Kimiko vs Fireflies: Bot-Free, Local AI Meeting Notes (2026)

The short answer

Fireflies is a cloud meeting assistant built around Fred, a notetaker that joins your Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls; its desktop app can also take notes without a bot. It has a free plan, more than 100 integrations and its own dictation app. Kimiko records from your computer and runs transcription and AI there, keeping your library on your Mac or PC.

Choose Kimiko if

You want meetings transcribed and summarized on your own computer.
You need meetings processed offline once your models are downloaded.
You’d rather your AI questions weren’t metered in credits.
You want to choose local or cloud models, including your own provider account.

Choose Fireflies if

You want a notetaker that joins your calls automatically from your calendar.
You want a free plan, and audio or video recordings of your calls.
Your team relies on CRM, Slack or storage integrations.
Your company needs SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 42001 or HIPAA.

Side by side

Kimiko and Fireflies compared, checked 17 October 2026. Numbers link to the sources at the end of the page.
Feature	Kimiko	Fireflies
Recording
Records without a bot in the call	YesThe desktop app records your microphone and computer audio, so nobody new joins the call.22	With the desktop appFred joins calls as a participant by default. The Mac and Windows apps can take notes without a bot.8
Zoom, Teams and Google Meet	Yes, and other call appsIt listens to your computer’s audio, so it works alongside Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet and other call apps.23	Yes, and moreFred joins Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Webex and others; the desktop app adds other call apps.9
Apps	Mac and WindowsApple silicon Macs with macOS 14.4 or later, and 64-bit PCs with Windows 11. No web or mobile app.24	Web, Mac, Windows, phonesA web app, Mac and Windows apps, iPhone and Android apps, and a Chrome extension.10
Privacy and processing
Transcribes on your computer	Yes, by defaultLocal speech models run on your Mac or PC. Cloud transcription with Deepgram or ElevenLabs is optional.25	NoTranscription runs on Fireflies’ servers in the United States.11
Summaries and chat on your computer	Yes, by defaultBuilt-in local AI writes summaries, suggests tasks and answers questions. Cloud AI is optional.26	NoSummaries and AskFred run in Fireflies’ cloud, with OpenAI and Anthropic among its AI vendors.14
Works without internet	Yes, after setupDownloaded models work offline. Downloads, activation and subscription checks still need a connection.27	NoProcessing runs on Fireflies’ servers. The phone app can record offline and upload later.15
Where your meetings are kept	On your computerAn encrypted database on your computer. Your Kimiko account doesn’t upload or sync your meetings.28	Fireflies’ cloud, USStored on AWS and Google Cloud in the US. Enterprise can choose a location or its own bucket.12
Meeting audio	Not saved by defaultKimiko transcribes, then discards the audio, unless you choose to keep it for 7 or 30 days.29	Kept by defaultBot recordings keep the audio; Enterprise can delete it after transcription. Bot-free notes save none.13
AI training on your content	NoYour meetings don’t reach Kimiko’s servers. A cloud provider you choose applies its own terms.28	NoFireflies says it doesn’t train on meeting content and its AI vendors keep nothing.14
Choose your AI models	YesPick local models, connect Ollama or LM Studio, or use OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenRouter with your own account.30	Global AskFredPick Anthropic, OpenAI or Google models for Global AskFred. No own-key option is described.16
Notes and AI
Write your own notes during the call	YesWrite in a full notes editor beside the live transcript. Your notes help shape the summary.22	Desktop appType private notes in the desktop app and merge them into the summary.17
Ask questions across meetings	YesAsk about one meeting, a project or your whole library, then follow the source links back.31	YesAskFred answers about one meeting; Global AskFred searches past meetings, apps and the web.16
Action items	YesKimiko suggests next steps. You keep or dismiss each one, and it stays linked to its meeting.32	YesAI recaps include action items, which also show live during the call.10
Speaker labels	YesLive labels for up to eight remote voices; your microphone is “You”. Remembering voices is experimental.33	YesBot recordings name speakers. Bot-free notes show “Speaker 1” and “Speaker 2” until you rename them.8
Voice dictation in other apps	IncludedTurn it on and dictate into most apps’ text fields with your shortcut, using local or cloud speech.34	Fireflies TalkDictate into other apps on Mac and Windows, on every plan.18
Export formats	PDF, Word and MarkdownExport the summary, your notes or the transcript.35	PDF, DOCX, SRT, MarkdownTranscripts also as CSV or JSON, plus MP3 and MP4. Downloads need Pro or higher.19
Connect AI assistants (MCP)	Yes, localDesktop AI apps can read your notes, meetings and tasks through local MCP, off until you turn it on.36	Yes, hostedAn official MCP server for ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor.20
Teams and plans
Integrations	Calendars and MCPOptional Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook connections. No CRM, Slack or Notion sync.37	100+ appsSalesforce, HubSpot, Slack, dialers and storage services. Limited on the free plan.6
Shared workspaces and admin	NoBuilt for individuals. One license works on up to 3 of your computers; ask us about team licensing.38	YesA team workspace and channels from the free plan; SSO and SCIM on Enterprise.3
Security certifications	None yetKimiko doesn’t host your meetings: they stay in the encrypted database on your computer.28	SOC 2 Type IISOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 42001 and GDPR; HIPAA with a BAA on Enterprise.5
Free option	Free trialTry the full app free. No credit card needed.39	Free plan400 minutes of storage, meetings up to 2 hours and 20 one-time AI credits.2
Paid plans from	$12 a month, or $107.88 a yearThe full app, tax included.40	US$10 per user a monthPro, billed annually ($18 billed monthly). Extra AI credits cost more.1

