Is Otter.ai free?
Yes, Otter.ai has a free Basic plan, but it is limited: 300 transcription minutes per month, a maximum of 30 minutes per conversation and only 3 audio or video file imports for the lifetime of the account. Longer meetings and more file uploads need a paid plan.
Facts checked on against Otter.ai's own pages (linked below). FastScribe publishes this page and is a competing product. Prices are in USD and can change.
What the free Basic plan includes
| Limit | Otter Basic (free) |
|---|---|
| Transcription minutes | 300 per month, no rollover |
| Length per conversation | Up to 30 minutes |
| Uploaded audio/video files | 3 imports per user, lifetime |
| Meeting apps | Joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet |
Where the free plan runs out
The 30-minute cap is the limit most people hit first: a typical one-hour meeting or lecture is cut off on Basic. The second is file imports. Otter Basic is built around live meetings, so after three uploaded recordings you need Pro (10 imports a month) or Business.
- Good fit for Basic: short meetings, trying the notetaker, live transcription on your phone.
- Poor fit: transcribing a backlog of existing recordings, lectures or interviews longer than 30 minutes.
What it costs to upgrade
On Otter's pricing page, Pro is $16.99 per user per month billed monthly, or $8.33 per user per month billed annually, with 1,200 minutes and 10 file imports a month and up to 90 minutes per meeting. Business is $30 per user per month (monthly) or $19.99 (annually) with up to 4 hours per meeting.
Where FastScribe fits
FastScribe's free allowance is 120 credits at signup (valid 30 days, not monthly), roughly 120 minutes of uploaded audio, with up to 3 jobs a day and files up to 1 GB. No payment details are needed.
FastScribe does not join meetings. It transcribes recordings you upload and public YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook links. If you need a bot that sits in live Zoom, Teams or Meet calls, a meeting assistant is the better fit.
If you need more, FastScribe Pro is $9.90/month or $99.00/year for 2000 credits a month, and one-time credit packages start at $9.90 for 1200 credits, so you can pay per batch of recordings instead of subscribing.
Try FastScribe with a fileFastScribe pricingFull FastScribe vs Otter.ai comparison