Is Fireflies.ai worth it?
Fireflies.ai is a great tool for its mighty AI-powered note taking and meeting organization. Used by Netflix, Uber, Nike, Expedia, and other huge industry names, Fireflies.ai has a proven track record of being a top quality system for recording meetings and making note taking simple. As well as its note taker tool, the AI is also behind their powerful search function which allows you to review a 1 hour meeting in just five minutes. Let’s just hope their AI doesn’t get too advanced…Using Fireflies.ai, you can create a library of recorded meetings that can act as a ‘hub of knowledge’. You can collaborate with co-workers, analyze meetings, and automate your workflow, but is it actually worth the price tag? Or perhaps a better question is: are there any Fireflies.ai alternatives that make better sense for your business? Let’s find out.
Top 5 Fireflies.ai Alternatives and Competitors
1. tl;dv
tl;dv is a virtual meeting tool that offers more free features than most other tools: recording, transcribing, editing, timestamping and tagging are all available on the free plan.
For teams looking to upgrade their user research game, the Pro version is super cheap, yet allows for limitless recording, a powerful search function, smooth integrations with important platforms, downloading of any recording, and even more customizable share settings. It’s a must-have for those serious about their user experience.
If you’re setting up a dedicated UX research repository, tl;dv can assist with this too, being a fantastic free way of gathering tons of user research.
The most important thing is this: it’s super easy to give this simple, yet powerful, extension a go. There is ZERO commitment to paying anything. Onboarding is a smooth experience, the tool is intuitive and easy to learn, and there’s no limit to how long a user can stay on the basic free plan.
Sounds like a no brainer…
Pros
- Allows for both speaker recognition and video, unlike Fireflies.ai
- Directly integrates with Google Meet & Zoom
- Makes recordings and transcripts accessible within seconds
- Timestamp moments during the live meeting to play them back immediately
- Automatic Speaker labels in transcription
- Searchable transcriptions in 20+ languages
- Easily create clips and reels out of longer recordings
- Integrates directly with Slack, Notion and all other of your research repository tools
- Coming soon: automated labeling of meetings, according to your internal tagging system (a feature powered by GPT-3!)
- Smooth onboarding
- Super intuitive and easily adopted across entire organizations
- Best freemium plan in the industry, allowing unlimited recordings & transcripts, plus tons of other free features
Cons
- Not available for Microsoft Teams and Skype yet
- Some of the most powerful integrations (Hubspot, Salesforce etc) are only available on Pro
Pricing
With a free plan that puts most paid plans to shame, tl;dv is available for you to try out, no strings attached. It’s a freemium plan to end all freemium plans.
Free Plan Features
- Unlimited recordings
- Record Google Meet and Zoom
- Transcribe Google Meets and Zoom calls
- Transcribe in 20+ languages
- Set timestamps and highlights
- Create and share clips
- Set recording automations
The paid plans offer more integrations, analytics, downloadable recordings, customizable share settings, as well as priority customer support. Check out the Pro plan features here.
tl;dv vs Fireflies.ai
The biggest difference between tl;dv and Fireflies.ai is that tl;dv allows for speaker recognition and video. Of course, that’s not including the fact that tl;dv has the vast majority of its features available completely for free.
tl;dv is the preferred tool for user researchers and product managers because of how user interviews are easily turned into shareable insights that integrate into existing platforms. It makes analyzing and prioritizing user needs so much easier, while simultaneously saving tons of time in the review process. tl;dv brings the voice of the customer closer to product roadmaps while empowering UX researchers to champion for user needs better than ever before.
tl;dv is packed with value for product managers and UX researchers, with every feature designed to simplify work processes for these verticals, and maximize the learnings they can gain from conversations with customers. It’s one of the best all-round product research softwares.
While Fireflies.ai does a great job at a very similar thing, tl;dv is free and has a few additional cards up its sleeve, like speaker recognition. It’s the industry-leading remote UX research tool.
2. Chorus.ai
Chrous.ai is a powerful software for creating actionable insights and call notes. It’s built to optimize sales and improve training, while harnessing AI.
This nifty tool empowers you to transcribe and analyze sales meetings in real-time, encouraging teams to identify winning behaviors that can be replicated by all members. It’s a fantastic tool for upskilling your entire team.
But is Chorus.ai a worthy Fireflies.ai competitor?
Pros
- Improves workflow and allows you to present information more efficiently
- Data and insights delivered where you work
- Captures and analyzes calls, meetings, and emails to deliver bottom line impact
Cons
- It can take days for recordings from Chorus.ai to be uploaded, unlike tl;dv where the recording is available mere minutes after the meeting ends
- Limited analytics
- Inaccurate transcription tool
- UI isn’t the friendliest
Pricing
The pricing information for Chorus.ai is not immediately available. You have to email Chorus.ai to get a quote, which can be frustrating and time-consuming when you just want to get on with it.
However, by working out which features you need, you can perhaps strike a deal that will mean you’re not wasting any features.
There is also a free demo so you can test out the software before you commit.
Chorus.ai vs Fireflies.ai
While Chorus.ai has similar goals to Fireflies.ai, it’s not instantly apparent as to why it’s a better choice, especially when the pricing information remains unknown.
Due to the lengthy waits with downloading recordings, the unfriendly UI, and the unknown pricing, Fireflies.ai is probably a better option, depending, of course, on your specific requirements.
3. Hyperia
Hyperia is an AI note taker that joins calls and transcribes meetings for the purpose of identifying actionable next steps, and improving workplace transparency. Hyperia aims to provide ‘conversational intelligence’ that help identify successful interaction and difficulties. Sound like a Fireflies.ai competitor? It is.
This AI note taker tool is designed to help you easily share user summaries, progression reports and action items with your team. But is it worthy of the list? Does it offer anything that makes it stand out from the crowd?
