Alternatives · Meeting Notes
The best Otter.ai alternatives in 2026
Eight alternatives to Otter.ai for people who keep hitting its minute caps, from free plans with unlimited transcription to note takers that record without a bot. Each pick says how it differs, what it costs and where it stops.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 8 tools · How we pick
Otter.ai meters almost everything. The free Basic plan stops at 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, and only your 25 most recent conversations stay accessible. Pro, at $8.33 per user a month billed annually, is still capped at 1,200 minutes a month and 90 minutes per meeting. Unlimited meetings start on Business at $19.99 per user a month billed annually.
The limits do not stop at minutes. AI Chat queries are capped on every plan, at most 200 per user per month. Basic allows 3 file imports in total. SSO, SCIM, the API and webhooks are Enterprise only. If one of those is the wall you keep hitting, the eight tools below get around it in different ways: several put unlimited transcription on a free plan, and one costs slightly less than Otter.ai Pro with unlimited transcription.
The picks run from the closest all-round replacement to the more specialized ones. Prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page. Jamie is priced in euros and is quoted that way.
Replacing Otter.ai?Live meeting transcription with summaries and AI chat. Free plan · from $8.33/mo.
Otter.ai detailsThe shortlist
- 1Fireflies.aiClosest all-round replacementFree plan · from $10/mo
- 2FathomBest free alternativeFree plan · from $15/mo
- 3tl;dvBest for video recordings and clipsFree plan · from $18/mo
- 4GranolaBest for a bot-free notepadFree plan · from $14/mo
- 5KrispBest for noisy callsFree trial · from $8/mo
- 6Read AIBest for search across meetings and emailFree plan · from $15/mo
- 7FellowBest for admin control at a listed priceFree plan · from $7/mo
- 8JamieBest for EU data hostingFree plan · from €21/mo
The picks in detail
- 01
Fireflies.ai
Closest all-round replacementMeeting notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes callsFireflies.ai covers the same ground as Otter.ai: web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android apps plus a browser extension, with a notetaker bot or bot-free capture from the desktop app. The difference is the meter: transcription is unlimited on every plan, Free included, where Otter.ai counts minutes. Pro, at $10 per seat a month billed annually, adds unlimited AI summaries, video recording and transcript downloads.
Worth knowing: The limits move elsewhere: Free limits AI summaries and stores 400 minutes per team, Pro stores 8,000 minutes per seat, and AI Skills draw on credits with only a one-time allowance included.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $10 per seat / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 02
Fathom
Best free alternativeAI notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with a free planIf Otter.ai's 300 free minutes are the problem, Fathom's Free plan lists unlimited recordings, storage and transcription, with instant AI summaries, clips and playlists. It records Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls with a meeting bot or, on Mac, without one. For one person who wants more, Premium is $16 per user a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: Fathom lists no web app and has no Android app, both of which Otter.ai offers. On Free, advanced summaries cover only the first 5 calls each month and Ask Fathom is limited.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $15 per user / month, billed annually (Team plan, 2-user minimum)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS
- 03
tl;dv
Best for video recordings and clipsMeeting recorder and AI notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teamstl;dv suits teams that want the video recording of a call, not only the notes; Otter.ai's plan list puts video replay on Enterprise. tl;dv's Free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription, and highlighting part of a transcript generates a clip of that moment to share. Pro is $18 per seat a month billed annually and adds CRM sync, an API and webhooks.
Worth knowing: Free limits AI notes to 10 meetings a month and keeps data for up to 3 months, and Pro costs more than twice as much as Otter.ai Pro on annual billing.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $18 per seat / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 04
Granola
Best for a bot-free notepadAI notepad that transcribes meetings from device audio, no botGranola takes a different approach from a running transcript: you type rough notes during the call and it expands them into a full write-up using the transcript. It captures your device's microphone and system audio, so no bot joins. The free Basic plan has no daily transcription limit, and Business is $14 per user a month, billed monthly, with unlimited history.
Worth knowing: Basic shows only the last 30 days of notes, and there is no web app or browser extension, both of which Otter.ai has.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $14 per user / month, billed monthly
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 05
Krisp
Best for noisy callsNoise cancellation and bot-free AI meeting notes in one appKrisp adds noise cancellation to note-taking: it removes background noise, other voices and room echo in both directions on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and other calling apps, and transcribes without a bot in the call. Core is $8 per user a month billed annually, just under Otter.ai Pro, and includes unlimited transcription, recording and AI notes instead of a monthly minute allowance. An API is included on Core too.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial; Krisp's App Store listing says recording and file import are disabled once it ends. Core includes 10 GB of storage.
- Price
- $8 per user / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 06
Read AI
Best for search across meetings and emailMeeting notetaker with search across meetings, email and chatRead AI answers questions across more than meetings: it also summarizes email and messaging, and its search assistant cites the source of each answer. Where Otter.ai caps AI Chat queries on every plan, Read AI lists search as unlimited on every plan, Free included. Pro is $15 per user a month billed annually with unlimited meeting transcripts, and students and staff with a .edu email can buy an EDU plan for $60 a year.
