{"schema_version":"1.2","kind":"free-alternatives","slug":"free-otter-ai-alternatives","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/alternatives/free-otter-ai-alternatives","data_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/data/v1/compare/free-otter-ai-alternatives.json","title":"Free Otter.ai alternatives for meeting notes (2026)","description":"Free meeting note takers to try instead of Otter.ai, with each free plan, its limits and current pricing pulled from our catalog and dated.","intro":["Otter's free Basic plan caps how many minutes it transcribes each month and how long each conversation can be.","These tools also record or transcribe meetings and write up notes, and each has a free plan. The free plans differ in what they cap: transcripts, meetings with AI notes, AI credits or how much history you keep."],"hit_first":["Free plans cap different things. Otter caps minutes, Tactiq caps transcripts and AI credits, and tl;dv caps how many meetings get AI notes. Check which one matches how often you meet.","Some cap history instead: Granola's free plan keeps only a limited meeting history.","Let people know when a meeting is being recorded. Some of these tools can join a call as a visible participant, while others work without a bot, so nobody sees a recorder join."],"faq":[{"question":"Can I switch from Otter without losing my old transcripts?","answer":"Yes, if you export them first. Otter's free Basic plan can export audio and text files, so save what you want to keep before you move."},{"question":"Do these tools need a bot to join my meeting?","answer":"Not always. Granola, Tactiq and tl;dv each say they work without a bot joining, and Fathom offers both options."}],"related":[],"tools":[{"role":"baseline","pick":null,"free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://otter.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://otter.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"},{"field":"Usage limits","url":"https://otter.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"}],"as_of":"2026-10-25","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"otter-ai","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/otter-ai","name":"Otter AI","former_names":[],"company":"Otter.ai","website":"https://otter.ai","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":null,"primary_use":"AI meeting transcription and real-time notes","use_cases":"Meeting transcription; interview recording; lecture notes; action item extraction; meeting summaries","best_for":["Business professionals","journalists","students","teams","meeting-heavy organizations"],"works_with":["Audio (transcription)"],"outputs":["TXT","SRT","PDF","DOCX","audio playback"],"platforms":["web","mobile"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"BEGINNER","technical":{"privacy_level":"HIGH","time_to_productivity":"5 min","learning_curve":"Instant","offline":false,"api_available":true,"languages":"English (primary), multilingual expanding","integrations":"Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dropbox","upgrade_triggers":"Exceeding 300 min/mo; needing Zoom/Teams integration; custom vocabulary; admin controls"},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Basic (free): 300 transcription minutes/mo, 30 min per conversation, 3 lifetime file imports"},"plans":[{"name":"Basic","price_text":"$0","amount":0,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":null,"is_free":true},{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$16.99/user/mo billed monthly","amount":16.99,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"Business","price_text":"$30/user/mo billed monthly","amount":30,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":"$24 billed annually","is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Free, from $16.99/user/mo billed monthly","lowest_paid":{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$16.99/user/mo billed monthly","amount":16.99,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes","transcription"],"alternatives":[{"slug":"tl-dv","name":"tl;dv"},{"slug":"tactiq","name":"Tactiq"},{"slug":"descript","name":"Descript"}],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/otter-ai/guide","changelog":[],"sources":[],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-25 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"catalog_only","checked_at":null},"data_as_of":"2026-10-25","record_updated_at":"2026-10-25","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}},{"role":"alternative","pick":"Pick this if you mostly meet on Zoom, Google Meet or Teams and want unlimited recordings and transcripts on the free plan.","free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://www.fathom.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-14","origin":"fact-file"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://www.fathom.