Otter vs Fireflies
Otter starts at $8.33/user and Fireflies at $10/user on annual billing — but minute caps, seat rules and history limits decide the real bill. See it costed below.
Costed for three teams
| Team shape | Otter | Fireflies | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 8 meetings/wk · 45 min | $20/mo Business | $10/mo Pro | Fireflies |
| Solo · 8 meetings/wk · 45 min (monthly billing) | $30/mo Business | $18/mo Pro | Fireflies |
| Small team · 5 people · 10 meetings/wk · 30 min | $100/mo Business | $50/mo Pro | Fireflies |
| Small team · 5 people · 10 meetings/wk · 30 min (monthly billing) | $150/mo Business | $90/mo Pro | Fireflies |
| Sales team · 12 reps · 15 calls/wk · 45 min | $240/mo Business | $120/mo Pro | Fireflies |
| Sales team · 12 reps · 15 calls/wk · 45 min (monthly billing) | $360/mo Business | $216/mo Pro | Fireflies |
At a glance
| Feature | Otter | Fireflies |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Per user | Per seat |
| Watch out for | Pro is capped at 1,200 meeting minutes per user per month and 90 minutes per meeting — long workshops need Business. | Free has a 400-minute storage cap for the whole team — fine for a trial, not for daily use. |
| Cheapest paid (annual) | $8.33/user | $10/user |
| Cheapest paid (monthly) | $16.99/user | $18/user |
| Entry plan includes | Pro: per seat · 20 h/user/mo · max 90 min per meeting · up to 5 users | Pro: per seat · unlimited meetings |
| Forever free | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Add-ons | No paid add-ons on the plan cards; live transcription via RTMP has additional fees (amount Not listed). | No add-ons priced on the plan cards. |
All plans
Otter
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | $0 | per seat · 5 h/user/mo · max 30 min per meeting · up to 5 users · only the 25 most recent conversations |
| Pro | $16.99 | $8.33 | per seat · 20 h/user/mo · max 90 min per meeting · up to 5 users |
| Business | $30 | $19.99 | per seat · unlimited meetings · max 4 h per meeting · up to 25 users |
| Enterprise | — | — | per seat · unlimited meetings |
Fireflies
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | per seat · 400 min team storage |
| Pro | $18 | $10 | per seat · unlimited meetings |
| Business | $29 | $19 | per seat · unlimited meetings |
| Enterprise | — | $39 | per seat · unlimited meetings |
Gotchas
Otter
- Pro is capped at 1,200 meeting minutes per user per month and 90 minutes per meeting — long workshops need Business.
- Pro allows at most 5 billed users and Business 25; bigger teams need an Enterprise quote.
- Annual Pro ($8.33/mo) is less than half the monthly price ($16.99) — the biggest annual discount in this desk.
Fireflies
- Free has a 400-minute storage cap for the whole team — fine for a trial, not for daily use.
- Pro storage is 8,000 minutes per seat; Business removes the cap.
- Monthly billing costs 80% more than annual on Pro ($18 vs $10).
FAQ
Is Otter cheaper than Fireflies?
For 5 people, 10 meetings/week, 30 min each, annual billing with full meeting history: Otter $100/mo on Business vs Fireflies $50/mo on Pro. The answer changes with minute caps and seat limits — use the calculator on the AI meeting notes hub for your exact team.
Do Otter and Fireflies have free plans?
Otter: Basic is free: 300 transcription minutes per user per month, 30 minutes max per conversation, 3 lifetime file imports, 25 most recent conversations. Fireflies: Free: unlimited transcription, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team.
Which limits matter most when comparing note-takers?
Monthly transcription minutes, AI-noted meeting counts, maximum meeting length, seat minimums/maximums and how long history is kept. Our calculator checks every one of them against the official plan cards.