NoteOwl vs Fireflies

A Fireflies alternative with no bot and no cloud

NoteOwl is a Fireflies alternative for Mac that takes your meeting notes with no bot in the call: it records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, then transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on the Mac itself.

Nothing is uploaded, it works the same with or without internet, meetings have no length limit, and you pay once instead of subscribing — with free dictation into every app on top.

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Meeting notes without a bot joining your call (0:45).
Read the transcript

You know that moment when a bot joins your call… and everyone gets a little weird?

Yeah. NoteOwl doesn’t do that.

It’s a Mac app that takes your meeting notes right on your computer. Nothing leaves your Mac.

When you hang up? Summary, decisions, action items. All done.

Every promise gets tracked, so nothing slips through.

And you can chat with all your past meetings. Even offline.

NoteOwl. Free to download. Your next call’s the test.

Why choose NoteOwl over Fireflies?

Because no bot joins your call, your meetings never leave your Mac, everything works offline, and you pay once. On top of that you get voices recognised in any call, your recordings kept for replay, and a memory you can ask — offline, with no credits to buy.

  • No bot joins your call

    NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so nothing joins your Zoom, Teams or Google Meet call. By default, the Fireflies.ai Notetaker auto-joins calendar meetings with a web-conference link, as a participant everyone can see.[4,5]

  • The same online or offline

    Transcripts, summaries and chat all work with Wi-Fi off, after the one-time model download. Fireflies transcribes and summarizes in its cloud.[10]

  • Pay once. No subscription.

    NoteOwl Pro is $79 once for your Mac. Fireflies Pro is $10 a month per seat, billed annually, and its AI credits are not included in that price.[1,2]

  • Your meetings stay on your Mac

    Recording, transcription, summaries and chat — and NoteOwl’s free dictation — all run on your Mac with on-device AI models. Nothing is uploaded to NoteOwl or anyone else.

  • Voices recognised, no bot needed

    Speakers are separated in any call app. Name a voice once and it’s recognised in every meeting after; the voice profile stays on your Mac. When its desktop app records without the bot, Fireflies labels speakers Speaker 1 and Speaker 2.[6,7]

  • Keeps your recordings

    Replay any line, edit the transcript or transcribe it again, whatever the meeting’s length. When the Fireflies desktop app records without its bot, it saves no audio or video.[8]

  • Ask every meeting, even offline

    Chat answers from your own meetings and notes and cites the passage it used — with nothing to pay per question. Fireflies’ Global AskFred spends AI credits on every question.[19]

  • Every promise, and everyone you meet

    A board of what you owe and what you’re owed, a profile for everyone you meet, and prep pages from your Mac’s Calendar — Apple Calendar included.

What is Fireflies AI, and how is NoteOwl different?

Fireflies AI is a cloud-based AI note taker: by default its Fireflies.ai Notetaker auto-joins calendar meetings as a visible participant, and its desktop app can record without it[4,5,6,10]. NoteOwl takes notes with no bot and does all the work on your Mac.

