Otter.ai alternative
Otter.ai alternative: Scriptorium vs Otter.ai
Otter.ai is built around meetings: it joins your calls, takes notes and summarises them. If you want that, stay with it. If you have a recording already and want a transcript without a bot, an account or a cap on how many files you can import, Scriptorium is the simpler tool. This page compares both from what each says on its own pages.
Updated
Where Otter.ai is the better choice
- Joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet by itself and writes notes during the call; it also has a desktop app that records without a bot.
- Integrations the pricing page lists include Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Notion, Asana and Zapier.
- Live transcription and an assistant you can ask about past meetings.
Where Scriptorium fits better
- No bot at all, and the first file needs no sign-up.
- Otter's free plan lists 3 lifetime file imports; there is no such lifetime cap on the Scriptorium preview, only a daily one.
- Timestamped TXT, SRT, VTT, Markdown, JSON and CSV exports from the same transcript.
Otter.ai and Scriptorium side by side
| Otter.ai | Scriptorium | |
|---|---|---|
| Free route | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation; 3 lifetime audio or video file imports | One file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account |
| Account for the free route | Check their site | No for the first file; a free account adds a saved library |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese (per its pricing page) | 33 plus automatic detection |
| Exports | Free: mp3, txt. Paid: also pdf, docx, srt | TXT, timestamped TXT, SRT, VTT, Markdown, JSON and CSV |
| Speaker identification | Listed on the free plan; speaker tagging on Pro | Optional speaker labels, up to 8 speakers |
| Meeting bot | Yes; also a bot-free desktop recording option | No bot: you upload the recording after the call |
| Entry paid price | Pro lists $16.99 a month on monthly billing; the page also showed a promotional price when checked. 1,200 minutes a month | Pro $9.99 a month (600 minutes), Pro+ $19.99 a month (2500 minutes) |
| Privacy statements | No statement on training with your data on the pages read; HIPAA is an Enterprise add-on | Hosted site receives your file (guest files are deleted after a day); can also be self-hosted |
Checked on 2026-10-24 from the vendor's own pages listed below. Prices and limits change; confirm on their site before you buy. A cell that says "Check their site" means the page did not state it, was unreadable to us, or contradicted itself, and we chose not to guess. Longer read: Our longer Otter comparison.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Otter.ai if You want meetings summarised automatically and a bot joining calendar events is fine.
- Pick Scriptorium if You already have a file (an interview, a lecture, a downloaded call) and want text or subtitles without a bot.
Scriptorium's transcripts are automatic and make mistakes; read them against the audio. The free preview is on the home page, and the pricing page lists plans.
Sources
Questions
Is there an Otter.ai alternative with no sign-up?
Does Scriptorium join Zoom or Teams meetings?
Does Otter limit imported files?
Try it with your own file
Upload a recording and read the transcript.