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AudioScribe 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. AudioScribe starts at $19.99, Otter.ai at $8.33. Both have a free tier. Only Otter.ai ships a public API.

AudioScribeTranscribes audio and video, then lets you full-text search the transcript and question it in chat.Otter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length caps

Side by side

FactAudioScribeOtter.ai
CategorySpeech-to-Text & TranscriptionMeeting Assistants
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$19.99 month$8.33 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, API
CompanyAudioScribe Technologies, LLCOtter.ai
Launched—2016
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

AudioScribe

A transcription service that treats the transcript as a searchable archive rather than a one-off download, which matters if you accumulate hundreds of recordings. The 10-hour per-file ceiling is generous. The free tier's 25-minute cap makes it useless for real meetings, so you are effectively evaluating a paid product.

Pros

  • Unlimited transcripts on the $19.99 plan with a 10-hour per-file ceiling
  • Full-text search plus a chat layer across stored transcripts
  • Speaker identification and 18 languages on the paid tier
  • Native iOS and Android apps alongside the browser app

Cons

  • No public API mentioned anywhere on the site
  • Free tier caps files at 25 minutes, which excludes most meetings
  • No country or address disclosed for the LLC behind it

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 AudioScribe if you need

  • Building a searchable archive of interviews or lectures
  • Long single recordings up to ten hours
  • People who want transcription on phone and desktop

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 AudioScribe alternatives →All Otter.ai alternatives →Browse all Speech-to-Text & Transcription →