Fireflies vs Otter: Which Tool Wins for Sales Teams in 2026?

Fireflies and Otter are both popular tools for sales teams, but they serve different needs. Fireflies is best for automating CRM workflows and providing post-call insights, while Otter focuses on real-time collaboration and live note-taking. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Fireflies: Automates CRM updates, supports over 100 languages, and offers advanced sales analytics like talk-to-listen ratios and sentiment tracking. Pricing starts at $10/user/month.
• Otter: Great for live collaboration during calls, with real-time editing and tagging features. Supports only 3 languages (English, French, Spanish) and starts at $8.33/user/month.

Key Differences:

• Fireflies excels in transcription accuracy (90–95%) and CRM integration.
• Otter prioritizes live transcription but lacks robust automation features.
• Fireflies supports global teams with multilingual transcription, while Otter is more limited in language options.

Quick Comparison:

Choose Fireflies for automated workflows and deeper sales insights. Opt for Otter if live collaboration and simplicity are your priorities.

Fireflies vs Otter.ai - Which is Better? Honest Comparison

Introduction: Why Compare Fireflies and Otter for Sales Teams?

Sales teams often grapple with choosing between tools designed for recording calls and those built for live collaboration. Fireflies focuses on capturing call data and pushing key metrics directly to CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot. On the other hand, Otter emphasizes real-time note-taking, making it a go-to for live collaboration. As Mamta Tainwala puts it, one tool excels in recording, while the other streamlines workflows.

Picking the wrong tool can lead to extra manual work for your team or risk missing important moments during live calls. This guide dives into the features, pricing, and practical use cases of both tools to help you make the right choice. Let’s explore their features and pricing in detail.

What Meeting Transcription Tools Do for Sales Teams

Meeting transcription tools take sales calls and transform them into searchable, actionable insights. They record conversations, create detailed transcripts, and pull out critical details like action items and objections. This allows sales reps to skip the tedious task of manual note-taking and focus entirely on the conversation. Many of these tools also integrate seamlessly with CRMs, streamlining workflows even further.

By connecting directly to platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot, these tools can automatically update call summaries and other key data. This automation eliminates hours of manual data entry every week.

"I easily save hours per week".

Why Sales Teams Use Transcription Tools

Sales teams often lose valuable time jotting down notes during calls and manually updating systems afterward. Transcription tools step in to handle these tasks automatically. They join meetings, record everything, and create structured summaries that capture decisions, questions, and pain points raised by prospects.

But these tools go beyond just note-taking. They also provide conversation intelligence insights, including metrics like talk-to-listen ratios, filler word usage, and the length of monologues. Sales managers can use this data to coach their teams on pacing, active listening, and handling objections. Some tools even allow managers to clip specific moments from calls, creating "Soundbites" or "Snippets" that can be shared for team training. These features simplify the post-call process and help reps improve their skills.

Common Sales Use Cases for Transcription Tools

By automating repetitive tasks, transcription tools free up sales teams to concentrate on closing deals. For example, built-in AI assistants can draft follow-up emails based on the conversation with the prospect, cutting down on admin work.

Another popular use is tracking objections and competitor mentions. Tools like Fireflies and Otter enable teams to set up "Topic Tracking", which flags every mention of a competitor or pricing concern across thousands of calls. This makes it easier to identify trends and refine messaging strategies across the entire team.

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Fireflies vs. Otter: Key Differences for Sales Teams

Fireflies and Otter both cater to meeting intelligence, but they take very different approaches. Fireflies emphasizes workflow automation, making it ideal for teams focused on CRM integration and data management. On the other hand, Otter shines in real-time note-taking and live collaboration during meetings. The choice often depends on whether your team prioritizes automated processes or interactive, in-the-moment tools.

Fireflies Features for Sales Teams

Fireflies is a powerhouse for teams managing multi-speaker meetings. It handles overlapping conversations and technical jargon with an impressive transcription accuracy of 90–95%, supporting over 100 languages.

