5 Best Otter AI Alternatives for AI Meeting Notes [2026]

Otter has been a staple in online meetings for years, and for many, it's the first tool that comes to mind for live transcription. But we’re in 2026, and Otter still supports only 4 languages. Perhaps even a bigger red flag is the class action lawsuit Otter is fighting for snooping on users without consent.

To find better Otter AI alternatives for note taking, I personally tested several leading competitors, spoke with power users, and analyzed hundreds of customer reviews to see which tools actually solve these problems.

Why users are looking for Otter AI alternatives

Otter, as a company, follows a certain way of doing things that’s not always pro-consumer. These are the most common reasons people look for Otter AI alternatives:

1. Intrusive OtterPilot bot

Otter’s meeting bot has a long history of disrupting meetings unannounced. Users complain about the spammy tactics the company uses and how frustrating it is to deal with the sticky bot.

2. Weak transcription and speaker identification

A few years back, Otter had an edge in transcription quality, but not anymore. During my usage, Otter consistently struggled to identify speakers, and the transcripts I got required heavy edits before they could be used for anything.

3. Limited language support

While many competitors are supporting businesses with 50+ languages, Otter is still limited to only four languages: English, French, Japanese, and Spanish. For global teams that work across markets, Otter simply doesn’t work.

4. The 2025 privacy class action lawsuit

Trust is one of the biggest drivers for the recent exodus. In August 2025, a federal class action lawsuit (Brewer v. Otter.ai) was filed in California. The suit alleges that Otter’s bot secretly records meeting participants, including non-users who never signed up for the service, and uses that data to train its AI models without explicit consent.

Top 5 Otter AI alternatives at a glance

1. HappyScribe

Best for: Secure and accurate AI meeting notes for global teams in 140+ languages and accents

HappyScribe AI note taker is one of the most comprehensive Otter AI alternatives for four key reasons: wide language support, a transparent meeting bot, simple billing, and letting you record meeting videos in every plan.

You can also use HappyScribe audio recorder for in-person meetings, which gives you a bot-free experience.

HappyScribe vs Otter

HappyScribe’s key features

1. Take meeting notes in 140+ languages and accents with 95% accuracy

Otter’s transcription accuracy has reduced in the last few years. In comparison, HappyScribe AI consistency generates 95% accurate transcripts and notes, so you can save time in editing.

But the biggest edge HappyScribe has over Otter is the language support. Unlike Otter, HappyScribe lets you run meetings and take notes in 140+ languages and dialects.

2. Transparent and customizable meeting bot

You can personalize the HappyScribe AI meeting bot to match your company branding. You can customize the name, logo, and even background color.

Unlike other bots that join meetings unannounced, HappyScribe’s note taking tool provides in-call controls that let you pause/resume and remove the notetaker at any moment. You also have full control over when the bot joins and who receives the final email summary.

3. Ask AI for summaries, video chapters, quotes, and email drafts

Frustrated with walls of text after every meeting? Simply ask HappyScribe AI to extract actionable insights, generate objective summaries, highlight video chapters, and find specific quotes to track decisions.

If you need to share outcomes quickly, the AI can also draft follow-up emails and announcement posts for you to review and send.

4. Translate notes and create video subtitles

Once your meeting is over, you can turn your transcript into a global asset by translating it into hundreds of different languages.

HappyScribe also includes a professional subtitle editor where you can create, edit, and burn in subtitles directly onto your meeting recordings. It allows you to repurpose your internal discussions into content for media or training…something you can’t do with Otter.

5. Enterprise-grade security and privacy

HappyScribe is GDPR and SOC 2 Type II certified, utilizing AES-256 encryption to protect your recordings at rest. For added security, it offers role-based access control and hosts data in an EU-based Tier IV, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 compliant data center.

While Otter trains AI on user data without consent, HappyScribe gives you the choice. You can always go to Settings to toggle off data usage. For enterprise users, it’s turned off by default.

