I used Otter.ai before I built Jottoo, and it does a lot well: accurate transcription, a real free plan, and a bot that reliably turns up to Zoom, Teams and Meet. But it isn't the right fit for everyone, and the reasons people leave tend to be specific. This guide sorts the alternatives by those reasons.
Quick answer: For a better free plan, try Fathom. For notes without a bot on your laptop, try Granola. For team transcription with deep integrations, try Fireflies. If you already pay for Zoom, Zoom AI Companion is included. For bot-free notes from your phone that also cover in-person meetings and turn into tracked tasks, try Jottoo.
Disclosure: Jottoo is our product. Prices are taken from each vendor's pricing page on 16 October 2026 unless noted, and they change often.
Why People Look for an Otter.ai Alternative
The bot. Otter.ai joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet as a participant. Some clients object, some IT teams block it, and since March 2026 Google Meet flags third-party notetaker bots as a "potential risk" and prompts hosts to deny them (Metaview support). For more on this, see our guide to bot-free AI note takers.
Free-plan limits. Otter.ai Basic is free, but it caps you at 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. It also keeps only your 25 most recent conversations and allows 3 lifetime file imports. A single hour-long meeting already breaks the 30-minute cap.
Per-meeting caps on paid plans. Pro allows up to 90 minutes per meeting and Business up to 4 hours. Long workshops and interviews can hit those limits.
Transcript first, tasks second. Otter.ai is excellent at "what was said". If you need "what happens next, by when", you'll still be reading summaries to find your to-dos.
What Otter.ai Costs in 2026
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation, 25 most recent conversations |
| Pro | $16.99/user/mo | $8.33/user/mo | 1,200 min/month, up to 90 min per meeting |
| Business | $30/user/mo | $19.99/user/mo | Unlimited meetings, up to 4 hours per meeting |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | n/a |
Source: otter.ai/pricing, 16 October 2026.
Billed annually, Otter.ai Pro works out cheaper than most alternatives here, Jottoo included. If price is the only reason you're leaving, try the annual Pro plan first.
Otter.ai Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Joins as a bot? | In-person meetings | Free option | Paid from (per user/month) | Best if you're leaving Otter.ai because… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom | Yes; bot-free in beta on Mac | Not stated | Free forever | $20 monthly or $16 billed annually | …the free plan is too limited |
| Granola | No | Mobile app | Basic, 30 days of history | $14 (Business) | …you don't want a bot on desktop calls |
| Jottoo | No | Yes | 7-day trial | $13.99, single plan | …you want bot-free notes that become tasks, including in-person meetings |
| Fireflies | Yes; Chrome extension can record without it | Not stated | Free plan | About $18 monthly or $10 billed annually (Pro)* | …you need integrations and team features |
| Zoom AI Companion | No (built into Zoom) | No | Limited on Zoom Basic | Included in paid Zoom Workplace plans | …your meetings are all on Zoom |
| Krisp | Optional | Yes | 7-day trial | $16 monthly or $8 billed annually (Core) | …you take calls in noisy places |
| Notion AI Meeting Notes | No | Not stated | Limited trial | Notion Business, listed at $20 | …your team lives in Notion |
| Jamie | No | Yes | 10 AI notes/month | €21 (Plus) | …you want bot-free with a free tier |
*Fireflies' prices didn't load on its pricing page when we checked. These figures come from third-party pricing trackers (Claap, Castmagic).
The Alternatives in Detail
1. Fathom: the best free Otter.ai alternative
Fathom's free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcription, which removes Otter.ai's 300-minute and 30-minute caps. Advanced summaries and "Ask Fathom" are limited on the free plan. It joins calls with a bot by default, and offers bot-free capture as a beta on Mac.
- Pricing: free forever. Premium is $20 a month, or $16 billed annually.
- Choose it if you mostly need free, unlimited recording of video calls.
2. Granola: the bot-free Otter.ai alternative for desktop calls
Granola never sends a bot. It listens through your device audio while you type rough notes, then turns your notes into a full write-up. It runs on desktop, iOS, Android and Apple Watch.
