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Cogram 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. Cogram starts at $79, Otter.ai at $8.33. Only Otter.ai has a free tier. Only Otter.ai ships a public API.

CogramAI admin assistant for AEC firms: drafts minutes, field reports and RFI logs from meetings and project emailOtter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length caps

Side by side

FactCogramOtter.ai
CategoryConstruction & AECMeeting Assistants
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starts at$79 month$8.33 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, API
CompanyCogramOtter.ai
Launched20212016
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Cogram

For AEC project managers buried in minutes, RFIs and email threads, this automates the paperwork with integrations into Procore, Deltek and Autodesk that generic note-takers lack. The catch is the price: $79 a month per individual is several times a general meeting assistant, and team pricing hides behind a demo.

Pros

  • Purpose-built AEC workflows instead of generic summaries
  • Integrations span Procore, Deltek, Unanet, Autodesk, Teams, Outlook, Zoom and Meet
  • SOC 2 Type II with a no-training-on-your-data stance
  • Self-serve 14-day trial for the individual plan

Cons

  • $79/month is steep next to general meeting assistants
  • Team pricing is opaque and demo-gated
  • No public API documented

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 Cogram if you need

  • Architecture and engineering firms formalizing meeting minutes and field reports
  • General contractors tracking RFIs and submittals alongside project email
  • Firms that need private cloud or on-premises deployment for project data

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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