Otter.ai

What is Otter.ai?

Otter.ai joins your meetings to produce a live transcript in real time, then automatically generates a summary and action items afterward. It integrates directly with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams so it can run without manual setup each time.

Key features

• Real-time transcription during live meetings
• Automatic summaries and action-item extraction after each call
• Direct integration with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams
• Speaker identification across a transcript
• Searchable archive of all past meeting transcripts

How to get started

1. Sign up at otter.ai and connect your calendar and meeting apps
2. Let Otter join your next meeting automatically, or start manually
3. Review the live transcript during or after the call
4. Check the automated summary and action items afterward

Otter.ai pricing

The free tier covers a limited number of monthly transcription minutes; Pro raises that cap significantly and adds advanced search and summaries, with Business adding team admin controls.

Our take: The free plan handles occasional meetings fine. Move to Pro once you're transcribing every week.

Prices change often. Check the official site above for current rates before you commit.

Use cases

• Capturing accurate notes without manual note-taking
• Generating action items automatically after meetings
• Searching past meetings for specific discussion points
• Sharing meeting summaries with people who couldn't attend

Otter.ai alternatives

• Fireflies.ai: Fireflies.ai covers similar meeting transcription with a different set of app integrations.
• Descript: Descript is built for editing audio and video by editing a transcript, not live meeting capture.
• ClickUp AI: ClickUp AI folds meeting notes into a broader project management workspace, instead of a dedicated transcription tool.
• Gemini: Gemini's notes feature is built directly into Google Meet, at the cost of only working inside that one video-call app.

FAQ

Is Otter.ai free to use?

Otter.ai's plans: Free tier, paid Pro/Business plans. Pricing and free-tier limits change over time, so check the official site above for the latest details.

What is Otter.ai used for?

Live meeting transcription and automated notes.

Who is Otter.ai best for?

Otter.ai is a good fit for capturing accurate notes without manual note-taking, or generating action items automatically after meetings.

What are the alternatives to Otter.ai?

Commonly compared alternatives include Fireflies.ai, Descript, and ClickUp AI, see the comparison above for how they differ.

How much does Otter.ai cost?

Otter has a free plan with limited monthly minutes. Pro is about $10 a month and Business around $20 per user, both raising the minutes cap and adding admin or integration features.

What's the best Otter.ai alternative?

Fireflies.ai is the most commonly recommended swap: fireflies.ai covers similar meeting transcription with a different set of app integrations. Which one is actually best depends on which of those tradeoffs matters more for what you're doing.