Fireflies vs Grain: Best AI Meeting Notes Tool 2026
Quick Comparison
| Fireflies.ai | Grain | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Teams recording many kinds of meetings who want unlimited free transcription and multi-language support. | Sales teams that want to clip exact customer moments and attach them to Salesforce or HubSpot deal records. |
| Pricing | Free tier available / $10/seat/mo Pro / $19/seat/mo Business | Free tier available / $15/seat/mo starting |
| Winner | Our Pick |
Tool Breakdown
Fireflies.ai
Its permanent unlimited-transcription free tier, 100+ language support, and broad CRM sync make it the safer default for most teams; sales teams that specifically need timestamp-accurate video clips tied to deal records should choose Grain instead.
- Unlimited transcription on the permanent free plan (capped by 800 minutes of storage, not by meeting count)
- 100+ language transcription support
- Native CRM sync with Salesforce and HubSpot plus broader integrations across the wider tool stack
- No video-clip creation — output is text/audio-first, not shareable video moments
- Deeper analytics and automation features are gated behind paid seats
Grain
Video-first AI notetaker built for sales and revenue teams, turning calls into timestamped clips tied to CRM deal records.
- Timestamped, shareable video clips created directly from recorded calls
- CRM sync that writes recordings, summaries, and clips to Salesforce/HubSpot deal and contact records
- Genuinely permanent free plan with unlimited free viewer seats for teammates who only need to watch shared clips
- Free plan caps usage at 20 recorded/transcribed meetings per month and ~3 hours of AI-highlighted moments, a tighter cap than Fireflies' storage-based free tier
- No independently confirmed public affiliate/referral program for outside publishers
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Grain replace Fireflies for text-based meeting search, or just add video? +
Both tools generate searchable text transcripts, so Grain doesn't sacrifice text search to offer video. The difference is emphasis: Fireflies is built around transcript and keyword search as the primary interface, with CRM sync and analytics layered on top for cross-functional teams. Grain's core workflow instead treats the recording itself as the asset, letting users scrub to a moment and cut a timestamped, shareable video clip, which then syncs to a Salesforce or HubSpot deal record alongside its transcript. If your team mostly searches old meetings for what was said, Fireflies fits better. If the goal is pulling an exact customer moment into a deal record or a coaching reel, Grain's clip-first workflow is the more direct fit.
Which tool has the better free plan for a small team just getting started? +
It depends on usage pattern, since the two free plans cap different things. Fireflies caps by storage duration: transcription itself is unlimited, but recordings only stay accessible for 800 minutes of stored audio, so a low-volume user can keep transcribing indefinitely as older calls roll off. Grain caps by monthly meeting count instead: one notetaker seat can record and transcribe up to 20 meetings per month with about 3 hours of AI-highlighted moments, though teammates get unlimited free viewer seats to watch shared clips. A team with occasional, short calls may get more out of Fireflies' model; a small sales team recording customer calls regularly may hit Grain's 20-meeting cap faster.
Do both tools sync with Salesforce and HubSpot deal or contact records? +
Yes, both Fireflies and Grain integrate with Salesforce and HubSpot, but the positioning differs. Grain's integration is built specifically around sales workflows: recordings, AI summaries, and clipped video moments sync into the relevant deal or contact record, supporting deal review and coaching use cases. Fireflies' CRM sync is broader and less sales-specific, pushing meeting notes and action items into CRM records as part of a wider set of integrations aimed at teams across departments, not just revenue teams. Because integration depth and supported CRMs can change over time, confirm the current integration list on each vendor's own site before assuming a specific field or object is covered.