Skip to main content

Compare

Kajo vs Fireflies.ai

Fireflies is a cloud meeting assistant: a bot joins your calls by default (bot-free capture needs its desktop app or Chrome extension), transcripts live in its cloud, and AskFred answers questions there, metered by AI credits. Kajo is for the recordings you already have: import them, transcribe on your machine, file them into a private library, and ask a folder — or, with a confirm, the whole library — with cited answers. One $49 purchase unlocks unlimited imports and Lifetime convenience (watch folders, batch export) — one payment, no subscription.

Fireflies lives in your calls and its cloud. Kajo lives on your machine: import the recordings you keep, search them, and get cited answers — no bot, no upload.

Kajo Voice cited chat over imported recordings, as a Fireflies.ai alternative
The recordings you already have, searchable with citations on your machine — no bot, no Fireflies cloud.

Why people choose Kajo over Fireflies.ai

  • No bot in the call

  • Audio never uploads

  • Cited answers on your machine

  • Built for one person's archive

  • One purchase, no seats

  • Your installed version keeps working

Kajo vs Fireflies.ai: side by side

Feature Kajo Fireflies.ai
Capture Import recordings you already have A bot joins calls by default; bot-free capture via the desktop app and the Chrome extension
Where transcripts live On your machine Fireflies' cloud
Cited chat Yes — on your machine Yes (cloud) — AskFred, metered by AI credits
Plans Free, then $49 launch / $99 standard Free $0; Pro $18/seat/month billed monthly ($10 annually); Business $29/seat/month ($19 annually)
Transcript downloads SRT, VTT, TXT, CSV, JSON, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, QDPX PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, JSON, and Markdown on Pro and above; audio download on paid plans; no TXT

Three reasons Kajo exists

  1. Local-first / private by default

    Your audio never leaves your laptop.

    Audio is transcribed on-device — there is no cloud-processing path. Private by architecture.

  2. Cross-platform, including Linux

    Mac, Windows, and Linux — one product, three operating systems.

    Native installers for all three. Linux is a first-class target, not a port — the only local audio knowledge base that takes it seriously.

  3. Cited chat

    Ask questions across your archive — get cited answers.

    Chat with your entire library using a local model. Every answer links back to the exact moment in the recording — no copy/paste.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kajo a private alternative to Fireflies?

Yes. Kajo keeps your recordings on your own machine, transcribes them locally, and files them into a searchable library you can ask with citations — no bot in the call and no cloud notebook.

Can I move my Fireflies meetings into Kajo?

Bring the audio. Fireflies lets paid plans download the meeting recording; import those files and Kajo transcribes them on your machine. Kajo does not import Fireflies' transcript documents.

Does Kajo do team collaboration like Fireflies?

No — by design. Kajo is for individuals and small practices who want their audio to stay theirs. If you need a shared cloud workspace, Fireflies fits that job.

Keep exploring

Kajo vs Otter.ai Kajo vs Granola Kajo vs Meetily Kajo vs Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) All comparisons →