Obsidian vs Fireflies

When handling sensitive financial data, the tools you use matter. The right AI note-taker can save time — but only if it’s secure and reliable.

Obsidian and Fireflies both offer smart solutions, but they cater to different needs. One stands out for its customization, while the other focuses on automation and simplicity. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses can help you pick the right fit for your workflow.

In this article, we’ll compare the main features of Obsidian and Fireflies, breaking down their pros, cons, and best use cases. Besides that, if you’re looking for a private AI note-taker built with data security in mind, Knapsack is worth a try.

Key Differences Between Obsidian And Fireflies

Obsidian and Fireflies both offer AI-powered note-taking, but they serve different needs. Obsidian is a local-first, highly customizable tool known for its knowledge management features. Fireflies, on the other hand, focuses on automated meeting transcription and collaboration. Let’s take a closer look at their differences:

Feature

Obsidian

Fireflies

Real-time transcription

Yes

Yes

Language support

10+ languages

69+ languages

Integrations

Few native integrations

Extensive

Transcription accuracy

high

high

Pricing

• Free: Personal use with core features
• $4/user/month: Sync add-on (billed annually)
• $8/site/month: Publish add-on (billed annually)
• $25 one-time: Catalyst license for early access and community perks
• $50/user/year: Commercial license for business use
• Free plan: available
• Pro plan: $10 per month per user
• Business plan: $19 per month per user
• Enterprise plan: $39 per month per user

Supported meeting platforms

Zoom

For other platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Meet, you’ll need third-party tools

Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Blue Jeans, Skype, Dialpad, Webex, Lifesize, GoToMeeting

Best For

Individual users

Small teams

Obsidian Features

Obsidian is more than just a note-taking app — it’s a powerful tool for building a personal knowledge base. Its strength lies in its ability to link notes together, creating a web of interconnected ideas. This makes it perfect for anyone who needs to manage complex projects or organize large amounts of information.

With markdown support, offline access, and a range of plugins, Obsidian offers a flexible, user-driven experience. While it’s not built specifically for meetings, it can still handle note-taking and documentation with ease.

Key Features

• Networked Notes: Obsidian’s linking feature helps you create a connected web of ideas, making it easy to see relationships between your notes.
• Markdown Support: You can write in plain text with markdown, making your notes easy to format and export.
• Offline Access: All notes are stored locally, giving you complete control over your data and ensuring privacy.
• Custom Plugins: Obsidian has a wide ecosystem of community-made plugins that let you tailor the app to your workflow.
• Cross-Device Compatibility: Syncing options (though paid) make it possible to keep notes updated across desktop and mobile.

Pros

• Free for personal use
• Local storage keeps your data private
• Flexible note organization methods
• Highly customizable with plugins and themes
• Great for knowledge management and research

Cons

• Steep learning curve for beginners
• No built-in collaboration features
• Paid sync service can get pricey
• Mobile version can feel less reliable than desktop

Pricing

• Free: Personal use with no support, community forum available
• Catalyst: $25 one-time payment for early builds and new versions (optional)
• Commercial: $50 per person per year, with a 14-day free trial and priority email support
• Sync: $8 per person per month for encrypted cross-device syncing
• Publish: $16 per person per month to share notes publicly online

FireFlies Features

Fireflies is a highly versatile AI-powered meeting assistant designed to simplify note-taking and enhance team collaboration. It automatically records, transcribes, and organizes meeting conversations, saving you time and effort. Its real strength lies in its broad language support and compatibility with various meeting platforms.

Fireflies also offers detailed meeting summaries, making it easy to review and share key points with your team. With budget-friendly paid plans and useful integrations, it’s a solid choice for small teams looking for an efficient AI notetaker.

Key Features

• Automatic Transcription: Captures and transcribes meetings with high accuracy, saving time on manual note-taking.
• Meeting Summaries: Provides well-structured summaries so you can quickly understand the key discussions and decisions.
• Wide Integration Options: Works seamlessly with popular tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, and more.
• Language Support: Fireflies supports multiple languages, making it accessible for global teams.
• Collaboration Tools: Easily share and track meeting notes with team members, improving workflow and communication.

Pros

• Works with most languages and meeting platforms
• Accurate transcriptions and well-organized summaries
• Great for team collaboration with easy sharing options
• Affordable pricing, especially for Pro and Business plans
• Wide range of useful integrations

Cons

• Free plan has limited access to advanced AI features like smart search and the AI assistant
• Free plan cannot transcribe files larger than 100 MB

Pricing

• Free: Basic features with limited AI capabilities and smaller file size support
• Pro: Budget-friendly option with enhanced features for small teams
• Business: Offers advanced tools and better collaboration options at an affordable price

Comparison: Obsidian vs Fireflies

When it comes to AI-powered note-taking tools, Obsidian and Fireflies offer very different experiences. Obsidian focuses on knowledge management and offline note-taking with powerful customization options. Fireflies, on the other hand, is designed as a smart meeting assistant, offering real-time transcription and seamless collaboration features. Let’s take a closer look at how they compare across key features like pricing, transcription accuracy, user interface, integrations, language support, and advanced capabilities.

