# Best Free Otter.ai Alternatives for Your Marketing Agency
Based on your need for high-volume transcription (8-10 calls/week), Zoom + Google Meet support, AI summaries, and team sharing, here are the strongest free options:
## 1. **Fireflies.ai**
- **Free plan:** 800 minutes of storage per seat, unlimited transcription credits
- **Key features:** AI summaries, action items, speaker talk-time analytics, keyword tracking, searchable conversation database
- **Integrations:** Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex (native bot joins calls automatically)
- **Team sharing:** Channels and shareable soundbites included on free tier
- **Limitation:** AI summary features ("AskFred" and smart search) are limited on the free plan and push you toward the $10/user/month upgrade
## 2. **Tactiq**
- **Free plan:** 10 transcriptions per month (unlimited length), 5 free AI credits monthly
- **Key features:** Live transcription in-browser, one-click AI summaries, custom AI prompts, real-time highlighting
- **Integrations:** Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams (Chrome extension-based)
- **Team sharing:** Export to Google Docs, Notion, Slack, Confluence
- **Limitation:** 10 meetings/month cap means you'd hit the ceiling in week one at your volume
## 3. **tl;dv**
- **Free plan:** Unlimited recordings and transcriptions on Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams
- **Key features:** AI notes, timestamps, video clips/reels, multi-language support (30+ languages)
- **Integrations:** Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams (native)
- **Team sharing:** Unlimited free viewers, shareable highlight clips
- **Limitation:** Only 10 AI-generated meeting summaries/notes per month on free tier; CRM and advanced integrations are paid
## 4. **Fathom**
- **Free plan:** Unlimited recording, transcription, and AI summaries for individual users
- **Key features:** AI-generated summaries in 30 seconds post-meeting, action items, highlight-by-topic, 28+ languages
- **Integrations:** Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
- **Team sharing:** Individual sharing is free, but team workspace features require Team Edition ($19+/user/month)
- **Limitation:** Truly free only for solo use — team collaboration and shared folders are gated behind paid tier
## 5. **Granola**
- **Free plan:** 25 meetings total (lifetime, not monthly) before requiring upgrade
- **Key features:** Works with your own meeting notes (enhances them with AI), no bot joins the call, high-quality summaries
- **Integrations:** Any meeting platform (captures system audio) — Zoom, Meet, Teams all work
- **Team sharing:** Basic sharing via links
- **Limitation:** 25-meeting lifetime cap makes it unsuitable as a long-term free solution at your volume
## 6. **Read.ai**
- **Free plan:** 5 meetings per month with transcripts, summaries, and playback
- **Key features:** Meeting sentiment analysis, engagement scoring, AI summaries, topic tracking
- **Integrations:** Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
- **Team sharing:** Report sharing via link
- **Limitation:** 5 meetings/month is far below your 32-40 meeting need
## 7. **Notta**
- **Free plan:** 120 minutes/month, 3-minute max per transcription
- **Key features:** AI summaries, 58 language support, speaker identification, bulk upload
- **Integrations:** Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
- **Team sharing:** Export to TXT, DOCX, SRT, PDF
- **Limitation:** The 3-minute-per-file cap makes it useless for real client calls on the free plan
---
## **Verdict**
**Fireflies.ai** is your best match — it's the only option here that realistically handles 8-10 weekly client calls with native Zoom + Google Meet bots, team sharing, and AI summaries on a permanent free tier, with **tl;dv** as a strong runner-up if you prioritize unlimited recording volume over AI summary depth.
Free Otter.ai Alternatives for AI Meeting Notes
Tested prompts for otter ai alternatives free compared across 5 leading AI models.
BEST BY JUDGE SCORE
Claude Opus 4.7
8/10
The prompt we tested
You are an expert on AI meeting note-taking tools. Based on the user's situation below, recommend the best free Otter.ai alternatives for their needs. User situation: I run a small marketing agency and have about 8-10 client calls per week on Zoom and Google Meet. I need to transcribe them, get AI summaries, and share notes with my team. Otter's free plan only gives me 300 minutes which isn't enough. Follow these rules: Recommend 5-7 genuinely free Otter.ai alternatives (tools with a permanent free tier, not just trials) in a numbered list. Keep each tool's description to 4-5 bullet points, be specific about free plan limits (exact minutes, meeting counts), and avoid generic marketing language. For each recommended tool, include: tool name, free plan details (transcription minutes/meetings allowed), key features, platform integrations (Zoom/Meet/Teams), and one notable limitation. End with a 1-sentence verdict on which tool best matches the user's situation.
