Tools that join your calls, transcribe them, and turn the recording into a summary and action items automatically. We've reviewed two of the best-known names: Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai — and they meter free and paid usage in almost opposite ways, which matters more than either tool's feature list.
Both tools solve the same problem the same basic way: join Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, transcribe the conversation, and hand back a summary with action items — no separate recording device or manual note-taking required. The real differences show up in how usage is capped: per-meeting length, monthly minutes, and whether storage is pooled across a team or given to each user individually.
| Tool | Entry paid tier | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai | $18/seat/mo ($10/mo annual) | Yes — unlimited transcription, 400 min/team storage | Unlimited transcription, cross-meeting AI assistant |
| Otter.ai | $16.99/user/mo ($8.33/mo annual) | Yes — 300 min/user/month, 30-min meeting cap | Per-user free minutes, CRM integrations |
Verified directly on fireflies.ai/pricing and otter.ai/pricing, checked 7 September 2026, USD.
Records, transcribes and summarizes meetings automatically, with a Free plan that leaves transcription itself uncapped.
Read the reviewThe category's best-known name — live transcription and speaker ID, with per-user free minutes and a 30-minute meeting cap.
Read the reviewFireflies.ai vs Otter.ai, side by side — free-plan structure, entry-tier pricing and per-meeting limits compared directly.
For most recurring meetings, yes — both generate a transcript, a summary and action items automatically. For anything requiring legal-grade accuracy, a human review pass is still worth it.
If your team meets often but briefly, try Fireflies (unlimited transcription, shared storage cap). If you meet less often but sometimes run long calls, try Otter first and watch the 30-minute per-meeting cap on its free tier.
This is a category where the free plan you pick matters as much as any paid feature. Fireflies removes the transcription cap entirely and pools storage across the team; Otter gives each person their own monthly minutes but caps every meeting at 30 minutes until you pay. Neither is objectively better — it depends on whether your meetings are frequent-and-short or occasional-and-long.
Sources: fireflies.ai/pricing and otter.ai/pricing, checked 7 September 2026. See the individual reviews above for full pricing tables and feature breakdowns.