# I Tested 9 Fireflies Alternatives. Only 2 Keep Notes on Your Computer > I tested nine Fireflies alternatives. Granola wins overall; Voibe Work has no bot, names each speaker and saves notes on your computer. Prices checked Oct 26. - URL: https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fireflies-alternatives/ - Author: Ayush - Published: 2026-10-26 ## TL;DR: The Best Fireflies Alternatives Fireflies' free plan transcribes every meeting its bot can get into. The trouble starts after that. - **The bot gets blocked.** [Case Western Reserve University](https://case.edu/utech/about/utech-news/learn-about-upcoming-third-party-ai-note-taker-application-block) began blocking third-party AI note takers on Zoom, Teams and Google Meet on September 12, 2025. Its notice names Fireflies.ai first. - **The no-bot mode is anonymous.** It labels everyone "Speaker 1" and "Speaker 2". - **The AI runs on a meter.** Many features spend credits. I tested nine alternatives. **Granola** is the best for most people. **Voibe Work**, the meeting-notes plan of Voibe (the app we build), is the pick for confidential calls. ### Best for most people: Granola It's the most polished no-bot app I tested, on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Business costs $168 a year. The catch: notes sit in Granola's US cloud, and it trains on your data by default on Free and Business. ### Best for confidential calls: Voibe Work No bot joins, and each speaker is labelled with a time next to every line. The audio is deleted once processing completes. The transcript and summary are saved on your computer, never trained on. Voibe reminds you to tell everyone you're taking notes when recording starts; following recording-consent rules is up to you. ### The honest price note - **Fireflies Pro is cheaper.** Billed annually, Pro ($120) is **$29 (24.2%) cheaper** than Voibe Work ($149 a year). - **Month to month,** Voibe Work ($19) is $1 (5.6%) more than Pro ($18). - **Against the plans that lift Pro's limits,** Voibe Work is cheaper. It's $79 (34.6%) less than Business billed annually ($228). It's $199 (57.2%) less than Business paid monthly for a year ($348). And it's $319 (68.2%) less than Enterprise ($468). Fireflies' facts come from its own pages, checked October 26, 2026 ([how I tested and ranked the rest](#how-i-tested-and-ranked-these-fireflies-alternatives)). Every plan and credit tier is in our [Fireflies pricing guide](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fireflies-pricing/). Training, storage, BAA and the lawsuit are in [Is Fireflies safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-fireflies-safe/) ### The ranking 1. **Granola**: best overall. No bot, on every device. 2. **Voibe Work**: best for confidential calls. Speaker labels with no bot, notes on your computer. 3. **Otter**: closest like-for-like swap, $99.96 a year. 4. **Fathom**: best free plan, if a bot is welcome. 5. **Circleback**: closest on automations, with a Fireflies import. 6. **Read AI**: best for long meetings, training off by default. 7. **Quill Meetings**: best free option that keeps transcripts on your computer. 8. **Jamie**: best for EU data residency. 9. **Notta**: cheapest with both a bot and a bot-free app ($97.99 a year). ### Key takeaways | Alternative | Best for | Bot in the call | Where notes live | Per year vs Fireflies Pro ($120) and Business ($228) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Granola** | Best overall: polished no-bot notes on every platform | No | Granola's US cloud | $168 Business: $48 more than Pro, $60 (26.3%) less than Business | | **[Voibe Work](https://www.getvoibe.com/)** | Confidential calls on Mac and Windows | No | On your computer | $149: $29 (24.2%) more than Pro, $79 (34.6%) less than Business | | **Otter** | Like-for-like swap from a big brand | Bot, or desktop app with no bot | Otter's cloud | $99.96 Pro: $20.04 (16.7%) less than Fireflies Pro | | **Fathom** | Free plan with unlimited storage | Yes by default; bot-free beta on Mac only | Fathom's US cloud | $0 Free, or $192 Premium | | **Circleback** | Automations, API and MCP; Fireflies import | Your choice per meeting | Circleback's US cloud | $180 Pro: $48 (21.1%) less than Business | > **Key takeaway:** Granola is the best Fireflies alternative for most people: no bot, polished notes on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, $168 a year. For confidential calls, pick Voibe Work: no bot, speaker labels with a time on every line, audio deleted after processing and notes saved on your computer, for $149 a year. ## Why People Are Leaving Fireflies [Fireflies](https://fireflies.ai) is one of the biggest AI meeting note takers. Its bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams call, records it and writes a summary. A desktop app can now take notes without the bot. People like it. It scores [4.82/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6463164203) (5,365 ratings) and [4.6/5 on the Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/fireflies-ai-meeting-note/meimoidfecamngeoanhnpdjjdcefoldn) (207 ratings, 200,000 users). Both were checked October 26, 2026. So why leave? Fireflies' own pages give seven reasons. ### 1. AI features run on a credits meter Transcription is unlimited. Much of the AI isn't. Credits pay for AskFred on Live Assist, AI Skills, custom summary sections, Voice Agents, Sales Assist and the Slack Assistant. They also cover CRM autofill for HubSpot and Salesforce, and the Personal Assistant's Daily Digest and Meeting Prep. - **Allowance:** 20 AI credits on Free and Pro, 30 on Business, 50 on Enterprise. The Pro, Business and Enterprise guides call them "one-time" credits; the Free-plan guide says 20 a month. - **Defaults that spend them:** "Daily Digest and Meeting Prep are enabled by default and consume AI credits." - **Top-ups:** from $5 a month for 50 credits ($4 billed annually). "Unused purchased credits do not carry over." - **Auto top-up, two versions.** The credits guide says Fireflies "automatically subscribes you to the lowest AI credits tier ($5/month for 50 credits)" when plan credits run out. The Terms of Service (last updated September 28, 2026) say "Auto-Upgrade is off by default and requires your express affirmative consent to enable." Check Settings → Billing → AI Credits. ### 2. The free plan is smaller than it looks Fireflies Free lists "Limited AI summaries". The Free-plan guide spells it out: - **Summary credits:** 3 on a website sign-up, 5 through the Chrome extension, 10 as a new mobile user. - **Storage:** 400 minutes per seat in total, not per month. "If you hit the limit, delete older files to store new ones." - **Length:** meetings stop at 2 hours. - **Downloads:** "Downloading transcripts requires a paid plan." ### 3. Pro caps storage and meeting length Pro ($18 a month, or $10 billed annually) stores 8,000 minutes per seat. That's "the total minutes of meetings you can store—not per month", per the storage guide. Each recording still stops at 2 hours. Business ($29, or $19 billed annually) unlocks unlimited storage, 3-hour meetings, conversation intelligence and multi-language mode. Our [Fireflies pricing breakdown](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fireflies-pricing/) has every limit. ### 4. The bot gets turned away The bot has to be admitted like any other participant. More hosts say no: - **Case Western Reserve** blocks Fireflies, Read.ai and Fathom ([CWRU UTech](https://case.edu/utech/about/utech-news/learn-about-upcoming-third-party-ai-note-taker-application-block)). - **UC Riverside** said that from October 10, 2025, "Fireflies AI, Spinach AI, and Read AI will be blocked from joining meetings hosted by UCR-based Zoom accounts" ([UCR tech bulletin](https://lists.ucr.edu/pipermail/tech-bulletin/2025-October/000244.html)). - **Morgan State's** June 2026 ban names Fireflies too ([Morgan State IT](https://www.morgan.edu/information-technology/security/ai-meeting-note-taking-tools)). - **Google Meet** added a second join queue that denies entry by default, from March 24, 2026 ([Google Workspace