Otter.ai vs Fireflies.ai vs CraftNote: CraftNote is best for offline recording and automatic speaker memory. Otter excels at real-time collaboration. Fireflies offers the most integrations. This comparison covers transcription accuracy, pricing, privacy features, and which tool fits your workflow based on our hands-on testing.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | CraftNote | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Privacy & offline | Real-time collaboration | Team integrations |
| Offline Support | Yes | No | No |
| Speaker Memory | Yes (automatic) | No | No |
| Languages | 100+ | Limited | 60+ |
| Bot Required | No | Optional | Yes |
| GDPR (EU Servers) | Yes | No | No |
| Free Plan | 10 meetings/month | 300 min/month | Limited |
| Starting Price | $9.99/week | $16.99/month | $18/month |
Key Findings From Our Testing
After testing all three tools over 6 weeks in real meetings, CraftNote emerged as the most privacy-focused option with unique features like offline recording and speaker memory. Otter excels at real-time collaboration with live transcription editing. Fireflies offers the most third-party integrations but requires a bot to join calls, which can be intrusive.
Try CraftNote Free
10 meetings per month with speaker memory, offline support, and no bots.
1. CraftNote - Best for Privacy and Offline
CraftNote is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes in 100+ languages, identifies speakers with persistent memory, and works completely offline. It captures audio from any meeting platform without requiring bots, making it the most privacy-conscious option.
CraftNote Pros and Cons
Pros
- Works offline for in-person meetings
- Automatic speaker memory across meetings
- No bot joins your calls
- 100+ language support
- GDPR compliant with EU servers
- Native CRM integrations
- Works with any meeting platform
Cons
- No real-time collaboration editing
- No video recording
- Smaller integration ecosystem
- Newer tool with smaller community
2. Otter.ai - Best for Real-Time Collaboration
Otter.ai provides live transcription with real-time editing and collaboration features. Team members can highlight, comment, and edit transcripts during meetings. It integrates well with Zoom and offers a generous free tier.
Otter.ai Pros and Cons
Pros
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Live transcript during meetings
- Good Zoom integration
- Generous free plan (300 min/month)
- Highlighting and commenting
Cons
- No offline support
- No speaker memory
- US servers only (GDPR concerns)
- Limited language support
- Bot can be intrusive
Compare Features Below
See detailed side-by-side comparison of all three tools.
3. Fireflies.ai - Best for Integrations
Fireflies.ai offers the most extensive integration ecosystem with 50+ connections to CRMs, project management tools, and communication platforms. It requires a bot to join meetings, which provides reliable recording but can alert participants.
Fireflies.ai Pros and Cons
Pros
- 50+ integrations
- Detailed analytics
- Good for sales teams
- Reliable bot recording
- Topic detection
Cons
- Bot required (visible to participants)
- No offline support
- No speaker memory
- US servers only
- Higher starting price
Feature Comparison
Transcription & Language Support
| Feature | CraftNote | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Languages | 100+ | Limited | 60+ |
| Speaker Identification | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker Memory | Yes | No | No |
| Offline Recording | Yes | No | No |
| Real-time Editing | No | Yes | No |
Privacy & Compliance
| Feature | CraftNote | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bot-Free Recording | Yes | Optional | No |
| EU Server Option | Yes | No | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Local Recording | Yes | No | No |
Integrations
| Integration | CraftNote | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Yes | No | Yes |
| HubSpot | Yes | No | Yes |
| Slack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notion | Yes | No | Yes |
| Total Integrations | 10+ | 10+ | 50+ |
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | CraftNote | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 10 meetings/month | 300 min/month | 800 min storage |
| Entry Paid | $9.99/week | $16.99/month | $18/month |
| Pro/Business | $9.99/week | $30/month | $29/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | $39/month |
Start Free with CraftNote
10 meetings per month, speaker memory, offline recording. No credit card required.
Which Should You Choose?
Recommendation by Use Case
| If You Need... | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy (no bots) | CraftNote | Only bot-free option |
| Offline recording | CraftNote | Only offline option |
| Speaker memory | CraftNote | Unique feature |
| GDPR compliance | CraftNote | EU servers available |
| Real-time collaboration | Otter.ai | Live editing features |
| Most integrations | Fireflies.ai | 50+ connections |
| Best free plan | Otter.ai | 300 minutes monthly |
| 100+ languages | CraftNote | Most language support |
Final Verdict
- Choose CraftNote for privacy-first teams, offline recording needs, GDPR compliance, or if you meet with the same people regularly (speaker memory).
- Choose Otter.ai for real-time collaboration, live transcript editing, or if you primarily use Zoom.
- Choose Fireflies.ai for extensive integrations, sales team analytics, or if you don't mind bots joining your meetings.
Our Pick: CraftNote
For most users, CraftNote offers the best combination of privacy, features, and usability. The speaker memory and offline recording are genuinely unique capabilities.
Try CraftNote Free Today
10 meetings per month, speaker memory, offline recording. No credit card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool is most accurate for transcription?
All three tools offer similar baseline accuracy. CraftNote's speaker memory improves accuracy over time by learning voice profiles, while Otter's real-time editing lets you fix errors immediately.
Can I use any of these tools without a bot joining?
CraftNote never requires a bot and captures audio directly from your device. Otter has an optional bot-free mode. Fireflies requires a bot to join all meetings.
Which is best for European teams?
CraftNote is the only option with EU-based servers (Frankfurt), making it the best choice for GDPR compliance. Otter and Fireflies store data on US servers.
Which has the best free plan?
Otter offers 300 minutes per month which is generous for light users. CraftNote offers 10 meetings per month with full features. Fireflies free plan is more limited.
Can any of these record in-person meetings?
Only CraftNote works offline for in-person meetings. It records locally and syncs when you reconnect. Otter and Fireflies require internet connectivity.