Otter AI vs FireFlies

AI note-takers are changing the way professionals handle meetings. They transcribe, summarize, and organize discussions automatically.

But not all AI note-takers are the same. Security, accuracy, and features can vary.

Two popular options are Otter AI and Fireflies.ai. Both offer AI-powered meeting transcription, but they cater to different users.

In this article, we’ll compare Otter AI vs. Fireflies to see how they stack up. Which one fits your needs best? Let’s find out.

What Is Otter AI?

Otter AI is a well-known transcription tool that turns spoken words into text. It’s commonly used for online meetings, podcasts, and interviews.

The AI listens to audio, processes it, and generates a readable transcript. Accuracy falls between 85-95%, but some editing is usually needed for a polished result.

Originally launched as AISense in 2016 by Sam Liang and Yun Fu, Otter started as a speech-to-text app for students and educators. In 2019, a partnership with Zoom shifted its focus to business meetings. Since then, it has raised $50 million in Series B funding, grown to over 170 employees, and gained 14 million users.

Otter AI now offers several features, including:

• AI Meeting Assistant – Captures and transcribes meetings in real-time
• Otter AI Chat – Allows team collaboration within transcripts
• AI Channels – Organizes conversations by topic

While Otter AI is a strong competitor, its pricing might feel high for users who only need occasional transcriptions.

Key Features of Otter AI

Otter AI offers a range of tools to simplify meeting transcriptions and team collaboration. From real-time recording to AI-powered summaries, it helps users stay organized and informed. Here’s a look at its standout features.

Recording and Transcription Tool

Otter captures audio in real-time and transcribes it instantly. It identifies different speakers and allows users to edit the text for accuracy.

Meeting Recap

Otter automatically generates summaries after a meeting. It highlights key points, action items, and decisions, making it easier to review discussions.

Otter AI Chat

This feature lets users interact within transcripts, ask AI-generated questions, and get instant insights from past meetings.

Collaboration Features

Users can add comments, highlight sections, and share transcripts with their team. This makes it easy to revisit important details and work together efficiently.

Integration Possibilities

Otter connects with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, syncing transcriptions directly into meeting workflows.

Language Support

Otter primarily supports English, making it best suited for English-speaking users. While some competitors offer multilingual options, Otter’s strength lies in its AI-driven accuracy for English transcriptions.

What is FireFlies?

Fireflies started in 2016 as a drone delivery project by Krish Ramineni and Sam Udotong. While refining their product, they struggled to track conversations with users. This led them to develop an AI-powered tool to capture and organize discussions, evolving into the Fireflies.ai we know today.

Unlike Otter AI, which primarily targets business meetings, Fireflies serves a broader audience. It’s used in education, sales, marketing, recruiting, consulting, media, and even podcasting.

Some of its standout features include:

• AI Notetaker Bot – Automatically records and transcribes meetings
• AI-Powered Search – Finds key moments within transcripts in seconds
• Collaborative Features – Lets teams comment, highlight, and share notes easily

Fireflies is designed for professionals who need more than just transcription—offering deeper insights and better collaboration tools.

Key Features of Fireflies

Fireflies goes beyond basic transcription, offering AI-powered tools to improve productivity and collaboration. It captures meetings, summarizes discussions, and helps users find key moments instantly. Here’s what makes it stand out.

Recording and Transcribing Meetings

Fireflies automatically records and transcribes conversations in real time. It works with major video conferencing platforms and provides searchable, editable transcripts.

Meeting Summary

After each meeting, Fireflies generates a detailed summary, highlighting action items, decisions, and key points. This helps teams stay aligned without reviewing full transcripts.

Advanced Search Capabilities

With AI-powered search, users can quickly find specific words, topics, or speakers within a transcript—saving time and improving efficiency.

Conversation Intelligence

Fireflies analyzes meetings to provide insights on talk time, sentiment, and engagement, helping teams improve communication strategies.

Collaboration Features

Users can comment, highlight key moments, and assign tasks directly within the transcript. This makes it easy for teams to work together without switching tools.

Integration Possibilities

Fireflies connects with Slack, Notion, Zapier, HubSpot, and Salesforce, making it easy to sync notes with existing workflows.

Otter AI vs. FireFlies: Key Differences

Otter AI

Fireflies

Main focus

Meeting transcription

Meeting assistance (transcription included)

Best for

Individuals and small teams

Small and medium teams

Main features

Call recording & transcription

Highlights Summary

Voice dictation

Call recording & transcription

Meeting recap

Audio snippets

While Otter AI and Fireflies are designed for different purposes, they still share many similar features, making them easy to compare. Here’s how they stack up:

• Core Functionality – Otter AI is primarily a transcription tool, while Fireflies is a full AI meeting assistant with productivity-enhancing features.
• Transcription Capabilities – Both tools offer AI-powered transcription, but accuracy, language support, and handling of different audio sources may vary.
• Recording Functions – Fireflies and Otter AI can record meetings, but the efficiency and ease of use differ.
• AI and Summary Options – Fireflies provides advanced AI-driven summaries and conversation analysis, while Otter AI focuses more on delivering clean transcripts.
• Collaborative Features – Both offer team collaboration tools, but Fireflies integrates deeper into workflows with search and insights.
• Pricing – Each tool has different pricing plans that cater to various needs, from individual users to business teams.
• Who Should Use It? – Otter AI is ideal for users who need simple, editable transcripts, while Fireflies is better for teams looking to analyze meetings and improve efficiency.

If you’re looking for an AI meeting assistant with even more features than Fireflies, tools like Knapsack might be worth considering. It prioritizes privacy and security, ensuring confidential conversations stay protected while still offering powerful AI-driven meeting tools.

Final Thoughts

Both Otter AI and Fireflies offer powerful transcription and meeting assistant features, but they serve different needs. Otter AI is great for those who want a straightforward transcription tool, while Fireflies is better suited for teams looking to boost productivity with AI-powered insights and collaboration tools.

However, if security and privacy are top priorities—especially for financial professionals—Knapsack is worth considering. It provides AI-powered meeting assistance without compromising confidentiality, making it a reliable choice for those handling sensitive information.