Fireflies packs features behind hidden credit systems and intrusive bots that universities have banned. Here's an honest look at how Keptivo takes a different approach.
Fireflies charges $10-$39/month for subscriptions — then locks key features behind "AI credits" costing $5 to $600/month extra. Features you thought you were paying for require additional payment.
Fireflies gains calendar access and auto-joins meetings without per-meeting consent. Cornell, Tufts, and Oxford have banned or blocked the tool over this behavior. The bot spreads virally through organizations.
Users report Fireflies doesn't just misspell words — it "changes the correct meaning" of what was said. Semantic errors are far more dangerous than typos because they silently alter intent and agreements.
In December 2025, Fireflies faced a class-action lawsuit over its recording and data handling practices, joining Otter in a growing wave of legal action against AI meeting tools.
Free, Pro, Business, Enterprise — each with different credit allowances, storage limits, and feature gates. Users struggle to understand what they're actually getting at each level.
When major universities actively block your product over privacy concerns, it signals a fundamental design problem — not a configuration issue. Trust is hard to rebuild once institutional IT departments intervene.
| Keptivo | Fireflies.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Recording method | On-device, invisible | Bot joins call |
| Pricing model | Straightforward | Subscription + AI credits |
| In-person meetings | ✓ | ✗ |
| Commitment tracking | ✓ | ✗ (basic action items) |
| Persistent voice ID | ✓ | ✗ |
| Smartwatch support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto calendar events | ✓ | ✗ |
| University-safe | ✓ | Banned at multiple institutions |
| Transcription integrity | Preserves meaning | Reported semantic errors |
| No data used for training | ✓ | ✗ |
Keptivo records on your device. No bot joins calls, no calendar scraping, no auto-joining behavior. You control exactly when recording happens — tap to start, tap to stop.
Free during beta. When paid plans launch, you'll know exactly what you're paying for. No surprise credit systems, no paywalled features within paid tiers, no $600/month "add-ons."
Transcripts with errors are worse than no transcripts. Keptivo focuses on what matters: who promised what, when it's due, and whether it happened. Commitments are verified, not just transcribed.
Phone, smartwatch, desktop. Virtual calls, in-person meetings, hallway conversations. Keptivo captures commitments wherever they happen — not just where a bot can connect.
Fireflies charges $10-$39/mo for subscriptions, then adds AI credits ($5-$600/mo) for features like AskFred and Smart Search. Total cost can exceed $600/mo. Keptivo is free during beta with straightforward pricing planned — no hidden credit systems.
Institutions like Cornell, Tufts, and Oxford have blocked Fireflies due to its "worm-like" auto-joining behavior — the bot adds itself to meetings from calendar access without explicit per-meeting consent, raising serious privacy and compliance concerns.
Users report that Fireflies transcription "changes the correct meaning" of conversations — producing semantic errors, not just typos. When AI misinterprets intent rather than just words, the resulting notes can be worse than no notes at all. Keptivo pairs transcription with commitment tracking to verify what was actually promised.
Yes. Keptivo records directly on your device — phone, smartwatch, or desktop. No bot joins your call, no participants are notified, and no calendar access is required for recording. It works with any meeting platform and in-person conversations.
Yes. Keptivo works independently — just start recording on your device. No migration needed, no calendar integrations to configure. Join the waitlist to get early access.
Join the waitlist for early access to Keptivo.
Free during beta. No credit card required.