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-14","origin":"fact-file"}],"as_of":"2026-10-14","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"fathom","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/fathom","name":"Fathom","former_names":[],"company":"Fathom","website":"https://www.fathom.ai","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":"Meeting recorder at fathom.ai (not fathom.video). Recording consent applies: tell attendees and follow all-party consent laws where they apply. Official pricing : Free with unlimited recordings and transcription; Premium $20/mo ($16 annual); Team $19/user ($15 annual, 2-user minimum); Business $34/user ($25 annual).","primary_use":"Free unlimited meeting recording and transcription","use_cases":"Individuals who want a free recorder; teams on paid seats","best_for":["individuals","small teams"],"works_with":["audio","meetings"],"outputs":["transcripts","notes"],"platforms":["web"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"BEGINNER","technical":{"privacy_level":"MEDIUM","time_to_productivity":null,"learning_curve":null,"offline":false,"api_available":false,"languages":null,"integrations":null,"upgrade_triggers":null},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Free forever plan."},"plans":[{"name":"Team","price_text":"","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":"2-user minimum","is_free":false},{"name":"Business","price_text":"","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":"2-user minimum","is_free":false},{"name":"Enterprise","price_text":"Talk to sales","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":null,"is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Talk to sales","lowest_paid":{"name":"Enterprise","price_text":"Talk to sales","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":null,"is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes","transcription"],"alternatives":[],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/fathom/guide","changelog":[{"date":"2026-10-14","field":"platforms","summary":"RA: dropped platforms. Zoom/Meet/Teams on the pricing page are competitor-comparison or FOR TEAMS labels, not integrations."}],"sources":[{"label":"Free tier","url":"https://www.fathom.ai/pricing","checked_at":"2026-10-14","status":"verified"}],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-13 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"verified","checked_at":"2026-10-14"},"data_as_of":"2026-10-14","record_updated_at":"2026-10-14","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}},{"role":"alternative","pick":"Pick this if you would rather work from a live transcript in the browser than have a bot join your calls.","free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://tactiq.io/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-14","origin":"catalog"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://tactiq.io/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"},{"field":"Usage limits","url":"https://tactiq.io/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"}],"as_of":"2026-10-14","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"tactiq","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/tactiq","name":"Tactiq","former_names":[],"company":"Tactiq","website":"https://tactiq.io","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":null,"primary_use":"AI meeting transcription browser extension","use_cases":"Live meeting transcription; AI meeting summaries; action item extraction; CRM note sync","best_for":["Sales reps","project managers","consultants","meeting-heavy professionals","recruiters"],"works_with":["Meeting transcripts","summaries"],"outputs":["Text transcripts","AI summaries","action items","CRM entries"],"platforms":["browser_extension"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"BEGINNER","technical":{"privacy_level":"HIGH","time_to_productivity":"5 min","learning_curve":"Instant","offline":false,"api_available":false,"languages":"English (primary); multilingual expanding","integrations":"Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce","upgrade_triggers":"More transcripts; custom AI prompts; CRM integration; team features; export options"},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Free forever, no card: 10 transcripts/mo and 5 AI credits/mo"},"plans":[{"name":"Free","price_text":"$0","amount":0,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"Free: 10 transcripts/mo and 5 AI credits/mo; Pro: unlimited transcripts and 10 AI credits/mo; Team and above: unlimited transcripts and AI credits","is_free":true},{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$8/user/mo billed annually","amount":8,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"Team","price_text":"$16.67/user/mo billed annually","amount":16.67,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"Business","price_text":"$29.17/user/mo billed annually","amount":29.17,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"Enterprise","price_text":"Custom","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":". Monthly (non-annual) prices unverified","is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Free, from $8/user/mo billed annually","lowest_paid":{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$8/user/mo billed annually","amount":8,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes","transcription"],"alternatives":[{"slug":"tl-dv","name":"tl;dv"},{"slug":"otter-ai","name":"Otter AI"},{"slug":"zoom-ai-companion","name":"Zoom AI Companion"}],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/tactiq/guide","changelog":[],"sources":[],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-14 (from catalog copy)","Some catalog figures are marked unverified.","Checked 2026-10-25 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"catalog_only","checked_at":null},"data_as_of":"2026-10-25","record_updated_at":"2026-10-25","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}},{"role":"alternative","pick":"Pick this if you want meeting reports with participant-level metrics such as talk time.","free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://www.read.ai/plans-pricing","as_of":"2026-10-26","origin":"fact-file"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://www.read.