SoundMindAI gives you lifetime access for $49.95 — while Fireflies and Otter charge you $500-$1,200 every 5 years. Your data stays private. Your costs stay low. Your meetings stay yours.
See how much you'll actually spend over 5 years
| Provider | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoundMindAI | $49.95 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $49.95 WINNER |
| Otter.ai Pro | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $500 |
| Otter.ai Business | $240 | $240 | $240 | $240 | $240 | $1,200 |
| Fireflies Pro | $120 | $120 | $120 | $120 | $120 | $600 |
| Fireflies Business | $228 | $228 | $228 | $228 | $228 | $1,140 |
💰 You save $450 - $1,150 over 5 years with SoundMindAI
Plus, you control your own AI costs with BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)
Where it actually matters for professionals
| What Matters | SoundMindAI | Fireflies & Otter |
|---|---|---|
| 🔐 Data Privacy |
100% Local Storage All recordings stay on YOUR Mac. Never uploaded to any cloud. |
Cloud Storage Required All data stored on their servers. Privacy requires expensive Enterprise plans. |
| 💰 Pricing Model |
$49.95 Once, Lifetime No subscriptions. No monthly fees. Own it forever. |
$100-$240/year Forever $500-$1,200 over 5 years. Price increases at their discretion. |
| 🔑 AI Provider |
Your Choice (BYOK) Use OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, etc. Switch anytime. Latest models immediately. |
Locked to Their AI Can't switch providers. Often outdated models. Pay monthly regardless. |
| 💾 Storage & Limits |
Unlimited Everything No recording limits. No storage caps. Your Mac's disk space. |
1,200 min/month Limit 8,000 min storage cap. Must upgrade to Business for more. |
| 🍎 Platform |
Native macOS App Fast, offline-capable, built for Mac. No browser required. |
Web-Based Slower, internet required. Desktop apps are Electron wrappers. |
See exactly how we stack up
| Feature | SoundMindAI | Fireflies.ai | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing Model | One-time $49.95 | $120-$228/year | $100-$240/year |
| 🔐 Data Privacy | 100% Local - Never Uploaded | Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage |
| 🔑 AI Provider | Your Choice (BYOK) | Locked to Fireflies AI | Locked to Otter AI |
| 💾 Storage Limit | Unlimited (Your Mac) | 8,000 min (Pro) | 1,200 min/month (Pro) |
| ⏱️ Monthly Recording Limits | ✓ None | 1,200 min/month (Pro) | 1,200 min/month (Pro) |
| 📱 Platform | 🍎 Native macOS | Web + Apps | Web + Apps |
| 🎙️ System Audio Recording | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 🎤 Microphone Recording | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 📝 Transcription | ✓ Native + API (BYOK) | ✓ Proprietary | ✓ Proprietary |
| 🤖 AI Summaries | ✓ Any Provider | ✓ Fireflies only | ✓ Otter only |
Professional-grade transcript editing and organization
| Feature | SoundMindAI | Fireflies.ai | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split/Merge Segments | ✓ Full transcript editing control | ✗ | ✗ |
| Filter by Speaker | ✓ Dropdown filter with color-coded speakers | ⚠ Search only | ✗ |
| Recording Tags | ✓ Color-coded with customizable colors | ⚠ Bookmarks only | ⚠ Folders only |
| Filter by Tags | ✓ Multi-tag filtering in library | ✗ | ✗ |
| Bookmarks in Transcript | ✓ Mark segments + filter to bookmarked only | ✓ | ⚠ Highlights only |
These features make SoundMindAI the choice for professionals who need precise control over their transcripts and recordings.
Get lifetime access to SoundMindAI for less than 6 months of Fireflies or Otter.