Fireflies.ai alternatives: 3 free & open-source picks
Compare recorded free and open-source options, their capabilities and operating requirements. Source dates are shown below; licenses, hosted limits and project activity can change.
One installer records meetings without a bot, labels speakers, summarizes them and keeps the archive searchable.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installInstall the signed macOS DMG, Windows EXE or Linux package, grant audio/accessibility permissions and choose local, cloud or BYOK processing
enginesLocal Whisper via whisper.cpp; NVIDIA Parakeet and Nemotron via sherpa-onnx; local LLMs via llama.cpp; BYOK OpenAI, Groq, xAI, Mistral, Tinfoil, OpenRouter, Corti, Anthropic/Google and OpenWhispr Cloud
dataNotes and history in local SQLite with recordings/model caches in app directories; optional sync uses OpenWhispr Cloud/Neon PostgreSQL, while cloud or BYOK audio goes to the selected provider
the catch vs Fireflies.aiIt lacks Fireflies' mature managed bot and team analytics, while reliable capture depends on desktop audio permissions and routing.
setupMeeting capture needs OS audio permissions and a model download or cloud/API choice; macOS also needs Accessibility and Screen Recording/System Audio permission
facts verified 2026-08-11
A polished self-hosted call archive with transcription, summaries, search and chat; zero subscription, nonzero server.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
installDownload the example Docker Compose and .env, add transcription/text-model credentials or endpoints, set the admin account and run docker compose up -d
enginesASR via self-hosted WhisperX, OpenAI transcription, Mistral Voxtral, AssemblyAI, VibeVoice or custom endpoints; LLMs via any OpenAI-compatible endpoint including OpenRouter, OpenAI, Gemini, LocalAI or Ollama
dataSQLite in the mounted instance directory, audio in mounted uploads or S3-compatible storage, and optional auto-exports such as Markdown and SRT files
the catch vs Fireflies.aiIt has no managed calendar bot or automatic conferencing integrations; capture, uptime and every external integration are yours to operate.
setupDocker is mandatory for the easy path, and the operator must supply API keys or deploy a separate GPU ASR container plus reverse proxy/TLS
facts verified 2026-08-11
Unlimited recording, transcription, basic summaries, clips and search for one person; the revenue-team machinery remains paid.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup, connect Google or Outlook Calendar, and install or authorize Fathom's meeting capture app or bot
enginesFathom's proprietary AI plus third-party subprocessors including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google; individual model names are not disclosed
dataMeeting audio/video, transcripts, notes and calendar/attendee metadata in Fathom's US-hosted cloud; recordings remain until deleted on free plans and can be downloaded or exported
the catch vs Fireflies.aiThe free plan is individual-first and lacks Fireflies' richer team analytics, CRM workflow automation and broad cross-meeting collaboration.
setupAuthorizing calendar, microphone or screen capture and the visible meeting bot or beta bot-free recorder
facts verified 2026-08-11
latest recorded source check 2026-08-11 · check current terms at the source
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenWhispr | MIT | one-click install | macos, windows, linux | 5,223 | 2026-08 |
| Speakr | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 3,600 | 2026-07 |
| Fathom | proprietary, free | they host it | web, macos, windows | — | — |
They pay because the bot reliably appears, captures, files, and shares notes across the whole team. The recorded subscription totals $216 a year before any costs of an alternative.
Questions about these alternatives
Is there a free alternative to Fireflies.ai?
Yes: OpenWhispr, Speakr, Fathom. These are recorded free or open-source options. Compare their feature limits, licenses, hosting costs and current availability before choosing.
Should I just build my own Fireflies.ai?
Our verdict is KINDA. The summarizer is easy; the meeting bot, calendar routing, integrations, team search, and admin layer make it more than a one-prompt clone. Review the scope, implementation prompt and trade-offs in the Fireflies.ai build guide.
