Head to head / AI Transcription

AssemblyAI vs Otter.ai

The verdict
  • Both offer a free tier to start.
ComparedAssemblyAIOtter.ai
Accuracy (tested)96.9%Not tested
Starting price$0.15/hr$16.99/mo
Free tierYesYes
Visit AssemblyAIVisit Otter.ai

Feature by feature

FeatureAssemblyAIOtter.ai
Languages99+English-focused (6)
APIYesYes
Real-timeYesYes
Speaker labelsYesYes
Export formatsJSON, TXT, SRT, VTTTXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT
Human optionNoNo

AssemblyAI

Developers who want a speech-to-text API with built-in audio intelligence like summarization, sentiment, and LLM queries.

  • +Universal-2 model, strong English accuracy
  • +LeMUR runs LLMs over your transcripts
  • +Sentiment, topics, PII redaction built in
  • +Generous free credit to start

Otter.ai

Teams that want live meeting notes and summaries inside Zoom, Meet, and Teams.

  • +Live real-time transcription during meetings
  • +OtterPilot auto-joins and summarizes calls
  • +Auto-captures action items and slides
  • +Generous free tier for individuals

Compared on the metrics we track for this category. Prices are the cheapest paid tier. Some links are affiliate links.