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Cleft Notes 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. Cleft Notes starts at $6.99, Otter.ai at $8.33. Both have a free tier. Only Otter.ai ships a public API.

Cleft NotesRecords rambling voice memos on iPhone or Mac and turns them into structured notes with summaries and action items.Otter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length caps

Side by side

FactCleft NotesOtter.ai
CategoryNote-taking & Second BrainMeeting Assistants
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$6.99 month$8.33 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsiOS, macOSWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, API
CompanyCleftOtter.ai
Launched—2016
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Cleft Notes

Cleft is a strong pick for anyone who thinks out loud and wants that turned into usable notes rather than a wall of raw transcript, especially since the free tier is a genuinely usable five-minute recorder. The catch is it's Apple-only, so it's a non-starter for anyone on Android or Windows.

Pros

  • On-device transcription rather than sending audio to a server
  • Structures rambling audio into summaries and action items automatically
  • Free tier supports recordings up to five minutes with real output styles
  • Exports directly into Notion, Obsidian, Things 3, and other note apps

Cons

  • Apple-only, no Android or Windows version
  • Even the paid tier caps single recordings at 30 minutes

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 Cleft Notes if you need

  • iPhone or Mac users who record rambling voice memos and want them structured
  • Drivers who want to record notes hands-free via CarPlay

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

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