Model comparison
| Model | Quality | Cost | Latency | Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.7 | 8 | $0.1182 | 24.7s | 346 / 1507 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 7 | $0.0044 | 9.0s | 239 / 835 |
| GPT-5.4 | 7 | $0.0172 | 20.4s | 215 / 1111 |
| Grok 4.1 Fast Reasoning | 7 | $0.0003 | 29.4s | 362 / 463 |
Outputs
# Best Free Otter.ai Alternatives for Your Marketing Agency ## 1. **Otter.ai (reconsidered with workaround)** - Free plan: 300 minutes/month (insufficient alone, but see below) - Key features: Real-time transcription, speaker identification, searchable transcripts, AI summaries - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams - Workaround: Combine with other tools below or use Otter's free plan for your most critical calls - Notable limitation: 300 minutes/month is genuinely too low for your use case without upgrading ## 2. **Fireflies.ai** - Free plan: Unlimited transcription minutes with up to 800 MB storage (~10-15 hours monthly for most users) - Key features: AI-powered summaries, action item detection, speaker identification, conversation intelligence - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, direct recording upload - Notable limitation: Storage caps out around 800 MB on free plan, requiring deletion of old recordings to continue **Verdict: Best overall match** — unlimited minutes with solid features and all your required integrations make this the strongest single replacement. ## 3. **Tactiq** - Free plan: Unlimited live transcription during meetings, but recordings limited to 7 days storage - Key features: Real-time captions, meeting summaries, keyword highlighting, chat integration - Integrations: Google Meet, Zoom (limited on free tier) - Notable limitation: Zoom support on free plan is restricted; primarily designed for Google Meet ## 4. **Fathom** - Free plan: Unlimited transcription and recording storage - Key features: AI-generated summaries, automatic meeting notes, CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot), custom highlights - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams - Notable limitation: Free plan doesn't include video recording playback—only transcripts and notes ## 5. **Grain** - Free plan: Unlimited transcriptions, 10 GB storage (approximately 20-30 hours of meetings) - Key features: Highlight reels, clip creation, team sharing, searchable transcripts - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams - Notable limitation: No native AI summaries on free tier; summaries require manual creation or paid upgrade ## 6. **Notta** - Free plan: 300 minutes/month (same as Otter, but better feature set) - Key features: Real-time transcription, meeting summaries, speaker identification, keyword extraction - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, direct upload - Notable limitation: Same monthly minute cap as Otter.ai, so not a solo solution for your volume ## 7. **Copilot.live (formerly Copilot)** - Free plan: 3 hours/month transcription (limited but worth mentioning for quality) - Key features: AI summaries, action items, real-time transcription, team collaboration - Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet - Notable limitation: 3 hours/month is too restrictive even as a supplementary tool --- ## Recommendation for Your Situation **Use Fireflies.ai as your primary tool** (unlimited minutes with summaries) **and Fathom as a secondary backup** (unlimited storage, excellent summaries, works across all platforms). Together, they cover 8-10 weekly calls without hitting limits, give you redundancy, and cost nothing. If budget allows a small upgrade ($10-20/month), Otter.ai's paid plan becomes viable, but the free combo above handles your needs completely.
Here are the best **genuinely free Otter.ai alternatives** for your setup: **8–10 Zoom/Google Meet client calls per week**, with a need for **transcription, AI summaries, and team note-sharing**. 1. **Fireflies.ai** - **Free plan:** Up to **800 minutes of storage per seat** and transcription for meetings; free tier is permanent. - **Key features:** Automatic meeting transcription, AI-generated summaries, action items, speaker identification, and searchable meeting history. - **Integrations:** Works with **Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams**, plus Slack, Notion, HubSpot, and more. - **Notable limitation:** Free plan includes transcription/storage, but some advanced AI apps, analytics, and deeper workflow automations are paid. - **Why it fits:** Strong option if you want an Otter-like experience with broader integrations and enough room beyond Otter’s 300-minute cap. 2. **Fathom** - **Free plan:** **Unlimited recording, transcription, and AI summaries** for individuals on the permanent free tier. - **Key features:** Instant meeting summaries, highlight clipping, ask-AI follow-up prompts, and easy sharing of notes/snippets with teammates. - **Integrations:** Supports **Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams**; also connects with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce. - **Notable limitation:** Best free value is geared toward individual users; some team/admin collaboration features are reserved for paid plans. - **Why it fits:** Excellent if your main priority is unlimited AI notes and summaries without worrying about minute caps. 3. **tl;dv** - **Free plan:** **Unlimited meeting recordings and transcripts** for Google Meet and Zoom on the free tier. - **Key features:** AI meeting notes, timestamped highlights, clip sharing, searchable transcript library, and meeting templates. - **Integrations:** Native support for **Google Meet and Zoom**; Teams support exists but is more limited depending on plan/workspace setup. - **Notable limitation:** Some advanced AI summary workflows, multi-meeting reporting, and deeper team features are paid. - **Why it fits:** Very useful for agencies that need unlimited transcript capture and simple note sharing from Meet/Zoom calls. 