Updates](https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2026/02/safeguarded-guest-admit-flow-in-google-meet.html)). - **Microsoft Teams** tags third-party bots in the lobby, and organisers admit them separately ([BleepingComputer](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-teams-will-tag-third-party-bots-in-meeting-lobbies/)). No admission, no notes. ### 5. The no-bot mode doesn't know who's talking Fireflies' own bot-vs-no-bot table says its "Take Notes" mode has no speaker labels ("Speaker 1 / Speaker 2"). It saves no audio or video either. More on that below. ### 6. Your meetings live in Fireflies' cloud The privacy policy (last updated September 28, 2026) is plain about location. Fireflies and its providers "process and store personal information on servers located in the United States and other countries". Account data stays "for as long as your account remains active". It's deleted within 30 days of closing the account. - **The licence:** the terms grant Fireflies a "perpetual and irrevocable" licence to your content, limited to providing the service. It may also "derive usage, statistical, and other data from your User Content" for internal business purposes. - **Sharing:** "depending on your settings," Fireflies may email a recap to "select recipients". Share settings allow "Non-participants can view transcripts—even without a Fireflies account." - **HIPAA:** a BAA is available only on Enterprise with Private Storage. ### 7. A biometric privacy lawsuit is open _Fricker v. Fireflies.AI Corp._ (N.D. Ill., 1:26-cv-02675) is a class action under Illinois' biometric privacy law (BIPA) over voiceprints. It was filed in March 2026 and consolidated with _Martinez_. The motion to dismiss was fully briefed on August 26, 2026. The [CourtListener docket](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72385478/fricker-v-firefliesai-corp/) showed no ruling as of October 26, 2026. These are allegations, not findings. An earlier BIPA suit, _Cruz v. Fireflies.AI_, was voluntarily dismissed in March 2026. Our [Fireflies safety review](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-fireflies-safe/) covers both. ### What Fireflies does well - **No training.** "We do not use personal information for AI model training and we contractually prohibit our vendors from using this information for their own model training." Granola, Otter and Fathom can't say that by default. - **Free dictation:** Fireflies Talk, unlimited on every plan including Free. - **Consent tooling** that's on by default in its no-bot mode (more below). - **Reach:** phone-call capture, CRM autofill, and "Unlimited integrations" on paid plans. If the bot is welcome and your calls aren't confidential, staying is reasonable. Just turn off the defaults that spend credits. ## Fireflies Without the Bot: What Take Notes Fixes and What It Doesn't Before you switch, know what Fireflies' own no-bot mode does. If the bot is your only complaint, it may be enough. ### What Take Notes fixes - **No bot.** The desktop app (Windows 10+ and macOS 12+) captures system audio from Zoom, Meet, Teams and most other apps. It handles in-person conversations and phone calls too. - **No recording.** "Recording without a Fireflies.ai Notetaker (bot) does not save audio or video files." - **Consent tooling, on by default.** A spoken notice about 10 seconds in, a meeting-chat message on Mac and an "AI Taking Notes" camera watermark. ### What it doesn't fix - **Speaker names.** The transcript reads "Speaker 1 / Speaker 2". Sales Assist doesn't work in this mode either. - **Where notes go.** The transcript and summary still land in Fireflies' cloud while your account is active. - **The meter and caps.** Credits, storage and the 2-hour limit on Free and Pro still apply. ### Where Voibe Work differs - **Speakers:** each one is labelled, with a time next to every line. Click a name to rename that speaker, and the summary updates. Names aren't pulled from your calendar. - **Storage:** no bot and no recording here either, but the transcript and summary are saved on your computer. - **Consent:** Fireflies' tooling is stronger. Voibe only reminds you to tell everyone when recording starts, and following recording-consent rules is up to you. ## Where Your Meetings Go: Fireflies vs the Alternatives Almost every tool here can record from your computer now. What separates them is what happens afterwards, per each vendor's own pages: ### Bot, storage and training, tool by tool | Tool | Bot in the call | Where notes are stored | Audio and retention | Trains on your meetings? | Attestations (vendor-stated) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Fireflies** (reference) | Bot, or Take Notes desktop mode with no bot | Fireflies cloud, US and other countries | Bot mode saves audio and video; Take Notes saves none. Kept while the account is active, deleted within 30 days of closing; custom retention on Enterprise | No, and vendors are contractually barred | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 42001, GDPR; HIPAA BAA on Enterprise with Private Storage | | **Voibe Work** | No, on Mac and Windows | On your computer, not on Voibe's servers | Audio deleted as soon as processing completes | Never | BAA available on request | | **Granola** | No | Granola cloud, US (AWS) | Audio deleted after transcription; notes kept indefinitely unless a retention policy is set | Yes by default on Free and Business, opt-out | SOC 2 Type II; HIPAA and BAA on Enterprise | | **Otter** | Bot, or desktop app with no bot | Otter cloud | Kept until deleted | Yes (de-identified audio and transcripts); no opt-out found | SOC 2 Type II; HIPAA on Enterprise | | **Fathom** | Yes by default; bot-free beta only on Mac | Fathom cloud, US | Recordings kept until you delete them; auto-delete is Enterprise-only | Yes by default (de-identified), opt-out | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR; BAA on Enterprise | | **Circleback** | Your choice per meeting | Circleback cloud, US | Recordings kept 30 days on Free, 1 year on Pro, 2 years on Business | No | SOC 2 Type II; HIPAA on Enterprise | | **Quill Meetings** | No | On your computer; optional end-to-end encrypted sync | Desktop audio stays on your computer | No | SOC 2 Type II (Quill states) | | **Jamie** | No | Jamie cloud, EEA, Switzerland and UK | Audio deleted after transcription | Never | ISO 27001; SOC 2 Type II pending | ### What the table tells you - **Fireflies is strong on training,** stricter than Granola, Otter or Fathom. - **Its weak spot is storage.** Every transcript sits in its cloud while you keep the account. - **Only Voibe Work and Quill are built to keep notes on your computer.** Voibe Work's meeting notes still need internet: open-source models on zero-retention cloud providers process the audio. Our [AI Privacy Tracker](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/ai-privacy-tracker/#meetings) scores meeting tools tier by tier. Our [zero data retention explainer](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/zero-data-retention/) covers what the term does and doesn't promise. Not sure you need a note taker at all? Our [dictation vs note taker vs transcription guide](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/dictation-vs-notetaker-vs-meeting-assistant-vs-transcription/) sorts it out. ## What to Look For in a Fireflies Alternative Answer these six before you compare prices. 1. **Bot or no bot?** With no bot, nobody admits anything and no host can refuse it. But only a bot can join meetings you aren't in. Otter, Circleback and Notta offer both. 2. **Does the no-bot mode know who spoke?** Fireflies: "Speaker 1 / Speaker 2". Voibe Work: each speaker, with a time on every line. Granola: display names on Meet, Zoom and Teams. 3. **Where do the notes live?** Most tools, Fireflies included, use their cloud. Voibe Work and Quill use your computer. For client, patient or deal calls, this matters most. 4. **Does it train on your meetings?