Otter.ai
AI meeting assistant that transcribes, summarizes and extracts action items from conversations
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes meetings on Zoom, Google Meet and Teams. The free tier includes 300 transcription minutes per month and 25 stored conversations; paid plans start at $8.33/user/month (annual). Best for teams who need a searchable record of every meeting without manual note-taking.
What is Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes conversations in real time, then generates a structured summary with decisions and action items automatically extracted. It works with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams either by joining as a bot or, on desktop, by recording locally without a bot appearing in the call. Transcripts include speaker labels, and the platform stores every meeting in a searchable workspace so you can query past conversations using natural language through Otter AI Chat.
Beyond transcription, Otter connects to CRM systems and project tools. On Pro and Business plans, meeting notes and action items can be pushed directly to Salesforce or HubSpot contact records, and synced to Slack, Notion, Jira or Asana. An MCP Server lets external AI tools — including ChatGPT and Claude — query Otter’s meeting data, positioning the product as a knowledge layer rather than just a note-taking app. The free tier is limited to 300 transcription minutes per month and 25 stored conversations, which constrains it to light or evaluation use.
Who is it for?
Otter.ai targets professionals and teams who spend significant time in meetings and need a reliable record without manual note-taking. It is particularly strong for sales teams, where the CRM sync removes the post-call logging burden, and for distributed or hybrid teams that need asynchronous access to meeting content.
Specific user types who get the most value:
- Sales reps and SDRs who need call notes logged to Salesforce or HubSpot automatically and want coaching insights from recorded demos.
- Students and academics who record lectures or research interviews and need timestamped, searchable transcripts for study or citation.
- Journalists and podcasters who transcribe interviews and want to search quotes across a library of recordings.
- Team leads and project managers who need action items extracted from standups and planning calls without attending every meeting synchronously.
How much does Otter.ai cost?
Starting price: $8.33/user/mo · Free tier: yes · Model: freemium
Price history tracked from June 2026
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | 300 transcription minutes/month · 3 lifetime file imports · 25 conversation history limit · 1 concurrent meeting · Zoom, Google Meet, Teams integration |
| Pro | $8.33/user/mo | $16.99/user/mo billed monthly · 1,200 in-app recording minutes/month · 10 monthly file imports · 90 min/meeting max · 2 concurrent meetings · Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier integrations · Advanced search and export |
| Business | $19.99/user/mo | $30/user/mo billed monthly · Unlimited meetings and recordings · 4 hours/meeting max · 3 concurrent meetings · 6,000 imported file minutes/month · Custom AI workflows · Admin activity logs and usage analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO/SCIM · HIPAA compliance (add-on) · API and webhooks · Video replay · Dedicated customer success |
What are Otter.ai's key features?
- Live transcription with speaker identification across multiple languages
- Automatic meeting summaries with decisions and action items extracted
- Otter AI Chat — query across all past meetings in natural language
- Bot-free desktop recording for Mac and Windows
- Integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack, Notion, Jira and Asana
- CRM sync to Salesforce and HubSpot for sales workflows
- MCP Server for connecting Otter data to ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools
- Channels to organize meetings by team or project
What people use Otter.ai for
- 01 Automatic transcription and summaries of Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls
- 02 Sales call logging with automatic push to Salesforce or HubSpot
- 03 Lecture and interview transcription for students, journalists and researchers
- 04 Searchable meeting knowledge base across a team
- 05 Action item extraction and assignment from recorded discussions
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free tier is usable at 300 minutes/month with no credit card required | Free tier hard limit of 25 stored conversations makes long-term use impractical without upgrading |
| Bot-free desktop recording avoids the awkward bot-joining experience | 90-minute per-meeting cap on Pro tier cuts off longer workshops and training sessions |
| Cross-meeting AI search lets you find decisions and quotes across months of calls | HIPAA compliance is an add-on cost on Enterprise, not included by default |
| Direct CRM push removes manual data entry after sales calls | Transcription accuracy drops with heavy accents or fast speech in noisy environments |
What are the best Otter.ai alternatives?
Fireflies.ai is the closest Otter.ai alternative in our directory: it covers the same category (AI Productivity), starts at $10/mo, has a free tier.
Ranked by category overlap with Otter.ai, then free-tier availability, then lowest verified starting price — computed from our verified data, never from sponsorships.
| Alternative | What it is | Starting price | Free tier | Price verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai vs Otter.ai → | AI meeting assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and searches your conversations | $10/mo | yes | Jul 3, 2026 |
| Notion vs Otter.ai → | AI workspace combining docs, databases, projects, and autonomous agents in one platform | $10/member/mo | yes | Aug 27, 2026 |
| NotebookLM | Google's AI research assistant that answers questions grounded in your own uploaded sources | $7.99/mo | yes | Jun 11, 2026 |
| Descript | Text-based video and podcast editor with AI transcription, voice cloning, and filler-word removal | $16/mo | yes | Jul 3, 2026 |
| n8n | Open-source workflow automation platform for building AI agents and multi-app integrations | €20/mo | yes | Jul 3, 2026 |
How people make money with Otter.ai
- Offer meeting transcription and summarization services on Fiverr or Upwork for podcasters and interviewers — transcript cleanup and formatting work
- Provide sales call analysis packages for small teams using Otter's CRM export features for meeting intelligence reporting
Frequently asked questions
Is Otter.ai free?
Yes. The Basic plan is free forever and includes 300 transcription minutes per month, 25 stored conversations, and integrations with Zoom, Google Meet and Teams. No credit card is required.
How much does Otter.ai cost?
Pro is $8.33/user/month billed annually ($16.99 month-to-month). Business is $19.99/user/month billed annually ($30 month-to-month). Enterprise pricing is custom.
What is the difference between Otter.ai Pro and Business?
Pro gives 1,200 recording minutes per month and a 90-minute per-meeting cap. Business gives unlimited meetings and recordings with a 4-hour per-meeting cap, plus custom AI workflows and admin analytics.
Does Otter.ai integrate with Zoom?
Yes. Otter.ai joins Zoom meetings automatically as a bot (or records bot-free via the desktop app) and syncs transcripts and summaries back into the Otter workspace.
Can Otter.ai push notes to Salesforce or HubSpot?
Yes, but only on Pro and above. The integration automatically logs call notes, action items and insights to the relevant CRM contact or deal record.
Is Otter.ai HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is available as an add-on on the Enterprise plan. It is not included in Basic, Pro or Business tiers.
What languages does Otter.ai support?
Otter.ai supports transcription in multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish and others, with speaker identification across all supported languages.