Fireflies vs tl;dv: which AI meeting recorder?
We may earn a commission from some links. It never changes our picks. How we make money
We may earn a commission from some links. It never changes our picks. How we make money
Both join your Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams calls and turn them into transcripts and AI notes. The real difference is what you want to do afterwards: search and act on notes, or rewatch and share the video.
Start with Fireflies if…
You have many recurring meetings and want to search, ask questions about and act on notes across all of them. It is our top pick for most people.
Start with tl;dv if…
You want the meeting video itself, so you can replay the moment something was agreed, highlight it and share a short clip.
A useful first comparison
With everyone’s permission, record the same short, non-sensitive meeting with both tools. Check speaker names, action items and one deliberately vague sentence, then try to find a specific moment a week later. Keep the tool you actually reopened.
EDITORIAL GUIDANCE · NOT A HANDS-ON BENCHMARK| At a glance | Fireflies.aiMeetings | tl;dvMeetings |
|---|---|---|
| A useful fit for | Searchable notes across recurring meetings | Recording and replaying online meetings, with AI notes and clips |
| In plain English | Capture meeting transcripts and summaries with connected meeting workflows. | An AI meeting recorder for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams that records, transcribes and summarises calls. |
| Getting started | Free plan | Free plan |
| Learning curve | A little exploration | Straightforward |
| What to watch | Free summaries and storage are limited. Obtain recording consent. | The free plan limits AI notes to 10 meetings and keeps data for up to 3 months. Sign-up uses a Google or Microsoft work account. Get consent before recording. |
| Paid pricing | Check current plans ↗ (opens in new tab) Prices, currency and tax vary by location. | Check current plans ↗ (opens in new tab) Prices, currency and tax vary by location. |
| Our first-step suggestion | Try Fireflies.ai on one small take meeting notes task. Review the result before upgrading. | Try tl;dv on one small take meeting notes task. Review the result before upgrading. |
| Next step | Paid link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change our recommendations. Affiliate disclosureTry Fireflies.ai ↗ (opens in new tab) | Paid link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change our recommendations. Affiliate disclosureTry tl;dv ↗ (opens in new tab) |
Two tools, two ideas of “meeting notes”
Fireflies (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission) and tl;dv (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission) look similar on the surface. Each sends a bot to your scheduled online meetings, records the conversation, writes a transcript and produces an AI summary with action items. Both have mobile apps and free plans, and both sign you in with a Google or Microsoft account.
Where they differ is the job they do best. Fireflies is built around a searchable library of notes: you can ask its AI assistant what was decided about a project last month, track topics and push notes into other work apps. tl;dv (short for “too long; didn’t view”) is built around the recording: you jump to a moment in the video, highlight it and send a short clip to someone who missed the call. Ask yourself which you’d really do on a Friday afternoon: search the notes, or watch the bit that mattered.
Before you start: always tell people a meeting is being recorded and ask for consent. In Australia, recording laws vary between states and territories, and many workplaces restrict third-party meeting bots, so check before you connect a work calendar.
Side-by-side comparison
| Fireflies.ai | tl;dv | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Many recurring meetings; searchable AI notes | Replaying, highlighting and clipping meeting video |
| Free plan | Unlimited transcription; limited AI summaries; 400 minutes of storage per team | Unlimited recordings and transcription; AI notes for 10 meetings; data kept up to 3 months |
| Meeting apps | Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and 10+ more | Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams |
| Standout feature | AskFred AI assistant and global search across meetings | Video recording with timestamps, highlights and shareable clips |
| Sign-up | Google or Microsoft (Outlook) account | Google or Microsoft work account |
| Languages | English primarily, plus 100+ languages in beta | Transcription in 30+ languages |
| Learning curve | Moderate: many features to explore | Easy: record, replay, clip |
Who each is best for
Fireflies: best overall for most people
Fireflies suits anyone whose week is full of meetings and who wants the notes to be useful later. Because transcription is not capped by meeting count on the free plan, you can try it properly on your real schedule. Its strength is finding things: a global search across every call, an AI assistant you can question, and on paid plans integrations that send notes to tools such as your CRM or project manager. The catch on the free plan is storage (400 minutes per team) and limited AI summaries, so treat Free as a generous trial and plan for Pro if you rely on it weekly. Read our Fireflies profile.
tl;dv: best when the video matters
tl;dv suits remote teams, customer interviews, sales calls and recurring updates where seeing and hearing the moment is more useful than reading a summary. You can highlight key moments while the call is happening, trim the recording afterwards and share a clip. The free plan is generous on recording but tight on AI: AI notes cover 10 meetings and data is kept for up to 3 months, so it is ideal for testing whether video replay changes how your team works. Read our tl;dv profile.
