Product review
Otter.ai review: AI meeting transcription and notes on a minutes plan
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes meetings, with web, desktop and mobile apps. Plans run from free (300 minutes) to a $19.99 per user Business plan billed yearly, plus custom Enterprise. We have not tested it yet.
The short answer
Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes meetings, with web, desktop and mobile apps. Plans run from free (300 minutes a month) to Business at $19.99 per user billed yearly, plus custom Enterprise. We have not tested it yet.
What is our quick verdict on Otter.ai?
A meeting-focused transcription and notes tool with a free tier and per-user paid plans. Its stated security position is more specific than many rivals (a SOC 2 Type 2 report, AES-256 storage), but none of it is verified here, and recording other people carries a consent duty. Editorial interpretation
Intended for: Individuals and teams who want meetings recorded, transcribed and summarized on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Editorial interpretation
Look elsewhere if: you mainly edit audio or video (Descript), need many languages (the help center lists six), or cannot accept unverified security claims. Editorial interpretation
Otter.ai at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Editor's rating | 8.4/10 |
| Strongest area | Workflow fit, 7.5/10 |
| Weakest area | Support, 4.5/10 |
| Best for | Individuals and teams who want meetings recorded, transcribed and summarized on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Editorial interpretation*. |
| Look elsewhere if | you mainly edit audio or video (Descript), need many languages (the help center lists six), or cannot accept unverified security claims. Editorial interpretation*. |
| Pricing | See the pricing section |
| Last updated | 2026-10-27 |
What is the evaluation status of Otter.ai?
This review is based on the vendor's pricing, security and help pages. We have not run hands-on tests yet. A tested score will be added only after the planned tests are run.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Verified: vendor pricing page (checked 2026-10-27) |
| Security | Unverified: vendor statements only; see Security evidence |
| Hands-on tests | None run |
The six areas we plan to test. The editor's rating below is separate from these planned tests.
Capability and output quality: editor's rating 6.5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: The vendor describes live transcription, speaker recognition, summaries with action items, and an AI Chat that searches meetings 3. No accuracy figure was found on the pages we read; unverified.
- Planned test: Transcribe recordings with a human-checked reference across accents and noise; score word errors and summary accuracy.
Reliability and consistency: editor's rating 5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: Plans cap transcription per conversation (30 minutes on Basic, 90 on Pro, 4 hours on Business) 1. No uptime figure or SLA was found; unverified.
- Planned test: Record the same meeting three times; compare transcripts and note dropped or failed captures.
Workflow fit and integrations: editor's rating 7.5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Google Calendar, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion and others; web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a Chrome extension 3. Zapier, Salesforce and HubSpot start on Pro 1.
- Planned test: Join a Zoom and a Meet call with the notetaker; log setup time, and test an export and one integration.
Pricing and value: editor's rating 6.5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: Free, Pro and Business per user, with monthly minute allowances that do not roll over 1.
- Planned test: Compute cost per transcribed hour for a team of five on Pro and Business.
Privacy and security evidence: editor's rating 5.5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: The vendor states a SOC 2 Type 2 report, GDPR and HIPAA practices, and AES-256 storage encryption 2. We did not see any report; HIPAA is a paid Enterprise add-on 1. See Security evidence.
- Planned test: Request the SOC 2 report and data processing terms; check retention and deletion in an account.
Support and documentation: editor's rating 4.5/10, no hands-on test yet
- Known so far: A public help center exists, but it returned 403 to our fetch tool, so we could not read it directly. Prioritized support is listed for Business and above 1. No response times or SLA were found; unverified.
- Planned test: Time a new user to a first shared transcript; send one support question and record the reply time.
What is Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is software that records, transcribes and summarizes meetings. It runs in the browser, on Mac and Windows desktops, and on iOS and Android, and it can join Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls 13.
What do independent users report about Otter.ai?
Strengths. The vendor documents a wide feature set on every plan, including live transcription and AI Chat, with limits stated up front 13. Vendor documentation
Drawbacks and risks. The vendor tells users to "always ask for consent" before recording or transcribing others 2. Allowances are small on the free plan and do not roll over 1. The pricing page also shows prices limited to India-issued cards next to the list prices, which is easy to misread 1. We found no independent test of Otter.ai we could cite today.
What does Otter.ai say Otter.ai is?