** Fireflies doesn't, so don't trade down. Granola, Otter and Fathom train on de-identified or anonymised data. Voibe Work, Circleback, Jamie and Quill say they don't. Read AI is opt-in. 5. **What does a year really cost?** Compare against Fireflies Pro ($120: 8,000 minutes of storage, 2-hour meetings, 20 AI credits) or Business ($228). Watch for per-meeting caps, note limits and seat minimums. 6. **How long are your meetings?** Fireflies caps them at 2 hours on Free and Pro, 3 on Business, 4 on Enterprise. Voibe Work, Otter Business and Read AI Pro allow 4. Jamie Pro allows 5. ## How I Tested and Ranked These Fireflies Alternatives I tested all nine alternatives myself, and the verdicts come from those tests. I also read each vendor's pricing, security, privacy and help pages, and pulled store ratings, between October 13 and October 26, 2026. Fireflies is the exception. I haven't used it hands-on yet. Its facts come from its pricing page, help center, privacy policy and terms, checked October 26, 2026. ### What I judged, in order 1. **Capture:** no bot on Mac and Windows, or a bot when you want one. 2. **Day-to-day quality:** the notes, the app, speaker labels, devices and App Store reviews. 3. **The notes:** where they're stored, for how long, and whether they train AI by default. 4. **Cost:** a year against Fireflies Pro ($120) and Business ($228), caps included. ### Why Granola is first and Voibe Work second Granola is the best all-rounder on criteria 1, 2 and 4. It has no bot on four platforms and the top App Store rating here (4.96/5 from 14,449 ratings). It's $60 a year less than Fireflies Business. Voibe Work wins criterion 3 outright: notes on your computer, audio deleted, never trained on. It costs more than Fireflies Pro, so it isn't first. Need a bot for meetings you aren't in, CRM autofill or phone calls? Neither is your pick. The entries below say who is. ## Fireflies Alternatives Compared Fireflies sits in the first row for reference. Ratings are from the App Store unless noted, checked October 13 to 26, 2026. ### Side by side, with Fireflies as the baseline | App | Bot? | Platforms | Notes stored | Trains on your data? | Free plan | Rating | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Fireflies** (reference) | Bot, or Take Notes with no bot | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Fireflies cloud, US and other countries | No | Unlimited transcription; 400 min storage per seat; 3 summary credits on a website sign-up | [4.82/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6463164203) (5,365) | | **Granola** | No bot | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Granola cloud, US | Yes by default (Free, Business), opt-out | Yes, last 30 days visible | [4.96/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/granola-ai-meeting-notes/id6739429409) (14,449) | | **Voibe Work** | No bot | Mac, Windows | On your computer | Never | No (7-day trial, no card) | [4.8/5 Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/products/voibe/reviews) (Voibe app, 6) | | **Otter** | Bot, or no-bot desktop app | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Otter cloud | Yes, de-identified; no opt-out found | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | [4.79/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/otter-transcribe-voice-notes/id1276437113) (84,689) | | **Fathom** | Bot, or no-bot beta (Mac only) | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Fathom cloud, US | Yes by default, opt-out | Unlimited recordings; advanced summaries for 5 calls a month | [4.9/5 Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nhocmlminaplaendbabmoemehbpgdemn) (1.7K) | | **Circleback** | Bot or no-bot desktop app | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Circleback cloud, US | No | Yes, 30-day history | [4.81/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/circleback-ai-meeting-notes/id6738971048) (263) | | **Read AI** | Bot | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Read cloud, US and other countries | Opt-in, off by default | 5 meetings a month, 1-hour cap | [4.88/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/read-ai-transcripts-and-notes/id6575345796) (981) | | **Quill Meetings** | No bot | Mac (Apple Silicon), Windows, iOS, Android | On your computer | No | Yes, unlimited local transcription | [4.56/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quill-meetings-ai-notetaker/id6472243238) (9) | | **Jamie** | No bot | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Jamie cloud, EU | Never | 10 AI notes a month, 30-minute cap | [4.89/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ai-meeting-note-taker-jamie/id6747801435) (247) | | **Notta** | Bot, or no-bot desktop app | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Notta cloud (AWS) | Not stated | 120 minutes a month, 3 minutes per recording | [4.06/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notta-transcribe-voice-to-text/id1480649572) (1,447) | ### What only Voibe Work combines Of the two apps that keep notes on your computer, only Voibe Work runs on Intel Macs. It's also the only one with a dictation app. It has no free meeting-notes plan, though (Voibe Free covers dictation only). That's where Fireflies, Fathom, Granola, Quill and Circleback beat it. ## Fireflies Alternatives Pricing: What a Year Costs vs Fireflies Pro and Business Fireflies Free is $0. The paid plans, per its pricing page (checked October 26, 2026): - **Pro:** $18 a month, or $10 a month billed annually: **$120 a year**. 8,000 minutes of storage per seat, 20 AI credits, 2-hour meetings. - **Business:** $29, or $19 billed annually: **$228 a year** ($348 paid monthly). Unlimited storage, 30 AI credits, 3-hour meetings, conversation intelligence. - **Enterprise:** $39 a month, annual only: **$468 a year**. 50 AI credits, 4-hour meetings, HIPAA, SSO and SCIM, private storage. The toggle says "Save up to 44%". That's Pro: $216 a year paid monthly vs $120, a $96 (44.4%) saving. Business saves $120 (34.5%). ### What each alternative costs per year The cheapest plan for regular meeting notes, billed annually where offered: | Alternative | Plan | Per year | vs Fireflies Pro ($120) | vs Fireflies Business ($228) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Quill Meetings | Lite ($6.99/mo annual), 16 hours of AI meetings a month | $83.88 | Save $36.12 (30.1%) | Save $144.12 (63.2%) | | Krisp | Core ($8/mo annual) | $96 | Save $24 (20.0%) | Save $132 (57.9%) | | Notta | Pro ($8.17/mo annual, 1,800 min/mo) | $97.99 | Save $22.01 (18.3%) | Save $130.01 (57.0%) | | Otter | Pro ($8.33/mo annual, 1,200 min/mo, 90-min cap) | $99.96 | Save $20.04 (16.7%) | Save $128.04 (56.2%) | | **Voibe Work** | Annual, unlimited meetings up to 4 hours each | **$149** | **$29 more (24.2%)** | **Save $79 (34.6%)** | | Granola | Business ($14/mo, billed monthly only) | $168 | $48 more (40.0%) | Save $60 (26.3%) | | Circleback | Pro ($15/mo annual; $18 monthly) | $180 | $60 more (50.0%) | Save $48 (21.1%) | | Read AI | Pro ($15/mo annual; $19.75 monthly) | $180 | $60 more (50.0%) | Save $48 (21.1%) | | Fathom | Premium ($16/mo annual; $20 monthly) | $192 | $72 more (60.0%) | Save $36 (15.8%) | | Otter | Business ($19.99/mo annual) | $239.88 | $119.88 more (99.9%) | $11.88 more (5.2%) | | Jamie | Plus ($24/mo annual, 20 notes a month) | $288 | $168 more (140.0%) | $60 more (26.3%) | ### Where Voibe Work is not the cheapest - **Fireflies Pro** is $29 (24.2%) a year cheaper. - **Four alternatives undercut Pro:** Quill Lite ($83.88), Krisp Core ($96), Notta Pro ($97.99) and Otter Pro ($99.96). - **Otter Pro** is $49.04 (49.1%) a year less than Voibe Work. - **Free:** Fireflies Free, Fathom Free and Quill's free plan cost nothing. If you only need notes and don't mind the vendor's cloud, those are the better buys. ### What the extra $29 buys over Fireflies Pro - **No storage cap, longer meetings:** Pro stores 8,000 minutes in total and stops at 2 hours. Voibe Work allows unlimited meetings of up to 4 hours, saved on your computer. - **No credits meter:** the smallest annual top-up ($48) takes Pro to $168 a year. Voibe Work is $19 (11.3%) less than that. - **Speaker labels