Pricing

Both tools offer a mix of free and paid plans, but their pricing structures cater to different needs.

• Obsidian:
• Free for personal use, but with no official support — only a community forum.
• $25 one-time payment for early builds and new versions.
• $50 per user/year for commercial use, with a 14-day free trial and priority support.
• Optional services: Sync ($8 per user/month) and Publish ($16 per user/month).
• Fireflies:
• Free plan with limited access to AI features and file size restrictions (100 MB limit).
• Pro plan: Affordable option offering more advanced features and integrations.
• Business plan: Designed for teams, offering collaboration tools and detailed meeting insights.

Verdict: Fireflies offers more budget-friendly pricing for teams, while Obsidian’s paid plans focus on individual users and knowledge management with optional add-ons.

Transcription Accuracy

Fireflies is built specifically for meeting transcription, and its strength lies in its ability to capture conversations accurately in real-time.

• Fireflies:
• Provides highly accurate real-time transcription.
• Summarizes conversations in a structured format for easy review.
• Allows smart search and keyword tracking in paid plans.
• Obsidian:
• Primarily a note-taking and knowledge management tool — not focused on transcription.
• Any transcription capabilities depend on third-party plugins.

Verdict: Fireflies easily wins when it comes to transcription accuracy and efficiency.

User Interface and Experience

The user experience is a key factor when choosing a tool you’ll use regularly.

• Obsidian:
• Markdown-based interface suited for text-heavy note-taking and linking ideas.
• Offers a fully customizable experience with various themes and plugins.
• Great for power users who like creating a personal knowledge base.
• Fireflies:
• Clean and user-friendly interface designed for simplicity.
• Focuses on meeting transcription and collaboration, making it easy to navigate.
• Offers quick access to meeting summaries and searchable transcripts.

Verdict: Obsidian appeals to users who value customization and advanced text management, while Fireflies keeps things simple and efficient for meeting-related tasks.

Integrations and Meeting Platforms

The ability to connect with other tools and meeting platforms is essential for productivity.

• Obsidian:
• Direct integration with Zoom via its app marketplace.
• Can work with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Meet through third-party tools.
• Offers extensive plugin support for other workflows.
• Fireflies:
• Natively integrates with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, and more.
• Connects with popular CRMs and productivity tools for streamlined workflows.
• Supports automatic transcription across multiple platforms without extra setup.

Verdict: Fireflies takes the lead here with broader and easier native integrations.

Language Support

For teams working across different regions, language support can make or break a tool’s usability.

• Obsidian: Limited language support — primarily optimized for English users.
• Fireflies: Supports multiple languages, making it more accessible for international teams.

Verdict: Fireflies wins with its diverse language support.

Advanced Features

Both tools offer advanced capabilities, but their focus areas differ.

• Obsidian:
• Offline access and local storage for maximum privacy.
• Advanced linking and graph view for building interconnected notes.
• Highly customizable with community-made plugins.
• Fireflies:
• AI-powered meeting summaries and smart search.
• Collaboration tools like shared workspaces and team notes.
• Voice-based insights and keyword tracking for better meeting analysis.

Verdict: Obsidian excels in knowledge management and privacy, while Fireflies offers smarter meeting insights and collaboration tools.

Which One Is Better?

Choosing between Obsidian and Fireflies comes down to your specific needs. Both tools excel in different areas — Obsidian focuses on deep knowledge management, while Fireflies is all about meeting transcription and team collaboration. Let’s break down which tool fits best for different use cases.

Obsidian Is Best For:

• Knowledge management: Ideal for building a network of interconnected notes and ideas.
• Offline access: All notes are stored locally, offering greater privacy and control.
• Customization: Extensive plugin and theme options let you tailor the experience to your workflow.
• Writers and researchers: Perfect for anyone who needs detailed, text-based note-taking and idea organization.

Fireflies Is Best For:

• Meeting transcription: Provides accurate, real-time transcriptions across multiple platforms.
• Team collaboration: Offers shared workspaces and smart meeting summaries for easy information sharing.
• Integration needs: Connects seamlessly with tools like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
• Multi-language support: Works well for international teams with diverse language requirements.

Wrap-Up!

Both Obsidian and Fireflies offer unique strengths, but the right choice depends on your needs. If you want a powerful, customizable tool for knowledge management and offline note-taking, Obsidian is a great fit. If your focus is on capturing and organizing meeting conversations with real-time transcription and team collaboration, Fireflies stands out.

For those handling sensitive financial data, privacy matters — and that’s where Knapsack, one of the first private AI note-takers, comes in. It’s designed with data security in mind, making it worth exploring if confidentiality is a top priority.