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"fact-file"}],"as_of":"2026-10-25","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"read-ai","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/read-ai","name":"Read AI","former_names":[],"company":"Read AI","website":"https://www.read.ai","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":"Meeting notes and cross-meeting search., some US states require all-party consent to record — tell every attendee before recording and follow the law where participants are located. Official pricing (read.ai/pricing): Free 5 meeting transcripts/mo, no card; paid per user per month $19.75 ($15 annual), $29.75 ($22.50 annual), $39.75 ($29.75 annual).","primary_use":"Meeting notes plus search across past meetings","use_cases":"Individuals and teams who want summaries and a searchable meeting archive","best_for":["individuals","teams"],"works_with":["audio","meetings"],"outputs":["transcripts","notes"],"platforms":["web"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"BEGINNER","technical":{"privacy_level":"MEDIUM","time_to_productivity":null,"learning_curve":null,"offline":false,"api_available":false,"languages":null,"integrations":null,"upgrade_triggers":null},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Free, no card: 5 meeting transcripts and 30 measured meetings per month, meetings up to 1 hour, no audio or video uploads."},"plans":[{"name":"Free","price_text":"$0","amount":0,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"5 meeting transcripts/month; 30 measured meetings/month; 1-hour max meeting length","is_free":true},{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$15/user/month","amount":15,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":"Billed annually; $19.75/user/month billed monthly. Unlimited transcripts, 100 upload min/month, 4-hour meetings","is_free":false},{"name":"Enterprise","price_text":"$22.50/user/month","amount":22.5,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":"Billed annually; $29.75/user/month billed monthly. 200 upload min/month","is_free":false},{"name":"Enterprise+","price_text":"$29.75/user/month","amount":29.75,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":"Billed annually, requires 5+ licenses; $39.75/user/month billed monthly. 300 upload min/month, 8-hour meetings, HIPAA, SAML/SCIM","is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Free, from $15","lowest_paid":{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$15/user/month","amount":15,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":"Billed annually; $19.75/user/month billed monthly. Unlimited transcripts, 100 upload min/month, 4-hour meetings","is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes"],"alternatives":[],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/read-ai/guide","changelog":[{"date":"2026-10-26","field":"plans","summary":"Corrected: the pricing page's \"Requires 5+ licenses\" label sits on Enterprise+, not Enterprise."},{"date":"2026-10-25","field":"plans","summary":"Re-checked official plans: Free, Pro $15/user/month (annual), Enterprise $22.50, Enterprise+ $29.75."}],"sources":[{"label":"Free tier","url":"https://www.read.ai/pricing","checked_at":"2026-10-25","status":"verified"},{"label":"Pricing","url":"https://www.read.ai/plans-pricing","checked_at":"2026-10-26","status":"unverified"}],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-13 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"unverified","checked_at":"2026-10-26"},"data_as_of":"2026-10-26","record_updated_at":"2026-10-25","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}},{"role":"alternative","pick":"Pick this if you like taking your own rough notes and want AI to fill them out from the meeting afterwards.","free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://www.granola.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-14","origin":"fact-file"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://www.granola.ai/pricing","as_of":"2026-10-14","origin":"fact-file"}],"as_of":"2026-10-14","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"granola","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/granola","name":"Granola","former_names":[],"company":"Granola, Inc.","website":"https://www.granola.ai","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":"Captures device audio; no bot joins the call, so other attendees may not know they are being recorded. Recording consent is still required — tell participants and follow all-party consent laws where they apply. Official pricing (granola.ai/pricing): Basic $0 with limited meeting history; Business $14/user/mo; Enterprise $35/user/mo. Model-training opt-out is offered.","primary_use":"Bot-free meeting notes from device audio","use_cases":"Individuals who want notes without a visible meeting bot","best_for":["individuals","founders"],"works_with":["audio","meetings"],"outputs":["notes"],"platforms":["macOS","Windows","iOS","Android","Apple Watch"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"BEGINNER","technical":{"privacy_level":"MEDIUM","time_to_productivity":null,"learning_curve":null,"offline":false,"api_available":false,"languages":null,"integrations":null,"upgrade_triggers":null},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Basic, $0 per user per month, with limited meeting history."