Otter.ai

Basic (Free) Tier Ratings

Last Reviewed: 2026-03-23

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.

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 2025 federal lawsuit 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. 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

As of 2025, the Business tier offers unlimited meeting/recording transcription minutes (up from the old 6,000 min/month framing). Imported file transcription remains capped at 6,000 min/user/month. This makes Business significantly more useful for heavy meeting users.

Multiple Privacy Lawsuits (2025)

Four federal class action lawsuits were filed Aug–Sept 2025 (Brewer, Walker, Theus, Winston — all N.D. Cal.) alleging 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. Cases cite ECPA, CFAA, BIPA, and CIPA violations. All cases pending as of March 2026.

HIPAA Compliance (Enterprise Only, since July 2025)

HIPAA compliance achieved July 2025 via independent assessment. BAA available for Enterprise plan ONLY. Healthcare organizations must use Enterprise tier for PHI. Contact account executive to initiate BAA process. Do not use Free, Pro, or Business tiers for protected health information.

AI Meeting Agent Suite (2025)

Otter launched a voice-activated AI Meeting Agent in March 2025, plus a Sales Agent and SDR Agent. The Meeting Agent can speak in meetings and answer questions in real time using the organization's meeting database. These features raise additional data-use considerations for sensitive conversations.

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). All cases pending as of March 2026.

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.

2025-03

AI Meeting Agent suite launched: voice-activated Otter Meeting Agent (participates in meetings, answers real-time queries), Otter Sales Agent (live coaching), and Otter SDR Agent (autonomous prospect demos). Meeting Agent incrementally rolled out across Zoom, then other platforms.

For organizations with 5+ staff

Get Business plan via TechSoup nonprofit discount (40% off annual Business plan). Provides unlimited meeting transcription, 4-hour meetings, admin controls, and MCP Server integration. Better than consumer tiers but Otter still trains on de-identified audio — avoid sensitive discussions or negotiate data terms.

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.

For health data or vulnerable populations

Enterprise tier required for HIPAA compliance and BAA. HIPAA achieved July 2025 — Enterprise only. Do not use Free, Pro, or Business tiers for PHI or sensitive populations. Contact Otter sales to initiate BAA before handling health data.