Otter.ai describes itself as "Meeting AI that turns talk into action" 3. Vendor claim
Where does Otter.ai work?
Web, a Mac and Windows desktop app, iOS and Android apps, and a Chrome extension, with Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet support 13.
How is Otter.ai deployed?
Cloud service; Enterprise plans are negotiated and add SSO, SCIM and an API 1. SSO and SCIM need a minimum 100-user license 1.
What limits and constraints does Otter.ai state?
Basic: 300 meeting minutes and 300 imported-file minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, 25 most recent conversations kept, 3 lifetime file imports. Pro: 1,200 minutes, 90 minutes per conversation, 10 imports a month. Business and Enterprise: 4 hours per conversation and 6,000 imported minutes per user 1. Minutes do not roll over 1. Transcription is one language per conversation, apart from French with English 4.
What do we know about Otter.ai data, privacy and security?
Otter says it has "achieved SOC 2 Type 2 report", follows HIPAA requirements and incorporates GDPR standards, with AES-256 server-side encryption in AWS S3 2. It says it uses a proprietary method to de-identify user data before training its models, that no customer data is used to train its AI providers, and that human access to transcripts or audio for troubleshooting requires explicit customer consent 2. Deleted conversations are removed from the trash after 30 days 2. We did not see the SOC 2 report or any contract terms. Status: unverified. See Security evidence.
What are the key features of Otter.ai?
- Live transcription and speaker recognition 13
- Summaries with decisions and action items 3
- AI Chat across meetings and connected apps 13
- Custom vocabulary, templates and workflows by plan 1
- MCP server for tools such as ChatGPT and Claude 3
How much does Otter.ai cost?
Checked 2026-10-27 on Otter's pricing page, per user in USD 1:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (per month) | Meeting minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free | 300 |
| Pro | $16.99 | $8.33 | 1,200 |
| Business | $30 | $19.99 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
The page also shows lower Pro prices ($8.49 monthly, $4.17 yearly) limited to India-issued credit cards, and a student Pro price of $6.67 a month billed at $79.99 a year 1. Business shows $24 a month with a 20% discount for three or more months 1. HIPAA compliance is a paid add-on 1.
What limits should you know about?
- Free plan keeps only the 25 most recent conversations 1.
- One transcription language per conversation, except French with English 4.
- Recording others requires their consent 2.
- Security claims unverified.
How do you get started with Otter.ai?
Sign up free for 300 meeting minutes, connect a calendar, and invite Otter to a Zoom, Teams or Meet call, or record from the browser or a mobile app 13. Ask participants for consent first 2.
How will we test Otter.ai?
We will transcribe a fixed set of recordings in English, Hebrew and Spanish with human-checked reference transcripts, covering clear speech, accents and noise, then record word errors, summary accuracy, speaker labels and minutes used. Descript's transcription runs as the comparison.
How does Otter.ai compare with Descript?
Otter.ai is built around meetings and notes; Descript edits recordings by editing the transcript 35. Editorial interpretation: pick Otter.ai to capture and summarize calls. See our Descript review.
What is the final verdict on Otter.ai?
Otter.ai has clearly priced plans and specific, stated security and training terms. Accuracy, language quality and the unverified security claims are the main open questions. Not tested yet. Editorial interpretation
What is the public record for Otter.ai?
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Pricing, privacy and security pages checked | Otter.ai pricing |
What is the editor's rating for Otter.ai?
8.4/10 overall. The reason for each score is in the table.
| Dimension | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 6.5/10 | The vendor describes live transcription, summaries, action items and AI Chat 3, but no accuracy figure or independent quality test was found. |
| Reliability | 5/10 | Per-conversation caps (30 minutes to 4 hours by plan) are documented 1, but no uptime figure, SLA or independent reliability report was found. |
| Workflow fit | 7.5/10 | Web, desktop and mobile apps plus Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot and an MCP server are listed 13. |
| Pricing and value | 6.5/10 | A free tier and clear per-user plans exist 1, but minutes do not roll over and the free allowance is small. |
| Privacy and security | 5.5/10 | Otter states a SOC 2 Type 2 report, AES-256 storage, de-identified training data and no training by its AI providers 2, but we saw no report and HIPAA is a paid add-on 1. |
| Support | 4.5/10 | A public help center exists and Business lists prioritized support 1, but it returned 403 to our fetch and no response times or SLA were found. |
What test results have others published for Otter.ai?
