5 best Fireflies.ai alternatives in 2026

Why people are moving away from Fireflies.ai

Fireflies.ai helped popularize AI meeting notes. It joins your calls as a bot, records the conversation, and generates transcripts and summaries in the cloud. For many teams, it was the first taste of automated note-taking.

But as the space has matured, cracks have started to show. The most common complaints? A recording bot that announces itself to every participant. Audio and transcripts uploaded to third-party servers. Monthly subscriptions that add up fast. And a feature set so broad it can feel bloated for people who just want reliable notes.

If you've been searching for a Fireflies.ai alternative that better fits how you actually work, you're not alone. Here are five strong options worth considering in 2026.

The 5 best Fireflies.ai alternatives

1. aira

aira takes a fundamentally different approach to meeting notes. Instead of sending a bot to your calls and processing everything in the cloud, aira runs entirely on your iPhone. Recording, transcription, speaker identification, and summarization all happen on-device using local AI. Nothing leaves your phone unless you choose to share it.

This makes aira the strongest choice if privacy is a priority. There's no account to create, no cloud service to trust, and no bot joining your calls that makes other participants uncomfortable. You simply open the app and record. It works offline, in airplane mode, in a coffee shop with no signal. Your notes are yours.

Beyond meetings, aira is a full intelligent notes app. You can record lectures, voice memos, interviews, or casual conversations and get the same transcription and AI summaries. There are no per-seat charges or monthly subscriptions for the core features, which makes it refreshingly simple compared to most tools in this space.

Best for: Anyone who wants private, on-device meeting notes without bots, cloud uploads, or recurring fees.

Limitations: iOS only for now. No integrations with calendar or video conferencing platforms, since it works as a standalone recorder rather than a call participant.

2. Otter.ai

Otter.ai is one of the most established names in AI transcription. It offers real-time transcription during meetings, can join Zoom and Google Meet calls, and generates summaries with action items. The free tier is generous enough for light users, and the interface is polished.

Where Otter shines is in collaborative workflows. You can share transcripts with teammates, highlight key moments, and search across your entire meeting history. For teams that need a shared knowledge base of conversations, it's a solid pick.

The tradeoffs are similar to Fireflies, though. Your audio gets processed in the cloud, the bot-joining-calls dynamic still applies, and the pricing scales per user. Power users on the free plan will hit limits quickly, and the business tier gets expensive for larger teams.

Best for: Teams that want collaborative transcription with a shared searchable archive.

3. tl;dv

tl;dv has carved out a niche by focusing on making meeting recordings actually useful after the fact. It records your Google Meet and Zoom calls, generates timestamped transcripts, and lets you clip and share specific moments. The emphasis is on turning long meetings into short, shareable highlights.

The free plan is notably generous, offering unlimited recordings and transcripts on supported platforms. The interface is clean and opinionated, designed around the idea that most people don't want to re-watch an entire meeting. They want the two minutes that mattered.

On the downside, tl;dv only works with specific video conferencing tools, so if you're recording in-person meetings or phone calls, you'll need something else. Like most cloud-based tools, recordings are processed on their servers, which may not sit well with privacy-conscious users or regulated industries.

Best for: Remote teams on Zoom or Google Meet who want easy clip-and-share workflows.

4. Fathom

Fathom has built a loyal following by being fast, lightweight, and focused. It joins your Zoom calls, records them, and produces summaries that are genuinely well-structured. The AI does a good job of identifying action items and key decisions without you needing to configure anything.

One thing that sets Fathom apart from Fireflies is speed. Summaries are typically available within seconds of a meeting ending, and the app stays out of your way during the call itself. The free tier is also more generous than many competitors, making it a popular first stop for individuals exploring this space.

The main limitation is platform support. Fathom has historically been Zoom-first, and while it has expanded to other platforms, the experience is strongest on Zoom. It's also a cloud-based tool, so the same privacy considerations apply. If you're looking for something that works outside of video calls, Fathom won't cover those use cases.

Best for: Individual Zoom users who want fast, no-fuss meeting summaries.

5. Notta

Notta positions itself as an all-in-one transcription tool that works across meetings, interviews, and audio files. It supports real-time transcription in multiple languages, can join video calls via bot, and also lets you upload recordings for processing. The multilingual support is a genuine differentiator if your work crosses language barriers.

The interface is straightforward, and Notta offers both web and mobile apps. It handles longer recordings well and includes features like transcript editing and export options that make it practical for content creators, journalists, and researchers.

Like the other cloud tools on this list, Notta processes your audio on remote servers. The pricing can also get confusing, with different tiers unlocking different combinations of features. Some users report that transcription accuracy varies more across languages than they'd expect.

Best for: Multilingual teams or individuals who need transcription across multiple languages.

How to choose the right Fireflies alternative

With several good options available, the decision usually comes down to a few key questions.

• How important is privacy? If you're in a regulated industry, handle sensitive conversations, or simply don't want your audio on someone else's server, an on-device solution like aira is the only option that keeps everything local. Cloud-based tools require you to trust a third party with your recordings.
• Do you need a bot in your calls? Some people don't mind a recording bot joining their meetings. Others find it awkward or disruptive, especially in sensitive conversations with clients or candidates. Tools like aira avoid this entirely by recording locally on your device.
• What are you recording? If you only record Zoom meetings, a Zoom-optimized tool like Fathom works well. If you also record in-person meetings, lectures, or voice notes, you need something more flexible.
• What's your budget? Monthly per-seat subscriptions add up. If you're an individual or a small team, look at what you actually get on free tiers versus what's locked behind paywalls. Free core features save you money over time.
• Do you need collaboration features? If sharing transcripts and building a team knowledge base is important, cloud tools like Otter.ai and tl;dv are designed for that. If your notes are primarily for yourself, a simpler tool will feel less cluttered.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to Fireflies.ai?

Several alternatives offer free tiers. tl;dv provides unlimited recordings on its free plan, and Fathom has a generous free offering for Zoom users. aira takes a different approach entirely, with core features like recording, transcription, and summarization available for free.

Which Fireflies alternative is best for privacy?

aira is the clear choice for privacy. It's the only tool on this list that processes everything on-device. No audio or transcript data is sent to external servers, and it works fully offline. Every other alternative on this list uses cloud processing, meaning your conversations pass through third-party infrastructure. You can learn more about aira's approach on the privacy section of the homepage.

Can I use a Fireflies alternative for in-person meetings?

Most cloud-based alternatives like Fathom and tl;dv are designed for virtual meetings on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. For in-person recordings, you'll want a tool that works as a standalone recorder. aira and Notta both support recording in-person conversations, with aira doing all processing locally on your phone.

Do all Fireflies alternatives require a bot to join my calls?

No. Bot-based recording is common among cloud tools like Otter.ai, tl;dv, and Notta, but it's not the only approach. aira doesn't use a bot at all. It records audio directly on your device, so there's no third-party participant joining your calls and no notification that might make others uncomfortable.

The right tool depends on how you work

Fireflies.ai works fine for teams that are comfortable with cloud processing and bot-based recording. But if you've been frustrated by those tradeoffs, there's never been a better time to explore alternatives.

If privacy, simplicity, and true ownership of your notes matter most, give aira a try. It's a quieter, more personal way to capture what matters, with everything staying on your device where it belongs.