Bot in the call
NoteOwlNone; records your microphone and your Mac’s audio
FirefliesBy default, the Fireflies.ai Notetaker auto-joins calendar meetings with a web-conference link and is always visible in the participant list; the desktop app’s Take Notes mode records without it[4,5,6]
Where transcription and AI run
NoteOwlOn your Mac, with on-device AI models
FirefliesIn Fireflies’ US cloud (Google Cloud and AWS), with providers including AssemblyAI, Soniox, OpenAI and Anthropic, which Fireflies says keep no meeting content[10,11,13]
Where recordings and notes are stored
NoteOwlA folder on your Mac; never uploaded
FirefliesFireflies’ cloud, in the US by default[10]
Training on your data
NoteOwlNothing is uploaded; the app has no analytics or telemetry
FirefliesFireflies says meeting content is never used to train AI models, and its terms bar training generative AI on your content[13,14]
Sharing by default
NoteOwlNothing is shared or emailed; a note leaves your Mac only when you copy, export or share it
FirefliesRecaps: “Teammates & anyone with link”, so anyone with the link can view one; recap emails go to everyone on the calendar invite, external guests included. Both can be changed[15,16]
Works offline
NoteOwlEverything, after the one-time model download
FirefliesThe mobile app records offline; transcription and AI run after upload, in Fireflies’ cloud[10,17]
Price
NoteOwl$79 once for one Mac; no subscription
FirefliesPro $10 per seat per month billed annually, or $18 billed monthly; Business $19 per seat per month billed annually, or $29 billed monthly; AI credits are not included in the base price[1,2]
Meeting length
NoteOwlNo limit; audio is saved to disk as you record
FirefliesThe bot stays up to 2 hours a meeting on Free and Pro, 3 on Business and 4 on Enterprise[1,18]
Speaker names
NoteOwlSpeakers separated in any call app; name a voice once and it’s recognised in later meetings; voice profiles stay on your Mac
FirefliesIn bot meetings, names from the meeting platform when available; in the desktop app without the bot, Speaker 1 / Speaker 2[6,7,12]
Meeting audio
NoteOwlKept on your Mac, so you can replay any line or transcribe again
FirefliesKept with bot meetings by default; not saved when the desktop app records without a bot[8,9]
Chat with your meetings
NoteOwlAnswers from your own meetings and notes, citing the passage; works offline, with no charge per question
FirefliesGlobal AskFred answers from past meetings and web search; every question spends AI credits, on every plan[19]
Dictation into other apps
NoteOwlYes, free and unlimited, turned into text on your Mac; tap Polish to tidy it in the tone for that app
FirefliesFireflies Talk: unlimited dictation, free on every plan, on Mac and Windows[20]
Calendar
NoteOwlAny calendar in the Mac’s Calendar app
FirefliesGoogle Calendar or Outlook, one calendar per account[21]
Getting notes out
NoteOwlCopy any note into any app, export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT, or export everything as plain files
FirefliesPro and above: PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, JSON or MD, plus MP3 audio and MP4 video[22]
Account
NoteOwlNone for dictation; an email address for Pro
FirefliesA Google or Microsoft (Outlook) account[1]
Devices
NoteOwlMac
FirefliesWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a Chrome extension[1,23]
Mac requirements
NoteOwlmacOS 26 or later, Apple silicon, 16 GB memory
FirefliesmacOS 12 or later, Apple silicon or Intel[23]
Fireflies’ column is taken from Fireflies’ own website, Help Center, Trust Center and terms, checked on 27 September 2026; the numbers link to the sources.

Fireflies AI pricing

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Fireflies?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once. Fireflies Pro is $10 per seat per month, billed annually — $120 a year and $360 over three years — or $18 a month, billed monthly.[1]

And you can start free: dictation and voice notes are free forever, and every Pro feature is free for 7 days in the app, with no card. Fireflies’ free trial is 7 days of its Business plan, and it needs a credit or debit card.[3]

What one person pays

  1. After 1 year

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fireflies Pro, billed annually$120

  2. After 2 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fireflies Pro, billed annually$240

  3. After 3 years

    NoteOwl Pro$79
    Fireflies Pro, billed annually$360
NoteOwl Pro: $79 once, for one Mac. Fireflies pricing: Pro is $10 per seat per month, billed annually ($18 per seat per month billed monthly), with 8,000 minutes of storage per seat and a 2-hour recording limit per meeting. AI credits are not included in the base price: Pro comes with a one-time 20, and add-on packs start at 50 credits for $5 a month.[1,2] Fireflies’ US-dollar list prices, checked 27 September 2026; yearly totals are $10 × 12.

Where does Fireflies AI process and store your meetings?

In Fireflies’ cloud, in the United States. Fireflies says it stores and processes your data on AWS and Google Cloud, with third-party transcription and AI providers, and by default anyone with a meeting recap’s link can view it.[10,11,15]

Fireflies, in its own words

“By default, your data is stored and processed in Fireflies’ secure cloud infrastructure in the United States (AWS and GCP).”[10]
“Teammates & anyone with link (Default) — Anyone with the recap link can view it, and all teammates can access it in the #All Meetings tab even if they weren’t in the meeting.”[15]
“By default, this is set to Everyone on the invite.” … “Everyone on the invite — Sends the recap to all calendar invitees (internal + external)”[16]

Both sharing defaults can be changed in Fireflies’ settings.

NoteOwl

Recording, transcription, speaker detection, summaries, search and chat all run on the Mac. Recordings, transcripts and notes are never uploaded to NoteOwl or anyone else, and the app has no analytics or telemetry.

Nothing is shared or emailed on your behalf. When you want a follow-up, ask NoteOwl to draft one, then send it yourself.

The only network use: the one-time model download, update checks and, for Pro, signing in and an occasional licence check — none of which sends what you record. How NoteOwl takes meeting notes without a bot

When is Fireflies the better choice?

When you want a cloud service. Fireflies transcribes and summarizes in its cloud and keeps your meetings there, so they follow you to any device you sign in on. If you want your meetings on your Mac, online or offline, choose NoteOwl.

Can you switch from Fireflies to NoteOwl?

Yes, starting with your next meeting. Download NoteOwl, and the next call you take is transcribed and summarized on your Mac, with no bot. Recordings you already have as audio or video files can be imported into NoteOwl Pro and transcribed with speaker labels.

