Top 9 Otter.ai Alternatives & Competitors in 2025

Meeting transcription software has become essential for many businesses and organizations. They help teams track progress, review past virtual conferences, and ramp up overall productivity. Such tools also eliminate the need for manual note-taking, significantly reducing meeting duration.

Otter.AI is one transcription tool that comes to mind, but its key features, target audience, and pricing might not suit your aims and objectives. Thankfully, the niche of meeting transcription software is abundant, offering excellent Otter.AI alternatives.

What are Otter AI alternatives, and what makes them unique? Also, how do you land on your ideal tool? This article compares top-tier Otter AI alternatives, providing their features, pricing, and downsides, so read on to learn more.

Brief overview of Otter.AI

Essentially, Otter AI is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to transcribe online or recorded meetings. The app has been quite popular up until the rapid surge in meeting transcription software development. With its free plan, browser extension, mobile device app, and transcription editing features, Otter.AI is a decent tool for those new to this niche.

Why Look for an Alternative to Otter.AI?

Although Otter.AI is among the first tools in the game, it can now hardly compete with its contemporaries. Among many weaknesses, the tool offers transcription only in English, which doesn’t align with today’s industry standards. Moreover, despite having reasonable pricing plans, Otter.AI offers significantly fewer features than its rivals.

Adding all these, it’s no wonder you might want to go with an Otter AI alternative.

Choosing Your Tool: Comparison of Otter.AI Competitors

Otter.AI Alternative	Recommended Plan	Free Plan	Best For
Sembly AI	Team: $20/month (annual)	Yes	Professional meeting notes, tasks, CRM automation, AI document creation
Fireflies AI	Business: $29/month	Yes	Collaborating with teammates
Fathom	Pro: $39/month	Yes	Occasional business calls and recaps
tl;dv	Business: $98/month	Yes	Personal use
Notta	Business: $28/month	Yes	Offline transcription
Descript	Creator: $35/month	Yes	Podcast and content creation
Read AI	Enterprise: $29.75/month	Yes	Generating meeting insights with sentiment analysis
Grain	Business: $39/month	Yes	Bite-sized meeting reports
Avoma	Conversation Intelligence: $69/month	No	Sales analytics

What to Look for in Alternatives to Otter.AI?

In looking for better, more affordable options, it’s important to lay out your goals and needs first. Assuming you’re a business, you’d probably want to see Otter AI competitors offer the following:

Core Aspects

Pricing that won’t stress your wallet
Intuitive UI, easy setup without downloads or installs
Sufficient minutes for meetings and uploads
High-quality video recording
Multilingual transcription that supports mixed-language meetings
Chrome extension and mobile app
Calendar syncing for any calendar you may have
Good selection and easy setup of native automation tools
Around-the-clock customer support
Enterprise-grade privacy and security

Productivity-boosting Features

Intelligent meeting notes (or “meeting minutes”)
Automatic task identification and assignment
Additional items like decisions, risks, issues, and events
AI Q&A for single meetings or across your meeting library
Automatic document creation using meeting content
Personalized insights and coaching after the meeting
Workspace-wide analytics

While it might look like a lot to ask, some tools offer these features and beyond. In any case, the following are solid Otter.AI alternatives to improve your workflow.

Top 9 Otter.AI Alternatives in 2025

1. Sembly AI

Sembly AI is a powerful tool with dozens of practical features for businesses of any size. With many years of proven track record, Sembly AI is the ideal alternative to Otter AI for small and large businesses. With flexible prices and unlimited meeting recordings, Sembly focuses on improving productivity and reshaping brands’ communication methods.

Pricing

Currently, Sembly offers four pricing options, namely:

Personal: Free
Professional: $10/month (annual)
Team: $20/month (annual)
Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Over 99% accurate transcripts in over 45 languages, which are also easily searchable
High-accuracy speaker identification and task attribution
Stable, consistent, intuitive interface
Offers native automation for over 30 popular apps such as Slack, Notion, Monday.com, HubSpot, Google Docs, and more
Can attend meetings in your absence
Well-structured meeting minutes, tasks, and action items
Seamless integration with Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex; also supports uploads
Strong certifications, including SOC II Type II, HIPAA compliance, Microsoft 365, Data Privacy Framework certified for US, UK, and EU.
AI-powered Semblian 2.0 assistant with multiple features, including document creation (marketing reports, sales plans, product release notes, performance reviews, and more), and personalized post-meeting insights.

Cons:

The free plan could include more recording minutes

Sembly vs Otter.AI

Unlike Sembly.AI, which offers multilingual transcription and robust translation capabilities, Otter.AI fails to provide the same for its users. Moreover, Otter.AI’s transcription accuracy could be improved; users often complain about low precision, with the system combining sentences and confusing words. This, in turn, requires extra post-meeting editing, which is undesirable for users.