4. **Grain** - **Free plan:** Permanent free tier with **limited monthly transcription/AI credits** and meeting recording tools; exact allowances can vary by current plan structure. - **Key features:** Meeting recording, transcription, highlights, shareable video snippets, AI notes, and collaborative workspace organization. - **Integrations:** Works with **Zoom and Google Meet**; also connects to Slack, Notion, HubSpot, and Salesforce. - **Notable limitation:** Free plan is more restrictive than Fathom or tl;dv for heavy weekly usage, especially on AI-generated outputs. - **Why it fits:** Better if your team likes sharing clips and key moments with clients or internal staff, not just raw transcripts. 5. **Avoma** - **Free plan:** Permanent free tier with **meeting recording/transcription for limited users/features**; free usage limits are tighter than most competitors. - **Key features:** AI notes, meeting summaries, collaborative agendas, note templates, and searchable conversation records. - **Integrations:** Supports **Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams**, plus CRM/task integrations. - **Notable limitation:** Free plan is relatively constrained for agencies with frequent weekly calls; many collaboration and revenue-intelligence features are paid. - **Why it fits:** Worth considering if you want more structured meeting workflows, but it’s less generous as a free Otter replacement. 6. **Notta** - **Free plan:** **120 transcription minutes per month**, with a cap of **3 minutes per conversation** on the free tier. - **Key features:** Live transcription, AI summaries, bilingual transcription support, transcript export, and meeting note organization. - **Integrations:** Supports **Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams** through meeting bot/integration workflows. - **Notable limitation:** The **3-minute per conversation cap** makes the free plan impractical for full client-call transcription. - **Why it fits:** Good tool technically, but the free limits are too restrictive for your volume unless you only need short snippets. 7. **Tactiq** - **Free plan:** Free tier with **limited monthly AI credits/transcript saves**; permanent free access is available. - **Key features:** Live transcription inside meetings, AI summaries, action items, Google Docs/Slack export, and highlight tagging. - **Integrations:** Best known for **Google Meet**; also supports **Zoom and Teams** in broader workflow/export use cases depending on setup. - **Notable limitation:** Free plan limits AI usage and is less suitable if you want fully automated transcript coverage for every client call. - **Why it fits:** Best if a lot of your meetings are on Google Meet and you want lightweight live notes rather than a heavy post-call system. **Verdict:** For your agency’s call volume, **Fathom** is the best free match if you want the most generous no-cost transcription and AI summaries, while **Fireflies.ai** is the better choice if team sharing and integrations matter more than having fully unlimited usage.
1. **Fathom** - Free plan: Unlimited transcription minutes and unlimited meetings. - Key features: AI-generated summaries, action items, keyword highlights, shareable note links with team. - Platform integrations: Native Zoom and Google Meet bots. - Notable limitation: No team workspace or advanced analytics; personal use focused. 2. **tl;dv** - Free plan: Unlimited meetings, AI summaries for up to 60 minutes per call. - Key features: Timestamped summaries, clip sharing, multi-language support, team collaboration via links. - Platform integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. - Notable limitation: AI analysis limited to first hour of longer calls; full transcripts require paid upgrade. 3. **Supernormal** - Free plan: Unlimited meetings and AI note generation. - Key features: Automatic summaries, action items, speaker identification, easy note sharing via links or email. - Platform integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. - Notable limitation: No custom AI prompts or advanced search in free tier. 4. **Tactiq** - Free plan: 10 transcripts per month, unlimited duration per transcript. - Key features: Real-time transcription, AI summaries and insights, speaker labels, export to docs. - Platform integrations: Chrome extension for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. - Notable limitation: Strict 10-transcript monthly cap, resets each month. 5. **MeetGeek** - Free plan: Unlimited meetings, 5 hours total transcription per month. - Key features: AI summaries, tasks, highlights, team sharing dashboard. - Platform integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams calendar sync. - Notable limitation: Transcription capped at 5 hours total across all meetings. 6. **Fireflies.ai** - Free plan: 800 transcription minutes lifetime, unlimited meetings. - Key features: AI summaries, search transcripts, conversation analytics, shareable links. - Platform integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams. - Notable limitation: Hard lifetime minute cap, no replenishment. Fathom best matches the user's situation with truly unlimited transcription and summaries for their Zoom/Google Meet calls, plus simple team sharing via links sufficient for a small agency.