When the call ends you have the summary and the action items, and you can rewrite the summary in any of 22 templates. Your notes are never locked in: copy any note into any app, or export it as Markdown, PDF, text or SRT — or all of your data at once as plain files.

Sources

Last checked . Fireflies facts are quoted or summarised from Fireflies’ own website, Help Center, Trust Center and terms, using US-dollar list prices. Plans and policies change; check them before you decide.

  1. [1]Fireflies.ai, Pricing
  2. [2]Fireflies Help Center, Learn about AI credits
  3. [3]Fireflies Help Center, Learn about the Fireflies free trial
  4. [4]Fireflies Help Center, How to disable the Fireflies auto-join settings
  5. [5]Fireflies Help Center, How Fireflies joins and records your meetings: FAQs
  6. [6]Fireflies Help Center, How to record meetings without a bot on the Fireflies desktop app
  7. [7]Fireflies Help Center, Bot vs. no bot: which capture am I using?
  8. [8]Fireflies Help Center, Does the desktop app save an audio recording?
  9. [9]Fireflies Help Center, Recording modes for compliance in Fireflies
  10. [10]Fireflies Help Center, Learn about data storage and transfer
  11. [11]Fireflies Trust Center, Subprocessors
  12. [12]Fireflies Trust Center, FAQ
  13. [13]Fireflies Help Center, Policy on keeping information safe
  14. [14]Fireflies.ai, Terms of Service
  15. [15]Fireflies Help Center, How to configure privacy settings for your meeting recaps
  16. [16]Fireflies Help Center, How to configure meeting recap emails and privacy settings
  17. [17]Fireflies Help Center, How to upload unprocessed files in the Fireflies mobile app
  18. [18]Fireflies Help Center, How long can Fireflies stay in your meetings?
  19. [19]Fireflies Help Center, Global AskFred: get answers from past meetings, connected apps and web search
  20. [20]Fireflies.ai, Download Fireflies Talk
  21. [21]Fireflies Help Center, What calendars are supported?
  22. [22]Fireflies Help Center, How to download transcripts, summaries and meeting recordings from Fireflies
  23. [23]Fireflies.ai, Download the desktop app

FAQ

Questions about NoteOwl and Fireflies

Is there a Fireflies alternative that runs on your Mac?

Yes. NoteOwl is a Mac app that takes meeting notes with no bot in the call and runs its transcription, summaries and chat on the Mac itself, so your meetings are never uploaded and everything works offline. By default, Fireflies stores and processes meetings in its cloud in the United States.

Is NoteOwl cheaper than Fireflies?

Yes, for one person on one Mac. NoteOwl Pro is $79 once, with a 7-day free trial and no card, and NoteOwl’s dictation is free forever. Fireflies Pro is $10 per seat per month, billed annually — $120 a year, or $360 over three years — or $18 per seat per month billed monthly, and Fireflies says AI credits are not included in the base price. Prices checked on 27 September 2026.

Does the Fireflies AI notetaker join meetings automatically?

By default, yes. Fireflies says its Notetaker is set to join all meetings with a web-conference link and is always visible in the participant list; auto-join can be turned off, and the Fireflies desktop app can record without the bot. NoteOwl never uses a bot: it records your microphone and your Mac’s audio.

Does NoteOwl join my calls?

No. NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s audio, so no bot joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call. Nothing tells the other people that you are taking notes, so tell them yourself — it is the right thing to do and, in many places, the law.

Does NoteOwl work offline?

Yes. NoteOwl transcribes, summarizes and answers questions on your Mac, so everything works offline after a one-time model download. Fireflies transcribes and summarizes in its cloud, so those steps need an internet connection.

Does Fireflies AI train on my meetings?

Fireflies says meeting content — audio, video, transcripts and summaries — is never used to train AI models, and its terms bar training generative AI on your content. Fireflies does transcribe and summarize meetings in its US cloud, with third-party AI providers. NoteOwl uploads nothing: its transcription, summaries and chat run on your Mac.

Does NoteOwl have a free plan?

Yes. Dictation into any app and voice notes are free forever, with no limit. Meeting notes, chat and the rest of Pro are free for 7 days in the app, with no card; after that Pro is $79 once.

Does NoteOwl run on Windows or iPhone?

No. NoteOwl is a Mac app for macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon with 16 GB of memory. Its AI runs on the Mac itself, which is what keeps your meetings off the cloud.

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How NoteOwl does it

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Take your next meeting’s notes on your Mac, with no bot

Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.

Download free

macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended

About NoteOwl

NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.

NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds

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