Memo AI vs Otter.ai

Memo AI

Memo AI is a local-first transcription app rather than the web service our earlier card described: files and YouTube links are processed on your own GPU, which is the right trade for interview, lecture and podcast transcripts you would rather not upload. The free tier is unusually complete, so the paid licences are closer to a tip jar with priority support than a feature unlock. Expect to bring your own model key for summaries and to live without a web or mobile client.

Pros

• +Runs on-device with GPU acceleration and works offline, so recordings stay on the machine
• +Free Basic tier has no cap on transcription, translation or voice synthesis and no device limit
• +YouTube links, batch mode, speaker diarization, 90-plus translation languages and export to subtitles, Markdown and Notion
• +Lifetime licence at $49.99 avoids a subscription

Cons

• −Desktop only: no web, iOS or Android client
• −AI summaries need your own API key and send text to that provider, which the offline claim does not cover
• −Paid tiers are licensed for one device and buy little beyond priority support
• −Pemo LLC publishes no address, country or governing law

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

Is Memo AI cheaper than Otter.ai?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: Memo AI starts at $25.99/yr, Otter.ai at $8.33/seat/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does Memo AI or Otter.ai have a free tier?

Both: Memo AI has a free tier, and Otter.ai has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Memo AI or Otter.ai?

Otter.ai ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for Memo AI is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.