HappyScribe’s pros

• Accurate meeting notes with 95% accuracy in 140+ languages and accents
• Ask AI for video chapters, quotes, follow-up emails, and post drafts
• GDPR and SOC 2 Type II compliance, along with EU data residency and a simple opt-out of AI training for security and privacy
• Create and edit subtitles and mix audio for fast content sharing
• Upload and transcribe video files and pre-recorded meetings from your device, YouTube, Vimeo, and Dropbox
• Transparent and flexible billing support for users

HappyScribe’s cons

• HappyScribe is not ideal for live call transcriptions

HappyScribe’s pricing

• Free: Unlimited meeting recordings (45 mins/recording)
• Basic: $8.50/month (billed annually) or $17/month (billed monthly)
• Pro: $19/month (billed annually) or $29/month (billed monthly)
• Business: $59/month (billed annually) or $89/month (billed monthly)
• Enterprise:Contact sales to get tailored solutions directly

What are real users saying about HappyScribe?

2. Fathom

Best for: Users who need unlimited free recordings with decent accuracy

You might feel restricted by the 300-minute monthly limit on Otter's free plan. Fathom removes this barrier by offering truly unlimited recording and storage for individual users. It captures full video sessions so you can see your customer's reactions and screen shares rather than relying on an audio-only transcript.

Fathom processes summaries in seconds after your call ends and generates follow-up emails that include clickable links back to specific video timestamps.

Otter vs. Fathom

Fathom’s key features

• Fathom automatically pushes your meeting insights into specific fields in HubSpot or Salesforce without manual data entry
• You can capture short video segments during a live call to share important prospect feedback with your product team, something you can’t do with Otter
• Host as many meetings as you need because Fathom does not impose monthly minute limits or storage caps like Otter
• You can choose from 14 pre-built structures, like BANT or Sandler, to ensure your sales notes follow your specific methodology

Fathom’s pricing

• Free
• Premium: $19/month
• Team: $19/user/month (minimum 2 users)
• Business: $29/user/month (minimum 2 users)

Fathom’s pros

• The video context helps you recall shared screens and technical demos accurately
• From Asana and Slack to Pylon and Zapier, Fathom integrates natively with popular tech stacks to keep your customer records updated
• High-speed processing delivers your meeting summary almost immediately after you hang up
• You can opt out of in-house AI training, something Otter struggles to implement

Fathom’s cons

• Fathom does not support file uploads, so you can’t transcribe pre-recorded videos from your device
• Fathom’s transcripts might struggle with accuracy, so make sure you double-check the notes

3. Trint

Best for: Journalists and media teams who need to turn interviews into published stories

While Otter just sits in your meetings, Trint is the active editor for the high-pressure environment of a newsroom. Trint has several storytelling features that contrast with Otter’s passive note taking.

Trint focuses on content velocity and verification. You not only get transcripts, but a collaborative workspace where multiple reporters can highlight key soundbites in real-time.

Otter vs. Trint

Trint’s key features

• Unlike Otter’s live notes, Trint allows team members to rewind and verify quotes during the broadcast, so the story is ready for the CMS
• Trint’s Story Builder lets you drag and drop key soundbites from your transcripts directly into a narrative script
• While Otter struggles to leave the English-speaking world, Trint supports transcription in 40+ languages and translation in 50+ languages
• Trint is ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certified, while offering US or EU data storage options

Trint’s pricing

• Pro: $100/month (individuals)
• Team: $90/month (2-5 team members)
• Business: Custom pricing

Trint’s pros

• You get a professional editing interface for rapid quote extraction, making it one of the best AI note takers for journalists
• Trint mobile apps allow you to record and transcribe interviews in the field with up to 99% accuracy for clear audio
• Native integrations with LiveU, Saga, AP ENPS, Octopus Newsroom, and Mimir

Trint’s cons

• The pricing is significantly higher than Otter or any other Otter AI alternatives, making it a poor choice for startups
• Trint is built for file-based workflows rather than automated meeting bot integration

4. Notta

Best for: International consultants looking for quick meeting notes in over 50 languages

If you find Otter’s four-language limit too restrictive for your global operations, Notta provides a much wider net. It supports transcription in 58 languages and offers real-time translation for more than 30 of them. This allows you to conduct a meeting in Japanese and receive an English summary after the call ends.

