Review · Hearing & audio
Otter review
An AI meeting note taker that transcribes meetings, lectures and conversations in real time, with speaker identification and summaries.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 7, 2026
- Performance (40%)
- 7.8
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.4
- Value (35%)
- 7.4
Otter is not an accessibility app, but it is widely used by hard of hearing people at work and in class because it transcribes in real time and keeps a searchable record. Start a recording in one tap or let it join Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, and the transcript builds as people speak, with speakers you can tag and train it to recognize. Afterward you get automated summaries, outlines and AI Chat to ask about what was said, plus slide capture during virtual meetings. You can edit the text, highlight key points and play back audio from any word. The free Basic plan includes 300 monthly transcription minutes, and Otter Pro costs $16.99 per month or $99.99 per year through the US App Store. Transcription is limited to English, Spanish, French and Japanese, and Otter does not caption phone calls or describe features made for Deaf users. Treat it as a meeting tool that happens to caption well.
Who it is for
Hard of hearing professionals and students who want live transcripts of meetings and lectures with notes afterward.
Price
Free Basic plan with 300 monthly minutes; Pro $16.99 per month in the App Store.
Otter Pro (monthly) $16.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 7, 2026.
Key features
- Live transcription of meetings, interviews, lectures and conversations
- Speaker identification and tagging
- Works with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams
- Automated summaries, outlines and AI Chat about your meetings
- Searchable, editable transcripts with audio playback
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: Free Basic plan includes 300 monthly transcription minutes
- Strength: Strong meeting tools such as summaries and slide capture
- Strength: 4.8 average from about 89,000 US App Store ratings
- Weakness: Built for note taking, not as an accessibility tool
- Weakness: Transcription in English, Spanish, French and Japanese only
- Weakness: Does not caption phone calls
Key facts
- Free plan: Basic, 300 monthly transcription minutes
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, Japanese
- App Store rating: 4.8 from about 89,000 ratings
- Meeting apps: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
- Price: Pro $16.99 per month or $99.99 per year in the App Store
Where it ranks
Otter is No. 9 in our Best Captioning Apps verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit otter.ai · Questions or corrections: editorial@hearsmart.org