Otter.ai Free Plan Features
Otter.ai's Free Plan, known as Otter Basic, offers 300 minutes of transcription per month, with a maximum of 30 minutes per conversation. Users can upload up to three files for life, and the plan includes real-time transcription, basic search, and AI-generated meeting summaries. This plan is ideal for individuals or users who need occasional transcription and want to try Otter's core features without incurring a monthly fee.
The Free Plan also lacks team collaboration tools, advanced analytics, and custom vocabulary features that are available in paid plans. Users cannot share transcripts with others or access advanced editing and annotation tools. While the free version is suitable for testing or personal use with short meetings, those needing more transcription time, longer meetings, or team features will need to upgrade to a paid plan. The minutes do not roll over, so unused time is lost at the end of each month.
What You Get for FREE:
Core Features
- • 300 minutes of transcription per month
- • Real-time meeting transcription
- • 30 minutes per conversation/meeting
- • 3 audio imports per month
- • Meeting summaries
Integrations
- • Zoom integration
- • Microsoft Teams integration
- • Google Meet integration
- • Mobile app (iOS & Android)
- • Web access from any browser
Free vs Paid Plans Comparison
The Basic (Free) plan is ideal for casual users who need occasional, short meeting transcriptions. It provides essential features, such as the Otter AI Meeting Assistant, which allows users to join and transcribe meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams, along with real-time summaries and access to basic AI Chat. You are also limited to a small number of lifetime audio/video file imports.
The paid plans (Pro, Business, Enterprise) are designed for professionals and teams that need higher volume and deeper workflow integration. Upgrading significantly increases your transcription capacity (e.g., up to 1200 minutes per month with Pro, and 6000 minutes with Business), and extends the per-meeting duration cap (up to 90 minutes or 4 hours). Paid plans also unlock key collaboration and management features, including Zapier integration, advanced search filters, custom vocabulary, and enhanced accuracy.
| Plan | Price (Annual, per month) | Monthly Transcription Minutes | Max Conversation Length | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | 300 | 30 minutes | Real-time transcription, 3 file uploads lifetime, limited exports, basic integrations |
| Pro | $8.33 | 1,200 | 90 minutes | Unlimited conversations, 10 file imports/month, custom vocabulary, advanced exports |
| Business | $20 | 6,000 | 4 hours | Team collaboration, centralized billing, bulk imports, advanced admin controls |
| Enterprise | N/A | 6,000+ | 4+ hours | Custom features, dedicated support, enhanced security, compliance |
Free Plan Limitations
The Otter.ai Free (Basic) plan is a great way to explore Otter's AI transcription tools, but it comes with several limitations compared to the paid versions. While it includes core features such as real-time transcription, speaker identification, and multi-language support, it's primarily intended for casual or personal use. Users who require more storage, longer meeting durations, or advanced collaboration tools may find the free plan restrictive.
Missing Features:
- • No advanced AI meeting workflows
- • No custom vocabulary or team tagging
- • No advanced search or export options
- • No Zapier or other third-party integrations
- • No admin or analytics tools
Usage Limits:
- • 300 transcription minutes per month
- • Maximum 30 minutes per recording
- • Only 3 lifetime audio/video imports
- • Limited cloud storage
- • No concurrent or team meeting support
Should You Upgrade?
Upgrading to Otter.ai's paid plans depends on how often and how deeply you rely on transcription tools. If you only need occasional meeting notes, the free plan offers enough basic functionality. However, professionals, teams, and frequent users will benefit from the added features, integrations, and higher limits that come with the paid tiers, which improve productivity, collaboration, and accuracy.
Stick with FREE if:
- • You only record short meetings or lectures occasionally
- • You don't need to import or store many files
- • Basic real-time transcription meets your needs
- • You're using Otter for personal or study purposes
- • You don't require integrations or team sharing
Upgrade to PAID if:
- • You attend frequent or prolonged meetings
- • You need advanced AI summaries and search features
- • You collaborate with teams or manage shared workspaces
- • You want to integrate Otter with Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams
- • You require more transcription minutes and storage capacity
Free Alternatives to Consider
Free Otter.ai alternatives offer various transcription and meeting note features that cater to different user needs. These options provide practical free plans with specific strengths, making them worth considering for those seeking alternatives to Otter's free Basic tier.
Notta
Offers 120 minutes of free transcription per month with multi-language support and translations
Fireflies
The free plan includes 800 minutes of storage/seat and basic integrations for team collaboration
tl;dv
Provides Unlimited Meetings & Viewers, with 5 uploads
Google Meet (Built-in)
Offers live captioning and basic transcription during meetings at no additional cost for Google Workspace users
These tools vary in features and limits, but each offers a practical free entry option for transcription and meeting productivity without cost.