with no bot:** Fireflies' no-bot mode only gives Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. ### Monthly billing, teams and lifetime - **Monthly:** Voibe Work ($19) is $1 (5.6%) more than Fireflies Pro ($18) and $10 (34.5%) less than Business ($29). - **Team of 10, annual:** Voibe Work costs $1,490. Fireflies Pro costs $1,200, which is $290 (24.2%) less. Business costs $2,280, which is $790 (34.6%) more. - **Lifetime:** Voibe Work is also $399 once. Three years of Fireflies Pro on annual billing cost $360, so lifetime is $39 (10.8%) more. Over four years ($480), it's $81 (16.9%) less. Against three years of Business ($684), it saves $285 (41.7%). All at today's list prices. Comparing every meeting and dictation price? Our [pricing hub](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/dictation-app-pricing/) collects them. Our [Otter pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/otter-ai-pricing/) and [Fathom pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fathom-pricing/) guides go plan by plan. ## Fireflies Already Includes Free Dictation: What That Changes Against most note takers, I'd point out that Voibe Work includes dictation. Against Fireflies, that doesn't hold. Fireflies Talk is free, unlimited dictation on every plan, on desktop, iPhone and Android, in 90+ languages. On a Mac, you hold Fn to talk or double-tap Fn for hands-free. Fireflies says "Your dictations are stored on your device. Fireflies doesn't keep a copy." ### What changes when you leave Fireflies - **You may lose dictation.** Granola, Otter, Fathom, Circleback, Quill, Jamie and Notta don't include it. Granola Business plus Wispr Flow Pro ($144) costs $312 a year. Voibe Work covers both for $149, which is $163 (52.2%) less. - **Voibe Work keeps it.** Every seat includes the Voibe dictation app on Mac and Windows. You get push-to-talk (hold Fn), Hands-Free Mode and Live Dictation on Mac. Add a Dictionary for names and jargon, and Smart Formatting that doesn't rewrite what you said. ### How the two dictation apps differ - **Fireflies Talk:** its privacy policy says speech-to-text providers receive dictation audio. Formatting providers receive the text plus "Screen Context". - **Voibe:** dictation runs on-device on Apple Silicon Macs, with no internet and nothing leaving the Mac. Or it runs in Voibe's zero-retention cloud, where audio is deleted the moment transcription completes. On-device is a dictation claim only. Voibe Work's meeting notes are processed in the zero-retention cloud and need internet. Our [October update post](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/voibe-free-plan-meeting-notes-windows/) covers what's new, including Windows meeting notes and 4-hour meetings. ## 1. Granola: Best Overall Fireflies Alternative [Granola](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/granola-alternatives/) is the no-bot note taker everyone else gets measured against. It's my pick for most people leaving Fireflies. It captures your mic and system audio. You jot rough notes, and Granola fills them in afterwards. In my testing, it's the most polished app here. ### Why it's my top pick - **No bot, on every device:** Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. - **Speaker names with no bot:** display names on Meet, Zoom and Teams, "Me" and "Them" elsewhere. Fireflies' no-bot mode gives "Speaker 1 / Speaker 2". - **Top-rated:** [4.96/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/granola-ai-meeting-notes/id6739429409) from 14,449 ratings, the best here. - **No credits meter:** Business includes unlimited meeting notes and history. ### What it costs - **Basic:** free; only the last 30 days of notes are visible. - **Business:** $14 per user per month, billed monthly only ($168 a year). That's $48 (40.0%) more than Fireflies Pro annual. It's $60 (26.3%) less than Business annual and $180 (51.7%) less than Business paid monthly. - **Enterprise:** $35 per user per month, with training off by default. ### The catch Granola fixes the bot. On training, it's a step back from Fireflies: - **Training:** on Free and Business, "anonymised data may be used for Granola's own model improvements" unless each user opts out. - **Storage:** a "US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud", kept indefinitely unless a retention policy is set. - **No recording:** audio is deleted after transcription, so there's nothing to replay. - **A lawsuit:** _Chamberlain v. Granola_, filed July 30, 2026, alleges that capturing participants without notice is wiretapping. Nothing is proven; see our [Granola lawsuit explainer](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/granola-lawsuit/). ### Granola vs Voibe Work Voibe Work is $19 (11.3%) a year cheaper than Granola Business. It never trains, and it saves notes on your computer. Granola wins on mobile apps and a free plan. **Best for:** most people leaving Fireflies. You get polished no-bot notes on every device, if you're fine with cloud notes. See our [Granola pricing guide](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/granola-pricing/) and [Is Granola safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-granola-safe/) ## 2. Voibe Work: Best for Confidential Calls, With Speaker Labels and No Bot If your meetings are the kind you'd never forward, this is where the choice changes. [Voibe Work](https://www.getvoibe.com/) is Voibe's meeting-notes plan, and ours. I'd hand it to lawyers, financial advisors, clinicians, HR teams and anyone in deal talks. Fireflies already doesn't train on your meetings. The difference is where the meeting goes afterwards, and who's named in it. ### Where your meeting goes 1. **Capture:** from your Mac or Windows PC in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Slack huddles or any other meeting app. No bot joins. Voibe Work also records in-person meetings through your Mac or PC's mic. 2. **Processing:** open-source models on zero-retention cloud providers. No OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or Microsoft model is in the audio path. 3. **Audio:** deleted as soon as processing completes. 4. **Notes:** the transcript and summary are saved on your computer, not on Voibe's servers. 5. **Training:** never. Every provider is listed on Voibe's [cloud privacy page](https://www.getvoibe.com/cloud-ai-privacy/). Because processing happens in the cloud, meeting notes need an internet connection. The reasoning is in [our Voibe Work launch post](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/voibe-work-meeting-notes-no-bot/). Voibe reminds you to tell everyone you're taking notes when recording starts; following recording-consent rules is up to you. ### Fireflies vs Voibe Work, side by side | | Fireflies | Voibe Work | | --- | --- | --- | | Bot in the call | Bot, or Take Notes desktop mode with no bot | No, on Mac and Windows | | Speaker labels with no bot | "Speaker 1 / Speaker 2" | Each speaker labelled, with a time on every line; rename a speaker and the summary updates | | Recording | Bot mode keeps audio and video in Fireflies' cloud; Take Notes keeps none | Audio deleted the moment processing completes | | Transcript and summary | Fireflies' cloud, while the account is active | Saved on your computer | | Training | No; vendors contractually barred | Never | | AI features | Many run on AI credits (20 on Pro) | Summaries, templates and chat with no credits meter | | Meeting length | 2 hours on Free and Pro, 3 on Business, 4 on Enterprise | Up to 4 hours, unlimited meetings | | Consent tooling | Spoken notice, chat message (Mac), camera watermark, on by default | A reminder to tell everyone when recording starts | | Integrations and phone calls | CRM autofill, a long integrations list, phone-call capture | None listed | | Dictation | Fireflies Talk, free | Voibe's dictation app, included | | Platforms | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, Windows | | Price | Free; Pro $18/mo or $120/yr; Business $29/mo or $228/yr | $19/mo, $149/yr, or $399 lifetime | ### What else you get - AI summaries with templates for each kind of meeting, such as client intake or investment committee - Chat with your meetings ("what was agreed, who owns what") on the same zero-retention cloud; nothing you ask is stored - One-click copy and PDF export of transcripts and summaries - The full Voibe dictation app on Mac and Windows - BAA available on request, for the app and the API ### What it costs - **Voibe Work:** $19 per seat per month, $149 per year, or $399 once for lifetime access. - **Voibe Dictation only:** $9.90 per month, $99 per year, or $199 lifetime. Voibe Free is $0 with limited words on one device. - **Trial:** 7 days of every Voibe Work feature, no credit card, no automatic charge. Paid plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee. - **Teams:** up to 10 seats in one checkout. Enterprise (more than 10 seats) adds team admin, central billing and custom terms. ### Where it falls short - **It costs more than Fireflies Pro,** and Fireflies Free costs nothing. - **Weaker consent tooling.