One of its standout features is seamless CRM integration. Starting with the Pro plan ($10/user/month), Fireflies automatically logs calls, then pushes summaries, transcripts, and action items directly into platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive. This eliminates the hassle of manual data entry, saving time and reducing errors.

For sales coaching, Fireflies provides advanced conversation analytics, tracking metrics like talk-to-listen ratios, filler words, sentiment, and monologue length. Managers can use its "Soundbites" feature to clip specific call moments for training purposes. Additionally, the AskFred AI assistant can draft follow-up emails and search past meetings for recurring objections, making it a versatile tool for sales teams.

Otter Features for Sales Teams

Otter focuses on real-time transcription, enabling users to highlight, comment, and tag action items as conversations unfold. This makes it a solid choice for teams that value live collaboration during calls.

However, Otter supports only three languages - English, French, and Spanish - and offers a transcription accuracy of around 85%. CRM integration is only available at the Enterprise tier, which may require manual note transfers for teams on lower-tier plans. Features like "Otter AI Chat" allow users to query meeting data, and calls are automatically categorized for better organization.

Otter’s mobile app is particularly useful for field sales reps, allowing them to record in-person meetings with ease.

These features highlight the contrasting strengths of Fireflies and Otter, particularly in terms of automation and collaboration.

How Fireflies & Otter Compare on Sales Call Features

For sales teams, the choice often boils down to workflow needs. Fireflies excels in automating tasks like data entry and CRM updates, while Otter focuses on real-time collaboration.

"Fireflies pushes summaries, transcripts, and action items directly into the systems where work happens. Otter requires manual copy-pasting or downloading." - Mamta Tainwala, Sybill.ai

When it comes to sales coaching, Fireflies offers deep insights such as talk-to-listen ratios and filler word analysis on its Business plan ($19/user/month). Otter, by contrast, provides only basic keyword tracking, which may not be sufficient for detailed coaching needs.

Fireflies also supports a broader range of meeting platforms, including Webex, Skype, and Dialpad, while Otter is primarily optimized for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.

Fireflies vs. Otter Pricing: Actual Pricing

Fireflies offers a generous free plan with unlimited transcription but caps storage at 800 minutes and limits AI summaries. Otter’s free plan, on the other hand, includes 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute limit per conversation.

Fireflies’ Pro plan starts at $10/user/month (billed annually), offering 8,000 minutes of storage, CRM integration, and Zapier support. Otter’s Pro plan is slightly cheaper at $8.33/user/month but lacks CRM sync.

At the Business level, Fireflies charges $19/user/month, adding features like video recording, advanced analytics, and unlimited storage. Otter’s Business plan costs $20/user/month and includes 6,000 monthly minutes along with usage analytics, but CRM integration remains exclusive to the Enterprise tier.

For teams that rely heavily on CRM automation, Fireflies can be a more cost-effective choice. However, Otter’s live collaboration features may justify its higher price point for teams that prioritize real-time interaction.

Common Mistakes Sales Teams Make When Choosing Fireflies or Otter

Sales teams often select transcription tools based on first impressions, only to later encounter workflow issues. For instance, while these tools can save time by eliminating manual note-taking, they might inadvertently create new tasks, like manually transferring action items into a CRM. This can leave key work incomplete.

Accuracy and Language Limitations to Watch For

Workflow challenges often reveal deeper issues with transcription accuracy. Otter, for example, struggles to keep up with fast-paced or technical conversations. According to Mamta Tainwala from Sybill.ai, it frequently misinterprets industry-specific jargon, which can be a major obstacle in fields that rely on precise terminology.

Fireflies performs better with technical terms but requires customization to get the most out of it. Sales teams should upload industry-specific vocabulary and competitor names into its custom dictionary to avoid errors. Without this setup, critical terms - like "Salesforce" - might be misheard or misinterpreted.

For teams operating in multiple regions, language support is another factor. Otter's limited language capabilities can make it difficult to capture nuances in multilingual meetings. Fireflies, on the other hand, supports over 100 languages, but users must set a default language for each meeting to ensure accurate transcription.

