6 Best Fireflies.ai Alternatives & Competitors [2026]

Quick Summary Table

Why Look for a Fireflies Alternative?

Fireflies.ai is a capable meeting assistant, especially for teams that want notes pushed into a CRM. But it isn't the right fit for everyone:

• A bot joins your calls. Fireflies works by sending a bot into your meeting, which everyone can see. Some teams find that awkward, and some clients decline to be recorded by a third-party participant.
• It's built for video calls. Fireflies is centered on Zoom, Meet and Teams, so it's not designed for in-person meetings, hallway chats or phone calls.
• It can be heavy for individuals. The integrations and admin controls are great for teams but overkill if you just want clean notes on your own.

Here are the best alternatives, starting with the closest match.

1. CraftNote — Best Overall Fireflies Alternative

CraftNote gives you the transcript, summary and action items Fireflies is known for, without the bot and without being locked to video calls. It records from your own device, so it works for in-person meetings and phone calls too, and it runs on your phone as well as your Mac and the web.

Key Advantages Over Fireflies

• Bot-free: nothing joins the call, so there's no visible third participant and no "who is this bot?" moment.
• Captures in person and on the phone, not just video calls.
• Cross-platform: iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and web from one account.
• 100+ languages, offline recording, and a genuinely usable free plan.

Pricing

Free plan for everyday use, with paid tiers for heavier use.

CraftNote Pros and Cons

Pros: bot-free, in-person and call capture, mobile and desktop, 100+ languages, free plan.
Cons: lighter on native CRM automations than Fireflies, so heavy revenue teams may still want a CRM integration layer.

Best For

Anyone who wants Fireflies-style notes without a bot, needs to capture in-person or phone conversations, or wants notes on their phone.

2. Otter.ai — Best for Real-Time Transcription

Key Advantages Over Fireflies

Otter shows a live transcript as people speak, has iOS, Android and web apps, and offers a generous free tier. It's a strong pick if you want to follow along live.

Pricing

Free plan with monthly limits; paid plans add minutes and features.

Trade-off vs Fireflies: lighter on CRM integrations, but simpler and strong for live transcription.

3. Fathom — Best Free Option for Video Calls

Key Advantages Over Fireflies

Fathom is known for one of the most generous free plans for recording and summarizing Zoom, Meet and Teams calls. If budget is the priority and your meetings are on video, it's hard to beat for free.

Pricing

Free for core recording and summaries; paid plans add team features.

4. Avoma — Best for Sales Coaching

Key Advantages Over Fireflies

Avoma leans into revenue teams with conversation intelligence and coaching features on top of notes. If your goal is improving sales calls, not just recording them, it's worth a look.

Pricing

Paid plans for teams; a limited free tier for basics.

5. tl;dv — Best for Free Recording

Key Advantages Over Fireflies

tl;dv focuses on free meeting recording and highlights across Zoom, Meet and Teams, with easy clip-sharing. A good free choice for capturing and sharing moments from video calls.

Pricing

Free plan for recording; paid tiers add integrations and team features.

How to Choose Your Fireflies Alternative

Recommendation by Need

• You want notes without a bot, including in-person and phone calls: CraftNote.
• You want a live, real-time transcript: Otter.ai.
• Your meetings are all video and you want free: Fathom or tl;dv.
• You want sales coaching, not just notes: Avoma.

Final Verdict

Fireflies is a strong choice for teams that live in a CRM and are happy with a bot in their video calls. If you'd rather not add a bot, need to capture in-person meetings and phone calls, or want your notes on your phone, a bot-free, cross-platform tool fits better. For most people leaving Fireflies for those reasons, CraftNote is the closest match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Fireflies require a bot to join meetings?

Yes. Fireflies works by sending a bot into your Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams call. CraftNote is bot-free — it records from your own device, so nothing joins the call.

What's the best Fireflies alternative for in-person meetings?

CraftNote, because it records from your phone rather than needing a bot in a video call, so it captures in-person conversations and phone calls as well.

Is there a free alternative to Fireflies?

Yes. CraftNote has a usable free plan, and Fathom, Otter and tl;dv all offer free tiers for video-call recording.

Which Fireflies alternatives are bot-free?

CraftNote is bot-free. Most other meeting assistants, including Otter, Fathom, Avoma and tl;dv, use a bot for meetings.

Which alternative is best for sales teams?

Avoma for coaching-focused revenue teams; CraftNote if you want bot-free capture that works on calls and in person, with notes on every device.

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