Fireflies vs Read AI comes down to three things: what a seat costs, what the free plan allows, and which limit you reach first. Fireflies Pro costs $10 a month billed yearly and Read AI Pro costs $15, so Fireflies is $60 a year cheaper per seat. Fireflies Free stores 400 minutes per team, and Read AI Free transcribes 5 meetings a month of up to 1 hour each. Both join Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, and both charge per user. Prices and plan details were checked on Nov 5, 2026.
If you want the money question first, jump to Fireflies AI vs Read AI pricing. If you record in person or on the phone and want to compare costs, skip to Fireflies vs Read AI vs Comu AI.
Fireflies vs Read AI at a glance
Fireflies Pro and Business cost less than Read AI Pro and Enterprise on yearly billing. Fireflies transcribes in 100+ languages, Read AI supports meeting reports in more than 30 languages, and Read AI Pro allows meetings of up to 4 hours.
| Fireflies | Read AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free, 400 minutes of storage per team, limited AI summaries | Free, 5 meeting transcripts a month, meetings up to 1 hour |
| Paid plan, billed yearly | Pro $10, Business $19, Enterprise $39 | Pro $15, Enterprise $22.50, Enterprise+ $29.75 |
| Paid plan, billed monthly | Pro $18, Business $29 | Pro $19.75, Enterprise $29.75, Enterprise+ $39.75 |
| Languages | 100+ for transcription | More than 30 for meeting reports |
| Pro adds | Video recording, downloads, AI Skills, unlimited integrations | Unlimited transcripts, 100 upload minutes a month, premium integrations |
Prices are per user per month in US dollars.
Fireflies AI vs Read AI: pricing compared
Fireflies Pro is cheaper than Read AI Pro at $10 against $15 a month billed yearly, and Fireflies Business is cheaper than Read AI Enterprise at $19 against $22.50.
Fireflies has four plans: Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise. Pro is $18 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly. Business is $29 a month, or $19 billed yearly. Enterprise is $39 a month and sold on yearly billing only. For the full plan breakdown, read our Fireflies AI pricing guide.
Read AI has four plans: Free, Pro, Enterprise and Enterprise+. Pro is $19.75 a month, or $15 a month billed yearly. Enterprise is $29.75 a month, or $22.50 billed yearly. Enterprise+ is $39.75 a month, or $29.75 billed yearly, with a five-license minimum. For upload minutes and limits, read our Read AI pricing guide.
| Per user | Fireflies | Read AI |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan, billed yearly | Pro, $10 a month, $120 a year | Pro, $15 a month, $180 a year |
| Entry paid plan, billed monthly | Pro, $18 a month, $216 a year | Pro, $19.75 a month, $237 a year |
| Mid-tier plan, billed yearly | Business, $19 a month, $228 a year | Enterprise, $22.50 a month, $270 a year |
| Top plan, billed yearly | Enterprise, $39 a month, $468 a year | Enterprise+, $29.75 a month, $357 a year |
At the entry level, Fireflies Pro is $60 a year cheaper than Read AI Pro on yearly billing and $21 a year cheaper on monthly billing. At the mid tier, Fireflies Business is $42 a year cheaper than Read AI Enterprise on yearly billing. At the top, Read AI Enterprise+ is $111 a year cheaper than Fireflies Enterprise, and it needs at least five licenses. Yearly billing on Pro cuts the price by 44% at Fireflies ($96 a year) and by 24% at Read AI ($57 a year).
Read AI vs Fireflies: free plans compared
Fireflies Free gives 400 minutes of storage per team and Read AI Free gives 5 meeting transcripts a month, and both cost $0.
Fireflies Free has no end date. It records Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other platforms, transcribes in 100+ languages, and includes real-time notes, meeting search, AskFred with limited use, audio and video uploads, the apps, a Chrome extension and API access. AI summaries are limited, storage is 400 minutes per team, and you get 20 AI credits once at sign-up.
Read AI Free needs no credit card. It covers 5 meetings a month of up to 1 hour each with a transcript, a summary and search. It includes unlimited enterprise search through Ask Read, a personalized meeting coach, topic readouts, basic integrations, and apps for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. File uploads start on Pro, and playback starts on Enterprise.
| Free plan | Fireflies Free | Read AI Free |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $0 |
| Usage limit | 400 minutes of storage per team | 5 meeting transcripts a month |
| File uploads | Audio and video files | Start on Pro |
| AI assistant | AskFred, limited | Ask Read, unlimited enterprise search |
| AI summaries | Limited | With each of the 5 meetings |
For a few online meetings a month, either free plan works. Fireflies' free plan fits someone who wants file uploads and 100+ languages. Read AI's free plan fits someone who joins five or fewer meetings a month and wants a meeting coach.
