The short answer
If the bot is why you are leaving, pick a tool that records from your computer. If you want your notes to add up to something, pick one that links them to the project.
- SayBriefly: best overall. No bot, Mac and Windows, and every call linked to its project next to the client's email and the brief, with a Since last call summary on each new note.
- Otter: best for full, searchable transcripts at the lowest paid price.
- Fathom: best for unlimited free recording and CRM sync for sales teams.
- Granola: best for simple bot-free notes on desktop and mobile.
- Jamie: best for bot-free notes in many languages.
We build SayBriefly, so read this with that in mind. We will tell you where Fireflies and the others are the better choice. But we think most Fireflies alternatives lists compare the wrong things: credits, integrations, languages. Those matter. The two reasons we hear most often for leaving Fireflies are simpler. The bot, and the feeling that a year of meeting notes somehow adds up to nothing.
Your client should see you, not a bot. And your notes should remember the project.
Why people leave Fireflies
1. The bot in every call
Fireflies records by sending a bot into your meeting by default. For internal calls that is fine. On a client call it shows up in the participant list, it gets asked about, and some clients simply remove it.
2. AI features run on credits
Transcription is unlimited even on the free plan, but some AI features spend a separate pool of credits, 20 a month on the free plan. People who lean on the AI features notice the limit.
3. Storage caps on the free plan
The free plan stores 400 minutes per seat. For anyone with a few calls a day, that fills up fast.
4. Notes that do not connect
Fireflies can search and chat across your meetings with AskFred. But a call is still filed as a meeting, not as part of a client's project with their emails and the agreed brief next to it. The story of a client lives in pieces.
The bot question
This is the first thing to decide, because it rules tools in or out.
- No bot at all: SayBriefly, Granola and Jamie record from your own computer. Nothing joins the call.
- Your choice: Fathom offers bot-free recording, labelled beta and Mac only on its site. Fireflies has a Chrome extension that records without its bot.
- Bot by default, desktop app without it: Otter's bot joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet automatically once your calendar is connected; its Mac and Windows desktop app can record without the bot.
A tool that records from your computer needs to run where you take calls. Check it has a real app for your system: SayBriefly, Granola and Jamie all list both Mac and Windows.
The real difference: project memory
Almost every tool here can search or chat across your past meetings now, Fireflies included. That is table stakes. The difference is what a call is connected to.
Calls land in the client's project
SayBriefly links each call to its client project, next to the earlier calls, the client's emails from Gmail, the brief and the task board. Recurring calls are grouped into a thread automatically, by the same meeting link, calendar series or people.
Every new note starts with "Since last call"
When a call is part of a thread, its note opens with what changed since the previous call: what got done, what is still open and who owes it, what the client asked for again, and what moved, like a launch date or a number. You walk out of the call knowing where things stand, without opening an old note.
Example of the layout. Real notes only show what was said on the calls.
The agent knows the calls, the email and the brief
Ask SayBriefly's agent, Scribbble, "what did the client ask for across all our calls, and did we agree to it in the brief?" It answers from the calls, the client's email and the brief together, with the source. None of the other tools we checked says it reads your client email.
All 5 Fireflies alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Bot in the call? | Mac + Windows | Tasks | Linked to project, email and brief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SayBriefly | Client work across many calls | No bot | Yes | On your to-do list | Yes |
 Fireflies | Recording every call, many integrations | Bot by default, or a Chrome extension | Desktop app | Action items in the summary | No |
 Otter | Searchable transcripts | Bot by default, or its desktop app | Yes | Action items on Pro and up | No |
 Fathom | Free recording, CRM sync | Bot, or bot-free (Mac only) | Yes | Action items, synced to CRM | No |
 Granola | Simple bot-free notes | No bot | Yes | Action items in the note | No |
 Jamie | Many languages, no bot | No bot | Yes | Task detection | No |
Checked on each tool's own website, September 2026. "No" means we found nothing like it on their site.
The 5 best Fireflies alternatives, reviewed
1. SayBriefly: best Fireflies alternative overall
SayBriefly records the call from your computer, so no bot joins, and it works with Google Meet, Zoom, Teams and browser calls. The note is ready about a minute after the call, with decisions, action items and owners.
Then it connects the call to everything around it: the client's project, their emails, the brief, the earlier calls in the thread and your to-do list. Each new note opens with Since last call. And if a client asks for something the brief does not cover, SayBriefly flags it with their exact words.
Why people switch to it
- No bot in client calls, on Mac and Windows
- Calls linked to the project, next to client email and the brief
- Since last call on every threaded note
- Notes, tasks, calendar, booking and dictation in one app
Worth knowing
- No iPhone or Android app yet
- Email works with Gmail for now
Pick SayBriefly if your work runs across many calls with the same clients.
See how it works on the SayBriefly AI notetaker page.
