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Hedy AI 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. Hedy AI starts at $12.99, Otter.ai at $8.33. Both have a free tier. Both ship a public API.

Hedy AIListens during live meetings or calls and surfaces real-time suggestions, not just a post-call summary.Otter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length caps

Side by side

FactHedy AIOtter.ai
CategoryMeeting Recording & NotesMeeting Assistants
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$12.99 month$8.33 month
Public APIYesYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, Windows, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, API
CompanyHedy AI LLCOtter.ai
Launched—2016
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Hedy AI

Hedy's real-time coaching during a live conversation is a genuinely different angle from the after-the-fact summary most meeting-notes tools offer, useful for anyone who wants in-the-moment help rather than a transcript to review later. The free plan's 30-minute cap on live suggestions per session means most real meetings will hit the limit before they're done.

Pros

  • Live, real-time coaching during a conversation, not just a post-meeting summary
  • Session memory links related meetings together over time
  • One subscription covers iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web, and Apple Watch
  • API and Zapier access on Pro allow connecting output to other tools

Cons

  • Free plan's real-time suggestions are capped at 30 minutes per session, well short of many real meetings
  • Recording and analyzing live conversations raises privacy considerations for other meeting participants
  • Independent pricing sources report slightly different numbers, so it's worth confirming the current rate directly

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 Hedy AI if you need

  • People who want live prompts during a call or meeting, not just a summary afterward
  • Users juggling related meetings over time who want cross-session memory
  • Anyone wanting one subscription that covers phone, desktop, and watch

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 Hedy AI alternatives →All Otter.ai alternatives →Browse all Meeting Recording & Notes →