Software · head to head
Grain vs Fireflies.ai
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Grain no concurrent recording - only one meeting per account at a time; 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: Grain covers Auto-recording, Fireflies.ai covers Automatic transcription.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Grain and Fireflies.ai actually diverge.
| Attribute | Grain | Fireflies.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio Capture | Web, iOS, Android, Desktop, Chrome extension |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2018).
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 Grain
- Auto-recording
- AI highlights
- Video clips
- Transcription
- Notion
- Browser-extension support
Only in Fireflies.ai
- Automatic transcription
- Meeting summaries
- Action item extraction
- Speaker identification
- Search functionality
- Team sharing
- Integration APIs
- Microsoft Teams
Both cover
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Slack
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Grain
- ai tools managementnot Fireflies.ai
- Workflow automationnot Fireflies.ai
- Reportingnot Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai
- Meeting transcription and note-taking across teamsnot Grain
- AI-powered meeting summaries in 100+ languagesnot Grain
- Unlimited transcription and AI summaries on paid tiersnot Grain
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Grain
- No concurrent recording - only one meeting per account at a time
- No automatic slide capture for presentations
- Limited video demo context - audio-focused with poor video file support
- Cannot record in-person meetings
- No native mobile app
- Limited admin controls for company-wide automatic recording
- Free plan limited to 20 recordings if using personal email
- No automatic file uploads on free tier
- Lacks advanced sales analytics features of enterprise competitors
- Limited CRM integration compared to higher-end platforms
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
Grain
Free- Free ForeverFree
- Unlimited meetings up to 45 minutes each
- AI transcription and notes
- 90-day history
- Starter$15/month
- Unlimited meeting length
- Unlimited AI highlights
- Video clip creation
- Business$33/month
- All Starter features
- Advanced team coaching
- Deeper analytics
Fireflies.ai
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Fireflies.ai review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Grain if
- You need auto-recording.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio Capture.
- You also want ai highlights.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Grain or Fireflies.ai better?
- Neither clearly leads. Grain starts at Free and Fireflies.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Grain or Fireflies.ai?
- Grain starts at Free and Fireflies.ai at Free.
- Does Grain or Fireflies.ai run on more platforms?
- Grain runs on Web, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio Capture. Fireflies.ai runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop, Chrome extension.
- Can I use Grain for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Grain best used for?
- Grain is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what Fireflies.ai is typically brought in for.
- What can Grain do that Fireflies.ai cannot?
- Grain covers Auto-recording, AI highlights, Video clips, Transcription. Fireflies.ai covers Automatic transcription, Meeting summaries, Action item extraction, Speaker identification. Both handle Zoom, Google Meet, Slack, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Grain: Is Grain free?
Grain offers a Free Forever plan with unlimited meetings up to 45 minutes each and 90-day history. Paid plans start at $15/month per user for unlimited meeting length and advanced AI features.
SourceGrain: Does Grain require a bot in meetings?
No. Grain uses bot-less transcription to capture meeting audio without requiring a bot participant, though video recording requires bot participation if you want recording visible.
SourceGrain: What platforms does Grain work with?
Grain integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and supports desktop audio capture. It exports to Claude, ChatGPT, Slack, and CRM platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce.
SourceGrain: Can Grain record multiple meetings at once?
No. Grain does not support concurrent meeting recordings, meaning only one meeting per account can be recorded at a time.
Source