AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Otter.ai vs Read.ai
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Otter.ai is best for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations, while Read.ai is best for teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages. Both Otter.ai and Read.ai offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Otter.ai if…
- You need english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations
- You're one of: students and educators, journalists, sales and account teams
- Mature live transcript with editable speaker tags
Choose Read.ai if…
- You need teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages
- You're one of: managers and team leads, sales teams, knowledge workers juggling email and meetings
- Search spans meetings, email and messaging, not just calls
At a glance
| Otter.ai | Read.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | English-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations | Teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $8.33/user/mo | From $15/seat/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Ideal for | Students and educators, Journalists, Sales and account teams, English-speaking remote teams | Managers and team leads, Sales teams, Knowledge workers juggling email and meetings, Coaches tracking meeting effectiveness |
Feature comparison
| Otter.ai | Read.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams | Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex |
| Transcription languages | 6 languages | 16+ languages |
| CRM sync | Paid plans only | Paid plans only |
| Ask AI across meetings | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | Yes | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | Yes | Paid plans only |
| Translation | — | Limited |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Otter.ai | Read.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise+ plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | Enterprise plan | Enterprise+ plan |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise+ plan (BAA) |
| GDPR DPA | — | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | De-identified data only | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Enterprise+ plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Otter.ai
Otter.ai transcribes meetings in real time through its OtterPilot bot on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, via a bot-free desktop app, or through its mobile apps for in-person conversations. It generates summaries and action items, and Otter AI Chat answers questions within and across meetings. Higher tiers add CRM syncing and admin controls.
Key features- Live transcription with speaker identification by name
- OtterPilot bot for Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Bot-free recording via Mac and Windows desktop app
- Otter AI Chat within and across meetings
- Salesforce and HubSpot note syncing
- Import of audio and video files
Read.ai
Read.ai records and summarizes meetings on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, with bot-based or bot-free capture on desktop and mobile. Beyond meetings, its Ask Read search connects meetings, email and chat to answer questions, and it adds engagement and sentiment metrics plus a meeting coach.
Key features- Meeting reports with summaries, action items and topics
- Bot or bot-free capture across web, desktop and mobile
- Ask Read search across meetings, email and messages
- Speaker-separated transcripts with sentiment and engagement scores
- Salesforce and HubSpot integration
- Upload audio and video to generate reports
Pricing
Otter.ai
Free Basic plan (300 min/mo); Pro $8.33/user/mo annual ($16.99 monthly)
Read.ai
Free plan: yes. Paid from ~$15/seat/mo billed annually (Pro)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Otter.ai
Strengths- Mature live transcript with editable speaker tags
- Works for online meetings, in-person recordings and imports
- Mobile apps suited to lectures and interviews
- Cross-meeting AI chat included on paid plans
- Transcribes only six languages
- Free plan limits file imports to three in total
- AI Chat queries are capped per month on lower tiers
- No built-in translation of transcripts
Not ideal for: Teams that hold meetings in languages beyond English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Chinese should choose a tool with wider language support.
Read.ai
Strengths- Search spans meetings, email and messaging, not just calls
- Engagement and talk-time metrics for self-coaching
- Apps on every major platform including in-person capture
- Reports available in 16+ languages
- Free plan limited to a few meeting transcripts per month
- Upload minutes are capped on paid plans
- CRM integrations require premium tiers
- Engagement scoring can feel intrusive to some participants
Not ideal for: People who only want plain transcripts without analytics or connected inboxes may find the scope broader than necessary.
Integrations
Otter.ai
Read.ai
FAQ
What is the main difference between Otter.ai and Read.ai?
Otter.ai is built for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations; Read.ai is built for teams that want meeting notes plus search across meetings, email and messages.
Is Otter.ai or Read.ai cheaper?
Otter.ai starts from $8.33/user/mo and Read.ai starts from $15/seat/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Otter.ai is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Otter.ai and Read.ai have free plans?
Both Otter.ai and Read.ai offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Otter.ai or Read.ai?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Otter.ai and Read.ai?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Fathom and tl;dv.
