Fireflies.ai

Free Tier Ratings

Last Reviewed: 2026-03-23

Fireflies is a transcription tool, not a content generator.

Fireflies does not generate images.

Fireflies is a transcription tool, not a research assistant.

Fireflies is a transcription tool, not a content generator.

Fireflies is a transcription tool, not a writing assistant.

Fireflies is a transcription tool, not a communications tool.

Can transcribe board meetings. Storage limits may cause data loss.

Core function works but AI credits are limited and consumed per summary generation.

Fireflies transcribes in 100+ languages but does not translate.

No training on content. Third-party vendors have zero-retention.

Fireflies does not perform data analysis beyond meeting analytics.

Core function. No training on content. Zero-retention with vendors. BIPA lawsuit risk for meetings with Illinois participants.

No content training

Does not train on meeting content. All third-party vendors (OpenAI, Assembly.ai ASR) operate under zero-day retention agreements and cannot use data for training. Confirmed in March 6, 2026 updated Privacy Policy and DPA.

Not needed

Training is off by default for all tiers. No opt-out required for AI training. Opt-out available for targeted advertising and marketing emails via privacy choices link in footer.

Never

Fireflies internal team cannot access user meeting data by default. Explicit user permission required for support requests. No human review of meeting content.

User

Users control which meetings are recorded and can remove Fireflies bot at any time. Users can delete individual meetings immediately.

Not available

HIPAA BAA not available on Free tier. Upgrade to Enterprise for HIPAA compliance.

12 months minimum

Data saved for at least 12 months by default. Users can delete individual meetings immediately. Account deletion purges all data within 30 days. Voice/biometric data deleted within 3 years of last interaction per Illinois BIPA requirements.

SOC 2 Type II

SOC 2 Type II certified (2025/2026 report available). GDPR compliant. 256-bit AES encryption at rest, TLS 1.2+ in transit. GCP infrastructure with AWS VPC database. Penetration Test Report 2025 available via Trust Center.

10% off all paid plans

Nonprofits (NGOs) and educational institutions (students). Email [email protected] from your organization's domain email to request a discounted invoice before payment, or request a refund after upgrading via Settings > Billing

Zero-day retention with all vendors

Fireflies has BAAs with OpenAI and all transcription vendors (including Assembly.ai) requiring immediate data deletion after processing. This is stronger than most competitors and was reaffirmed in the March 6, 2026 DPA update.

Recording modes for compliance

Enterprise tier can choose Transcript + Summary only mode that automatically deletes audio after processing. Useful for organizations that cannot store voice recordings. (Note: the Business tier does not include this mode — it is Enterprise-only.)

Bot joins your meetings

Unlike native transcription, Fireflies sends a visible bot to join calls. This may concern external stakeholders or interviewees. Pre-meeting consent emails are configurable. The bot's presence does not guarantee legal consent in all-party consent states.

Free tier is a trap

800 minutes of storage and limited AI credits run out quickly. Many users report being pushed to upgrade within weeks of active use. The Free tier is impractical for organizations with regular meeting schedules.

HIPAA and FERPA require Enterprise

Healthcare nonprofits must use Enterprise tier to get a signed BAA. Educational nonprofits handling student records under FERPA also need Enterprise with private storage and a signed DSA. No workaround at lower tiers.

BIPA lawsuit risk — pending litigation

A December 2025 class-action lawsuit (Cruz v. Fireflies.AI Corp., filed December 18, 2025) alleges illegal biometric voiceprint collection without written consent under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act. This affects people recorded in meetings who never agreed to Fireflies' terms. Organizations operating in Illinois or other all-party consent states (CA, FL, MD, MA, MI, MT, NH, PA, WA, DE, CT) should consult legal counsel before deploying Fireflies.

Enterprise price is now fixed at $39/seat

Enterprise pricing is $39/user/month on annual billing — no longer 'contact for custom pricing.' Volume discounts may be negotiated for large deployments. The fixed price makes budgeting easier for nonprofits.

EU AI Act non-compliance

Fireflies uses sentiment analysis, which is restricted under the EU AI Act. This may affect European nonprofits or those subject to EU privacy law. Fireflies is an American company and has not indicated plans to modify this feature for EU compliance.

2026-03-06

Major policy update: Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Data Processing Addendum (DPA) all revised. Key additions: stronger DPA protections for Business and Enterprise customers (Fireflies as Processor, no cross-customer data combining, no advertising use of Customer Personal Data), Data Privacy Framework self-certification for EU-US transfers, FERPA compliance formalized, voice/biometric data deletion schedules added per Illinois BIPA requirements.

2026-01-08

FERPA compliance documentation published for Enterprise tier. Requires private storage and signed Data Sharing Agreement (DSA). Enterprise customers can now complete FERPA compliance via Security Checklist in Team Settings.

2025-12-18

Class-action lawsuit filed (Cruz v. Fireflies.AI Corp., Central District of Illinois) alleging illegal collection and storage of biometric voiceprint data without written consent under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Affects non-consenting meeting participants recorded by Fireflies bots.

2025-12-01

Live Assist and Desktop App launched. Live Assist provides real-time AI coaching, suggestions, and answers during meetings. Expands Fireflies from post-meeting transcription to real-time meeting intelligence.

2025-06-18

Privacy policy updated. Continued commitment to zero-day retention with vendors.

2025-02-20

Published detailed security FAQ addressing AI training concerns.

For organizations with 5+ staff

Business tier at $19/user/month (10% nonprofit discount available via direct request) provides unlimited storage and custom retention. Enterprise at $39/user/month is needed for HIPAA, FERPA, SSO, private storage, and SCIM. The December 2025 BIPA lawsuit is an active legal risk — ensure all meeting participants are informed of recording regardless of tier.

For organizations with fewer than 5 staff

Pro tier at $10/user/month (annual, 10% nonprofit discount available) is reasonable for small teams. Strong privacy practices including zero-day vendor retention. Free tier storage and credit limits make it impractical for regular meeting documentation. Not on TechSoup or Goodstack — discount requires emailing [email protected] directly.

For health data or vulnerable populations

Enterprise tier required for HIPAA BAA and FERPA compliance. No exceptions at lower tiers. Educational nonprofits handling student records also need Enterprise for FERPA (with private storage and DSA). The BIPA lawsuit highlights additional risk when recording participants who have not personally consented — consult legal counsel for any client-facing recording in Illinois or all-party consent states.