Where they differ

Fred in the call, or your computer’s audio

Fred joins calls as a visible participant, from your calendar or an invite, and hosts admit it from the lobby. The desktop app’s Take Notes mode records your computer’s audio without a bot, but saves no recording and labels speakers generically; the Chrome extension records Google Meet.

Kimiko always records from your computer, with any call app. It labels up to eight remote voices live, and your own microphone is labeled “You”.

Where meetings are processed and kept

Fireflies processes meetings on its US servers and stores them on AWS and Google Cloud. Enterprise customers can choose where data is stored, but processing still happens in the United States. Fireflies says it doesn’t train on meeting content.

Kimiko runs local speech and AI models and keeps your library in an encrypted database on your computer. Meeting audio isn’t saved unless you choose to keep it.

Credits, limits and dictation

Fireflies’ plans set storage minutes and meeting lengths of two to four hours, and Global AskFred uses AI credits you can top up. Fireflies Talk adds dictation into other apps on every plan.

Kimiko includes dictation too. Its local AI runs on your computer, so questions aren’t counted in credits; a cloud provider you connect bills you directly.

Pricing

Kimiko

$12 a month, or $107.88 a year

The full app on up to 3 of your computers, tax included. Free to try, no credit card needed.

See Kimiko’s plans

Fireflies

Free: Free400 minutes of storage, meetings up to 2 hours.
Pro: $10 per user a monthBilled annually, or $18 monthly. 8,000 minutes of storage per seat.
Business: $19 per user a monthBilled annually, or $29 monthly. Unlimited storage, 3-hour meetings.
Enterprise: $39 per user a monthBilled annually. SSO, SCIM, HIPAA and private storage.

As listed by Fireflies.ai Corp. on 17 October 2026, in US dollars.1

Questions

Can Fireflies record without a bot?

Yes. Fireflies’ Mac and Windows app can take notes from your computer’s audio without Fred joining, though it saves no recording and labels speakers generically. Its Chrome extension records Google Meet. By default, Fred joins calls as a participant.

Does Fireflies work offline?

No. Fireflies transcribes and summarizes on its servers; its phone app can record offline and upload later. Kimiko’s local models work without internet once they’re downloaded.

Does Fireflies use my meetings to train AI?

Fireflies says it doesn’t train on meeting content and that its AI vendors keep nothing. Your Kimiko meetings stay on your computer and don’t reach Kimiko’s servers.

Does Fireflies have dictation like Kimiko?

Yes. Fireflies Talk dictates into other apps on Mac and Windows, on every plan. Kimiko includes dictation too, with local or cloud speech models.

How much does Fireflies cost?

Fireflies has a free plan. Pro costs US$10 per user a month billed annually, or US$18 monthly, and Global AskFred uses AI credits you can top up. Kimiko is one plan for the full app; see Pricing above.

Try Kimiko with your next meeting

Record a short call you have permission to record, then read the summary and the tasks Kimiko suggests. Free to try. No credit card needed.

Download for Mac

Apple silicon · macOS 14.4 or later

Download for Windows

64-bit Windows 11 PCs

Running locally? 16 GB of RAM is a practical starting point. See the system requirements

Sources

We read Fireflies’s pages on 17 October 2026. Plans and features change, so check them before you decide. Kimiko is an independent product and is not affiliated with Fireflies.ai Corp. Product names belong to their owners. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.