How much does Otter.ai cost?
Quick answer: Otter.ai has a free plan. As of November 14, 2026, Otter's pricing page lists Basic as free, with 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. Pro lists at $16.99 per user per month, and the pricing page shows $8.33 per user per month billed annually (save 51%). Business lists at $30 per user per month, and the page shows $19.99 on annual billing. Otter is a meeting-notes and transcription service. Dictop is a different tool: it dictates your own writing into Mac apps and transcribes audio and video files on your Mac. Dictop costs US $6.99 once, with a 30-day free trial.
Otter.ai records and transcribes meetings, then adds summaries and search. If that is what you need, Otter is built for it. Dictop is built for something else, and the two do not replace each other for most people.
What do Otter's plans cost?
| Plan | Price per user | Minutes | Per conversation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | 300 per month | 30 minutes |
| Pro | $16.99 monthly; page shows $8.33 per month billed annually (save 51%) | 1,200 per month | 90 minutes |
| Business | $30 monthly, or $19.99 per month billed annually | Unlimited meeting and recording minutes | 4 hours |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | 4 hours |
These are the prices shown on Otter's pricing page as of November 14, 2026. The page does not say which annual figure is the standard US price. The page also showed lower promotional Pro prices, such as $8.49 a month, next to a footnote saying the offer is valid only with an India-issued credit card. Prices are shown in US dollars and may vary by region or promotion, so check the page for your location. Plans are per user, and Otter can change them at any time.
Basic and Pro minutes are a shared pool across all transcription types. Imported file minutes are 300 a month on Basic and 1,200 on Pro.
Is Otter.ai free?
Yes. Basic is free, and Otter's page shows it as free with no end date. The limits that matter:
- 300 transcription minutes a month, and 30 minutes per conversation.
- Only 3 file imports for the lifetime of the account.
- 1 meeting at a time.
- Conversation history limited to the 25 most recent.
- 20 AI Chat queries a month.
- Exports limited to mp3 and txt.
If you hit these limits often, the paid plans lift them. Pro, for example, allows 10 file imports a month and exports in pdf, docx and srt.
What does the Otter.ai Pro plan add?
According to Otter's pricing page, Pro adds 1,200 minutes a month, 90 minutes per meeting, 2 concurrent meetings, unlimited storage, advanced search and export, and integrations such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier. It also raises AI Chat to 50 queries a month. Business adds unlimited meetings, unlimited file imports, 4 hours per meeting, admin features and more AI Chat queries.
Is Dictop an alternative to Otter?
Only for some jobs. Be clear about which job you have.
| If you want to... | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Record and transcribe live Zoom, Teams or Google Meet calls, with summaries and shared notes | Otter |
| Work in a team with shared workspaces and admin controls | Otter |
| Dictate your own writing into the app you are using, such as email, documents or chat | Dictop |
| Transcribe an audio or video file you already have, on your Mac | Dictop (see below) |
| Transcribe a Voice Memos recording | Dictop or Apple's built-in transcript. See transcribing Voice Memos |
Dictop does not join meetings, and it does not label speakers or share notes with a team. It is a dictation app for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
What can Dictop do with audio and video files?
On a Mac, you can drag an audio or video file into Dictop, or use the Finder Services action, and Dictop transcribes it with the speech model you choose. You can use an on-device model or a cloud model. File transcription follows your history settings, so turn on saved history to keep the result. Read transcribing audio and video files for the steps.
Cloud transcription is optional and uses prepaid hours that do not expire. See dictation without a subscription.
What does Dictop cost?
Dictop costs US $6.99 once for lifetime on-device use (US App Store, as of November 14, 2026). Regional prices vary and are shown in the app. The one purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad, includes future app updates, and has no subscription. The free trial lasts 30 days.
What are the limits of Dictop?
- Dictop does not record or join live meetings, and it does not identify speakers.
- Dictop has no team workspaces, shared notes or admin controls.
- File transcription is a Mac feature. Compatibility depends on the file and the model you choose.
- Dictop has no Windows or Android app.
- Local speech models work best on Apple Silicon Macs. On Intel Macs, use cloud transcription.
- Accuracy depends on the model, your voice and the recording. We have not run a benchmark, so we do not compare Dictop with Otter on accuracy or speed.
- When you pick a cloud model, your audio goes to that service for transcription. Check the privacy policy for details.
Which should I try first?
If your need is meetings, start with Otter's free plan. If your need is dictating your own writing, or turning recordings you already have into text on a Mac, try Dictop. You pay once, there is no subscription, and the 30-day trial is free.
By Dictop · Reviewed