Notta includes a built-in meeting scheduler that replaces the need for separate booking tools. You can send a link to your clients, and the Notta bot will automatically join the call to record the discussion.

Otter vs. Notta

Notta’s key features

• Notta lets you record meetings involving two languages simultaneously and receive a translated transcript in real time
• Send customized booking links to participants to automate the process of inviting the recording bot to your calendar events
• Unlike Otter, Notta converts your meeting transcripts into visual mindmaps so that you can see the connection between different ideas and decisions
• You can add specific industry jargon or brand names to the dictionary to improve the accuracy of technical transcriptions

Notta’s pricing

• Free: 200 transcription minutes/month)
• Pro: $13.49/month
• Business: $27.99/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Notta’s pros

• You can access transcription services in 58 languages, which is a significant upgrade for teams working across Europe and Asia
• The high transcription accuracy reduces the time you spend manually correcting errors and speaker labels
• Notta integrates natively with popular productivity tools like Notion, Salesforce, Box, and ClickUp to streamline your post-meeting work
• The mobile app allows you to record meetings on the go and sync your transcripts across devices

Notta’s cons

• The free plan is very limited because it only transcribes the first three minutes of any recording or live meeting
• Notta uses Japanese customer data to train its AI models on most plans, and only Enterprise users can choose to opt out
• Notta uses shady billing practices to acquire customers

5. Sonix

Best for: Best for getting transcripts for pre-recorded meetings and trimming video files via text

If you find yourself manually fixing every second sentence Otter generates, Sonix offers a significant step up in precision. It’s built for executives and team leaders who need a 99% accurate transcript from meetings rather than a rough summary of a Zoom call.

Sonix allows you to upload heavy video files and turn them into interactive scripts with word-level timestamps, allowing you to edit your file simply by deleting text in the transcript.

Otter vs. Sonix

Sonix’s key features

• Unlike Otter’s basic text field, Sonix’s AudioText editor connects your transcript directly to the audio and video source and lets you edit the files via text
• While Otter cannot create video captions, Sonix supports subtitling in 53+ languages
• Edit, import, and export your transcripts, translated notes, and subtitles in 40+ formats, one of the widest file support after HappyScribe
• Sonix is SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliant, offering a level of data protection that Otter currently lacks. Your data is never used to train their AI models

Sonix’s pricing

• Standard: $10/hour (Pay-as-you-go)
• Premium: $22/month (plus $5/hour usage)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Sonix’s pros

• You get 99% accuracy on clear recordings, which virtually eliminates the need for manual proofreading
• Sonix integrates natively with tools like RingCentral, GoToMeeting, and BlueJeans
• You can use the custom dictionary feature to teach the AI technical jargon and brand names that Otter often misspells

Sonix’s cons

• Sonix has poor customer support, so if you have an issue, brace for delays
• Sonix does not have a live meeting bot to join your calls, so you must record and upload your files manually
• The hybrid pricing model (platform + per hour) can feel complicated if you have a high volume of monthly transcriptions compared to Otter’s flat subscription

Which Otter AI alternative is right for you?

Choosing the right one from the Otter AI alternatives comes down to your priorities. Fathom is the top choice if you want unlimited free transcriptions that might not be very accurate. Journalists breaking stories should choose Trint for its newsroom integrations and live quote verification, while international consultants can try Notta for wide language support and visual mindmaps.

However, HappyScribe remains the most comprehensive solution for professionals. It bridges the gap between simple notes and publish-ready assets with support for over 140 languages. While other tools focus on narrow niches, HappyScribe combines a transparent meeting bot, enterprise-grade security, and 95% AI accuracy.