Otter.ai has been turning conversations into searchable text for years, well before AI summaries became a standard meeting feature. It remains a popular choice for founders, consultants, and sales teams who spend much of their day on calls.
Editor’s note: confirm current features and plans with hands-on testing before publishing a score.
Key Features
- Real-time transcription with speaker identification
- Automated meeting summaries and action items
- Joins Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls
- Searchable archive of past conversations
- Mobile recording for in-person meetings
Strengths
Live transcription is genuinely useful: you can glance back at what someone said a minute ago without interrupting. Cross-platform support means one archive for every call, regardless of which tool the other side prefers.
Limitations
Like all transcription tools, accuracy drops with poor microphones, heavy crosstalk, or specialist jargon. Some clients are also uncomfortable when a note-taking bot appears on the call, so announce it upfront.
How It Compares
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| One meeting platform, basic summaries | Your platform’s built-in AI |
| Several platforms, one archive | A dedicated note-taker like Otter |
| Deep CRM integration for sales | Compare sales-focused note-takers |
See the wider field in our guide to the best AI meeting assistants, and automate the follow-up with our lead follow-up tutorial.
The Verdict
Otter.ai is a mature, reliable choice for people who live on calls and want one searchable record across platforms. Test it against your meeting platform’s built-in AI first; if that covers your needs, you may not need another subscription.
Pricing and plan limits for AI software change frequently. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor’s own pricing page before you buy.
