Otter.ai review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a visible bot option, free tier, and per-user paid plans; SSO and SCIM are Enterprise-only with a 100-user minimum.
Verdict at a glance
Otter.ai is a meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a free tier and per-user paid plans. It stands out for an easy start and familiar interface, plus a Sales Notetaker and SOC 2 and HIPAA support.
Pros
- Easy to start with a usable free tier.
- Wide adoption and familiar interface.
Cons
- Free and Pro minute caps are tight.
- Review counts and pricing details are confusing on higher tiers.
What is Otter.ai?
Meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a visible bot option, free tier, and per-user paid plans; SSO and SCIM are Enterprise-only with a 100-user minimum. It is built for individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool and sales teams using Otter Sales Notetaker. Otter.ai was founded in 2016 and is based in Mountain View, US.
Category: AI Meeting Assistants
Otter.ai key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Meeting platform support | Zoom and Google Meet video replay noted on Enterprise; full platform list not confirmed by the vendor. |
| CRM and workflow integrations | Custom CRM and dialer integrations on Enterprise; Otter Sales Notetaker. |
| Privacy and security | SOC 2 and HIPAA (2025 announcement); Trust Center badges: CCPA, GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, VPAT, TX-RAMP Level 2; subprocessors include Anthropic and AWS. |
Otter.ai pricing
Otter.ai charges per user on four plans. Basic is free with 300 minutes a month. Pro costs $16.99 monthly or $8.33 per user per month billed annually and includes 1,200 minutes. Business costs $24 monthly or $19.99 annual per user, with unlimited meeting minutes and 4 hours per conversation. Enterprise is quote only. Monthly and annual billing are both offered, and the Business annual rate saves about 17%. The bill grows linearly with seats until you hit the user caps: 5 billed users on Pro and 25 on Business. HIPAA is an Enterprise add-on and Otter.ai does not publish its price.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | per user | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation, 3 lifetime imports |
| Pro | $16.99/mo monthly or $8.33/mo annual | per user | 1,200 min/month, 90 min per conversation, 5 billed users |
| Business | $24/mo monthly or $19.99/mo annual | per user | Unlimited meeting minutes, 4 hours per conversation, up to 25 billed users |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | per user | SSO, SCIM (minimum 100-user license), HIPAA add-on, API and webhooks |
Pricing page ambiguous on imported-file limits for Business/Enterprise.
Who Otter.ai is best for
Best for
- Individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool.
- Sales teams using Otter Sales Notetaker.
Not ideal for
- Teams under 100 users that need SSO or SCIM.
- Teams needing botless capture.
Otter.ai alternatives
Fireflies.aiTeams wanting broad integrations and a free tier.
FathomIndividuals and small teams wanting unlimited free recording.
AvomaSales and customer success teams wanting meeting notes plus coaching.
tl;dvTeams that want EU-hosted meeting data and a low per-seat price.
Read AITeams that want meetings, email and messages summarized in one tool.
CirclebackTeams wanting transparent public pricing through the Enterprise tier.
What Otter.ai really costs
- Per seat per month
- $19.99 (Business, annual)
- Billing
- Monthly and annual.
- Annual discount
- Business $19.99 annual vs $24 monthly, about 17%.
- Minimum seats
- Enterprise SSO/SCIM needs 100-user minimum; Business max 25 billed users.
- 20 users per year
- 20 x $19.99 x 12 = $4,797.60/yr on Business annual.
Add-ons and extras to budget for
- HIPAA compliance add-on (Enterprise, price not published)
Questions to ask about price
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Otter.ai worth the price?
Otter.ai is good value for individuals and small teams that want a free or cheap transcription tool, especially if the Basic or Pro minute limits fit how often you meet. It gets awkward once a team passes 25 billed users, because Business stops there and the next step is a quote. Teams that need SSO or SCIM under 100 users also have no cheaper route, since both are Enterprise only.
Worth it if
- Individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool.
- Sales teams using Otter Sales Notetaker.
Look elsewhere if
- Teams under 100 users that need SSO or SCIM.
- Teams needing botless capture.
Cheaper per seat than Otter.ai
- Fireflies.ai$10 (Pro, annual, third-party reported)
- Fathom$15 (Team, annual)
- Read AI$15 (Pro, annual); $22.50 for Enterprise.
- Circleback$15 (Pro); $35 if SSO needed.
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- SSO and SCIM need Enterprise with a minimum 100-user license.
- Business plan caps at 25 billed users; Pro at 5.
- Business monthly price is $24, with 20% off for 3+ months.
- HIPAA is an Enterprise add-on.
- Trust Center lists Anthropic as a subprocessor and AWS as infrastructure.
Otter.ai compared
Our verdict on Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a free tier and per-user paid plans. On cost, the headline is easy to read: Basic is free, Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually, and Business is $19.99 per user per month billed annually. G2 shows a 4.4 rating from about 500 reviews, and reviewers like how simple it is to start.
The catch is that the cheap tiers come with tight limits and the features IT teams ask about sit much higher up. Pro and Business cap billed users at 5 and 25, and SSO and SCIM need Enterprise with a 100-user minimum. Reviewers also call the free and Pro minute caps tight, so check your meeting volume before you count on the low price.
Otter.ai FAQ
What is Otter.ai used for?
Otter.ai is a meeting transcription and AI notes tool with a free tier and per-user paid plans. It stands out for an easy start and familiar interface, plus a Sales Notetaker and SOC 2 and HIPAA support. It suits individuals and small teams wanting a free or low-cost transcription tool.
Does Otter.ai have a free plan?
Yes. The Basic plan is free and includes 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation and 3 lifetime imports. Otter.ai does not list a free trial for the paid plans.
How much does Otter.ai cost for 20 users?
On Business billed annually, 20 users at $19.99 per month come to $4,797.60 per year. Monthly billing at $24 per user would cost more, and the annual rate saves about 17%.
When does Otter.ai pricing stop being self-serve?
Pro allows up to 5 billed users and Business up to 25. Beyond that, or if you need SSO, SCIM, the HIPAA add-on, API access or webhooks, you move to Enterprise, which is contact sales.
About Otter.ai
- Founded
- 2016.
- Headquarters
- Mountain View, US.
- Employees
- 200-500 (sources differ)
- Funding or owner
- About $70M to $73M raised (sources differ), Series B Feb 2021.
Listed in: AI Meeting Assistants
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Otter.ai's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.