Pros
- Transcribes calls and meetings so you can focus on the conversation and not taking notes
- Hyperia’s note taker enables you to easily share summaries, action items, and more with your team
- Integrated video player
- Handy search function
- Records events from your calendar automatically
- Capture meeting highlights and AI summaries
Cons
- The paid plans are quote-based only, and more expensive than most of their competitors
- The free plan is too limited, and won’t let you utilize the software’s benefits in any meaningful way
- Some important features you’d typically expect of an AI meeting assistant are lacking, like the ability to turn longer recordings into clips and integrate meeting moments smoothly into other platforms.
Pricing
Hyperia is another software whose pricing is unknown. You can apply for a free demo to get to know the software a little more – but in order to purchase a subscription, you’ll need to reach out to the team.
Hyperia vs Fireflies.ai
Similar to Chorus.ai, Hyperia – while being a fantastic Fireflies.ai alternative on paper – lets itself down by not being able to provide a simple pricing structure.
Those who do use it report little-to-no problems, but since you have to commit before properly getting a feel for the software, it’s a big risk to not know whether it’s right for your team or business.
4. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a text-to-speech software that transcribes audio from virtual meetings in real-time. You can also add timestamps, highlights and other edits to the transcription, and share it with your colleagues to align collaborative efforts and cut down on unnecessary meetings.
The software is widely used by journalists, media teams, and universities, but it’s not the first choice among remote or async work teams, and not firmly established in the realm of Product or UX.
Otter.ai’s transcription is only available in English, which is one of its drawbacks. Compare that with tl;dv’s transcriptions, for example, which are available in more than 20 languages, free of charge. You can even instantly translate a transcript from one language to another using tl;dv (also free of charge!)
Pros
- Easy to use
- Includes timestamps, highlights, edits and transcription services
- Search transcripts by keyword
Cons
- Transcriptions only available in English
- Doesn’t record video
- No speaker recognition
Pricing
The paid plans for Otter.ai start at $8.33 per month when billed annually. They also have a business plan for $20 per month. Both are well-equipped with a suite of features, and there is also a free plan for everybody.
Free Plan Features
- Record and transcribe your meetings in real time
- Otter Assistant joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet to automatically take and share notes, even if you can’t join the meeting
- Takeaways and Automated Summary
- 300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation
Compared to Hyperia and Chorus.ai, Otter.ai’s free plan is a breath of fresh air. While it doesn’t quite live up to the freemium plan of tl;dv, it’s a nice introduction to the app that will let you see the majority of its most useful features enough to decide whether you want to purchase a paid subscription.
Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai
Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai are quite similar platforms. They have similar features, similar goals, and similar price points. Neither of them allow for speaker recognition, unlike tl;dv, which doesn’t need AI in its name to show off its technical prowess when it comes to transcription.
One of Otter.ai’s main drawbacks is that it doesn’t record video. Depending on your needs as a business, this could be the big deal-breaker that separates Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai. If you’re a user researcher, for example, then the emotional nuances and cues you’ll derive from video recordings are priceless.
Luckily, tl;dv records video and recognizes who’s speaking in the transcription with clearly labelled speaker tags. Every transcription is also searchable, so that you an instantly locate a precise meeting moment by searching for a keyword.
5. Gong
Gong is a platform dedicated to analyzing client interactions and transcribing calls. Its powerful speaker recognition feature detects the length for which someone is speaking and can even offer recommendations for how to improve sales pitches. It’s an intelligent software that can be used for maximizing profit from sales via online meetings.
If you’re looking to improve your client-facing interactions, then purchasing one of Gong’s plans makes perfect sense compared to any other Fireflies.ai competitors. But hold onto your horses. There are a few downsides to using Gong, and non-Sales teams may benefit from a less Sales-specific software.
Pros
- Offers a variety of integrations with business apps like Klue and Salesforce
- Analyzes data of client interactions and provides advice for how to improve
- Powerful speaker recognition tool
Cons
- Exclusively focused on Sales teams
- Difficult onboarding
- Expensive
- Recommendations on how to ‘improve your sales pitch’ can be intrusive
Pricing
Unlike tl;dv and Otter.ai, the paid plans for Gong are all customizable. You won’t be able to find out the prices for Gong unless you reach out to them directly and get a quote. This is similar to some of the other Fireflies.ai alternatives, like Hyperia and Chorus.ai.
Multiple sources suggest that their average plan is around $100 per month per user, making it quite likely the most expensive Fireflies.ai alternative on this list.
Reach out yourself to confirm what the price will be for your business before dismissing them entirely.
Gong vs Fireflies.ai
Because of its specialized focus, Gong is a love-it-or-hate-it tool. It seems a bit too pricey to compete with the likes of Fireflies.ai, but that’s also because its specific focus is heavily directed towards sales and improving sales pitches. If this is your field of expertise, Gong may be the only Fireflies.ai alternative for you.
Many of Gong’s negative reviews suggest its AI is a little too intrusive when it comes to making recommendations, so that’s something to factor in if you were hoping it could provide you with some juicy sales boosts.
Ultimately, it depends on the aims of your business. If you’re looking to enhance your sales pitches and require an AI to assist you, then Gong is the right choice for you.
The verdict
So, after all is said and done, the right Fireflies.ai competitor for you will entirely depend on your business needs. If you’re looking for a free online meeting recorder that can wear many hats – which can record, transcribe, timestamp, recognize speakers, create highlights, and share insights across your organization in a few clicks – then you’re left with just one Fireflies.ai competitor: tl;dv.
Not to mention that all those aforementioned features are totally free with tl;dv – unlike with most Fireflies.ai competitors, that will make you pay for basic functions.
