Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom 2026: Best Note Taker?
Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom 2026: compare free plans, real per-seat pricing, integrations, HIPAA and privacy, so you can pick the right AI note taker.
Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom: which is best?
Fathom is the best pick for most people because its free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcripts, and it's HIPAA-ready for every user. Fireflies is best for teams that want the deepest integrations, searchable call libraries and support for 100+ languages. Otter is the cheapest paid option at $8.33 a month billed annually and works well for live transcription, but its free plan caps you at 300 minutes a month and it faces an active privacy lawsuit. Pick Fathom to start free, Fireflies for team workflows, and Otter for budget live captions.
At CompareBestAI, we compared free plan limits, real per-seat pricing, integrations and privacy for solo users, sales teams and regulated industries.
What is an AI meeting note taker?
An AI meeting note taker is a tool that joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams calls, records the conversation, turns it into a searchable transcript, and writes a summary with action items. Fireflies, Otter and Fathom are three of the most popular in the US.
Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom at a glance
| Fireflies | Otter | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams, sales, multilingual calls | Live transcription on a budget | Free use, solo users, sales teams |
| Free plan | Unlimited transcription, 400 min storage, 20 AI credits | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation | Unlimited recordings and transcripts, 5 advanced AI summaries/month |
| Cheapest paid (annual) | Pro $10/seat/mo | Pro $8.33/user/mo | Team $15/user/mo (2-seat minimum) |
| Monthly billing | Pro $18 | Pro $16.99 | Premium $20 |
| Languages | 100+ | English, Spanish, French | 25+ |
| HIPAA | Requested healthcare tier with BAA | Enterprise plan with BAA | BAA for all users |
| CRM sync | Salesforce, HubSpot on Business | Limited | Basic sync free; full field sync on Business |
Prices verified against current 2026 sources (Fireflies checked August 2026, Otter August 2026, Fathom June 2026). Add a "Verified [date]" line here and recheck each vendor's pricing page before publishing.
Fireflies vs Otter free plan: what you actually get
Fathom has the most generous free plan: unlimited recordings, storage and transcription. Advanced AI summaries are limited to your first 5 calls a month.
Fireflies gives unlimited free transcription, but storage is capped at 400 minutes and AI features run on 20 credits.
Otter is the tightest: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, and 3 file imports in total.
Is Fireflies AI completely free?
No. Fireflies has a free plan with unlimited transcription, but storage is limited to 400 minutes and AI features run on 20 credits. Integrations, video recording and unlimited storage need a paid plan, starting at $10 a seat per month billed annually.
For more tools with usable free tiers, see our list of AI tools with free plans.
Fireflies vs Otter pricing: real cost per seat
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies Pro | $18 | $10 | Unlimited integrations, video recording |
| Fireflies Business | $29 | $19 | Team features, CRM sync |
| Fireflies Enterprise | Annual only | $39 | Adds HIPAA option and admin controls |
| Otter Pro | $16.99 | $8.33 | 1,200 min/month, 90 min per conversation |
| Otter Business | $30 | $19.99 | Unlimited meeting recording, 4 hours per conversation |
| Fathom Premium | $20 | $16 | Unlimited AI summaries, solo user |
| Fathom Team | $19 | $15 | 2-seat minimum, SSO, shared folders |
| Fathom Business | $34 | $25 | Full Salesforce and HubSpot field sync |
What a 5-person team pays per month (annual billing):
- Fathom Team: 5 × $15 = $75
- Fireflies Business: 5 × $19 = $95
- Otter Business: 5 × $19.99 = $99.95
Which is cheaper, Fireflies or Otter?
Otter is cheaper for one person ($8.33 vs $10 a month, annual). For teams, Fireflies Business ($19/seat) edges out Otter Business ($19.99). Fathom Team is cheapest at $15/seat.
Annual plans save roughly 40% to 50% but are paid upfront. Our guide to the hidden costs of AI tools explains how seats and credits quietly raise the bill.
Fireflies vs Otter transcription, accuracy and integrations
Transcription and accuracy
All three handle clear audio well. Differences show up with accents, crosstalk and noisy rooms.
