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Otter.ai vs SpotScribe

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

Otter.aiMeeting transcription with per-plan minute and length capsSpotScribePaste a Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or TikTok link and get a transcript, summary and chat.

Side by side

FactOtter.aiSpotScribe
CategoryMeeting AssistantsSpeech-to-Text & Transcription
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$8.33 month$6.99 month
Public APIYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome Ext, APIWeb
CompanyOtter.aiSpotScribe
Launched2016—
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

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

SpotScribe

Cheap and single-purpose: it exists because Spotify does not let you export an episode transcript. Accepting YouTube and TikTok links and raw audio files makes it more generally useful than the name implies. The vendor is anonymous - no registered company, no country, no address - which is a fair reason to keep it to public podcast content rather than anything confidential.

Pros

  • Handles Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, TikTok and direct MP3/MP4/WAV/FLAC/M4A uploads
  • Transcript exports in several formats plus an AI summary per episode
  • Chat interface for questioning the transcript
  • Entry tier is $6.99/month and there is a free tier for testing
  • 14-day refund policy stated in the terms

Cons

  • Everything is metered in credits, and the free tier's three credits barely covers one test
  • No company name, country or address published anywhere
  • No API and no bulk import
  • Accuracy figures are not published

Which one fits

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

Choose SpotScribe if you need

  • quoting a podcast accurately in writing
  • searching an episode for one segment
  • turning interview audio into text on a small budget

More comparisons

All Otter.ai alternatives →Browse all Meeting Assistants →