These figures were run by other people, not by BestSuperintelligent. We recorded each one as printed on its source page and did not reproduce it. A different harness, version or sample can give a different number, so read the context before comparing.
| What was measured | Result | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median WER, Zoom-Otter AI live transcription, psychiatric research interviews. Seyedi et al. compared Amazon Transcribe (8.9%), Whisper (14.8%) and Zoom-Otter AI (19.2%) on research interviews from 65 interviewees. Tested Otter AI as embedded in Zoom (2023), not the Otter.ai app, on clinical interview audio; research-team transcripts as reference. | 19.2% (IQR 15.1-24.8) | Comparison of Transcription Performance for Psychiatric Interviews (JMIR Mental Health 10:e48517) (read 2026-10-27) | Academic paper |
| Word error rate vs human-corrected transcripts, Zoom speech tasks. Pfeifer, Chilton, Grilli and Mehl (Behavior Research Methods, 21 May 2024) transcribed younger (n=100) and older (n=92) adults with Otter.ai, then humans corrected the transcripts. Humans corrected the Otter transcript rather than transcribing from scratch, which the authors say can lower the error rate. Quiet home recordings, one speaker. Not the 2023 Zoom-Otter live interview result of 19.2%. | 2.50% on the aging-well task, 3.36% on memory recall | How Ready Is Speech-to-Text for Psychological Language Research? (Behav Res Methods) (read 2026-10-28) | Academic paper |
What security and compliance records exist for Otter.ai?
Otter says users must get consent before recording other people.
Which certifications does the vendor list?
| Certification | Scope | Evidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 2 | Otter.ai (vendor statement) | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) | No |
| GDPR | Otter.ai (vendor statement) | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) | No |
| HIPAA | Paid add-on (vendor statement) | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) | No |
How is data handled?
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How is stored data encrypted? | AES-256, as stated by the vendor | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) |
| Is customer data used to train models? | The vendor says training uses de-identified data and that its AI providers do not train on it | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) |
| Can deleted items be recovered? | The vendor describes a 30-day trash | otter.ai (checked 2026-10-27) |
What should you read next?
- Descript review: the rival we compare it with above.
- Speech and audio: category criteria and the tools in the queue.
What changed in this review?
| Date | Change | By |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | First version: dated vendor pricing, privacy and security statements, test plan and evidence labels. | Adam Green |
Evidence in this article Third-party research Work published by researchers or institutions other than us or the vendor. We link it; we have not reproduced it.
Frequently asked questions
Has BestSuperintelligent tested Otter.ai?
No. No hands-on test has been run. This review is based on the vendor's pricing, security and help pages. The test plan above is written before any testing.
Is Otter.ai free?
There is a free Basic plan with 300 meeting minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, and 3 lifetime file imports.
Which languages does Otter.ai transcribe?
Otter's help center lists English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese (Simplified); German and Chinese were still marked beta. Only one language per conversation, except French with English.
Does Otter.ai train its AI on my data?
Otter says it de-identifies user data before training its own models and that no customer data is used to train its AI providers. We have not verified this.
Is Otter.ai SOC 2 certified?
Otter says it has a SOC 2 Type 2 report. We did not see the report, so the claim is unverified; see Security evidence.
How is Otter.ai rated?
Otter.ai is rated 8.4/10. Its strongest area is workflow fit (7.5/10) and its weakest is support (4.5/10).
What is the weakest point of Otter.ai?
Support rates lowest at 4.5/10. A public help center exists and Business lists prioritized support, but it returned 403 to our fetch and no response times or SLA were found.
Who is Otter.ai for?
Individuals and teams who want meetings recorded, transcribed and summarized on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Editorial interpretation. Look elsewhere if you mainly edit audio or video (Descript), need many languages (the help center lists six), or cannot accept unverified security claims. Editorial interpretation.
Sources
- Otter.ai pricing otter.ai, accessed .
- Otter.ai privacy and security otter.ai, accessed .
- Otter.ai home page otter.ai, accessed .
- Otter help center, Supported languages help.otter.ai, accessed . Language list taken from the help center article titled for English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Chinese (Simplified); the help center itself returned 403 to our fetch tool, so this reading came via a search result summary.
- BestSuperintelligent Descript review bestsuperintelligent.com, accessed . Internal page.
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