2. Otter: best for searchable transcripts
Otter is the closest like-for-like switch from Fireflies. Its bot joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet automatically once your calendar is connected (its desktop app can record without it), you get speaker-labelled transcripts you can search, and AI chat works within and across meetings. On Pro and above, its Takeaways panel assigns action items.
Good
- The lowest paid entry price here
- Apps on every platform
Worth knowing
- The bot joins by default; bot-free needs the desktop app
- The free plan stops at 300 minutes a month
Pick Otter if you want Fireflies, but cheaper.
3. Fathom: best for free recording and CRM sync
Fathom's free plan records and transcribes without a limit, with instant summaries and search across calls. Ask Fathom answers questions across all your calls. On Premium, action items sync to Asana, HubSpot and Salesforce, which is why sales teams like it.
Good
- Unlimited free recording
- Strong CRM sync on paid plans
Worth knowing
- Bot-free recording is labelled beta and Mac only
- Tasks live in your CRM, not in Fathom
Pick Fathom if you are a sales team that lives in a CRM.
4. Granola: best for simple bot-free notes
Granola records from your computer, so no bot joins, and writes clean notes you can edit. AI chat works within and across meetings, and it has mobile apps. If the bot is your only complaint about Fireflies, Granola is the simplest fix.
Good
- No bot, clean notes
- Desktop and mobile apps
Worth knowing
- The Basic plan keeps 30 days of history
- Calls are not linked to projects, email or a brief
Pick Granola if you want no bot and nothing else.
5. Jamie: best for bot-free notes in many languages
Jamie runs on your device without a bot and handles 99+ languages with a strong GDPR focus. It detects tasks and can send them to Asana on its Pro plan.
Good
- No bot, many languages
- EU and GDPR focus
Worth knowing
- The Plus plan is capped at 20 notes a month
- Tasks are managed outside the app
Pick Jamie if your calls happen in more than one language.
Where Fireflies still wins
Fireflies is a strong product. If you are fine with a bot, record calls on many different platforms, want a free plan with unlimited transcription, and rely on a long list of integrations, it is hard to beat. Its mobile apps are also something SayBriefly does not have yet.
How to choose a Fireflies alternative
| Your situation | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Client work, many calls with the same people | SayBriefly | No bot, project memory, Since last call |
| Just want Fireflies, cheaper | Otter | Same model, lower paid price |
| Sales team in a CRM | Fathom | Free recording, CRM sync |
| Only want the bot gone | Granola | Simple, bot-free, mobile apps |
| Calls in several languages | Jamie | No bot, 99+ languages |
How we made this list
We checked each tool's own pricing and product pages in September 2026 and only wrote down what they state. Where a site did not say something, we wrote "not stated" instead of guessing. Prices change, so check before you buy. SayBriefly is our product, and we have said where the others are the better choice.
Questions people ask about Fireflies alternatives
What is the best Fireflies alternative?
SayBriefly, if you want no bot in the call and your work runs across many calls with the same clients. It takes notes from your computer on Mac and Windows, links every call to its project next to the client's email and the brief, and adds a Since last call summary to every new note.
Is there a Fireflies alternative without a bot?
Yes. SayBriefly, Granola and Jamie record from your computer with no bot. Fathom offers a bot-free mode, labelled beta on Mac. Fireflies itself has a Chrome extension that records without its bot, but the bot is the default.
How do I stop Fireflies from joining my meetings?
Change its auto-join setting in Fireflies, or remove it from the calendar events you do not want recorded. If you want no bot at all, use a tool that records from your own computer, such as SayBriefly, Granola or Jamie.
How much does Fireflies cost?
Fireflies has a free plan with unlimited transcription, 400 minutes of storage per seat and 20 AI credits a month. Pro is listed at $10 per seat per month billed yearly, or $18 billed monthly (checked September 2026).
What are Fireflies AI credits?
Fireflies uses a separate credit pool for some AI features. The free plan includes 20 credits a month. Check Fireflies' pricing page for how many each paid plan includes.
Is Otter better than Fireflies?
They are close. Both join calls with a bot and give you searchable transcripts and AI chat across meetings. Otter's paid plan starts lower at $8.33 a month billed yearly. Fireflies has more integrations. Neither links calls to client projects, email and a brief the way SayBriefly does.
Which Fireflies alternative works on Windows?
SayBriefly, Otter, Granola, Jamie and Fathom all run on Windows. Fathom's newer bot-free recording is Mac only for now, per its help centre.
Which Fireflies alternative remembers past meetings?
Most offer chat or search across meetings, including Fireflies itself. SayBriefly goes further: calls are grouped into threads and projects, each new note gets a Since last call summary, and its agent answers across calls, client email and the brief.
Does SayBriefly work with Zoom, Google Meet and Teams?
Yes. It records the call from your computer, so it works with Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and calls in the browser, with no bot joining.