},"plans":[{"name":"Basic","price_text":"$0","amount":0,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"per user per month; limited meeting history","is_free":true},{"name":"Business","price_text":"$14","amount":14,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"per user per month","is_free":false},{"name":"Enterprise","price_text":"$35","amount":35,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"per user per month","is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Free, from $14","lowest_paid":{"name":"Business","price_text":"$14","amount":14,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"per user per month","is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes"],"alternatives":[],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/granola/guide","changelog":[{"date":"2026-10-14","field":"plans","summary":"Basic $0, Business $14, Enterprise $35 with no billing period. Browser-verified: no monthly/annual toggle."}],"sources":[{"label":"Company","url":"https://www.granola.ai/pricing","checked_at":"2026-10-14","status":"verified"},{"label":"Platforms","url":"https://www.granola.ai/","checked_at":"2026-10-14","status":"verified"}],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-13 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"verified","checked_at":"2026-10-14"},"data_as_of":"2026-10-14","record_updated_at":"2026-10-14","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}},{"role":"alternative","pick":"Pick this if you want to turn parts of recorded calls into clips you can share.","free_option_label":null,"sources":[{"field":"Pricing","url":"https://tldv.io/pricing/","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"},{"field":"Free plan","url":"https://tldv.io/pricing/","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"},{"field":"Usage limits","url":"https://tldv.io/pricing/","as_of":"2026-10-25","origin":"catalog-audit"}],"as_of":"2026-10-25","tool":{"schema_version":"1.2","slug":"tl-dv","url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/tl-dv","name":"tl;dv","former_names":[],"company":"tl;dv","website":"https://tldv.io","category":{"slug":"meetings-notes","name":"Meetings & Notes"},"description":null,"primary_use":"AI meeting recording, transcription, and clips","use_cases":"Meeting recording; AI summaries; clip sharing; CRM note sync; user research synthesis; hiring","best_for":["Sales teams","recruiters","product managers","user researchers","anyone in frequent meetings"],"works_with":["Meeting recordings","transcripts","AI summaries"],"outputs":["Transcripts","AI summaries","video clips","CRM entries","shared highlight reels"],"platforms":["browser_extension"],"apps":{"ios":null,"android":null,"macos":null,"windows":null,"linux":null},"cost_tier":"FREEMIUM","difficulty":"ADVANCED","technical":{"privacy_level":"HIGH","time_to_productivity":"5 min","learning_curve":"Easy","offline":false,"api_available":true,"languages":"30+ languages for transcription","integrations":"Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Notion, Zapier","upgrade_triggers":"More than 10 AI meetings; CRM integration; custom AI templates; team analytics; multi-meeting insights"},"lifecycle":"active","status":null,"free_tier":{"available":true,"summary":"Free $0, no card: unlimited video recordings and transcription in 30+ languages; AI notes for 10 meetings and 10 Ask AI queries included"},"plans":[{"name":"Free","price_text":"$0","amount":0,"currency":"USD","period":null,"limits":"Free: 10 meetings with AI notes and 10 Ask AI queries; Pro: unlimited AI notes; Business: unlimited multi-meeting AI insights","is_free":true},{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$18/seat/mo billed annually","amount":18,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"Business","price_text":"$29/seat/mo billed annually","amount":29,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},{"name":"monthly USD prices not confirmed","price_text":"See pricing","amount":null,"currency":null,"period":null,"limits":null,"is_free":false}],"starting_price":"Free, from $18/seat/mo billed annually","lowest_paid":{"name":"Pro","price_text":"$18/seat/mo billed annually","amount":18,"currency":"USD","period":"seat_month","limits":null,"is_free":false},"api_pricing":null,"usage_limits":null,"models":null,"features":null,"tasks":["meeting-notes","transcription"],"alternatives":[{"slug":"otter-ai","name":"Otter AI"},{"slug":"tactiq","name":"Tactiq"},{"slug":"zoom-ai-companion","name":"Zoom AI Companion"}],"works_well_with":[],"guide_url":"https://www.launchpadhq.io/platform/tl-dv/guide","changelog":[],"sources":[],"notes":["Checked 2026-10-25 (from catalog copy)"],"verification":{"status":"catalog_only","checked_at":null},"data_as_of":"2026-10-25","record_updated_at":"2026-10-25","generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}}],"also_consider":[],"as_of":"2026-10-14","undated_tools":[],"generated_at":"2026-10-27T02:05:41.304Z","sponsored":false,"attribution":"Data from Launchpad HQ (https://www.launchpadhq.io). Please credit Launchpad HQ and link to the tool's Launchpad HQ page."}