- Fireflies supports 100+ languages, the widest range of the three, which matters for international teams.
- Otter is strongest at live transcription, showing captions in real time during the meeting. It supports English, Spanish and French.
- Fathom supports 25+ languages and is known for clean, well-structured summaries.
Integrations
- Fireflies has the deepest integration list, including Salesforce, HubSpot, project tools and dialers, plus a searchable team call library.
- Otter focuses on Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, with fewer CRM connections.
- Fathom offers basic CRM sync free for up to 3 users per company domain, and full field sync on Business.
Privacy, HIPAA and the Otter lawsuit
The Otter lawsuit. Otter faces a federal class action, In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation, in the Northern District of California, claiming it recorded conversations without every participant's consent and used them to train its AI. NPR's report on the class action covers the original allegations. In 2026, the court allowed key privacy claims to move forward. These are allegations, not findings, and the case is ongoing.
HIPAA. Healthcare teams need a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) before recording patient conversations. The HHS guidance on business associate contracts explains what that contract must cover.
- Fathom: offers a BAA for all users and holds SOC 2 Type II.
- Otter: announced HIPAA compliance in July 2025 and signs a BAA on its Enterprise plan only.
- Fireflies: offers a HIPAA option through a healthcare tier you request separately, and holds SOC 2 Type II.
Recording consent. About a dozen US states, including California, require every participant to agree before a call is recorded. Whichever tool you use, announce the note taker at the start of each meeting.
Pros and cons
| Tool | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Fireflies | 100+ languages, deepest integrations, team call library | Small free storage and AI credits, HIPAA by request |
| Otter | Cheapest solo plan, strong live captions | Tight free plan, 3 languages, active lawsuit |
| Fathom | Unlimited free recordings, BAA for all users, free CRM sync | 5 advanced summaries free, Team needs 2 seats |
Fireflies vs Otter vs Fathom alternatives
- Granola: records from your device with no bot joining the call.
- Read AI: adds meeting analytics like talk time.
- tl;dv: great for clipping meeting moments. See our tl;dv AI review.
- Avoma and Supernormal: sales and team options. Compare Avoma and Supernormal.
Browse more options in our productivity and collaboration tools category or explore our recommendations to boost productivity with these 8 game-changing AI tools.
FAQ
Which is better, Fireflies or Otter?
Fireflies is better for teams needing integrations and many languages. Otter is better for solo users wanting cheap live transcription. For most people starting free, Fathom beats both.
How much does Otter.ai cost per month?
Otter Pro costs $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed annually. Otter Business costs $30 a month, or $19.99 billed annually.
Is Fireflies AI HIPAA compliant? Fireflies offers a HIPAA option through a healthcare tier you must request, with a BAA. Its standard plans are not HIPAA-covered.
What are the allegations in the Otter AI lawsuit?
The class action claims Otter recorded meeting participants without everyone's consent and used the recordings to train its AI. The court let key claims proceed in 2026, and the case is ongoing.
Can ChatGPT take meeting minutes?
ChatGPT can summarize a transcript you paste in, but it doesn't join calls or record them. A dedicated note taker like Fathom, Fireflies or Otter handles recording, transcription and summaries automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Fathom has the best free plan and offers a BAA to all users.
- Fireflies leads on integrations and languages (100+), ideal for teams and sales.
- Otter is cheapest for solo users ($8.33/mo annual) but has the tightest free plan.
- 5-person team (annual): Fathom $75, Fireflies $95, Otter about $100 per month.
- Otter faces an active privacy class action, so review consent settings carefully.
- Always announce the note taker, since some US states require all-party consent.
Fireflies vs Otter isn't a two-horse race anymore. Fathom is the easiest free start, Fireflies is stronger once your team needs integrations and multiple languages, and Otter stays a solid budget pick for live captions. Record one real meeting in Fathom and Fireflies side by side this week, and keep whichever summary your team actually reads.
Want more honest comparisons before you subscribe? Browse every review at CompareBestAI, check our tool pages for Fireflies, Otter and Fathom, and use our guide on how to choose an AI tool to decide with confidence.