Pricing in plain English
| Plan | Fireflies.ai | tl;dv |
|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0: unlimited transcription, 400 minutes storage | €0: unlimited recordings; AI notes for 10 meetings |
| Pro | US$18/seat/month, or US$10/seat/month billed annually | €29/seat/month, or €18/seat/month billed annually |
| Business | US$29/seat/month, or US$19 billed annually | €39/seat/month, or €29/seat/month billed annually |
| Enterprise | Contact Fireflies | Contact tl;dv |
Prices checked on 14 October 2026 from the official pricing pages (fireflies.ai/pricing and tldv.io/app/pricing. tl;dv’s pricing page lists prices in euros (EUR); local currency may differ at checkout. Fireflies’ page did not display figures to our automated check today, so the Fireflies prices above are from our most recent check and should be confirmed on fireflies.ai/pricing). Prices are shown as listed, usually in US dollars (USD). Australian GST and currency conversion may apply, and plans change often, so check current pricing on the provider’s site before you pay.
For one person on annual billing, Fireflies Pro is the cheaper of the two on paper. Both charge per seat, so multiply by your team size before comparing. Annual billing is much cheaper per month for both, but only commit after a few weeks on the free plan.
Pros and cons
Fireflies.ai
✓ Pros
- Free plan transcribes without a meeting cap
- Search and an AI assistant across your whole meeting history
- Wide range of integrations on paid plans
- Works with more meeting platforms
↳ Cons
- Free storage (400 minutes) fills up fast with regular calls
- Free AI summaries are limited
- Lots of features can feel busy at first
- Non-English languages are partly in beta
tl;dv
✓ Pros
- Records the video, not just the audio
- Highlights and short shareable clips
- Free plan records and transcribes without a meeting cap
- Simple, focused interface
↳ Cons
- Free AI notes limited to 10 meetings
- Free data kept for up to 3 months
- Sign-up needs a Google or Microsoft work account
- Fewer meeting platforms than Fireflies
Accuracy, privacy and the things to check
Neither tool is perfect. Every AI note-taker can mishear names, accents, numbers and acronyms, and summaries sometimes state a decision more firmly than the meeting did. Before you share notes, read them. For privacy, check where recordings are stored, who can open shared links and how long data is kept. Fireflies publishes security information such as SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance on its pricing page; tl;dv keeps free-plan data for up to 3 months. If you work with health, legal or other sensitive information, ask your organisation before recording at all.
Also check meeting length limits (long workshops may need a higher plan), whether the tool supports the calendar and video app you actually use, and whether you need notes to flow into another app.
Is there a better option than either?
Sometimes. If you want a simple live transcript you can follow during the call, Otter.ai is worth a look (see Otter vs Fireflies). If your workplace already pays for Zoom, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 plans that include AI meeting summaries, check those first, because they may cover you without another bot. And if your team plans work in Notion, Notion AI meeting notes keep summaries next to your projects. Compare all the options in our best AI meeting note-takers guide.
Our verdict
Start with Fireflies if you want the most useful notes from lots of meetings: it is our best overall pick. Choose tl;dv if your team would genuinely rewatch and share meeting moments. Many people try both free plans for a fortnight and keep whichever one they opened more. Whichever you choose, get consent, review the notes and delete recordings you no longer need.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fireflies or tl;dv better?
For most people with lots of meetings, Fireflies is better because of its search and AI assistant across meetings. tl;dv is better if you want to replay and share video clips of your calls.
Are Fireflies and tl;dv free?
Both have free plans. Fireflies’ free plan includes unlimited transcription with 400 minutes of storage and limited AI summaries. tl;dv’s free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription, AI notes for 10 meetings and data kept for up to 3 months.
How much do Fireflies and tl;dv cost?
When we checked, Fireflies Pro was US$18 per seat a month or US$10 billed annually. tl;dv listed Pro in euros at €29 per seat a month or €18 billed annually. Local currency may differ at checkout and GST may apply, so check current pricing.
Do both record video?
tl;dv records meeting video on every plan, including Free. Fireflies focuses on transcripts and notes; its pricing page lists video capture as a feature on higher plans, so check current plan details if you need video.
Do I need permission to record meetings?
Yes. Always tell participants and ask for consent. Recording laws vary between Australian states and territories, and many workplaces have their own rules.
Can I use them with Zoom, Google Meet and Teams?
Yes. Both support Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Fireflies lists support for more meeting platforms.
Popular AI tool comparisons
Start with a specific decision, then explore the differences in plain English.
Prices in US dollars; Australian GST and currency conversion may apply. Confirm the final price at checkout.
This page includes paid links (we may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you). It doesn’t change our recommendations. Read our affiliate disclosure.