Both tools, however, have trouble with overlapping speech and strong accents. Otter often falters during conversations with multiple speakers, while Fireflies may misattribute dialogue to the wrong person.

Beyond accuracy, another common misstep is overlooking whether a tool provides insights tailored to sales needs.

Overlooking the Need for Sales-Specific Insights

Transcription accuracy is important, but it’s not enough on its own. A common mistake sales teams make is assuming that transcription alone equates to actionable sales intelligence. Otter, for instance, offers real-time transcription but lacks deeper analytics that sales managers can use for coaching. Fireflies, by contrast, goes a step further by tracking metrics like talk-to-listen ratios, filler words, and spikes in sentiment, which can help reps improve their performance.

Another issue is the time lost without CRM integration. Otter often requires users to manually copy and paste notes or find workarounds, while Fireflies automates this process by logging calls and action items directly into platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot.

"Otter tells you 'Here's what was said.' Fireflies tells you 'Here's what you need to do now'".

Lastly, the ability to search through past calls can be a game-changer. Fireflies allows users to search for specific competitor mentions or recurring objections across all recorded meetings. This feature is invaluable for spotting trends and refining strategies. Otter, however, treats each meeting as a standalone file, making it harder to identify patterns.

Understanding these distinctions is essential for matching the right transcription tool to a sales team's unique requirements.

When Fireflies or Otter Make Sense for Your Sales Team

Based on the earlier feature comparisons, here’s how to determine which tool works best for different sales scenarios.

Go with Fireflies if your sales process depends heavily on CRM integration. As mentioned earlier, it can log calls, push action items, and track metrics like talk-to-listen ratios and sentiment. If digging through past calls to spot patterns in lost deals or successful strategies is important, Fireflies' "AskFred" feature is tailored for that purpose.

Opt for Otter if you're working solo or have a small team that prioritizes simplicity and live collaboration. Otter shines in live transcription, making it easy to highlight key moments or add comments during calls. Its mobile app is especially handy for field sales reps attending in-person meetings.

For sales managers coaching larger teams, Fireflies offers advanced conversation intelligence tools. Features like filler word tracking, objection handling analysis, and sharing specific coaching moments through "Soundbites" make it ideal for scaling coaching efforts. Otter, on the other hand, provides basic summaries, which might lack the depth needed for managing multiple reps effectively.

If your team operates exclusively in English and prefers live note-taking over automation after calls, Otter can meet your needs. However, for tracking performance trends and gaining deeper insights, Fireflies is a more comprehensive choice.

"Fireflies is the clear winner if your workflow lives in HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Notion, Asana, ClickUp, Pipedrive, or Monday." - Mamta Tainwala, AI & Automation Expert

Understanding these nuances can help you pick the tool that best fits your team’s sales challenges.

FAQs

How do Fireflies and Otter work with CRM systems?

Fireflies works effortlessly with top CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, and more than 40 other apps. This makes it a practical option for teams that depend on these tools for their daily operations. On the other hand, Otter.ai also provides CRM integrations, but these are primarily accessible through its Enterprise plan, which might not be the best fit for smaller teams. While both tools are designed to simplify workflows, their accessibility varies depending on the size and requirements of your team.

What are the main benefits of using Fireflies for sales coaching?

Fireflies brings a lot to the table when it comes to sales coaching. With its precise meeting transcripts, sales reps can revisit conversations and dig into the details. The tool also creates clear summaries that spotlight the most important points, making it simple to pinpoint areas that need work. On top of that, its call recording capabilities allow teams to review past discussions, fine-tune their strategies, and sharpen their skills for future calls.

Which tool works better for sales teams that need multilingual support?

Fireflies stands out as a strong choice for multilingual sales teams, thanks to its support for over 69 languages. This broad language compatibility makes it a practical solution for global teams. On the other hand, Otter's language support is more limited, covering only English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

For teams that regularly operate across various regions or require precise transcriptions in multiple languages, Fireflies provides the flexibility and coverage to handle those demands effectively.

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