Otter.ai

Basic (Free) Tier Ratings

Last Reviewed: 2026-07-14

Can transcribe program meetings. 30 min limit means long meetings get cut off. Consumer data policy.

Can record/transcribe training sessions. 30 min limit problematic. Consumer data policy.

Can transcribe research interviews. 30 min limit. AI summary helpful. Consumer policy.

Can transcribe planning meetings. 30 min limit. Limited minutes run out fast.

Yes, no opt-out

Otter automatically uses de-identified audio and transcripts to train its models. Proprietary de-identification method applied before training. No opt-out for Free tier. Imported Google Workspace documents are not used for training.

No

Cannot opt out of training on Free tier. Only Enterprise/EDU accounts are opted out by default.

Possible

Training is automated; audio recordings and transcripts are not manually reviewed by humans as part of routine training. Otter may obtain explicit permission from users to manually review audio in specific circumstances.

Standard (30-day trash)

Data stored on AWS (US-West) with AES-256 encryption. Deleted conversations moved to Trash; automatically deleted after 30 days. Retained as long as necessary per privacy policy (reissued effective June 16, 2026).

SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA

AWS S3 with AES-256 SSE. TLS for data in transit. ISO 27001/2 framework for security policies. Not FedRAMP authorized.

Training on User Data

Critical: Otter automatically uses de-identified audio and transcripts to train its models. This is automatic for Free, Pro, and Business tiers. Enterprise/EDU accounts are opted out of AI Chat by default, and full data terms are negotiable. A pending federal class action alleges improper data collection and training practices.

Nonprofit Discount via TechSoup

Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (or equivalent) can get 40% off the Business plan (annual) through TechSoup, including on renewals. Minimum 3 users required. Must be validated through TechSoup — no other verification path available. Otter is not listed on Goodstack.

Meeting Transcription Tool, Not Writing Tool

Otter is for transcription and meeting notes. It is NOT a writing assistant like Claude or ChatGPT. Do not expect it to draft grants, write content, or create documents. The Otter AI Chat and Meeting Agent features are supplementary to transcription.

Business Tier: Unlimited Meeting Transcription

The Business tier offers unlimited meeting/recording transcription minutes. Imported file transcription remains capped at 6,000 min/user/month. Workspace size is capped at 25 billed users on Business (unlimited on Enterprise). This makes Business significantly more useful for heavy meeting users but organizations needing more than 25 seats should plan for Enterprise.

Consolidated Federal Privacy Litigation (2025–2026, still pending)

Four federal class action lawsuits filed Aug–Sept 2025 (Brewer, Walker, Theus, Winston — all N.D. Cal.) were formally consolidated by Judge Eumi K. Lee on October 22, 2025 into 'In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation' (No. 5:25-cv-06911-EKL). Plaintiffs allege Otter: (1) records non-user meeting participants without consent; (2) captures voiceprints/biometric data without BIPA-compliant consent; (3) uses recordings indefinitely to train AI; (4) shifts compliance burden onto customers. A consolidated complaint was filed December 5, 2025; Otter filed a motion to dismiss (Jan 2026), plaintiffs opposed (March 2026), and Otter filed a reply brief (April 2026). Judge Lee heard oral argument on the motion to dismiss on May 20, 2026 in San Jose. As of July 14, 2026, no ruling has been issued — the case remains pending with no finding that Otter's practices are lawful or unlawful.

HIPAA Compliance (Enterprise Only, since July 2025)

HIPAA compliance achieved July 2025 via independent assessment. BAA available for Enterprise plan ONLY, activated as an add-on through the sales/account team. Healthcare organizations must use Enterprise tier for PHI. Do not use Free, Pro, or Business tiers for protected health information, even though otter.ai/pricing's comparison table visually lists 'HIPAA compliance (add-on)' in every tier's column — third-party verification confirms it is not actually purchasable below Enterprise.

AI Meeting Agent Suite (2025) and Conversational Knowledge Engine (2026)

Otter launched a voice-activated AI Meeting Agent in March 2025, plus a Sales Agent and SDR Agent. In April 2026, Otter launched a Conversational Knowledge Engine: a cross-meeting knowledge graph, expanded MCP Client/Server capabilities, new AI Chat Connectors to Gmail, Google Drive, Notion, Jira, and Salesforce, and a new Otter for Desktop app that can capture conversations across any application (not just scheduled meetings). These features expand the surface area of data Otter can access and should prompt additional review of sensitive-conversation exposure, especially the desktop capture capability.