** Take Notes announces itself; Voibe Work only reminds you. - **Nothing joins on its own.** Voibe lists no calendar auto-join, so it can't cover a meeting you aren't in. - **No CRM autofill, integrations, phone app or recording.** If your sales team lives on Fireflies' CRM pushes, that's a reason to stay. - **Needs internet.** Meeting audio is processed in Voibe's zero-retention cloud, not on your computer. ### Best for Confidential calls on Mac or Windows. Going deeper? See our guides for [lawyers](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-ai-meeting-note-taker-for-lawyers/) and [financial advisors](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-ai-meeting-note-taker-for-financial-advisors/). [Start for free →](https://www.getvoibe.com/pricing) **7-day free trial of every Voibe Work feature.** No credit card, no automatic charge, and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy. One seat covers Mac and Windows. ## 3. Otter: The Closest Like-for-Like Fireflies Swap [Otter](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/otter-ai-alternatives/) works the way Fireflies does. A bot joins Zoom, Meet and Teams, with live transcripts and apps everywhere. A Mac and Windows desktop app records without the bot. It's cheaper than Fireflies Pro, and it caps minutes per month, not storage. ### What it costs - **Basic:** free, 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation. - **Pro:** $16.99/mo, or $8.33/mo billed annually ($99.96 a year), $20.04 (16.7%) less than Fireflies Pro annual. You get 1,200 minutes a month, 90 minutes per conversation and unlimited storage. - **Business:** $30/mo, or $19.99/mo billed annually ($239.88 a year), with 4-hour meetings. - **Students and teachers:** Otter's FAQ lists a 20% discount, bringing Pro annual to $79.99 with a .edu address. Prices from Otter's pricing page, checked October 26, 2026. Every plan is in our [Otter pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/otter-ai-pricing/) guide. ### The catch: privacy - **Training:** Otter trains "our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions", per its privacy policy. I found no opt-out. - **A lawsuit.** On August 13, 2026, the court in _In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation_ let the federal wiretap, California privacy and Illinois biometric (BIPA) claims proceed ([order](https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-dis-crt-n-d-cal/322025.html)). - **Blocked too:** Morgan State's ban names Otter as well as Fireflies. Our [Is Otter safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-otter-safe/) review covers the case. Otter is rated [4.79/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/otter-transcribe-voice-notes/id1276437113) from 84,689 ratings, the biggest sample here. ### Cheaper than Voibe Work. What the extra $49.04 buys - **No minute caps:** Otter Business lifts them for $239.88 a year; Voibe Work is $90.88 (37.9%) less. - **No training on your calls:** Voibe Work deletes audio once processing completes and saves notes on your computer. **Best for:** Fireflies' model (bot plus bot-free desktop app) from a big brand for less, when calls aren't confidential. ## 4. Fathom: Best Free Fireflies Alternative, If the Bot Is Welcome Did Fireflies Free's 400-minute storage limit or its handful of summary credits push you out? [Fathom](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fathom-alternatives/) is the fix. Fathom Free includes unlimited recordings, transcripts and storage, with no expiry. The cap is on the AI: "Advanced summaries for your first 5 calls each month (after that, only the General/Enhanced template will be available)." ### Paid plans - **Premium:** $20 a month, or $16 billed annually ($192 a year). That's $72 (60.0%) more than Fireflies Pro and $36 (15.8%) less than Business. - **Team:** $19, or $15 billed annually ($180 a year), 2-seat minimum. - **Business:** $34, or $25 billed annually ($300 a year), 2-seat minimum, with CRM field sync. ### The catches - **The bot is the default,** and Case Western's block names Fathom too. Bot-free capture is a beta that "is currently available on Mac only". - **Training is on by default.** Fathom trains in-house models on de-identified meeting data, with an opt-out in settings. - **Kept until you delete it.** Recordings stay in Fathom's US cloud; auto-delete is Enterprise-only. - **A new owner.** Since September 14, 2026, Fathom is part of Superhuman (formerly Grammarly). Fathom is rated [4.9/5 on the Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nhocmlminaplaendbabmoemehbpgdemn) (1.7K ratings, 600,000 users). See our [Fathom pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fathom-pricing/) guide and [Is Fathom safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-fathom-safe/) ### When Fathom Free beats Voibe Work If basic notes with a bot are all you need, Fathom Free saves you $149 a year. I'd take it. Voibe Work only wins if your calls are confidential or the bot keeps getting turned away. **Best for:** Fireflies Free users who hit the storage cap and are fine with a bot and a training opt-out. ## 5. Circleback: Closest on Automations, With a Fireflies Import Do you use Fireflies for what happens after the meeting: action items, CRM updates, searching old calls? [Circleback](https://circleback.ai) is the closest match. Switching is easy, too. Its settings import meetings from Fireflies, Fathom, Granola and Read AI. ### What it does - **Bot or no bot:** "A bot or the bot-free desktop app for online meetings" on every plan, Free included, on Mac and Windows. - **Automations:** notes go to Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Linear and webhooks. - **Developer access:** API, MCP and CLI on every plan. - **No training:** "We do not use customer data to train models". It lists SOC 2 Type II and hosts data in the US. ### What it costs - **Free:** 30-day meeting and recording history. - **Pro:** $18 per user per month, or $15 billed annually ($180 a year), with 1 year of recording storage. That's $60 (50.0%) more than Fireflies Pro and $48 (21.1%) less than Business. - **Business:** $29, or $25 billed annually ($300 a year), 2 years of recording storage and custom retention. - **Enterprise:** $35 per user per month, annual only, with HIPAA. ### The catches - The bot is the default. With joining preferences on, it tries the bot before the desktop app. - The desktop app records meeting video by default. - Notes live in Circleback's US cloud, and its terms say payments are non-refundable. Rated [4.81/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/circleback-ai-meeting-notes/id6738971048) (263). Voibe Work is $31 (17.2%) a year less than Circleback Pro and keeps notes on your computer. But it has no bot option and no integrations. **Best for:** teams that want Fireflies-style automations, a bot on some calls, and no training. Our [Circleback alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/circleback-alternatives/) guide goes deeper. ## 6. Read AI: Best for Long Meetings, With AI Training Off by Default Fireflies Pro stops each