Best Otter.ai Alternatives 2026: 6 Options Compared
The best Otter.ai alternative is BrassTranscripts for pay-per-use pricing, Trint for journalism, or Descript for video editing. Otter.ai's subscription model ($8.33-$16.99/month with minute caps) doesn't fit everyone. Here are 6 alternatives with different pricing models and strengths.
| Alternative | Best For | Pricing | Speaker ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrassTranscripts | Pay-per-use, no subscription | $2.50-$6 flat | Yes |
| Sonix | Team collaboration | $10/hr or $22/mo | Yes |
| Trint | Journalism & media | $52-$100/mo | Yes |
| Rev | Human transcription backup | $0.003/min AI, $1.99/min human | Yes |
| Descript | Video/podcast editing | $12-$24/mo | Yes |
| Riverside | Podcast recording + transcription | $15-$24/mo | Yes |
Quick Navigation
- Why Look for Otter.ai Alternatives?
- Quick Comparison Table
- BrassTranscripts (Best Pay-Per-Use)
- Sonix (Best for Teams)
- Trint (Best for Journalism)
- Rev (Best for Human Backup)
- Descript (Best for Video Editing)
- Riverside (Best for Podcast Recording)
- Which Otter.ai Alternative Should You Choose?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Look for Otter.ai Alternatives?
Otter.ai excels at live meeting transcription with real-time captions, OtterPilot meeting bots, and calendar integrations. But their subscription model has limitations:
Common Otter.ai frustrations:
- Minute caps: Pro plan limits you to 1,200 min/month—hit the cap and you're stuck until next month
- Subscription lock-in: Best rates require annual commitment ($8.33/mo vs $16.99/mo)
- Per-user pricing: Teams pay per seat, not pooled minutes
- File import limits: Pro limits uploads to 10 files/month
- English-focused: Limited support for non-English languages
If these limitations affect your workflow, one of these alternatives may fit better.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Otter.ai | BrassTranscripts | Sonix | Trint | Rev | Descript |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Pay-per-use | Hybrid | Subscription | Pay-per-use | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $8.33/mo | $2.50/file | $10/hr | $52/mo | $0.003/min | $12/mo |
| Live Transcription | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| File Upload | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Limited |
| Speaker ID | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | English-focused | 99+ | 40+ | 32+ | 58+ | English |
| Account Required | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Tier | 300 min/mo | 30-word preview | 30 min trial | 7-day trial | None | Limited |
1. BrassTranscripts (Best Pay-Per-Use)
Best for: Variable usage, no subscription wanted, professional accuracy
BrassTranscripts uses WhisperX large-v3 for professional-grade transcription without subscriptions or minute caps.
Pricing
- 1-15 minutes: $2.50 flat
- 16-120 minutes: $6.00 flat
- No subscription, no account required
Strengths
- True pay-per-use: Only pay when you transcribe
- No account needed: Upload → pay → download
- Professional accuracy: WhisperX large-v3 model
- Speaker identification: Included in base price
- Multiple formats: TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON
- 99+ languages: Far more than Otter's English focus
Limitations
- No live/real-time transcription
- No meeting bot integration
- No team collaboration features
- 2-hour file limit
Best For
- Freelancers with variable workloads
- Occasional transcription needs
- Users who hate subscriptions
- Non-English content
- Sensitive content (no account = more privacy)
Try BrassTranscripts → | Full comparison vs Otter.ai
2. Sonix (Best for Teams)
Best for: Team collaboration, enterprise features
Sonix offers both pay-per-use and subscription options with strong collaboration tools.
Pricing
- Pay-as-you-go: $10/hour of audio
- Premium subscription: $22/user/month (5 hrs included)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Strengths
- Flexible pricing (pay-per-use OR subscription)
- 40+ languages supported
- Team collaboration workspace
- Automated translation
- Custom vocabulary training
- API access available
Limitations
- No live transcription
- Premium features require subscription
- Per-user pricing for teams
Best For
- Teams needing shared workspaces
- Multi-language projects
- Users wanting pricing flexibility
Full Sonix pricing breakdown →
3. Trint (Best for Journalism)
Best for: Journalists, media companies, editorial workflows
Trint built their platform specifically for journalism and media production with verification and editorial features.
Pricing
- Starter: $52-$80/month (7 files included)
- Advanced: $60-$100/month (unlimited files)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Strengths
- Built for editorial workflows
- Story creation tools
- Highlight and clip features
- 32+ transcription languages (54 translation languages)
- Team verification workflows
- Publishing integrations
Limitations
- Higher starting price
- Subscription-only
- No live transcription
- Journalism-specific (overkill for simple needs)
Best For
- Professional journalists
- News organizations
- Documentary producers
- Editorial teams
Full Trint pricing breakdown →
4. Rev (Best for Human Backup)
Best for: When you need human transcription as backup
Rev offers both AI and human transcription, giving you flexibility when AI accuracy isn't enough.
Pricing
- AI (Rev.ai): $0.003/min (~$0.18/hr)
- Human transcription: $1.99/min (~$119/hr)
- Rush delivery: Additional fees
Strengths
- Human transcription option when AI fails
- Very competitive AI pricing
- API access for developers
- 58+ languages
- No subscription required
Limitations
- Human transcription is expensive
- No live transcription
- Basic interface
- No collaboration features
Best For
- Legal/medical requiring human accuracy
- API integrations
- Budget AI transcription
- Hybrid AI + human workflows
5. Descript (Best for Video Editing)
Best for: Video editors, podcasters who edit in transcript
Descript pioneered text-based video editing—edit your transcript and the video edits automatically.
