Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

BrightHire vs Fireflies.ai

BrightHire logo

BrightHire

Recruitment

Records, transcribes and analyses job interviews to make hiring decisions reviewable, now owned by Zoom

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fireflies.ai logo

Fireflies.ai

Remote Work

AI note-taking for teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fireflies.ai has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BrightHire zoom acquired BrightHire on 1 December 2025, so an organisation standardised on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet is now depending on a competitor of its meeting platform to keep supporting it, and should get that commitment in the contract.; Fireflies.ai video recording limits by tier: Free tier has 2 hours, Pro tier 2 hours, Business tier 3 hours, Enterprise tier 4 hours
  • They diverge on capability: BrightHire covers Interview recording and transcription, Fireflies.ai covers Automatic transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BrightHire and Fireflies.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where BrightHire and Fireflies.ai differ
AttributeBrightHireFireflies.ai
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google MeetWeb, iOS, Android, Desktop, Chrome extension
CategoryRecruitmentRemote Work
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BrightHire

  • Interview recording and transcription
  • Live interviewer guidance
  • Highlight reels
  • Searchable transcript library
  • Interviewer analytics
  • ATS integration
  • BrightHire Screen
  • Consent and compliance controls

Only in Fireflies.ai

  • Automatic transcription
  • Meeting summaries
  • Action item extraction
  • Speaker identification
  • Search functionality
  • Team sharing
  • Integration APIs
  • Zoom

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BrightHire

  • A hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memoriesnot Fireflies.ai
  • Auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely publishednot Fireflies.ai
  • Coaching new interviewers using recordings of their own calls instead of secondhand feedbacknot Fireflies.ai
  • Reviewing hiring processes for consistency and adverse impact with evidence a legal team will acceptnot Fireflies.ai

Fireflies.ai

  • Meeting transcription and note-taking across teamsnot BrightHire
  • AI-powered meeting summaries in 100+ languagesnot BrightHire
  • Unlimited transcription and AI summaries on paid tiersnot BrightHire

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BrightHire

  • Zoom acquired BrightHire on 1 December 2025, so an organisation standardised on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet is now depending on a competitor of its meeting platform to keep supporting it, and should get that commitment in the contract.
  • Pricing is quote only and mixes recruiter and hiring manager seats with a usage component tied to interview volume, so a company with a lumpy hiring plan cannot forecast the annual cost with any accuracy.
  • Recording interviews requires candidate consent and creates a retention obligation, which in Germany, France and several US states means a works council or legal review before the tool can be switched on.
  • Hiring managers are the least frequent users but often need seats to review reels and transcripts, so seat-based pricing charges most for the people who log in a few times a quarter.
  • Analytics measure process compliance, such as question coverage and talk time, not hiring outcomes, so it will tell you your interviews are consistent long before it tells you they are predictive.

Fireflies.ai

  • Video recording limits by tier: Free tier has 2 hours, Pro tier 2 hours, Business tier 3 hours, Enterprise tier 4 hours
  • Storage quotas on Free and Pro tiers: Free tier limited to 400 minutes per team, Pro tier limited to 8,000 minutes per seat
  • AI credits allocation varies by tier, with lower tiers receiving limited credits for advanced AI features

Pricing, plan by plan

BrightHire

On request
  • Recruiters$undefined/year
    • Recording, transcription and notes for recruiting teams
    • ATS write-back
    • Seat based, quoted
  • Teams$undefined/year
    • Everything for recruiters plus hiring manager seats
    • Interviewer analytics and highlight reels
    • Seat plus interview volume components, quoted
  • Enterprises$undefined/year
    • Organisation-wide rollout
    • Compliance, consent and retention controls
    • Advanced analytics and support
  • BrightHire Screen$undefined/year
    • AI-led screening interviews
    • Available standalone or bundled with Interview Intelligence
    • Quoted only

Fireflies.ai

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fireflies.ai review.

Which should you pick?

Choose BrightHire if

  • You need interview recording and transcription.
  • You work on Web, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet.
  • You also want live interviewer guidance.
BrightHire review

Choose Fireflies.ai if

  • You need automatic transcription.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop, Chrome extension.
  • You also want meeting summaries.
Fireflies.ai review

Questions people ask

Is BrightHire or Fireflies.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. BrightHire starts at On request and Fireflies.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BrightHire or Fireflies.ai?
Fireflies.ai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BrightHire and Free for Fireflies.ai.
Does BrightHire or Fireflies.ai run on more platforms?
BrightHire runs on Web, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet. Fireflies.ai runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop, Chrome extension.
Can I use Fireflies.ai for free?
Yes. Fireflies.ai has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BrightHire starts at On request.
What is BrightHire best used for?
BrightHire is most often used for a hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memories, auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely published, coaching new interviewers using recordings of their own calls instead of secondhand feedback, reviewing hiring processes for consistency and adverse impact with evidence a legal team will accept. Of those, a hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memories and auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely published are not what Fireflies.ai is typically brought in for.
What can BrightHire do that Fireflies.ai cannot?
BrightHire covers Interview recording and transcription, Live interviewer guidance, Highlight reels, Searchable transcript library. Fireflies.ai covers Automatic transcription, Meeting summaries, Action item extraction, Speaker identification.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BrightHire: Who owns BrightHire?

Zoom Communications acquired it on 1 December 2025. It continues to operate as a standalone brand.

Fireflies.ai: Does Fireflies.ai have a free plan?

Yes, Fireflies has a free plan with unlimited transcription and AI summaries. The free plan includes 400 minutes of storage per team and 20 AI credits.

Source
BrightHire: Does it work outside Zoom?

Yes, it runs across Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet today. Given the ownership change, ask for that in writing.

Fireflies.ai: What are Fireflies.ai's paid plan prices?

Fireflies offers three paid tiers: Pro at $10/seat/month (billed annually, $18/month if monthly), Business at $19/seat/month (billed annually, $29/month if monthly), and Enterprise at $39/seat/month (annual billing only).

Source
BrightHire: Is pricing published?

No. Pricing combines seats and interview volume and is quoted per organisation.

Fireflies.ai: How much storage do Fireflies plans include?

The free plan includes 400 minutes of storage per team. Pro includes 8,000 minutes per seat. Business and Enterprise plans offer unlimited storage.

Source
BrightHire: Do candidates have to consent to recording?

Yes, and in several jurisdictions you will also need employee representative or legal sign-off before deployment.

Fireflies.ai: What is the most popular Fireflies plan?

The Business plan at $19/seat/month (billed annually) is marked as the most popular option. It includes unlimited storage, 30 AI credits, multi-language mode, and conversation intelligence.

Source
Fireflies.ai: What discount does annual billing provide on Fireflies?

Annual billing saves up to 44% compared to monthly pricing across all paid tiers.

Source
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