recording at 2 hours. Read AI Pro allows 4-hour meetings, and Enterprise+ allows 8 (plan by plan in our [Read AI pricing breakdown](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/read-ai-pricing/)). Its privacy center says "AI training is opt-in", so model improvement is off by default. Why its bot keeps turning up anyway is in our [Is Read AI safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-read-ai-safe/) review. Apps cover Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. - **Free:** 5 meeting transcripts a month, 1-hour cap. - **Pro:** $15 per user per month billed annually ($180 a year), or $19.75 monthly. That's $60 (50.0%) more than Fireflies Pro annual and $48 (21.1%) less than Business. - **Enterprise:** $22.50 annual or $29.75 monthly. **Enterprise+** (5+ licences): $29.75 annual or $39.75 monthly. **The catch:** it's a bot product. Read "announces itself at the start of every meeting and requires host approval before joining". I couldn't re-confirm a no-bot desktop mode on its pricing page in October. Case Western, UC Riverside and Morgan State all block Read AI, just like Fireflies. Its privacy policy even uses Fireflies' wording: servers "located in the United States and other countries". Rated [4.88/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/read-ai-transcripts-and-notes/id6575345796) (981). Voibe Work is $31 (17.2%) a year less than Read AI Pro. It has no bot and keeps notes on your computer. **Best for:** long meetings, with a bot, Android support and opt-in training. ## 7. Quill Meetings: Best Free Fireflies Alternative That Keeps Transcripts on Your Computer [Quill Meetings](https://www.quillmeetings.com) records and transcribes on your computer with no bot. In one way it goes further than Voibe Work: desktop meeting audio never leaves your machine. The free plan has unlimited local recordings and transcripts, against Fireflies Free's 400 minutes of storage. It identifies speakers locally, learns your contacts' voices, and says it doesn't train on meeting data. - **Free:** unlimited local recordings and transcripts. - **Lite:** $7.99/mo, or $6.99/mo billed annually ($83.88 a year), 16 hours of AI meetings a month. That's $36.12 (30.1%) less than Fireflies Pro annual. - **Unlimited:** $19.99/mo, or $16.99/mo billed annually ($203.88 a year). - **Teams:** $12 per seat billed annually, 5-seat minimum. **The catches.** AI notes go to a cloud model by default (text only), unless you bring your own key or a local model. The Mac app needs Apple Silicon. I found no refund policy, and its [4.56/5 App Store rating](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quill-meetings-ai-notetaker/id6472243238) comes from only 9 ratings. **Cheaper than Voibe Work. What the extra $65.12 buys:** - **No 16-hour cap:** Quill Unlimited is $203.88 a year; Voibe Work is $54.88 (26.9%) less. - **Any Mac:** one Voibe Work seat covers Intel and Apple Silicon Macs and Windows. - **Dictation:** Quill has none, so you'd lose what Fireflies Talk gave you. **Best for:** free transcripts that never leave your Mac or PC. Our [Quill Meetings alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/quill-meetings-alternatives/) guide covers its limits. ## 8. Jamie: Best Fireflies Alternative for EU Data Residency Fireflies stores data in the United States and other countries. [Jamie](https://www.meetjamie.ai/) keeps it in Europe. Its security page says it's "Hosted in Europe" and "Meeting audio is deleted after transcription". Meeting data "is never used to train AI models, not by Jamie and not by any of our model providers." No bot joins. It captures on Mac and Windows, with an iPhone app. - **Free:** 10 AI notes a month, 30-minute meetings. - **Plus:** $24/mo billed annually ($288 a year), 20 notes a month, 2-hour meetings. That's $168 more than Fireflies Pro and $60 (26.3%) more than Business. - **Pro:** $46/mo billed annually, unlimited notes, 5-hour meetings. - **Team:** $37, per Jamie's plan comparison. **The catch:** it's the priciest option here, notes still live in Jamie's cloud, and there's no Android app. It lists ISO 27001, with SOC 2 Type II pending. Rated [4.89/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ai-meeting-note-taker-jamie/id6747801435) (247). **Best for:** European teams who need data to stay in the EU. ## 9. Notta: Cheapest Plan With Both a Bot and a Bot-Free Desktop App [Notta](https://www.notta.ai/) keeps Fireflies' shape for less. It has a bot, a desktop app that can "Record bot-free on Mac & Windows", file uploads, and apps for web, iPhone and Android. - **Free:** 120 minutes a month, 3 minutes per conversation. - **Pro:** $8.17/mo billed annually ($97.99 a year), 1,800 minutes a month, up to 5 hours per recording. That's $22.01 (18.3%) less than Fireflies Pro. - **Business:** $16.67/mo billed annually ($199.99 a year), unlimited transcription. **The catch:** the free plan is far smaller than Fireflies Free. Notes live in Notta's cloud (AWS), and its security page doesn't say whether customer data trains its models. Its App Store rating is the lowest here: [4.06/5](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notta-transcribe-voice-to-text/id1480649572) from 1,447 ratings. **Cheaper than Voibe Work. What the extra $51.01 buys:** - **No minute cap:** Notta Business is $199.99 a year; Voibe Work is $50.99 (25.5%) less. - **Notes on your computer, never trained on.** **Best for:** Fireflies Pro users who want the same bot-plus-desktop setup and longer recordings for less. ## Other Fireflies Alternatives We Looked At Seven more came close. The short version of each: ### Bot-free note takers - **[Krisp](https://krisp.ai/)**: noise cancellation plus a bot-free note taker. Core is $16 a month, or $8 billed annually ($96 a year, $24 (20.0%) less than Fireflies Pro). No free plan, only a 7-day trial. It says meeting data never trains its models; on-device transcription is an Enterprise feature. Rated [4.75/5 on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/krisp-ai-meeting-note-taker/id6740535865) (267). - **Bluedot**: bot-free by default, optional bot. Basic is $14 a month billed annually ($168 a year), audio only, 1-hour cap. The free plan covers 5 meetings in total. See our [Bluedot alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/bluedot-alternatives/). - **Wispr Flow Notetaker**: bot-free notes inside the Wispr Flow dictation app, on Mac and Windows. Notes sit in Wispr's US cloud, and training is on by default on Free and Pro. Unlimited use is $26 a month billed annually ($312 a year). See [Wispr Flow Notetaker vs Voibe Work](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/wispr-flow-notetaker-vs-voibe-work/). - **[tl;dv](https://tldv.io)**: bot-free desktop recording (audio only), and it promises never to train AI on your recordings. Prices render only in the browser, so I couldn't confirm them; check tldv.io. Rated [4.6/5 on the Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/lknmjhcajhfbbglglccadlfdjbaiifig) (597). ### Bot-first and CRM-heavy - **[Fellow](https://fellow.ai)**: bot or botless recording, and it never trains. Salesforce and HubSpot sync come on Business ($15 per user per month billed annually, $180 a year). Team ($7 billed annually) caps AI notes at 10 a month. The pick for sales teams that want Fireflies-style CRM pushes. - **Laxis**: Premium is $119.88 a year, about Fireflies Pro's price. But it caps you at 2,000 minutes a month and 2 hours per recording. See our [Laxis alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/laxis-alternatives/). ### Open-source options - **[Anarlog](https://anarlog.so/)** (formerly Hyprnote) and **[Meetily](https://meetily.ai)** transcribe on your computer. Anarlog Pro is $140 a year; Meetily Pro is $120 a year per device. More no-bot options: our [best no-bot meeting note takers](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-no-bot-meeting-note-takers/). Every roundup is on our [alternatives hub](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/alternatives/). ## No Bot Doesn't Mean No Consent Fireflies deserves real credit here. Its Take Notes mode warns people better than most no-bot tools, Voibe Work included. It: - Plays an audio consent message about 10 seconds after recording starts - Posts a meeting-chat message on Mac - Can show a "Fireflies Watermark" camera reading "AI Taking Notes" - Shows a consent prompt the first time you use it Fireflies says "The consent options are enabled by default." ### What the others do Circleback's bot posts a chat notice that can't be turned off. Quill reminds you when you start. Otherwise a no-bot note taker is invisible, so telling people is your job. Voibe reminds you to tell everyone you're taking notes when recording starts; following recording-consent rules is up to you. ### What the law asks About a dozen US states generally require everyone in a private conversation to agree to a recording. They include California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington. [Justia keeps a 50-state survey](https://www.justia.com/50-state-surveys/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations/). ### A line you can use _"I'm using an AI note taker so I can focus. It doesn't join as a bot. Is everyone okay with that?"