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AudioPen vs Otter.ai

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. AudioPen starts at $99, Otter.ai at $8.33. Both have a free tier. Only Otter.ai ships a public API.

AudioPenTurns rambling voice notes into clean written text in a style you chooseOtter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length caps

Side by side

FactAudioPenOtter.ai
CategoryNote-taking & Second BrainMeeting Assistants
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$99 month$8.33 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome ExtWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, API
CompanyNicheless Inc.Otter.ai
Launched—2016
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

AudioPen

The narrow focus is the point: AudioPen does one job, turning messy speech into text someone else can read, and does it across every device on a single account. The catch is the pass-based pricing, which asks for a year up front instead of letting you try a month.

Pros

  • Rewrite intensity is adjustable rather than take-it-or-leave-it
  • Custom writing styles and multi-note merging on paid passes
  • One licence spans web, mobile, Mac, Windows and Chrome
  • Zapier and webhook hooks for pushing notes into other tools

Cons

  • No monthly plan; the entry commitment is a multi-month pass
  • No documented public API, only Zapier and webhooks
  • Run by a very small operation, with little published about the company

Otter.ai

Still the default for English-language meeting notes, and the free tier is unusually usable. What determines the right plan is not features but the per-conversation ceiling: 30 minutes on Basic and 90 on Pro means a standard hour-long review truncates on the free tier and a workshop truncates on Pro. Pick the tier by your longest recurring meeting.

Pros

  • 300 free minutes a month makes evaluation real rather than token
  • Annual Pro at $8.33 is roughly half the month-to-month rate
  • An MCP server is exposed from the free tier, so assistants can query transcripts without the paid API
  • Business removes the minute cap entirely rather than raising it

Cons

  • The API and webhooks require Enterprise, which is quote-only
  • Per-conversation ceilings (30 min free, 90 min Pro) cut recordings mid-meeting
  • Basic allows three file imports in total, not per month
  • Month-to-month pricing is roughly double annual at both self-serve tiers

Which one fits

Choose AudioPen if you need

  • People who draft by talking and want usable prose, not a transcript
  • Writers and founders capturing ideas away from a keyboard
  • Anyone switching constantly between phone, laptop and browser

Choose Otter.ai if you need

  • Teams that live in Zoom, Meet or Teams and want notes without a note-taker
  • Accessibility use, where live captions matter as much as the transcript
  • Recruiters and researchers who need searchable interview records across a workspace

More comparisons

All Otter.ai alternatives →Browse all Note-taking & Second Brain →