Choosing an AI notetaker can significantly improve your productivity by automatically transcribing and summarizing meetings. Two of the top contenders in this space are Fireflies vs Otter ai. While both tools promise to save you time and provide accurate notes, they have different strengths that appeal to specific user needs.
The main difference lies in their core focus: Fireflies.ai is a comprehensive meeting intelligence platform with a strong emphasis on automation and integrations, while Otter.ai excels at real-time transcription and a more hands-on, simplified user experience. This article will break down their key features to help you decide which one is the best for you.
What is Fireflies?
Fireflies.ai is an AI-powered meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes your video and audio conversations. Its primary purpose is to help teams automate their entire meeting workflow, from transcribing the conversation to sending notes to project management tools. It’s known for its robust integrations and conversation intelligence features.
This platform is an excellent choice for businesses with high meeting volumes, especially those who need to integrate meeting data into their existing workflows. It’s also ideal for global teams, as it supports transcription in over 100 languages. Its AI helps to analyze speaker talk time, sentiment, and key topics, making it a powerful tool for teams who need more than just a transcript.
What is Otter?
Otter.ai is a leading AI notetaker that provides real-time transcription and instant meeting summaries. It’s designed to be a straightforward and easy-to-use tool for individuals and small teams who need to quickly get accurate notes from their meetings. Its AI-powered features focus on streamlining the note-taking process, allowing users to focus on the conversation.
The main purpose of Otter.ai is to offer a simple yet powerful solution for real-time note-taking and collaboration. Its “OtterPilot” bot can automatically join meetings to transcribe in real time, and its mobile app allows for on-the-go recording. It’s a favorite among students and small teams who prioritize quick and reliable notes over deep conversation analysis.
Conclusion: Fireflies vs Otter
In summary, Fireflies.ai is the better option for teams who require advanced meeting intelligence, extensive integrations with their CRM and project management tools, and support for multiple languages. Otter.ai is the superior choice for users who prioritize simplicity, real-time transcription, and a clean, user-friendly interface. While Fireflies is a powerhouse for enterprise teams, Otter is the ideal solution for individuals and smaller teams who need a fast, dependable notetaker.
FAQs
- Is Fireflies.ai or Otter.ai more accurate?
Both tools claim high accuracy, but Fireflies.ai is often praised for being more accurate with technical jargon and different accents. Otter.ai is known for its fast real-time transcription, though some users report it can struggle with complex conversations.
- Which one has a better free plan?
Fireflies.ai offers a more generous free plan with unlimited transcription and 800 minutes of storage per user. Otter.ai’s free plan is more limited, with 300 total transcription minutes and a cap on individual meeting length.
- Which AI notetaker is better for teams?
Fireflies.ai is better for teams that need to collaborate on and analyze meetings with advanced features like speaker talk time, sentiment analysis, and a wider range of integrations. Otter.ai is also good for teams, but its features are geared toward simpler collaboration.
- Can I use these apps on my phone?
Yes, both Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai have mobile apps for iOS and Android. Otter.ai’s app is especially strong for recording in-person conversations and syncing them instantly to your account.
- Which has more language support?
Fireflies.ai has a significant advantage in language support, offering transcription in over 100 languages. Otter.ai is primarily focused on English, Spanish, and French, making Fireflies a better choice for global teams.
- Do they both offer a summary of the meeting?
Yes, both tools provide AI-generated meeting summaries. Fireflies.ai offers more detailed and customizable summaries, while Otter.ai’s summaries are often faster and more basic.
- Can I upload audio files to transcribe?
Yes, both platforms allow you to upload existing audio or video files to be transcribed. This is a useful feature for transcribing interviews, webinars, or any other recorded conversations.
- Which tool is better for integrating with a CRM?
Fireflies.ai offers deep, native integrations with major CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, making it easy to log meeting notes and insights directly into customer records. Otter.ai has fewer native CRM integrations.
- Can I get real-time transcription?
Yes, both tools provide real-time transcription. Otter.ai is particularly well-known for its live transcription, which displays the text as people are speaking, allowing you to highlight key points as you go.
- Do they offer custom vocabulary?
Yes, both Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai allow you to add custom vocabulary, such as names, technical terms, and company jargon, to improve the accuracy of the transcription. Fireflies.ai allows you to bulk-upload these lists, which is great for teams.
