Meetings · Head to head

Otter.ai vs Rev

Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.

Otter.ai logoOtter.aiFrom $8.33/user/moTry free
VS
Rev logoRevFrom $14.99/moTry free

The verdict

Summary

Otter.ai is best for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations, while Rev is best for accuracy-critical transcripts with the option of human verification. Both Otter.ai and Rev offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.

Which should you choose?

Otter.ai logo

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
Try Otter.ai free
Rev logo

Choose Rev if…

  • You need accuracy-critical transcripts with the option of human verification
  • You're one of: legal professionals, journalists and media teams, academic researchers
  • Human transcription option in the same platform
Try Rev free

At a glance

Otter.aiRev
Best forEnglish-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversationsAccuracy-critical transcripts with the option of human verification
Free planYesYes
Starting priceFrom $8.33/user/moFrom $14.99/mo
Learning curveLowLow
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extensionWeb, iOS, Android, API
Ideal forStudents and educators, Journalists, Sales and account teams, English-speaking remote teamsLegal professionals, Journalists and media teams, Academic researchers, Businesses needing verified captions

Feature comparison

Otter.aiRev
Records without a bot joiningYes—
Meeting platformsZoom, Meet, TeamsZoom, Meet, Teams, Webex
Transcription languages6 languages37+ languages (paid plans)
CRM syncPaid plans onlyNo
Ask AI across meetingsYesYes
Speaker identificationYesYes
In-person / mobile recordingYesYes
Transcribe uploaded filesYesYes
Translation—Yes
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed

Security & enterprise

Otter.aiRev
Business / enterprise planYesYes
SSO (SAML / OIDC)Enterprise planEnterprise plan
SCIM user provisioningEnterprise plan—
SOC 2Type IIType II
ISO 27001——
HIPAA (BAA available)Enterprise planEnterprise plan (BAA)
GDPR DPA—Yes
Data residency options——
No training on your dataDe-identified data only—
Audit logs——
Admin controlsEnterprise planEnterprise plan
DeploymentCloudCloud

From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools

What each tool does

Otter.ai logoOtter.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

Rev logoRev

Rev combines AI transcription, an AI notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex, and human-verified transcription and captioning services. Its AI tools summarize recordings and analyze multiple files together, and mobile apps capture in-person audio. It is widely used in legal, media and research work.

Key features
  • AI transcription in 37+ languages on paid plans
  • Human-verified transcripts with 99%+ accuracy guarantee
  • AI notetaker that joins Zoom, Meet, Teams and Webex
  • Multi-file AI insights and custom prompts
  • Side-by-side foreign language translation
  • iOS and Android recording apps

Pricing

Otter.ai logoOtter.ai

From $8.33/user/moFree plan

Free Basic plan (300 min/mo); Pro $8.33/user/mo annual ($16.99 monthly)

Rev logoRev

From $14.99/moFree plan

Free plan: yes (limited AI minutes). Paid AI plans from ~$14.99/mo; human transcription per minute

Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.

Pros and cons

Otter.ai logoOtter.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
Limitations
  • 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.

Rev logoRev

Strengths
  • Human transcription option in the same platform
  • Legal-formatted transcripts and legal integrations
  • Compliance options including HIPAA, CJIS and SOC 2
  • Developer API available
Limitations
  • Free plan transcribes English only
  • Human transcription is billed per minute on top of plans
  • No CRM integrations for sales teams
  • Language coverage depends on plan tier

Not ideal for: Sales teams wanting CRM syncing and deal-focused call analytics should choose a sales-oriented meeting assistant.

Integrations

Otter.ai logoOtter.ai

ZoomSalesforceHubSpotSlackZapierGoogle Calendar

Rev logoRev

ZoomGoogle MeetMicrosoft TeamsWebexGoogle DriveClio

FAQ

What is the main difference between Otter.ai and Rev?

Otter.ai is built for english-first live transcription for meetings, lectures and in-person conversations; Rev is built for accuracy-critical transcripts with the option of human verification.

Is Otter.ai or Rev cheaper?

Otter.ai starts from $8.33/user/mo and Rev starts from $14.99/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 Rev have free plans?

Both Otter.ai and Rev offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.

Which is easier to use, Otter.ai or Rev?

Both have a low learning curve.

What are good alternatives to Otter.ai and Rev?

Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Fathom and tl;dv.

Alternatives

Other meetings tools to compare

AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.

Free planFrom $10/seat/mo

Free AI meeting notetaker with instant summaries, action items and CRM sync.

Free planFrom $16/mo

AI meeting recorder and notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams with CRM integrations.

Free planFrom €18/seat/mo