Shmeetings vs Fireflies
A complete comparison of privacy-first vs cloud-based AI meeting platforms
The Key Difference
Fireflies is a cloud-based AI meeting assistant that requires joining your meetings as a visible bot and processes your data on external servers.
Shmeetings runs entirely on your personal computer, giving you an AI meeting assistant without compromising meeting privacy or alerting other participants.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shmeetings | Fireflies |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy |
100% Local Processing
Never leaves your computer |
Cloud-based
Data sent to Fireflies servers |
| Meeting Visibility |
Invisible Recording
Records audio from your computer |
Visible Bot Joins
Fred bot joins every meeting |
| Company Approval |
Not Required
Run on personal computer |
Often Required
IT approval for cloud services |
| Custom Prompts |
Unlimited Customization
Any prompt, any length |
AI Apps Only
Pre-built AI applications |
| Context Files |
.txt, .rtf, .csv, .md, .html, and other file types
Include sensitive documents |
Not Available
No custom context support |
| In-Person Meetings |
Full Support
Records from any audio source |
Mobile App Only
Limited mobile transcription |
| Pricing |
$39
Lifetime license |
Free + $10-39/month
Limited free tier |
Choose Shmeetings If You:
- Can't have bots joining your meetings
- Need complete privacy for sensitive meetings
- Want unlimited customization with prompts
- Record in-person meetings and phone calls
- Can't install cloud AI tools on work computer
- Prefer one-time purchase over subscriptions
Choose Fireflies If You:
- Don't mind visible recording notifications
- Need team collaboration and sharing features
- Want deep CRM and workflow integrations
- Have company approval for cloud AI tools
- Need conversation intelligence analytics
- Want cloud-based accessibility from anywhere
Cost Comparison Over Time
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
* Fireflies Free has limited features. Pro plans range from $10-39/month. Shmeetings is unlimited usage.
Ready to Try Shmeetings?
Get your invisible AI meeting assistant with complete privacy