Worth knowing: The Free plan covers 5 meeting transcripts a month and the EDU plan 30 meetings a month. Audio and video playback needs Enterprise, and Read AI does not offer refunds.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $15 per user / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 07
Fellow
Best for admin control at a listed priceAI meeting assistant with recording, notes and admin controlsOtter.ai keeps SSO, SCIM and its API for a custom-priced Enterprise plan. Fellow publishes its Enterprise price, $25 per user a month billed annually, with SSO through Okta or OneLogin, user provisioning and transcript redaction, and API access starts on Team at $7 per user a month billed annually. Business, at $15 per user a month billed annually, has unlimited AI notes and recordings.
Worth knowing: Fellow counts notes rather than minutes: Free gives 5 AI notes and 5 recordings per user in total, and Team 10 of each a month. Enterprise needs at least 10 users and annual billing.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $7 per user / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 08
Jamie
Best for EU data hostingBot-free AI note taker with EU data hostingJamie is the pick if where your recordings live matters more than how many minutes you get. The company is based in Germany, keeps data in the EU, deletes audio after transcription and says customer content is never used to train models. It records on your own device with no bot and also captures in-person meetings. Plus is €21 per user a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: Jamie is metered too: Free allows 10 AI notes a month and 30 minutes per meeting, and Plus 20 notes and 2 hours. Unlimited notes need Team at €33 or Pro at €39 per person a month billed annually.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from €21 per user / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
How to choose
Work out which Otter.ai limit you are hitting
If it is the minute cap, Fathom, Fireflies.ai and tl;dv list unlimited transcription on their free plans, Granola has no daily transcription limit, and Krisp Core is unlimited for $8 per user a month billed annually. If it is the cap on AI Chat queries, Read AI lists search as unlimited on every plan. If it is the Enterprise-only API, tl;dv Pro, Krisp Core and Fellow Team all include API access.
Check what the replacement meters instead
Dropping the minute cap rarely means no cap at all. Fireflies.ai Free limits AI summaries and stores 400 minutes per team. tl;dv Free writes AI notes for 10 meetings a month and keeps data for up to 3 months. Granola Basic shows the last 30 days of notes. Fathom Free limits advanced summaries to the first 5 calls a month. Fellow and Jamie count notes: 10 a month on Fellow Team and on Jamie Free. Read AI Free covers 5 meeting transcripts a month.
Match the apps you use now
Otter.ai runs on web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android and has a browser extension. Fireflies.ai, Fellow, Read AI and tl;dv match that list. Fathom, Granola, Jamie and Krisp do not list a web app, and Fathom has no Android app. If you rely on Otter.ai in a browser tab, start with the first four.
Decide whether a bot should join
Otter.ai offers both a meeting agent that joins calls and bot-free recording from its desktop app. Fireflies.ai, tl;dv and Fellow offer the same choice, and so does Fathom, though its bot-free capture is in beta and Mac only. Granola and Jamie record from your own device, so no bot joins, and Krisp works that way unless you enable its bot.
Common questions
Is there a free alternative to Otter.ai?
Yes. Seven of the eight alternatives here have a free plan; Krisp has a 7-day trial instead. Fathom's Free plan lists unlimited recordings, storage and transcription. Fireflies.ai's has unlimited transcription with limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team, and tl;dv's has unlimited recordings and transcription with AI notes for 10 meetings a month.
Which Otter.ai alternatives have no cap on transcription minutes?
On free plans, Fathom, Fireflies.ai and tl;dv list unlimited transcription, and Granola has no daily transcription limit. On paid plans, Krisp Core includes unlimited transcription and recording at $8 per user a month billed annually, and Read AI Pro has unlimited meeting transcripts at $15 per user a month billed annually.
Is there an Otter.ai alternative that costs less than Otter.ai Pro?
Krisp Core is $8 per user a month billed annually, against $8.33 for Otter.ai Pro, and includes unlimited transcription. Fellow Team is $7 per user a month billed annually but allows only 10 AI notes and 10 recordings per user each month. Fireflies.ai Pro is close at $10 per seat a month billed annually.
Which Otter.ai alternatives record without a bot?
Granola and Jamie record from your own device, so no bot joins, and Krisp does the same unless you enable its bot. Fireflies.ai, tl;dv and Fellow offer bot-free capture from their desktop apps, and Fathom offers it on Mac only, in beta.
Which Otter.ai alternatives have a student discount?
Granola offers enrolled students at accredited universities in the US, UK and Canada 12 months of its Business plan free, on application. Read AI sells an EDU plan at $60 a year to students and staff with a .edu email. Fireflies.ai lists 10% off paid plans for students who email support from a school address.
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