Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai: the short answer
Choose Otter.ai if
- Individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool.
- Sales teams using Otter Sales Notetaker.
Choose Fireflies.ai if
- Teams wanting broad integrations and a free tier.
- Sales and recruiting teams recording many calls.
What are Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai?
Otter.ai
Meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a visible bot option, free tier, and per-user paid plans; SSO and SCIM are Enterprise-only with a 100-user minimum. A low-risk starting point for individuals and small teams, thanks to a usable free tier and per-user plans. Admins should plan around the fact that SSO and SCIM need Enterprise with a 100-user minimum, and the trust center lists SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR.
Fireflies.ai
AI meeting notetaker with free, Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers; prices shown here come from third-party write-ups. Teams that record many sales or recruiting calls and want lots of connectors will find it on most shortlists. Verify credit and storage rules in a trial, since they are hard to read. Enterprise adds private storage, custom retention and audit logs.
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai: features compared
| Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a visible bot option, free tier, and per-user paid plans; SSO and SCIM are Enterprise-only with a 100-user minimum. | AI meeting notetaker with free, Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers; prices shown here come from third-party write-ups. |
| Best for | Individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool. | Teams wanting broad integrations and a free tier. |
| Company size | Individuals to teams; Enterprise for large orgs with 100-user minimum for SSO. | Individuals to enterprise. |
| Meeting platform support | Zoom and Google Meet video replay noted on Enterprise; full platform list not confirmed by the vendor. | Video conferencing, dialers, Chrome extension (vendor nav) |
| Summaries and action items | Not published | AI Assistant, Conversation Intelligence, Live Assist (per vendor site) |
| CRM and workflow integrations | Custom CRM and dialer integrations on Enterprise; Otter Sales Notetaker. | CRM, dialer and collaboration integrations plus API. |
| Privacy and security | SOC 2 and HIPAA (2025 announcement); Trust Center badges: CCPA, GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, VPAT, TX-RAMP Level 2; subprocessors include Anthropic and AWS. | Trust Center lists SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR; Enterprise has private storage, custom retention, audit logs. |
| Bot-based vs botless capture | Not published | Meeting bot and Chrome extension (no botless claim verified) |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starting price | Free (Basic); Pro $8.33/user/month billed annually | Free; Pro $10/user/month billed annually (third-party reported) |
| G2 rating | 4.4 (500 reviews) | 4.7 (751 reviews) |
Pros and cons
Otter.ai
Pros
- Easy to start with a usable free tier.
- Wide adoption and familiar interface.
Cons
- Free and Pro minute caps are tight.
- Review counts and pricing details are confusing on higher tiers.
Fireflies.ai
Pros
- Good value and many integrations.
- Highly rated on G2 with a large review base.
Cons
- Storage and credit rules are hard to understand.
- Prices not shown on the vendor page.
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai pricing
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Fireflies.ai costs $2,400 a year and Otter.ai $4,798 at list price, a difference of $2,398.
| Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | per user | per user |
| Per seat per month | $19.99 (Business, annual) | $10 (Pro, annual, third-party reported) |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Monthly and annual. |
| 20 users per year | $4,798 (Business) | $2,400 (Pro) |
| Add-ons | HIPAA compliance add-on (Enterprise, price not published) | Extra AI credits (price not confirmed by the vendor) |
Security, admin and contract: Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| SAML SSO | Enterprise only (100-user minimum) | Enterprise (vendor says contact for SSO; third-party sources say Enterprise) |
| SCIM provisioning | Enterprise only (100-user minimum) | Enterprise. |
| Audit logs | Not published | Enterprise (listed in vendor Enterprise features) |
| Data residency | Not published | Private Storage option on Enterprise; regions not stated. |
| DPA | Not listed on Trust Center; privacy policy and breach notices only. | Not published |
| Contract | Monthly plans available on Pro and Business. | Monthly available on Pro and Business per third parties. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Otter.ai
- SSO and SCIM need Enterprise with a minimum 100-user license.
- Business plan caps at 25 billed users; Pro at 5.
- Business monthly price is $24, with 20% off for 3+ months.
- HIPAA is an Enterprise add-on.
Worth knowing about Fireflies.ai
- Vendor page says to contact them for SSO; Enterprise lists SSO, SCIM, audit logs, private storage.
- HIPAA and FERPA available on Enterprise with Private Storage.
- Volume discounts above 50 members.
- One review site puts 25 seats at about $5,700/yr before credit top-ups.
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai?
It depends on the team. Otter.ai is the stronger pick for individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool, while Fireflies.ai suits teams wanting broad integrations and a free tier. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Do Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai support SAML single sign-on?
Otter.ai: enterprise only (100-user minimum). Fireflies.ai: enterprise (vendor says contact for SSO; third-party sources say Enterprise). Confirm the plan in writing before you compare prices.
Is Fireflies.ai cheaper than Otter.ai?
At list price for 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Fireflies.ai costs $2,400 a year and Otter.ai $4,798. Add-ons, higher tiers and annual versus monthly billing can change that order.
Can I try Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai for free?
Otter.ai: free plan. Fireflies.ai: free plan.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai reviews.