Read AI vs Fireflies AI: features row by row
Fireflies Pro adds video recording, downloads, AI Skills and unlimited integrations, while Read AI Pro adds unlimited meeting transcripts, meetings of up to 4 hours, 100 upload minutes a month and premium integrations.
- Video. Fireflies records meeting video from Pro. Read AI Enterprise adds audio and video playback and video highlights.
- Languages. Fireflies transcribes in 100+ languages from Free, and Business adds multi-language mode. Read AI supports meeting reports in more than 30 languages and detects the main language spoken in each meeting.
- AI tools. Fireflies Pro adds Personal Assistant, Email Assistant, AI Skills and Voice Agents. Read AI includes Ask Read, which searches meetings, emails and messages with models from Anthropic and OpenAI, and a personalized meeting coach on every plan.
- Credits. Fireflies' advanced tools run on AI credits, with extra packs from $5 a month for 50 credits on paid plans.
- Integrations. Fireflies Pro includes unlimited integrations. Read AI Pro adds Notion, Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Confluence, Zapier and webhooks.
- Team features. Fireflies Business adds conversation intelligence, team analytics for admins and user groups. Read AI paid plans include a workspace to manage licenses, users and permissions.
- Security tiers. Fireflies Enterprise adds SSO and SCIM, audit logs, HIPAA compliance and private storage. Read AI Enterprise+ adds HIPAA compliance, SAML and SCIM, domain capture and a custom data retention policy.
Fireflies vs Read AI: meetings, storage and limits
Read AI Free caps meetings at 5 a month, and Fireflies Free caps storage at 400 minutes per team.
Read AI counts meetings and upload minutes. Free gives 5 meeting transcripts a month, with meetings of up to 1 hour. Pro and Enterprise give unlimited transcripts and meetings of up to 4 hours, and Enterprise+ allows 8 hours. Upload minutes are a second meter: Free has none, Pro gives 100 a month, Enterprise gives 200 and Enterprise+ gives 300.
Fireflies counts storage. Free gives 400 minutes per team, Pro gives 8,000 minutes per seat, and Business and Enterprise give unlimited storage. AI credits are a separate meter: Free and Pro get 20, Business gets 30 and Enterprise gets 50, shared across the team and given once.
A person who attends five one-hour meetings a week joins about 22 meetings a month, or 1,320 minutes. Read AI Free covers 5 of them. Fireflies Free stores about six one-hour meetings, and Fireflies Pro's 8,000 minutes per seat hold about six months of that schedule.
Fireflies vs Read AI: which one fits you
Choose Fireflies for the lower price, 100+ languages and file uploads on the free plan. Choose Read AI for a meeting coach on the free plan, one search across meetings, email and messages, or the Zoom bundle. For Fireflies in depth, read the Fireflies AI review.
| If you | Choose |
|---|---|
| Want the lowest entry price billed yearly | Fireflies Pro at $10 |
| Need more than 30 languages | Fireflies |
| Want to upload audio or video files on a free plan | Fireflies |
| Run a sales team and want conversation intelligence | Fireflies Business |
| Join 5 or fewer meetings a month and want a meeting coach | Read AI Free |
| Want one search across meetings, email and messages | Read AI |
| Pay for Zoom One Pro, Business or Business Plus | Read AI, through Zoom Essential Apps |
| Need HIPAA support | Fireflies Enterprise at $39, or Read AI Enterprise+ at $29.75 for five or more people |
| Record in person or on the phone without a computer | A recorder, such as Comu |
Start on the free plan and note which limit you reach first.
Fireflies vs Read AI: how they work and what they store
Fireflies joins your meeting as a participant called the Fireflies Notetaker, Read AI joins as a participant or shows a Read logo in the meeting window, and both keep a transcript and summary of each meeting.
How Fireflies works. Fireflies joins your video meetings as a participant called the Fireflies Notetaker. It records the meeting, writes a transcript while it runs and sends a summary with action items afterward. Other options work without the bot. The Chrome extension records audio on Google Meet, and the Take Notes button in the desktop app for Windows and Mac records through your computer's system audio, including phone calls and in-person conversations. You can also upload a file or record on the mobile app.
How Read AI works. Read AI joins a meeting only when a user sets it up, automatically for meetings on the connected calendar or manually with a meeting link, an app or the browser extension. It requests permission to join, and shows as a participant the host can remove or as a Read logo in the meeting window. Any participant can type "opt out" in the chat to remove Read and delete the data from that meeting. Its native Google Meet integration works without a bot.