- Pricing: Basic is free with 30 days of history. Business is $14 per user per month.
- Choose it if you take your own notes on laptop video calls and want AI to finish them.
3. Jottoo: bot-free notes that turn into tracked tasks
Jottoo records from your phone or browser, takes uploaded audio, or works from typed notes. Nothing joins the call, so it works the same way for Zoom, a phone call or a client's meeting room. Recordings are transcribed with speakers separated and summarised into an overview, key points, risks and action items. Action items become tasks with deadlines on a calendar view, so they don't stay buried in the note.
- Pricing: $13.99 USD a month, everything included, after a 7-day free trial with no card.
- Privacy: note content is encrypted on your device before it syncs. Transcription goes through AssemblyAI and summaries through OpenAI, and neither trains on your content (details).
- Choose it if you're a consultant, sales rep or solo professional who needs every meeting to end as a dated plan.
- Skip it if you need a free plan, CRM integrations or team workspaces. None of those exist yet; see the roadmap.
4. Fireflies: the Otter.ai alternative for teams and integrations
Fireflies is the closest like-for-like replacement for Otter.ai: a meeting bot, team workspaces, mobile apps, and a long list of integrations. Its Chrome extension can also record without the Fireflies bot.
- Pricing: there's a free plan. Third-party trackers list Pro at about $18 a month, or $10 billed annually, so check the current prices.
- Choose it if you're replacing Otter.ai for a team and want CRM and workflow integrations.
5. Zoom AI Companion: the Otter.ai alternative you may already pay for
If every meeting you have is on Zoom, AI Companion's built-in summaries and action items come with paid Zoom Workplace plans at no extra cost. Because it's part of Zoom, no third-party bot joins.
- Choose it if you're Zoom-only and want one tool fewer.
- Skip it if you also meet on Teams, Meet, the phone or in person.
6. Krisp: bot-free notes with noise cancellation
Krisp captures audio through virtual audio devices, so it works with any meeting app without a bot, and you can still use a bot if you prefer. It also lists in-person meeting notes and outbound call recording.
- Pricing: a 7-day trial, then Core at $16 a month, or $8 billed annually.
- Choose it if call quality and background noise are your main problems.
7. Notion AI Meeting Notes: for teams already on Notion
Notion's meeting notes start from a Notion page with no bot needed, and the summary lands in your existing workspace.
- Pricing: part of Notion's Business plan, listed at $20 per member per month.
- Choose it if your team's docs and projects already live in Notion.
8. Jamie: bot-free with a usable free tier
Jamie captures audio on your device, includes in-person meetings on every plan, and has a free tier of 10 AI notes a month.
- Pricing: free plan with a 30-minute meeting limit. Plus is €21 a month and Pro is €39 a month billed annually. Prices are in euros.
- Choose it if you're in Europe or want to try bot-free notes without paying first.
Which Otter.ai Alternative Should You Pick?
| Your reason for leaving Otter.ai | Pick |
|---|---|
| The free plan is too limited | Fathom |
| You don't want a bot on desktop calls | Granola or Krisp |
| You meet in person and on the phone as well as online | Jottoo, Krisp or Jamie |
| You need tasks and deadlines, not only transcripts | Jottoo |
| You're a team that needs integrations | Fireflies |
| You only use Zoom | Zoom AI Companion |
| Your team lives in Notion | Notion AI Meeting Notes |
Whatever you choose, tell people at the start of a meeting that you're taking AI notes. Recording consent rules apply whether or not a bot is visible.
If your meetings move between video calls, phone calls and client offices, and you need each one to end with a clear list of who does what by when, try the Jottoo demo or start your 7-day free trial, no bot required →
Sources and pricing (checked 16 October 2026):
- Pricing pages: Otter.ai, Fathom, Granola, Fireflies (prices via Claap), Krisp, Notion, Jamie.
- Zoom AI Companion: Convo, Zoom pricing.
- Google Meet bot policy: Metaview support.
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