Pricing
- Free: 1 hr transcription/month
- Hobbyist: $12/month (10 hrs)
- Creator: $24/month (30 hrs)
- Business: $40/month (unlimited)
Strengths
- Text-based video editing (unique feature)
- Overdub (AI voice cloning)
- Screen recording
- Filler word removal
- Audiograms and clips
- Podcast publishing
Limitations
- English-only transcription
- Requires learning their editor
- Subscription required
- Heavy desktop app
- Not just transcription—full editing suite
Best For
- Video content creators
- Podcasters who edit extensively
- Teams wanting text-based editing
- Multi-format content production
6. Riverside (Best for Podcast Recording)
Best for: Remote podcast/video recording with built-in transcription
Riverside focuses on recording remote interviews and podcasts, with transcription as an add-on feature.
Pricing
- Free: 2 hrs recording, basic transcription
- Standard: $15/month (5 hrs)
- Pro: $24/month (15 hrs)
- Enterprise: Custom
Strengths
- High-quality remote recording
- Local recording (no quality loss)
- Built-in transcription
- Video and audio
- Clips and highlights
- Live streaming
Limitations
- Transcription is secondary feature
- Limited transcription accuracy vs dedicated services
- Subscription required
- Focused on recording, not transcription
Best For
- Remote podcast hosts
- Video interviewers
- Teams doing remote recordings
- Users wanting recording + transcription combined
Which Otter.ai Alternative Should You Choose?
Decision Framework
Choose BrassTranscripts if:
- You hate subscriptions and want pay-per-use
- Your usage varies month to month
- You need professional accuracy without real-time
- You work with non-English content
- You value privacy (no account required)
Choose Sonix if:
- You want subscription OR pay-per-use flexibility
- Your team needs collaboration features
- You work across multiple languages
Choose Trint if:
- You're in journalism or media production
- You need editorial workflow tools
- Budget isn't the primary concern
Choose Rev if:
- You need human transcription backup
- You're building API integrations
- You want the cheapest AI option
Choose Descript if:
- You edit video or podcasts
- You want text-based editing
- You need an all-in-one production tool
Choose Riverside if:
- You record remote interviews/podcasts
- You want recording + transcription combined
- You do live streaming
Cost Comparison by Usage Pattern
Scenario: 10 files/month, 30 min each (300 min total)
| Service | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai Pro | $8.33-$16.99 | $99.96-$203.88 |
| BrassTranscripts | $60 (10 × $6) | $720 |
| Sonix Pay-per-use | $50 (5 hrs × $10) | $600 |
| Rev.ai | $0.90 (300 min × $0.003) | $10.80 |
| Descript Creator | $24 | $288 |
Winner by cost: Rev.ai for pure cost, Otter.ai for features-per-dollar if you use full allocation
Scenario: Variable usage (2 files some months, 20 files others)
| Service | Low Month (2 files) | High Month (20 files) |
|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai Pro | $8.33 (wasted capacity) | $8.33 (may hit cap) |
| BrassTranscripts | $12 | $120 |
| Sonix | $10 | $100 |
Winner for variable usage: BrassTranscripts or Sonix pay-per-use—no wasted subscription during low months
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Otter.ai alternative in 2026?
The best Otter.ai alternative depends on your needs:
- Pay-per-use: BrassTranscripts ($2.50-$6 flat rates)
- Journalism: Trint (editorial workflow tools)
- Video editing: Descript (text-based editing)
- API access: Rev.ai ($0.003/min)
- Team collaboration: Sonix (flexible pricing)
Is there a free Otter.ai alternative?
Most alternatives offer limited free tiers:
- BrassTranscripts: 30-word preview before purchase
- Sonix: 30 minutes free trial
- Descript: 1 hour/month free
- Riverside: 2 hours recording free
No alternative matches Otter's 300 free minutes/month, but pay-per-use options like BrassTranscripts cost nothing during months you don't transcribe.
What is cheaper than Otter.ai?
For occasional or variable usage:
- Rev.ai: $0.003/min (~$0.18/hr) is cheapest per-minute
- BrassTranscripts: $2.50-$6 per file with no subscription
For consistent high-volume usage, Otter.ai's effective rate ($0.007/min on Pro if fully utilized) can be competitive.
Which Otter.ai alternative has the best accuracy?
BrassTranscripts using WhisperX large-v3 delivers professional-grade accuracy that exceeds real-time transcription systems. Trint and Sonix also offer strong accuracy for recorded audio. Real-time services like Otter typically trade some accuracy for live transcription capability.
Can I use multiple transcription services?
Yes, many teams use different services for different needs:
- Otter.ai for live meeting notes (good-enough accuracy, real-time convenience)
- BrassTranscripts for important recordings (professional accuracy, pay-per-use)
- Rev human transcription for legal/medical (when AI isn't accurate enough)
Ready to Try an Alternative?
If Otter.ai's subscription model, minute caps, or English-focus aren't working for you, these alternatives offer different approaches:
For pay-per-use simplicity: Try BrassTranscripts — $2.50-$6 per file, no account needed, speaker ID included
For journalism workflows: Try Trint — Editorial tools built for media
For video editing: Try Descript — Text-based video editing
For API integration: Try Rev.ai — $0.003/min developer-friendly