Otter.ai vs Fireflies: Meeting Notes
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai are leading AI meeting assistants. Which delivers better transcription, integration, and workflow?
Quick Verdict:
Otter.ai wins for transcription accuracy, live notes, and mobile experience. Fireflies wins for CRM integration, deal intelligence, and sales workflows. Both are excellent, but Otter is notes-first, Fireflies is sales-first.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Otter.ai | Fireflies | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Transcription & notes | CRM & deal intelligence | - |
| Pricing | Free + $16.99-30/mo | Free + $10-19/user/m | Fireflies |
| Transcription Accuracy | 90%+ | 85%+ | Otter.ai |
| Live Notes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited | Otter.ai |
| CRM Integration | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Advanced (SFDC, HubSpot) | Fireflies |
| Deal Intelligence | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Fireflies |
| Mobile App | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Basic | Otter.ai |
| Speaker ID | ✅ Auto-learning | ✅ Manual setup | Otter.ai |
| Search & Filters | ✅ Good | ✅ Advanced | Fireflies |
| Free Tier | 300 min/mo | 800 min/mo | Fireflies |
Pricing Comparison
Otter.ai: Free (300 min/mo, 30 min/meeting), Pro $16.99/mo (3000 min/mo, 90 min/meeting), Business $30/user/m (custom limits)
Includes: live transcription, speaker ID, integrations, mobile app
Fireflies: Free (800 min/mo, unlimited seats), Pro $10/user/m (unlimited storage, custom integrations), Business $19/user/m (advanced AI)
Includes: CRM sync, deal intelligence, conversation analytics
Key difference: Fireflies free tier includes 800 min/mo vs Otter's 300 min. Fireflies Pro ($10) is 41% cheaper than Otter Pro ($16.99).
Where Otter.ai Wins
1. Transcription Accuracy
Otter.ai delivers 90%+ transcription accuracy, industry-leading. Handles accents, technical terms, fast speech, and overlapping dialogue better than Fireflies. Essential for accurate meeting records.
2. Live Notes
Otter.ai generates live notes during meetings. Follow along in real-time, highlight key points, add comments, and share instantly. Fireflies processes post-meeting, no live experience.
3. Speaker Identification
Otter.ai auto-identifies speakers by voice. No manual labeling needed. Learns voices over time for improving accuracy. Fireflies requires manual speaker setup per meeting.
4. Mobile App
Otter.ai has best-in-class mobile apps (iOS/Android). Record meetings on phone, transcribe instantly, search notes, and share clips. Fireflies mobile experience is web-based, less polished.
5. Collaboration
Otter.ai includes live collaboration: multiple users can highlight, comment, and edit notes simultaneously. Best for meeting scribes and collaborative documentation.
Where Fireflies Wins
1. CRM Integration
Fireflies syncs with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Close, and 7+ CRMs. Auto-log calls, update deal stages, surface conversation insights to CRM records. Otter.ai has basic calendar integrations but no deep CRM sync.
2. Deal Intelligence
Fireflies analyzes deal health: buying signals, objections raised, competitor mentions, budget discussions, and close probability. AI scores deals based on conversation patterns. Otter.ai has no deal intelligence features.
3. Search & Filters
Fireflies has advanced search: keyword, sentiment, topic, speaker, date range, deal stage, and custom filters. Find specific moments across thousands of calls. Otter.ai search is good but less powerful.
4. Custom Integrations
Fireflies supports custom integrations via API and Zapier. Connect to internal tools, databases, Slack, Teams, and workflows. Otter.ai has fewer integration options.
5. Free Tier Value
Fireflies free tier includes 800 min/mo, unlimited seats, and basic CRM sync. Otter free tier is 300 min/mo, limited features. Fireflies wins for free users.
Best Use Cases
Choose Otter.ai if:
- Transcription accuracy is top priority
- Need live notes during meetings
- Mobile recording important
- Product, engineering, or general team meetings
- Budget $16.99/mo
Choose Fireflies if:
- Sales team with CRM needs
- Want deal intelligence and scoring
- Need advanced search across calls
- Custom integrations required
- Budget $10-19/user/mo
Final Recommendation
For sales teams: Firefliesis the clear winner. CRM integration, deal intelligence, and conversation analytics justify the choice.
For general teams: Otter.aidominates. Better transcription, live notes, and mobile experience make it the practical choice.
For free users: Start with Fireflies Free (800 min vs Otter's 300 min).
Our take: We recommend Otter.aifor 70% of teams (general meeting notes). Firefliesspecifically for sales organizations needing CRM workflow integration.