Otter.AI has good basic recording and transcription. However, for automated meeting notes specialized by meeting type, tasks, automation, multi-meeting AI chat, and document creation, Sembly AI is the clear winner.

Sembly AI reviews have been very positive, with users highlighting the software’s accurate response, navigability, and functionality. Its seamless integration with multiple platforms contributes to the team’s increased efficacy and communication. Even more so, a recent introduction of Semblian 2.0 has proved to help brands improve their bottom lines by better analyzing historical data. The tool allows businesses to generate various documents, whether marketing, sales, project/product management, marketing, finance, or IT.

Sembly lets you dive deep into discussions, providing accurate transcriptions right after the call. Coupled with Semblian 2.0, which empowers you to pull up and take action on a specific meeting quickly, you can make data-driven decisions and double your efficiency.

2. Fireflies.AI

Fireflies AI is a meeting transcription tool that emphasizes the ability to capture, organize, and collaborate on meeting insights.

Pricing

Fireflies.AI offers four pricing plans:

Free
Pro: $18 per seat monthly
Business: $29 per seat monthly
Enterprise: $39 per seat monthly

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Automates meeting summaries
The option to add comments and tag teammates in recorded meetings
Collaboration features and integration with several platforms

Cons:

Poor accuracy of transcriptions, especially with non-native accents
Meeting summarization often includes irrelevant points
Some users report occasional lag during longer online meetings on different devices

Fireflies vs Otter.AI

Fireflies.AI offers a more collaborative approach to meeting recordings, transcriptions, and editing than Otter.AI. However, it also fails to deliver accurate meeting minutes, negatively impacting project collaboration and overall progress.

3. Fathom

Fathom is a freemium app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings. Because of its efficiency and simplicity, Fathom is currently among the top platforms chosen by small and medium businesses.

Pricing

Fathom offers three plans, of which two are paid:

Lifelong free
Standard: $29 per user monthly
Pro: $39 per user monthly

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Detailed meeting overview window with attendees list, related history calls, and syncing feature
Quickly shareable clips for better referencing and post-meeting discussion
Action items

Cons:

The transcription feature isn’t as accurate as it is claimed to be
The summary template gallery could be larger
Meeting recaps can sometimes fail to include critical points

Fathom vs Otter.ai

Fathom is more user-friendly and lightweight than Otter.AI. The free Fathom version is packed with practical features and is a bargain for businesses starting their journey. However, the free plan has reduced access control and doesn’t include necessary features essential for established companies, such as CRM sync and project management tool integration. While paid plans do, they are more expensive than Otter.AI’s pricing models.

4. tl;dv

tl;dv is often described as a tool focusing on speed and usability. The software is designed for fast-moving teams that prefer to get short-form summaries instead of going through hours of recording.

Pricing

Plans tl;dv offers:

Free forever: $0
Pro $29 per seat monthly
Business $98 per seat monthly
Enterprise: Custom

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Efficient capturing of key moments with timestamps
Eye-pleasing interface with the minimal learning curve
Speaker identification and good integration with video conferencing tools

Cons:

Minimal customization in meeting summaries
Basic features compared to other platforms
Considerably more expensive than most Otter AI competitors

tl;dv vs Otter.AI

While Otter.AI leans more toward lengthy transcriptions, tl;dv focuses on quick video snippets and key takeaways. However, neither is perfect for small, medium, and large businesses. The price of tl;dv is a driving factor for opting for a different alternative to Otter AI.

5. Notta

Notta focuses on supporting real-time transcription in various languages, especially useful in academic settings. This provides plenty of opportunities when working on recorded audio and video files.

Pricing

As of today, Notta offers four membership tiers:

Free
Pro: $14.99/month
Business: $27.99/month
Custom

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Capabilities for real-time and offline transcription
Support of over 30 languages
Scheduling meetings for better organization processes

Cons:

Lacks deeper integrations with collaboration tools
Regular issues with billing invoices
Occasional issues with exporting notes
Focused primarily on the Japanese market

Notta vs Otter.AI

Unlike Otter.ai, Notta is widely known for supporting multiple languages and prioritizing international conferences. Language versatility and relatively effective AI-powered transcription make Notta a go-to tool for webinars, personal use, and 1v1 tutoring.

6. Descript

Descript is content creators, podcasters, video art lecturers, and interviewers’ best bet.

Pricing

Descript offers five pricing plans for its users:

Free
Hobbyist: $19 per month
Creator: $35 per month
Business: $50 per month
Enterprise: Custom

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Offers powerful audio and video editing tools and allows for text editing
Helps create polished content and smooth timelines for podcasts and tutorials
Provides multitrack editing feature for more complex projects

Cons:

Hard-to-follow interface
Relatively low transcription accuracy
Paid plans are more expensive than average on the market

Descript vs Otter.AI

This alternative to Otter.AI better suits content creators and artists, offering more relevant features and tools. It allows for fine-tuning media content while improving transcriptions; Otter.AI can’t handle both. Still, both tools share low transcription accuracy, requiring users to spend more time proofreading and editing generated transcriptions.

