Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai both record, transcribe and summarize conversations, and both can join Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls. Otter has long been popular with students for recording lectures and offers a student discount, while Fireflies is built mainly for workplace meetings and has a free plan with unlimited transcription under certain conditions. Here's how they compare for college and adult students in 2026.
you record lectures in person or online and want a simple app with a student discount and generous monthly minutes on Pro.
most of your recordings are online meetings or group-project calls, and you want a free plan that doesn't cap how many calls get transcribed (when auto-join is on).
| Feature | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Recording, live transcription and summaries — popular for lectures | Recording, transcribing and summarizing online meetings |
| Free plan | Basic: 300 minutes/month, first 30 minutes of each conversation visible, 3 lifetime file imports | Unlimited transcription with auto-join on (3 transcriptions otherwise), 400 minutes storage per seat, 20 one-time AI credits, 2-hour recording limit |
| Student offer | 20% off Pro with a .edu email ($79.99/year) | No student discount listed |
| Main paid plan | Pro: $16.99/month, or $8.33/month billed annually — 1,200 minutes/month, 90 minutes per conversation | Pro: $10/seat/month billed annually — 8,000 minutes storage; Business $19/seat/month billed annually |
| In-person lectures | Mobile and web apps record in-person audio | Mobile apps can record in-person conversations |
| Online classes and calls | Joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams | Joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams; Chrome extension |
| File uploads | 3 lifetime imports free; 10/month on Pro | MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A up to 100 MB and 150 minutes per file on Free |
| Languages | Check Otter's site for supported languages | 100+ languages |
| AI features | Summaries, searchable transcripts and AI chat | Summaries and AskFred AI assistant (uses AI credits) |
Prices and plan details from Otter's and Fireflies' official pricing pages as of October 2026. They change often — check the official site before you buy.
Best for: recording and transcribing lectures, in person or online
Otter.ai records audio and transcribes it live, then produces summaries and searchable transcripts you can ask questions about. Its mobile app can record in-person lectures, and it can join Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls. The free Basic plan gives 300 minutes a month, shows only the first 30 minutes of each conversation, and allows 3 file imports for the life of the account. Otter Pro costs $16.99/month or $8.33/month billed annually, with 1,200 minutes a month, up to 90 minutes per conversation and 10 file imports a month. Students with a .edu email get 20% off Pro ($79.99/year or $13.59/month).
Why students use it:
Otter.ai is our pick for most students because it's simple to use for lectures and has a student discount, but no transcript is perfect. Check your school's recording policy and review transcripts against the recording.
Best for: transcribing online meetings and group-project calls
Fireflies.ai joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls to record, transcribe and summarize them, and it also offers a Chrome extension, desktop app, and iOS and Android apps that can record in-person conversations. It transcribes in 100+ languages, and its AI assistant, AskFred, answers questions about your meetings. The Free plan includes unlimited transcription when you turn on auto-join for calendar meetings (otherwise new accounts get 3 transcriptions), 400 minutes of storage per seat, 20 one-time AI credits, recordings up to 2 hours, and audio/video uploads up to 100 MB and 150 minutes per file. Pro costs $10 per seat/month billed annually with 8,000 minutes of storage, and Business costs $19 per seat/month billed annually with unlimited storage; monthly billing costs more. Fireflies doesn't list a student discount.
Why students use it:
Before recording any lecture or call, check your school's and instructor's policy and your local laws on recording consent — some places require everyone's consent. Tell classmates when a meeting bot is joining a group call, and don't share recordings or transcripts of class without permission.