Dot and Fireflies: two ways to ask a meeting a question
Fireflies and Dot both answer a question somebody asks out loud in the call. Say “Hey Fireflies” and Fireflies replies by voice and in the meeting chat. Say “Hi Dot” and the answer appears on Dot’s screen, which the call sees when you present it. Fireflies’ notetaker joins the call as a participant; Dot is an app on your computer, and nothing joins.
Every row below was checked against Fireflies’ own website, guide and trust centre, and links to the page it came from. Fireflies does more than Dot in several places, and they are listed below.
Every row below was checked against Fireflies.ai’s own documentation on 29 September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it and say when.
The comparison
| Dot | Fireflies | |
|---|---|---|
| How it hears the meeting | Through the Dot app on your computer. Nothing joins the call, unless your organisation has Dot’s meeting bot switched on, so telling the people in it is up to you | Its notetaker joins calendar meetings as a participant. Its desktop app takes notes without a bot on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and Slack huddlesFireflies, the notetaker → |
| Computers it runs on | Mac, Windows and Ubuntu | Mac (macOS 12 or later) and Windows 10 or laterFireflies, desktop app → |
| Phone apps | None. Dot is a desktop app | iPhone and Android, for conversations in personFireflies, mobile apps → |
| Answers a question asked out loud in the call | Yes. Anybody Dot can hear may say “Hi Dot” and ask. The answer appears on the screen of the person running Dot, and the whole call sees it when they present Dot’s window | Yes. Anyone on the call can say “Hey Fireflies” and ask, and it replies by voice and in the meeting chat, on Google Meet, Zoom and Teams, on every planFireflies guide, Talk to Fireflies → |
| Answers from earlier meetings | Yes. It reads the notes of your last five meetings when it answers; presented to the call, only earlier meetings of the same series | Yes. AskFred searches your past meetings, and can add connected apps and the web. Each question uses AI creditsFireflies guide, AskFred across meetings → |
| Keeps a recording | No. Dot keeps the transcript and the notes, not the audio | Yes. Paid plans can record video as well, to replay with the audio and transcriptFireflies guide, video recording → |
| Where data is kept | In the region your organisation picks at sign-up: the UK (London), the EU (Frankfurt) or the US (Virginia) | In the United States by default. Enterprise private storage can keep it in the EU, and Fireflies says it is still processed in the USFireflies guide, data storage and transfer → |
| Free plan | No. A free trial, then a paid seat | Yes, with limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage and 20 AI creditsFireflies, pricing → |
Two ways to ask a meeting a question
Fireflies already answers in the call. Since June 2025 anybody on a Google Meet, Zoom or Teams call can say “Hey Fireflies” and ask about the discussion so far, or have it search the web, and it replies by voice and in the meeting chat, on every plan including the free one.
Dot answers on a screen rather than out loud. Somebody says “Hi Dot” and asks, and the answer appears on Dot’s screen in the app; present Dot’s window and the whole call reads it. Nothing joins the call to do it, and Dot keeps no recording afterwards.
If you want an assistant the room can hear, on a free plan, Fireflies does that today. If you would rather nothing joined your calls, or your meetings have to be stored in the UK or the EU, look at Dot.
Where Fireflies is the better choice
Be honest with yourself about this, because it is often the right answer.
Fireflies replies by voice as well as in the meeting chat. The Dot app shows its answer on a screen and does not speak.Fireflies guide, Talk to Fireflies →
Talk to Fireflies works on Fireflies’ free plan. Dot has a free trial, then a paid seat.Fireflies guide, Talk to Fireflies →
Fireflies can keep video with the audio and transcript on its paid plans. Dot keeps no recording.Fireflies guide, video recording →
Fireflies has iPhone and Android apps for conversations in person. Dot runs on a computer only.Fireflies, mobile apps →
Fireflies transcribes and summarises in more than 100 languages, including regional variants.Fireflies guide, languages →
Fireflies lists SOC 2 in its trust centre, and HIPAA for Enterprise customers. Dot does not have a SOC 2 report yet.Fireflies trust centre →
Questions
Does Fireflies join the call as a bot?
Usually: its notetaker joins calendar meetings as a participant, and Fireflies says it is always visible in the participant list. Its desktop app can take notes without a bot. Dot listens from your computer, and joins a call itself only where your organisation has its meeting bot switched on.Fireflies guide, how Fireflies joins your meetings →Fireflies, the notetaker →
Who can ask Fireflies a question during the call?
Anyone on the call, by saying “Hey Fireflies” or typing /ff in the meeting chat, on Google Meet, Zoom or Teams. With Dot, anyone in the call can say “Hi Dot”, and the answer appears on Dot’s screen.Fireflies guide, Talk to Fireflies →
Where does Fireflies keep meeting data?
In the United States by default. On Enterprise, private storage can hold it in the EU, and Fireflies says it is still processed in the US. Dot keeps each organisation’s meetings in the region it picks at sign-up: the UK, the EU or the US.Fireflies guide, data storage and transfer →