Best Otter.ai Alternatives in 2026

If you're looking for alternatives to Otter.ai, you're not alone. While Otter.ai is a popular choice for voice transcription, there are several compelling alternatives that might better suit your specific needs. In this guide, we'll explore the best options available in 2026.

Why Look for Otter.ai Alternatives?

Otter.ai is a solid transcription tool that works well for many users. That said, depending on your needs, you might find that another option is a better fit. Here are some reasons people explore alternatives:

Pricing. Otter.ai's free tier includes 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute cap per conversation. The Pro plan costs $16.99/month (as of January 2026), which comes to over $200/year. Depending on your usage, other tools may offer better value.

Accuracy with accents. Otter.ai works great with standard American English. However, according to user reviews, it can have more difficulty with accents, industry-specific terminology, or conversations with multiple speakers talking at once.

Privacy preferences. Some users prefer alternatives that don't require a bot to join their calls. In August 2025, a lawsuit was filed related to how Otter.ai handles recordings, which has led some privacy-conscious users to explore other options.

Customer support. Some reviews on Trustpilot mention slower response times when issues arise. If responsive support is important to you, it's worth factoring into your decision.

Whatever your priorities, there are several great alternatives worth considering.

Top Otter.ai Alternatives

Tool	Price	Bot Joins Call?	Best For
Whisper Memos	$60/year	No	Affordable, simple meeting capture
Fireflies.ai	$120/year	Yes	Video call integrations
Granola	$216/year	No	Privacy-first desktop app
Rev	Pay-per-minute	No	Human-verified accuracy

1. Whisper Memos

Whisper Memos takes a different approach to meeting transcription. There's no bot joining your call—instead, you simply run the app on your phone to capture the conversation. Over half of Whisper Memos customers use it for recording meetings, and it works great for both in-person and virtual calls.

Key features include:

• Just $5/month with annual billing—and for that price you get unlimited memos, up to 90 minutes each. No minute limits or surprise charges.
• AI-powered transcription using OpenAI Whisper or ElevenLabs Scribe—Scribe performs better with some languages and accents.
• Smart summaries that capture key points. You can even create custom summary formats with your own prompts.
• Apple Watch app that works fully standalone—no phone needed. Record and transcribe directly from your wrist, even offline.
• Privacy-first design with a private mode that deletes transcripts after processing.
• Zapier integration for routing memos to different apps automatically.

Beyond meetings, Whisper Memos is also great for journaling, brainstorming, and capturing ideas on the go.

2. Fireflies.ai

Fireflies.ai is a popular meeting assistant that joins your video calls as a bot to record and transcribe. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms.

Key features include:

• Free plan with 800 minutes of storage, though AI summaries are limited.
• Pro plan at $10/month (billed annually, as of January 2026) with unlimited transcription—but note that storage is capped at 8,000 minutes.
• 100+ languages supported for transcription.
• AI-powered search and action item tracking across your meetings.

The main downside is that Fireflies joins calls as a visible bot participant, which some meeting attendees find intrusive. There's also an AI credits system for advanced features that can add up quickly.

3. Granola

Granola takes a privacy-first approach similar to Whisper Memos—there's no bot joining your calls. Instead, it captures audio directly from your device and generates AI-enhanced notes.

Key features include:

• Free plan with 25 meetings (lifetime limit).
• Individual plan at $18/month (as of January 2026) for unlimited meetings.
• Bot-free recording—uses your device audio, never stores actual recordings.
• Meeting templates for sales calls, user interviews, stand-ups, and more.
• Built-in AI chat that can answer questions about your meeting content.

Granola works on Mac, Windows, and iOS. One limitation: speaker attribution can be unreliable in group calls, and model training opt-out is only default on the Enterprise plan.

4. Rev

Rev is one of the oldest names in transcription, offering both AI and human-powered options. If accuracy is your top priority and you're willing to pay a premium, their human transcription service is hard to beat.

Key features include:

• Human transcription at $1.99/minute (as of January 2026)—no extra charge for multiple speakers, accents, or challenging audio.
• AI transcription at $0.25/minute for a more affordable automated option.
• Subscription plans starting at $14.99/month with included AI transcription hours and discounts on human transcription.
• High accuracy—Rev's human transcriptionists are known for quality, making it ideal for legal, medical, or other high-stakes content.

The main downside is cost. Human transcription adds up fast, and even the AI option is pricier than many alternatives. Rev is best suited for users who need guaranteed accuracy and don't mind paying for it.

Choosing the Right Alternative

Each of these tools takes a different approach to meeting transcription. If you want a no-fuss, affordable option without bots joining your calls, Whisper Memos is hard to beat at just $5/month. If you need deep integrations with video conferencing platforms and don't mind a bot participant, Fireflies is a solid choice. And if you want a privacy-first desktop app with AI-enhanced note-taking, Granola is worth a look.

Consider what matters most to you: pricing, privacy, platform support, or specific features like templates and integrations. Try a few and see which one fits your workflow best.