How to download Fireflies transcripts on the Free plan
Short answer: on Fireflies' Free plan the Download button is disabled, because Fireflies says downloading transcripts, summaries and recordings needs a Pro plan or higher (Fireflies guide). Two routes still get your transcripts out without upgrading: Fireflies' account data export, which it offers to all users, and the Fireflies API, which has Free-plan rate limits. MinuteHaul's web exporter uses that API to give you one ZIP of Markdown transcripts plus a CSV index, in your browser (beta).
Why the Download button is greyed out
Fireflies' troubleshooting section answers "Why is the Download button disabled?" with "Check your plan - downloads require a Pro plan or higher" (source). On Pro and above, a single meeting downloads as PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, JSON or MD. So on Free, per-meeting downloads are off the table, but your data isn't locked in.
Option 1: the free account data export (everything, in 1 to 2 days)
Fireflies states that it supports full data exports for all users on request (Fireflies guide):
- Fill in Fireflies' data request form, then approve the confirmation email (sent from fred@fireflies.ai, subject "Action Required – Confirm Your Data Export Request").
- Within 24 to 48 hours you get a link to a ZIP with every meeting: transcripts as TXT with speaker identification, AI summaries as TXT, audio (MP3), video (MP4, if recorded), attendee details and JSON metadata.
- The link expires after 7 days.
If you want a one-time archive and can wait a day or two, this is the best free option. Start here.
Option 2: the Fireflies API (free, needs a script)
Fireflies publishes API rate limits for the Free plan: 30 requests per minute and 500 per day. A Free user's first API request also starts a 14-day trial at Pro limits (60 per minute, 5,000 per day) (Fireflies API limits). Get your key under Integrations, then Fireflies API (Fireflies docs). The transcripts query returns up to 50 meetings per call; page with skip (Fireflies API docs):
curl -s https://api.fireflies.ai/graphql \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{"query":"{ transcripts(limit: 50, skip: 0) { id title date sentences { speaker_name text start_time } } }"}'You then fetch each transcript and write it to files yourself.
Option 3: MinuteHaul (API, no code, files right now)
- Copy your Fireflies API key (Integrations, then Fireflies API).
- Open the exporter with Fireflies selected, paste the key, and optionally pick a date range.
- Click Start export. You get
transcripts/(one Markdown file per meeting, with speakers and timestamps, plus Fireflies' overview, action items and keywords if you tick that box),index.csvandall-transcripts.txtfor ChatGPT, Claude or NotebookLM.
The export takes about one API request per meeting, so on the Free plan's 500 requests a day you can export up to roughly 490 meetings in a day (more during the 14-day API trial). Your key stays in browser memory and isn't stored; transcripts go from Fireflies straight to your disk. The Fireflies source is in beta: it's built on Fireflies' documented API, and if anything looks wrong with your account, email us and we'll fix it or refund you.
Which one should you use?
| Method | Cost | Speed | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account data export | Free | 24 to 48 hours | TXT transcripts and summaries, audio, video, JSON metadata |
| API + your own script | Free | As fast as you can code it | Whatever you write |
| MinuteHaul | 10 most recent free, then $29 one-time | Minutes | Markdown per meeting, CSV index, combined TXT, optional JSONL |
| Upgrade to Pro | Fireflies' Pro price | One meeting at a time | PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, JSON or MD per meeting |
Get every Fireflies transcript as Markdown + CSV in one ZIP. Pick Fireflies in the MinuteHaul web exporter (beta). It uses Fireflies' official API from your browser and works on the Free plan. Your 10 most recent meetings are free; unlimited is $29 one-time with a 14-day refund.
FAQ
Can I download Fireflies transcripts on the free plan? Not from the meeting page: Fireflies says downloads require a Pro plan or higher. You can still request Fireflies' full account data export (offered to all users) or pull transcripts through the API, which has Free-plan limits of 30 requests per minute and 500 per day.
How long does the Fireflies data export take? Fireflies says 24 to 48 hours after you approve the confirmation email, and the download link is valid for 7 days.
Does the Fireflies API work on the free plan? Fireflies documents Free-plan API limits of 30 requests per minute and 500 per day, and a Free user's first API request starts a 14-day trial at Pro limits.
Does MinuteHaul work with a free Fireflies account? It uses the Fireflies API, which has Free-plan limits, so yes (the Fireflies source is in beta). The 10 most recent meetings export free; a $29 one-time license unlocks unlimited exports.
Related guides
- Export your Fireflies meetings before you cancel
- How to bulk export Fireflies transcripts
- Switching from tl;dv to Fireflies: how to keep your meeting history
- Free transcript cleaner (for ChatGPT or Claude)
Last checked: Oct 18, 2026. Fireflies plans and API details change; verify against Fireflies' own help center and API docs before relying on details here.