Top pick: Buzz. Switching saves about $100 USD a year.
$99.96 USDa year
≈$142.51 CAD (converted from USD)
Every pick below has a free version.
4 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for offline transcription in a desktop app
MIT licensed. Windows, macOS (Apple silicon) and Linux. Runs Whisper models offline; transcripts export to TXT, SRT and VTT. Free version: Buzz Classic is free and open source on Windows, Linux and macOS. The macOS-native edition is sold on the Mac App Store.
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for Mac users transcribing files offline
Closed source, macOS only. Free version has no time limit; Pro costs EUR 64 once. Judged on the free version. Free version: Free transcribes files and microphone recordings and exports TXT, SRT and VTT. Pro adds speakers and meeting recording.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for fast local transcription from the command line
MIT licensed. A command-line tool and C/C++ library, not a polished app. Pair it with a local model for summaries.
Best for scripting transcription in Python
MIT licensed. A model and command-line tool, not an app; it needs Python and ffmpeg. The last tagged release was June 2025.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Otter.ai for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Buzz | MacWhisper | whisper.cpp | Whisper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meetings | ||||
| Live transcription during meetings | PartialNote 1Live transcription from the microphone only; no call integration | PartialNote 2Free version records from the microphone; meeting recording and dictation need Pro | PartialNote 3A naive microphone streaming example is included | NoNote 4Processes files; no live input |
| Auto-join and record Zoom, Teams and Meet | NoNote 5Does not join calls | NoNote 6No bot; automatic meeting recording is a Pro feature | NoNote 7Does not join calls | NoNote 8Does not join calls |
| Transcription | ||||
| Speaker identification | PartialNote 9The README lists speaker identification; accuracy not tested | NoNote 10Speaker recognition is Pro only | PartialNote 11Experimental tinydiarize speaker segmentation | NoNote 12No speaker labels |
| Audio and video file transcription | YesNote 13Whisper models run on your computer | YesNote 14Local models; audio and video files | YesNote 15Command-line tool and library for Whisper models | YesNote 16Multilingual speech recognition from the command line or Python |
| AI | ||||
| AI summaries and chat over transcripts | PartialNote 17A plugin system adds AI summary generation | NoNote 18AI services with your own API keys are Pro only | NoNote 19Transcription only | NoNote 20Transcription only |
| Platforms | ||||
| Phone apps for recording | NoNote 21Desktop app only | NoNote 22Mac app only | NoNote 23No phone app | NoNote 24No phone app |
| Parity score | 42% | 25% | 33% | 17% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Live transcription during meetings, Auto-join and record Zoom, Teams and Meet, Speaker identification, AI summaries and chat over transcripts, Phone apps for recording. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $100 USD / ≈$143 CAD (estimated from the USD price) a year. Prices checked ; ≈ means converted from USD.
Based on Otter Pro, per user, annual plan. Price source. USD to CAD at 1.4257 as of Oct 7, 2026.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Otter.ai is a product of Otter.ai, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Otter.ai: Web, iOS, Android.