Otter alternatives, compared on the record.
Five note takers people move to from Otter, with prices and policies taken from each vendor's own pages on October 8, 2026.
Where a vendor's page doesn't say something, the table says so.
People look for an Otter alternative for a handful of reasons: the free plan's limits, a bot joining their calls, how their recordings are used for AI training, or meetings that happen in person. The tools below differ on exactly those points, so the table compares them there rather than on feature lists.
Otter alternatives, side by side
| Otter | Fireflies | Fathom | Granola | tl;dv | Fluent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro $16.99/user/mo, or $8.33/user/mo billed yearly | Pro $18/seat/mo, or $10/seat/mo billed yearly | Premium $20/user/mo, or $16/user/mo billed yearly | Business $14/user/mo | Pro €29/seat/mo, or €18/seat/mo billed yearly (prices shown in EUR) | Pro $9.99/mo, or $83.99/yr |
| Free plan | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation | Free forever: limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team | Free forever: unlimited recordings and transcriptions, some AI features limited | Basic: limited meeting history | Free Forever plan; limits not stated on the pages checked | 5 conversations a month |
| Bot in your calls | AI Notetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Meet; the desktop app records without a bot | Fred joins calls; the desktop app records without a bot | Bot capture, or bot-free capture (beta, Mac) | No: uses your computer's audio | Bot for Meet, Zoom and Teams; the desktop app records with no bot | Never |
| In-person meetings | Yes, in the iOS and Android apps | Yes, in the mobile app | Yes, in the iOS app | Yes, in the iPhone and Android apps | Not stated; no native mobile app yet | Yes: a Limitless or Omi pendant, or your iPhone (rolling out) |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension | Desktop app, iOS, Android, Chrome extension | Mac, Windows, iOS | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Web, Mac, Windows | iOS 16+ (iPhone and iPad); Android in development |
| Trains AI on your data | Yes, on de-identified audio and transcripts; no opt-out found | Not by default | May train on de-identified meeting data; opt-out in settings | Yes, on anonymized data; opt-out in settings (off by default on Enterprise) | No | No |
Checked October 8, 2026 · Sources: Otter pricing, Otter apps, Otter privacy & security, Fireflies pricing, Fireflies mobile, Fireflies desktop, Fireflies security, Fathom pricing, Fathom compatible devices, Fathom privacy policy, Granola pricing, Granola, Granola security, tl;dv pricing, tl;dv, tl;dv desktop app, tl;dv security, Fluent pricing, Fluent FAQ, Fluent privacy
Prices are for one user or seat. Otter also shows lower prices that its pricing page limits to India-issued cards; those are left out.
Who each alternative suits
Fireflies
- Pro is aimed at professionals and small teams; record with the bot or the bot-free desktop app
- Says it doesn't train on your data by default
Fathom
- Individuals who want unlimited free recordings and transcriptions
- Mac and Windows calls, plus an iOS app for in-person
Granola
- Built, in its words, for people in back-to-back meetings; no bot
- Desktop and phone apps; check the training opt-out in settings
tl;dv
- Sales, customer success and internal meetings on Meet, Zoom or Teams
- No native mobile app yet
Where Fluent is different
Fluent never joins your calls and never trains on your conversations. It records on a Limitless or Omi pendant, or your iPhone as phone capture rolls out, so in-person meetings are the main use, not an add-on. Beyond notes, it tracks action items by who said them and keeps people profiles across every conversation.
Fluent vs Otter in detailWho each one is for
Stay with a call recorder if
- Nearly all your meetings are on Zoom, Meet or Teams
- Your team wants a shared workspace of call recordings
- You need Windows, Android or web today
Choose Fluent if
- Your important meetings happen in person
- You don't want a bot in the participant list or AI training on your data
- You want follow-through and people context across meetings
Questions
What is the best free Otter alternative?
On the free plans as listed on October 8, 2026: Fathom offers unlimited recordings and transcriptions with some AI features limited, Fireflies offers a free plan with limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team, and Fluent's free plan includes 5 conversations a month. Otter's free plan allows 300 minutes a month at up to 30 minutes per conversation.
Which Otter alternatives don't use a bot?
Granola records your computer's audio without a bot, and Fluent never joins a call. Otter, Fireflies and tl;dv also offer desktop apps that record without a bot, alongside their call bots, and Fathom offers bot-free capture in beta on Mac.
Which Otter alternatives work for in-person meetings?
Fireflies, Fathom and Granola record in person through their phone apps, as does Otter itself. tl;dv's site says it has no native mobile app yet. Fluent records in person on a Limitless or Omi pendant, or on your iPhone as phone capture rolls out.
Do these tools train AI on my meetings?
Per their own pages on October 8, 2026: Otter trains on de-identified data, Granola on anonymized data (opt-out available), and Fathom may train on de-identified data (opt-out available). Fireflies says it doesn't by default; tl;dv and Fluent say they don't.
Keep reading
Fluent vs Otter
The two compared in detail.
Fluent vs Fireflies
Bot recorder vs in-person capture.
Fluent vs Granola
A desktop notepad vs a pendant.
Fluent vs Fathom
Free call recording vs in-person meetings.
Fluent vs tl;dv
Call recorder for teams vs personal capture.
Bee alternatives
Wearables and apps after Amazon's Bee deal.
Try the alternative that leaves the bot out.
Fluent's free plan includes 5 conversations a month.
See Fluent pricing