_ Five seconds. If anyone says no, turn it off. This is general information, not legal advice. For ethics rules, see our guide for [lawyers choosing a meeting note taker](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-ai-meeting-note-taker-for-lawyers/). > **Warning:** No app can get consent for you. Tell everyone on the call, every time, and check the rules where each participant is located. ## Switching From Fireflies: What to Do Before You Cancel Seven steps, in order. The first four protect your data and your card. ### Before you cancel 1. **Stop the bot.** Turn off auto-join so it doesn't keep showing up while you test alternatives. 2. **Download while you're still paying.** "Downloading transcripts requires a paid plan," so export before you drop to Free. Circleback can also import Fireflies meetings directly. 3. **Stop the credit charges.** Turn off Auto upgrade in Settings → Billing → AI Credits. Switch off Daily Digest and Meeting Prep, which spend credits by default. 4. **Delete what you don't need.** Notes stay in Fireflies' cloud while the account is active. After you close it, personal information is deleted within 30 days. ### When you cancel 1. **Time it right.** Cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends; cancellation takes effect at the end of the period. Full refunds need you to be within 7 days and at most 3 meetings (monthly) or 20 meetings (annual). There are no pro-rated refunds on annual plans, and AI credits are non-refundable. ### After you switch 1. **Run both for a week.** Voibe Work's 7-day trial needs no credit card and doesn't charge automatically. 2. **Tell people in your next calls.** Without Fireflies' spoken notice or a bot tile, nobody knows unless you say so. ## How to Choose the Right Fireflies Alternative Four questions, in order. Stop at your first yes. ### 1. Are your calls confidential? - **Client, patient, HR or deal calls** → Voibe Work. No bot, speaker labels with times, audio deleted after processing, notes saved on your computer, never trained on. - **No** → question 2. ### 2. Do you need it free? - **Yes, and a bot is fine** → Fathom Free (unlimited recordings and storage), or stay on Fireflies Free if 400 minutes of storage is enough. - **Yes, and transcripts must stay on your computer** → Quill Meetings. - **No** → question 3. ### 3. Do you still want a bot on some calls? - **Yes, at the lowest price** → Otter Pro ($99.96 a year) or Notta Pro ($97.99 a year). - **Yes, with automations and no training** → Circleback. - **Yes, with CRM autofill and phone calls** → stay on Fireflies Business, or look at Fellow. - **No** → question 4. ### 4. Must your data stay in the EU? - **Yes** → Jamie. - **No** → Granola, the best overall no-bot app, on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. ## Best Fireflies Alternative for Your Situation Already know your situation? Find your row. ### Privacy, platform and where your data lives | Situation | Best choice | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Best all-round no-bot notes, on every device | **Granola** | Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android; 4.96/5 on the App Store; $168 a year | | Confidential client calls | **Voibe Work** | No bot, audio deleted, notes saved on your computer, never trains | | Lawyers, financial advisors, clinicians and HR | **Voibe Work** | Notes stay off vendor servers; BAA available on request | | You want speaker labels without a bot | **Voibe Work or Granola** | Fireflies' no-bot mode only gives Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 | | Free, and transcripts never leave your computer | **Quill Meetings** | Free local transcription on your Mac or PC | | Your data must stay in the EU | **Jamie** | European hosting; never trains | ### Budget, bots and team needs | Situation | Best choice | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Fireflies Free ran out of storage | **Fathom Free** | Unlimited recordings, transcripts and storage | | Same bot-plus-desktop setup, for less | **Otter or Notta** | $99.96 or $97.99 a year vs Fireflies Pro's $120 | | Automations, API and MCP, plus a Fireflies import | **Circleback** | Bot or desktop app on every plan, no training | | Meetings longer than 2 hours | **Voibe Work or Read AI** | Up to 4 hours each, vs 2 on Fireflies Pro | | Sales team that needs CRM sync | **Fireflies Business or Fellow** | Fireflies autofills HubSpot and Salesforce; Fellow syncs both and never trains | | Noisy calls from cafés or home | **Krisp** | Noise cancellation plus notes, $96 a year | ## Frequently Asked Questions About Fireflies Alternatives ### Basics **What is the best Fireflies alternative?** Granola, for most people. It has no bot on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and the top App Store rating I found (4.96/5). Business costs $168 a year, $60 less than Fireflies Business annual. It trains by default on Free and Business, though. For confidential calls, pick Voibe Work ($149 a year). It has no bot, labels speakers, deletes the audio and saves notes on your computer. **Is there a Fireflies alternative without a bot?** Yes: - Granola, Voibe Work, Quill Meetings and Jamie record from your computer with no bot. - Otter, Circleback and Notta have desktop apps that skip their bots. - Fireflies' own Take Notes mode has no bot, but labels speakers only as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. Whichever you pick, tell everyone you're taking notes. Voibe Work reminds you when recording starts. **What is the closest alternative to Fireflies?** Otter: a bot plus a Mac and Windows desktop app that skips it. Pro is $99.96 a year, $20.04 less than Fireflies Pro. Circleback is closest on automations, with API and MCP access, no training and a Fireflies import. ### Privacy, ownership and consent **What is the most private Fireflies alternative?** Voibe Work: - No bot joins, on Mac or Windows. - Open-source models on zero-retention cloud providers process the audio, then delete it. - The transcript and summary are saved on your computer and never trained on. - A BAA is available on request. Meeting notes need internet. If it must be free, Quill Meetings transcribes on your computer. **Does Fireflies train AI on my meetings?** No, per its privacy policy (last updated September 28, 2026). It contractually bars its vendors from training, and its terms say it won't train generative AI on your content. The terms do let it derive usage and statistical data for internal purposes. Granola, Otter and Fathom train on de-identified or anonymised data by default. **Do I still need consent if the note taker has no bot?** Yes. Nobody can see a no-bot note taker, so you have to tell them. About a dozen US states generally require everyone's consent to record a private conversation. Voibe Work reminds you to tell everyone when recording starts; following the consent rules is your responsibility. ### Pricing **Is Voibe Work cheaper than Fireflies?