7. Read AI

Read AI is a multifaceted tool that provides meeting transcriptions and offers emotional and engagement insights.

Pricing

Read AI offers four pricing plans to choose from:

Free
Pro: $19.75 per month
Enterprise: $29.75 per month
Enterprise+: $39.75 per month

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Helps teams improve communication through engagement metrics like sentiment analysis
Integrates with popular video conferencing conference software, such as Google Meet and Zoom
The daily commute feature brings users up to speed while on the go

Cons:

Sentiment analysis can misinterpret emotional tone, building false strings of responses
Limited transcription editing features compared to other popular platforms
Benchmarks based on aggregated meeting metrics aren’t always accurate

Read AI vs Otter.AI

Read AI’s unique selling point is its ability to analyze emotional tone and engagement levels, giving the tool an edge over Otter.AI. However, this feature must be approached carefully, as the results can sometimes be misleading. While Otter.AI can be handy for individuals, Read AI could be a go-to pick for creative brands.

8. Grain

Grain approaches the transcription industry differently, accentuating the capture of key takeaways and the quick sharing of specific parts of meetings.

Pricing

Apart from an available free plan, Grain offers:

Starter plan: $19/month
Business plan: $39/month
Enterprise plan: Custom

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Good accuracy in capturing and sharing highlights from video files and online meetings
Allows users to annotate and tag important moments during meetings
Ideal for teams that look for uncomplicated, digestible insights

Cons:

Doesn’t offer full-length transcription like other tools
Lacks multi-language support for transcription

Grain vs Otter.AI

Grain excels over Otter.AI in delivering short, shareable meeting highlights. Teams that don’t need well-structured meeting minutes and transcriptions but value quick wrap-ups will find this Otter AI competitor more suitable.

9. Avoma

Avoma provides a comprehensive meeting management solution, incorporating automated transcriptions, meeting summaries, and task administration.

Pricing

Avoma offers three pricing models:

AI Meeting Assistant: $29/month
Conversation Intelligence: $69/month
Revenue Intelligence: $99/month

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Collaborative note-taking feature
Customizable workflows to match team needs
Good-quality meeting and call analytics

Cons:

Some features may be overkill for users looking for simple transcription
The learning curve for those unfamiliar with task management tools
No free plan

Avoma vs Otter.AI

Since Avoma goes beyond transcription, offering insights, summaries, and task management features, it’s a functional tool for taking control of the entire meeting. However, it provides too many inessential options for teams that look for transcription only.

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Needs

Landing on the best tool hinges on several factors, like team goals and budget. Therefore, it’s crucial to assess your specific requirements beforehand. If you’re a business owner looking to optimize your workflows, increase productivity, make team communication more effective, and ensure steady growth, consider turning to platforms like Sembly AI.

Sembly AI offers detailed meeting minutes, in-depth insights, summaries, and action items with a one-of-a-kind AI-powered Semblian assistant that delivers invaluable outputs, such as generating comprehensive documents, project plans, and proposals. Rev, in turn, would be an excellent replacement for Otter.AI if you’re a creator or work within the media field.

FAQs

In what way are Otter.AI alternatives better?

Otter AI alternatives are distinct in various ways. Some tools provide higher transcription accuracy, while others conduct sentiment analysis of the recording, giving in-depth information about the meeting.

How exactly is Sembly.AI better than Otter?

Sembly outperforms Otter and its alternatives in several areas, such as transcription accuracy, faster turnaround times, and feature functionality. While Otter.AI remains competitive, it has a few downsides, the most potent being transcribing only English-based conversations. Sembly AI, however, supports English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and more.

What is the point of using AI transcription tools?

AI-generated transcriptors eliminate the need to take manual notes during a meeting. They also provide well-designed documents, keeping data organized and quickly reachable. The newest Semblian 2.0, by the way, takes it further, so you don’t even have to sift through documents. The AI-powered bot can go through any transcript, pulling in all the essential details you ask in a prompt.

Do these tools integrate with third-party software?

AI-powered transcription tools usually integrate with video conferencing software and other tools. Sembly AI, for example, allows you to connect with your favorite apps related to project management, collaboration, CRM, and more. You can pair your Sembly profile with apps like Notion, Trello, Slack, Google Drive, and Salesforce, to name a few.

Is my data safe when I use these tools?

If you’re concerned about the privacy of your data, it’s all the more reason that you trust Sembly AI and its robust security features. We rigidly follow privacy policies such as EU-US DPF, FERPA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOC 2. Blue-chip corporations, including Philips, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google Cloud, have also trusted us. You can always learn more about our steps to ensure data privacy and security in our Trust Center.

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