro | $10 | per seat per month, billed annually ($18 monthly) | Unlimited transcription and AI summaries; 8,000 minutes of storage per seat; video recording; transcript/summary/recording downloads; Personal Assistant, Email Assistant, AI Skills, Voice Agents; unlimited integrations; 2-hour recording limit. | — |
| Business | $19 | per seat per month, billed annually ($29 monthly) | Everything in Pro, plus unlimited storage, Multi-language Mode, Conversation Intelligence, Team Analytics, User Groups; 3-hour recording limit. AI credits still consumed for advanced AI features. | — |
| Enterprise | $39 | per seat per month, billed annually only | Everything in Business, plus Rules Engine, SSO/SCIM, Audit Logs, HIPAA compliance, Private Storage, Custom Data Retention, Super Admin role; 4-hour recording limit (varies by source page). | — |
Common Limitations
- Free plan storage cap, not a minute cap · The Free plan allows unlimited transcription via Auto Join, but storage is limited to 400 minutes per team (not per seat) across recordings, uploads, and dialer calls. When storage is full, older meetings must be deleted before new ones can be stored. This is a harder constraint for recurring teams than a monthly transcription-minute limit, because transcripts can accumulate indefinitely while storage does not.
- AI credits are consumable and not replenished monthly on Free · The Free plan includes 20 one-time AI credits per seat, not 20 credits per month. These credits power AskFred queries, AI Skills, Magic Soundbites, and other advanced AI features. Once exhausted, those features stop working unless a paid plan is purchased. Paid plans also meter AI credits per use, and purchased credit packs do not carry over to the next billing cycle.
- Downloads and video recording are paywalled · On the Free plan, users cannot download transcripts, summaries, or recordings. Video recording is also unavailable. These require at least the Pro plan ($10/seat/month billed annually).
- Recording length capped by plan · Free and Pro plans cap recording length at 2 hours per meeting; Business is 3 hours; Enterprise varies (official pages list 3 or 4 hours depending on source). Long meetings may be truncated or need to be split.
- Privacy and compliance constraints for regulated or EU-sensitive use · Fireflies requires calendar access to sign in and operate the notetaker. Independent reviews and user reports raise recurring concerns about privacy practices, bot reliability, and suitability for regulated industries. HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA is an Enterprise-only feature requiring Private Storage. SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and custom data retention also start at Enterprise ($39/seat/month, annual only). Teams in healthcare, legal, or EU-regulated environments should verify current terms and data processing agreements before adopting.
- Bot and transcription reliability varies by condition · Reviewer and user reports describe mixed reliability: the bot occasionally fails to join scheduled meetings, browser-based recording can lose sessions without fallback, and transcription quality degrades with heavy crosstalk, strong accents, non-English languages, and domain-specific jargon. Fireflies claims 99% English accuracy, but this is a vendor claim and should be treated as a best-case figure.
- API access is included but rate-limited · API access is available on every plan, but Free is limited to 30 requests per minute and 500 per day; Pro is 60 per minute and 5,000 per day. A 14-day Pro-level API trial begins with the first Free API request. Heavy or production API use will require Business or Enterprise.
Key Features
- Automatic meeting join
- Unlimited transcription via Auto Join
- AI summaries and action items
- AskFred conversational search
- AI Skills (BANT, MEDDIC, templates)
Fireflies.ai vs. Otter.ai and Fathom
This comparison uses official pricing and free-plan documentation available as of the research date. It focuses on documented plan mechanics and storage/AI metering, not subjective accuracy rankings. Free-plan structures differ in kind, not just degree, so the right choice depends on whether a team prefers unlimited transcription with manual storage management or a fixed monthly minute allowance.
| Tool | Positioning | Key differences | Best fit | Pricing note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai Official pricing Free plan help guide AI credits help guide | AI meeting notetaker with unlimited Auto Join transcription, a searchable archive, and credits-based advanced AI. | Free plan offers unlimited transcription but caps storage at 400 minutes per team and gives only 20 one-time AI credits; downloads and video recording require Pro. Paid plans start at $10/seat/month (annual) and AI credits remain a metered layer. | Teams that want unlimited meeting capture and can manually manage storage, or sales/ops teams that will use Pro+ AI Skills and CRM sync. | Free; Pro $10/seat/month annual ($18 monthly); Business $19/seat/month annual ($29 monthly); Enterprise $39/seat/month annual only. AI credits sold as add-ons on paid plans; unused purchased credits do not roll over. |
| Otter.ai Official pricing Basic plan limits | AI meeting assistant with automated join, live transcription, and AI Chat, metered by monthly transcription minutes on lower tiers. | Free Basic caps transcription at 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute per-conversation limit and 3 lifetime file imports, but provides monthly AI Chat queries rather than one-time AI credits. Pro is $8.33/user/month annual and removes the 30-minute cap while raising minutes to 1,200/month. | Individuals and teams that prefer a predictable monthly minute allowance over storage management, and want AI Chat included on lower tiers. | Free Basic; Pro $8.33/user/month annual; Business $19.99/user/month annual; Enterprise custom. |
| Fathom Official help: Free vs Premium Official pricing page | AI notetaker emphasizing unlimited free recording and storage, with advanced AI summaries limited on Free. | Free plan includes unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and storage, and advanced AI summaries for the first 5 calls per month; after that, only a general summary template is available. Paid Team plan starts at $15/user/month billed annually. Fireflies’ Free plan instead offers unlimited transcription but caps storage and AI credits. | Individuals or small teams that want unlimited free storage and recordings and can accept limited advanced summaries, rather than managing a storage cap or purchasing credits. | Free with unlimited recordings/transcriptions/storage and 5 advanced AI summaries per month; Team $15/user/month billed annually. |
Comparison checked against official product information on 2026-11-05. Features and pricing may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is transcription really unlimited on the Free plan?
Yes, Auto Join transcription is unlimited on Free, but storage is capped at 400 minutes per team. Unlimited transcription does not remove the storage ceiling; teams that record frequently will fill storage and need to delete older meetings or upgrade.
Do AI summaries work on the Free plan?
Free includes limited AI summaries that consume AI credits. The Free plan grants 20 one-time AI credits per seat, not a monthly allowance. Once those credits are used, AI summaries and other advanced AI features will not run until a paid plan or credit add-on is purchased.
Can I download transcripts on the Free plan?
No. Transcript, summary, and recording downloads require at least the Pro plan ($10/seat/month billed annually). On Free, notes are viewable in the Fireflies interface but not downloadable.
Is Fireflies.ai HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is an Enterprise-only feature that requires a signed BAA and Private Storage. It is not included on Free, Pro, or Business plans.
How does Fireflies compare to Otter.ai on the free plan?
Fireflies offers unlimited Auto Join transcription but caps storage at 400 minutes per team and grants 20 one-time AI credits. Otter’s Basic plan instead caps transcription at 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute per-conversation limit and 3 lifetime file imports. Fireflies’ model suits teams that can manage storage manually; Otter’s model suits users who prefer a monthly minute allowance.
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