What Fireflies stores. Fireflies keeps recordings, transcripts and summaries in your library. A Take Notes session keeps a transcript and summary and no audio or video file. Enterprise adds private storage, custom data retention and a transcript-and-summary-only mode. Fireflies is SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant and ISO 42001 certified. It states that your data is never used for AI training and that customers keep ownership of their data.
What Read AI stores. Read AI stores meeting reports and transcripts in the AWS us-east-1 data center in Northern Virginia, encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2 or higher in transit. On paid plans, reports stay until you delete them unless an Enterprise+ workspace sets a retention policy. You choose whether audio and video are saved for playback, and if you do not, Read keeps none beyond the time needed to produce the report. Read AI is GDPR compliant and SOC 2 Type II audited every year by an independent auditor. It states that it never sells your data and that contributing data to model improvement is off by default and needs an opt-in.
Whichever you choose, tell the people you record that you are recording, and check the recording rules where you and they are located.
Fireflies vs Read AI for a small team
For a team of five on yearly billing, Fireflies Pro costs $600 a year against $900 for Read AI Pro, and Fireflies Business costs $1,140 against $1,350 for Read AI Enterprise.
First, the plan fit. Fireflies Business at $19 includes unlimited storage, conversation intelligence and team analytics. Read AI Enterprise at $22.50 includes audio and video playback, video highlights and 200 upload minutes a month. Second, free seats. A Fireflies team can keep most people on Free and give paid seats to the people who run the most meetings. Read AI Free users cannot join a workspace, and every license in a workspace is on the same plan and billing cycle. Third, security. HIPAA support sits on the top tier of both: Fireflies Enterprise at $39 and Read AI Enterprise+ at $29.75 with a five-license minimum.
Fireflies vs Read AI: setting up in your first week
Run both free plans side by side on real meetings for one week.
- Sign up for both free plans. Connect your calendar in each.
- Run three real meetings and keep both tools on for each one.
- Compare the output. Read the Fireflies summary and action items next to the Read AI report and its meeting coach.
- Check the limits. Note how many of Read AI's 5 meetings the three meetings used, and how many of Fireflies' 400 stored minutes.
- Decide on seats. Give a paid seat to the people who run the most meetings.
Fireflies vs Read AI: cost over three years
Over three years, one Fireflies Pro seat on yearly billing costs $360 and one Read AI Pro license costs $540, while Fireflies Business costs $684 and Read AI Enterprise costs $810. On monthly billing, Pro costs $648 at Fireflies and $711 at Read AI. The cost repeats every year you use a paid plan, and Fireflies credit packs are extra.
Fireflies vs Read AI vs Comu AI: usage cost compared
Over three years, a Comu Note Pro with its included plan costs $128.99, against $360 for Fireflies Pro and $540 for Read AI Pro on yearly billing.
Comu is a recorder with an app. Comu Note Pro is $128.99 and Comu Action Pro is $179.99 (Nov 5, 2026). The free plan that comes with a Comu device includes unlimited transcription, unlimited real-time transcription, speaker identification, summaries, action items, templates, and Comu AI for questions across your recordings. Comu records phone calls through a bone conduction microphone when you place the device against the phone. It supports 113 languages, imports external audio files, and is GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant.
The Comu rows use only that free plan. Fireflies Free limits AI summaries and stores 400 minutes per team, and Read AI Free transcribes 5 meetings a month of up to 1 hour each with no file uploads. The table therefore compares Comu with Fireflies Pro and Business and with Read AI Pro and Enterprise, and shows the two free plans at $0 for reference.
| One person | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu Note Pro, free plan | $128.99 | $128.99 | $128.99 |
| Comu Action Pro, free plan | $179.99 | $179.99 | $179.99 |
| Fireflies Free, 400 minutes of storage per team | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Read AI Free, 5 meetings a month | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Fireflies Pro, billed yearly | $120.00 | $240.00 | $360.00 |
| Fireflies Pro, billed monthly | $216.00 | $432.00 | $648.00 |
| Read AI Pro, billed yearly | $180.00 | $360.00 | $540.00 |
| Read AI Pro, billed monthly | $237.00 | $474.00 | $711.00 |
| Fireflies Business, unlimited storage, billed yearly | $228.00 | $456.00 | $684.00 |
| Read AI Enterprise, video playback, billed yearly | $270.00 | $540.00 | $810.00 |
Over three years, Fireflies Pro on yearly billing costs $231.01 more than Comu Note Pro and $180.01 more than Comu Action Pro. Read AI Pro on yearly billing costs $411.01 more than Comu Note Pro and $360.01 more than Comu Action Pro. Fireflies Business costs $555.01 more than Comu Note Pro, and Read AI Enterprise costs $681.01 more.
