By Convo Team • Published January 10, 2026 • Last updated April 15, 2026
Convo is the best Fireflies.ai alternative for professionals who need real-time help during calls, not just a transcript after. Unlike Fireflies' credit-gated AI and visible meeting bot, Convo processes audio locally on your device, provides live suggestions during meetings, and automates post-call follow-ups — all without joining the call.
The best Fireflies.ai alternative
without credits or bots.
Fireflies gives you a transcript and charges per AI credit. Convo gives you an assistant that helps during calls, drafts follow-ups after, and never runs out of features mid-month.
[01]The Credit Problem/ AI Limits
Fireflies doesn't give you unlimited AI. Every summary, every action-item extraction, every AskFred query deducts from a monthly credit balance. When credits hit zero, AI features stop working until your next billing cycle — or you pay for more.
Source: Fireflies.ai pricing page800 minutes of storage. 2-hour cap per meeting. AI features stop after 20 operations. A few days of meetings and you're out.
Unlimited transcription but only 30 AI credits. Summarize 10 meetings and ask 20 questions before you're cut off. Extra credits cost ~$0.10 each.
Every AI feature works without limits on every plan. Summaries, follow-up emails, action items, Ask AI — use them as much as you need. No credit meter. No mid-month cutoffs.
WHAT COSTS CREDITS ON FIREFLIES
Generate a meeting summary
The core output you're paying for
Extract action items
Each extraction is a separate charge
Ask AskFred a question
Their AI chatbot — limited to one meeting at a time
Smart Search queries
Searching across your transcript library
[02]Before, During, After/ The Difference
Preparing for the call
No pre-meeting features. You check your notes manually or go in cold. No context from past conversations with the same person. No way to review past meeting minutes quickly.
Pre-meeting briefings surface context from every past conversation with this person. Open commitments, discussion history, suggested talking points. Zero prep time.
While you're on the call
A bot named “Fireflies.ai Notetaker” joins the call visibly. It records and transcribes. No live suggestions, no objection handling, no in-call AI help of any kind. You're on your own.
No bot joins. Audio captured locally from your device. Real-time suggestions, objection handling, and Ask AI (Cmd+Enter) help you while the conversation is happening.
Post-call follow-up
Transcript and AI summary available (if you have credits). AskFred can answer questions about the call — one meeting at a time. No email drafting. No action-item routing. No cross-meeting memory.
Follow-up email drafted in 30 seconds referencing what was actually discussed. Action items extracted and routed. Context saved and connected to future meetings with the same person. Role-specific outputs for sales, recruiting, consulting, and customer success teams.
WORKS WITH EVERY PLATFORM
Fireflies relies on a bot that joins your calls. Convo captures audio locally from your device — it works with anything that outputs audio.
[03]The Privacy Question/ Data & Compliance
Class-action lawsuit filed December 2025
Cruz v. Fireflies.AI Corp. alleges Fireflies illegally collects biometric voiceprints from meeting participants under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The “Speaker Recognition” feature generates voiceprints from people who never created a Fireflies account or consented to biometric data collection. The lawsuit seeks $1,000–$5,000 per violation in statutory damages.
National Law Review, December 2025Cloud-only processing
All recordings are uploaded to US-based servers (Google Cloud / AWS). EU data residency is only available on Enterprise plans with custom pricing.
Biometric voiceprints
Speaker Recognition generates voiceprints from every participant — including people who never signed up. This is the basis of the BIPA lawsuit.
Mandatory calendar access
Fireflies requires calendar integration during signup with no opt-out. The bot auto-joins meetings from your calendar, sometimes unexpectedly.
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE RESTRICTED THE FIREFLIES BOT
Microsoft Q&A threads document widespread requests from IT administrators to block the Fireflies bot from institutional meetings.
CONVO'S APPROACH
Convo processes audio locally on your device with AES-256 encryption. No audio is uploaded to cloud servers. No biometric data is generated. No calendar access is required to start. Your meetings, your device, your data. Convo works as a private AI note taker that never exposes your conversations.
[04]What It Costs at Scale/ Per-Seat vs Flat
Fireflies charges per seat. Every team member is an additional monthly charge. Convo's Professional plan is a flat rate — real-time help, follow-ups, memory, and unlimited AI included.
| Team Size | Fireflies Business (annual) | Fireflies Business (monthly) | Convo Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19/mo | $29/mo | $37.99/mo |
| 3 people | $57/mo | $87/mo | $37.99/mo |
| 5 people | $95/mo | $145/mo | $37.99/mo |
| 10 people | $190/mo | $290/mo | $37.99/mo |
All Fireflies prices above exclude credit overages. If your team exceeds the monthly AI credit allocation, extra credits cost ~$0.10 each. Convo has no per-seat charges and no credit limits. Use the meeting cost calculator to see what your meetings actually cost. For a full breakdown, see the Fireflies.ai pricing guide.
[05]Feature by Feature/ Full Comparison
| Feature | Convo | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time help & suggestions | ||
| Pre-meeting briefings | ||
| Meeting transcription | ||
| AI summaries | Credit-limited | |
| Action item extraction | Credit-limited | |
| Follow-up email drafting | ||
| Context memory across meetings | ||
| Bot-free recording | ||
| Local audio processing | ||
| Conversation analytics | Business+ | |
| Role-specific intelligence | ||
| Video recording | Business+ | |
| Slack Huddles support | ||
| EU data residency | Local by default | Enterprise only |
EXPLORE
Fireflies.ai Review 2026
Full breakdown of Fireflies' features, pricing, and limitations.
Convo vs Fireflies.ai
Side-by-side comparison from the team that built Convo.
Otter.ai Alternative
How Convo compares to Otter for meeting transcription.
MeetGeek Alternative
MeetGeek vs Convo for meeting recording and transcription.
FAQ
Common questions about switching from Fireflies
READY TO SWITCH
Stop counting AI credits.
Start getting help in your meetings.
Real-time help, automated follow-ups, and context that compounds. No bot. No credit limits. Audio stays on your device.
Download for MacSources & References
- Fireflies.ai Feature Comparison (2025)
- Meeting Recording Privacy Guidelines - GDPR
- SOC 2 Type II Certification Standards
- Industry Survey: Meeting Assistant Usage (Gartner, 2025)