** Not than Pro. Fireflies Pro ($120 a year) is $29 (24.2%) cheaper than Voibe Work ($149). Month to month, Pro ($18) is $1 cheaper than Voibe Work ($19). Voibe Work beats the plans that lift Pro's limits: - $79 (34.6%) less than Business annual ($228) - $199 (57.2%) less than Business paid monthly for a year ($348) - $319 (68.2%) less than Enterprise ($468) **Is there a free Fireflies alternative?** Yes: - Fathom Free: unlimited recordings, transcripts and storage, with advanced summaries for 5 calls a month. - Quill Meetings: free local transcription on your computer. - Granola Basic shows 30 days of notes, Circleback Free keeps 30 days of history, and Otter Basic gives 300 minutes a month. Voibe Work has no free meeting-notes plan, only a 7-day trial with no credit card. Afterwards, Voibe Free keeps dictation at $0. **What happens when Fireflies AI credits run out?** Fireflies' documents disagree. The credits guide says it auto-subscribes you to $5 a month for 50 credits. The Terms of Service (September 28, 2026) say Auto-Upgrade is off by default and needs your consent. Check Settings → Billing → AI Credits. Free users hit a paywall, and transcription never costs credits. ### Switching **Can I take my Fireflies transcripts with me?** Yes, but download them while you're still paying, because Free can't download transcripts. Circleback can import Fireflies meetings directly. After you close the account, personal information is deleted within 30 days, per the privacy policy. ## Final Verdict: The Best Fireflies Alternative - **Best overall:** Granola ($168 a year). The most polished no-bot app, on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, if you're fine with cloud notes and training by default. - **Best for confidential work:** Voibe Work ($149 a year or $399 lifetime). No bot, speaker labels with a time on every line, audio deleted, notes saved on your computer, never trained on. BAA available on request. - **Closest like-for-like swap:** Otter ($99.96 a year), a bot plus a bot-free desktop app for less than Fireflies Pro. - **Best free:** Fathom Free if a bot is welcome, or Quill for free local transcription. Fireflies gets a lot right: no training, free dictation and the best consent tooling of any no-bot mode. If Pro's caps fit your meetings, it's the cheaper choice. If your calls are confidential, Voibe Work fixes what Fireflies doesn't. That's the cloud archive, the anonymous "Speaker 1" and the credits meter. Voibe reminds you to tell everyone you're taking notes when recording starts; following recording-consent rules is up to you. [Try Voibe Work free for 7 days →](https://www.getvoibe.com/pricing) Every feature, no credit card, no automatic charge. **Related reading:** - [Fireflies pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fireflies-pricing/): every plan, AI credits and the storage caps - [Is Fireflies safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-fireflies-safe/): training, storage, BAA and the BIPA lawsuit - [Otter AI alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/otter-ai-alternatives/) and [Fathom alternatives](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fathom-alternatives/) - [Best no-bot meeting note takers](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-no-bot-meeting-note-takers/) and our [privacy guides](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/privacy/) - [All alternatives roundups](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/alternatives/) > **Key takeaway:** Granola is the best Fireflies alternative for most people: no bot on every device for $168 a year. For confidential work, Voibe Work wins: no bot, speaker labels without one, notes saved on your computer, never trained on, for $149 a year, $79 less than Fireflies Business. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best Fireflies alternative? Granola, for most people. It has no bot on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and the top App Store rating I found (4.96/5). Business costs $168 a year, $60 less than Fireflies Business annual. It trains by default on Free and Business, though. For confidential calls, pick Voibe Work ($149 a year). It has no bot, labels speakers, deletes the audio and saves notes on your computer. ### Is there a Fireflies alternative without a bot? Yes. Granola, Voibe Work, Quill Meetings and Jamie record from your computer with no bot. Otter, Circleback and Notta have desktop apps that skip their bots. Fireflies' own Take Notes mode has no bot, but labels speakers only as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. Whichever you pick, tell everyone you're taking notes. Voibe Work reminds you when recording starts. ### What is the closest alternative to Fireflies? Otter: a bot plus a Mac and Windows desktop app that skips it. Pro is $99.96 a year, $20.04 less than Fireflies Pro. Circleback is closest on automations, with API and MCP access, no training and a Fireflies import. ### What is the most private Fireflies alternative? Voibe Work. No bot joins, on Mac or Windows. Open-source models on zero-retention cloud providers process the audio, then delete it. The transcript and summary are saved on your computer and never trained on, and a BAA is available on request. Meeting notes need internet. If it must be free, Quill Meetings transcribes on your computer. ### Does Fireflies train AI on my meetings? No, per its privacy policy (last updated September 28, 2026). It contractually bars its vendors from training, and its terms say it won't train generative AI on your content. The terms do let it derive usage and statistical data for internal purposes. Granola, Otter and Fathom train on de-identified or anonymised data by default. ### Do I still need consent if the note taker has no bot? Yes. Nobody can see a no-bot note taker, so you have to tell them. About a dozen US states generally require everyone's consent to record a private conversation. Voibe Work reminds you to tell everyone when recording starts; following the consent rules is your responsibility. ### Is Voibe Work cheaper than Fireflies? Not than Pro. Fireflies Pro ($120 a year) is $29 (24.2%) cheaper than Voibe Work ($149). Month to month, Pro ($18) is $1 cheaper than Voibe Work ($19). Voibe Work beats the plans that lift Pro's limits: it's $79 (34.6%) less than Business annual ($228), $199 (57.2%) less than Business paid monthly for a year ($348), and $319 (68.2%) less than Enterprise ($468). ### Is there a free Fireflies alternative? Yes. Fathom Free has unlimited recordings, transcripts and storage, with advanced summaries for 5 calls a month. Quill Meetings offers free local transcription on your computer. Granola Basic shows 30 days of notes, Circleback Free keeps 30 days of history, and Otter Basic gives 300 minutes a month. Voibe Work has no free meeting-notes plan, only a 7-day trial with no credit card. Afterwards, Voibe Free keeps dictation at $0. ### What happens when Fireflies AI credits run out? Fireflies' documents disagree. The credits guide says it auto-subscribes you to $5 a month for 50 credits. The Terms of Service (September 28, 2026) say Auto-Upgrade is off by default and needs your consent. Check Settings → Billing → AI Credits. Free users hit a paywall, and transcription never costs credits. ### Can I take my Fireflies transcripts with me? Yes, but download them while you're still paying, because Free can't download transcripts. Circleback can import Fireflies meetings directly. After you close the account, personal information is deleted within 30 days, per the privacy policy. ## Related - [Fireflies Pricing](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/fireflies-pricing/): Every plan, AI credits, storage caps and refunds. - [Is Fireflies Safe?](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/is-fireflies-safe/): Training, storage, BAA and the BIPA lawsuit. - [Best No-Bot Meeting Note Takers](https://www.getvoibe.com/resources/best-no-bot-meeting-note-takers/): Every bot-free notetaker, ranked on where notes go.