2026-04-28

Otter.ai launched a Conversational Knowledge Engine: a longitudinal knowledge graph connecting meetings across teams, expanded MCP Client capability (Otter can pull live data from Gmail, Google Drive, Notion, Jira, Salesforce, with Outlook/Teams/SharePoint/Slack planned), a rebuilt private-by-default AI Chat, and a new Otter for Desktop app (Mac/Windows) that can capture conversations across any application, not just scheduled meetings.

2026-05-20

Motion-to-dismiss hearing held in the consolidated federal privacy class action, In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation (No. 5:25-cv-06911-EKL, N.D. Cal.), before Judge Eumi K. Lee in San Jose. As of this review (2026-07-14), no ruling has been issued; the case remains pending.

2026-04

Otter.ai filed a reply brief in support of its motion to dismiss, denying that any interception occurred and arguing plaintiffs failed to plausibly allege injury or the core elements of their claims.

2026-03

Plaintiffs filed an opposition brief in the consolidated privacy litigation, arguing Otter's design choices led to repeated recording of sensitive meetings (job interviews, medical consultations, confidential discussions) even after participants attempted to disable Notetaker features.

2026-01

Otter.ai filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint, arguing plaintiffs lack standing and failed to state a claim.

2025-12-05

Consolidated class action complaint filed in In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation following the October 2025 consolidation of four separate lawsuits.

2025-10-22

Judge Eumi K. Lee formally consolidated the four federal lawsuits (Brewer, Walker, Theus, Winston) into a single docket: In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation, No. 5:25-cv-06911-EKL (N.D. Cal.).

2025-12

Otter.ai reached $100M ARR milestone with 35M+ global users and 1B+ cumulative meetings processed.

2025-10

Enterprise Suite launched: Public API for custom integrations (Jira, HubSpot, Salesforce), MCP Server (Model Context Protocol) connecting Otter data to external AI models like Claude, Advanced Admin Controls, and Desktop App for bot-free recording.

2025-08

Four federal class action lawsuits filed (Aug 15–Sept 10, 2025) in N.D. California against Otter.ai: Brewer v. Otter.ai (ECPA, CFAA, CIPA — secret recording without participant consent); Walker v. Otter.ai (BIPA — voiceprint/biometric capture without consent); Theus v. Otter.ai (ECPA, CIPA — covert surveillance, indefinite retention); Winston v. Otter.ai (ECPA, BIPA, CIPA). Later consolidated (see 2025-10-22 entry).

2025-07

HIPAA compliance achieved via independent assessment. BAA now available for Enterprise customers. Healthcare organizations can use Otter for PHI with proper configuration and signed BAA.

For organizations with 5+ staff

Get Business plan via TechSoup nonprofit discount (40% off annual Business plan, including renewals). Provides unlimited meeting transcription, 4-hour meetings, admin controls, and MCP Server/AI Chat Connector integrations. Business is capped at 25 billed users — larger organizations should plan for Enterprise. Otter still trains on de-identified audio by default — avoid sensitive discussions or negotiate data terms, and be aware the consolidated federal privacy litigation remains unresolved as of July 2026.

For organizations with fewer than 5 staff

Pro at $8.33/month (annual) if meetings run longer than 30 min. Note: data used for training with no opt-out. Avoid transcribing confidential, financial, or sensitive conversations, and be cautious with the new Otter for Desktop app, which can capture conversations beyond scheduled meetings.

For health data or vulnerable populations

Enterprise tier required for HIPAA compliance and BAA (activated as a paid add-on through sales). HIPAA achieved July 2025 — Enterprise only, despite otter.ai/pricing visually listing the HIPAA add-on across all tiers. Do not use Free, Pro, or Business tiers for PHI or sensitive populations. Contact Otter sales to initiate BAA before handling health data, and monitor the pending In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation case, which directly concerns consent for recording sensitive conversations.