On monthly billing, Fireflies Pro costs more than Comu Note Pro from the eighth month and more than Comu Action Pro from the tenth month. Read AI Pro costs more than Comu Note Pro from the seventh month and more than Comu Action Pro from the tenth month. For a team of five over three years, five Fireflies Business seats on yearly billing cost $3,420, five Read AI Enterprise licenses cost $4,050, and five Comu Note Pro devices cost $644.95.
| Feature | Comu (included with the device) | Fireflies Free | Read AI Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Note Pro $128.99, Action Pro $179.99 | $0 | $0 |
| Usage limit | Unlimited transcription | 400 minutes of storage per team | 5 meetings a month |
| Where it records | A recorder you carry, in person and on the phone | Online meetings, uploaded files, and a computer's system audio in the desktop app | Calls on your computer, plus the mobile apps |
| Speaker labels | Speaker identification | Labels with the bot, Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 in Take Notes | Transcript broken out by speaker |
| File uploads | Import external audio files | Audio and video files | Start on Pro |
| Export and playback | TXT, Markdown, Word and PDF for text; MP3 and WAV for audio | Downloads start on Pro | Playback starts on Enterprise |
Where Fireflies Free stops at 400 minutes of storage and Read AI Free at 5 meetings a month, the plan that comes with a Comu device has unlimited transcription. Comu records the room and the phone from a device you carry, so it works for an in-person interview, a client visit, a lecture or a call, and it needs no computer or meeting link. For the full list of what comes with a Comu device, read our guide to the features that come with Comu, or look at Comu Note Pro and Comu Action Pro.
Common questions about Fireflies vs Read AI
Is Fireflies better than Read AI?
Fireflies fits better if you want a lower price, 100+ transcription languages and file uploads on the free plan. Read AI fits better if you want a meeting coach on the free plan and one search across meetings, email and messages.
Which is cheaper, Fireflies or Read AI?
Fireflies is cheaper at the entry and mid tiers. Fireflies Pro costs $10 a month billed yearly against $15 for Read AI Pro, and Fireflies Business costs $19 against $22.50 for Read AI Enterprise. At the top tier, Read AI Enterprise+ at $29.75 is cheaper than Fireflies Enterprise at $39.
Do Fireflies and Read AI have free plans?
Yes. Fireflies Free costs $0 with 400 minutes of storage per team and limited AI summaries. Read AI Free costs $0 with 5 meeting transcripts a month and meetings of up to 1 hour.
How much does Fireflies cost?
Fireflies Pro costs $18 a month, or $10 billed yearly. Business costs $29 a month, or $19 billed yearly. Enterprise costs $39 a month on yearly billing.
How much does Read AI cost?
Read AI Pro costs $19.75 a month, or $15 billed yearly. Enterprise costs $29.75 a month, or $22.50 billed yearly. Enterprise+ costs $39.75 a month, or $29.75 billed yearly, with a five-license minimum.
Does Fireflies or Read AI join the call as a bot?
Yes. Fireflies joins as the Fireflies Notetaker, and Read AI joins as a participant or shows a Read logo in the meeting window. Fireflies also records without the bot through its Chrome extension on Google Meet and through Take Notes in its desktop app. Read AI's native Google Meet integration works without a bot.
What do Fireflies and Read AI say about training on your data?
Fireflies states that your data is never used for AI training. Read AI states that contributing data to model improvement is off by default and needs an opt-in in settings.
Which supports more languages, Fireflies or Read AI?
Fireflies supports more. It transcribes in 100+ languages, and Read AI supports meeting reports in more than 30 languages.
Is there a recorder alternative to both?
Yes. A recorder such as Comu captures in-person meetings and phone calls without a computer. Comu Note Pro is $128.99 and its free plan includes unlimited transcription, speaker identification and AI summaries.
Related reading
- Fireflies AI Pricing (2026): Free Plan, Pro at $10, Business at $19 and AI Credits
- Read AI Pricing (2026): Free Plan, Pro at $15 and Enterprise at $22.50
- Fireflies AI Review (2026): Features, Pricing, Privacy and Who It Fits
- Fireflies vs Otter (2026): Pricing, Free Plans and Features Compared
- Fireflies Alternatives (2026): 8 Tools Compared by Price and Use Case
- Best AI Note Taker in 2026: Five Types Compared by Use Case
Sources
Pages were checked on Nov 5, 2026.
- Fireflies, Pricing, AI Credits Pricing and Overview, How to Record Meetings Without a Bot on the Fireflies Desktop App and Learn about the Fireflies Chrome Extension
- Read AI, Plans and pricing, Privacy, Security & Privacy Overview, What languages does Read support? and How does billing work with a Workspace?
- Comu, Comu Action Pro, Comu Note Pro, and app downloads
