"Otter.ai Review 2026: Live Transcription and Meeting Notes"
Otter.ai is the mainstream live-transcription service. Join a Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call (or import audio) and Otter produces a searchable transcript plus a summary with action items, in near real time.
How it works#
Otter joins as a bot or captures system audio, streaming a live transcript. After the call it generates a summary, speaker labels and extractable action items. Search finds any spoken moment across all your meetings. OtterPilot can auto-join scheduled meetings.
Strengths#
- Accurate real-time transcription
- Auto summaries and action items
- Strong calendar and meeting-app integrations
- Searchable across all history
- Generous free tier
Weaknesses#
- Free tier capped on monthly minutes
- Speaker diarisation slips with overlaps
- Privacy: transcripts live in the cloud
- Heavy accents reduce accuracy
Pricing#
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Free — $0: 300 min/mo, 30 min/file
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Pro — $16.99/mo: 1,200 min, 90 min/file
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Business — $30/mo: Team features, admin
Verdict#
Otter is the safe default for meeting transcription and search. For video-first teams that need clips, see tl;dv. Both appear in our best AI meeting tools list.
FAQ#
Q: Does Otter join my calls automatically?
OtterPilot can auto-join scheduled meetings with permission.
Q: Is it accurate?
Very good for clear English; accuracy drops with crosstalk or strong accents.
Q: Where are transcripts stored?
In Otter’s cloud; review settings if conversations are sensitive.