COMPARISONEvery claim sourced · verified Jun 2026

Otter.ai vs Spokenly: the honest comparison.

Otter.ai and Spokenly solve different problems. Otter.ai is for meeting transcripts and team notes, while Spokenly is for system-wide dictation with local and BYOK options. Ottex sits between them as our Mac/iOS tool for dictation, meetings, and finished written outputs.

Ottex

Mac, iOS · Free tier · $14/mo · PAYG

Ottex is unusually broad for a young Mac/iOS-first tool: it turns dictation and meetings into emails, tickets, CRM updates, notes, and docs, but it is not the pick if you need Windows, Android, web, browser extension, or compliance paperwork.

Choose if

You want one tool for system-wide dictation, meeting recording, and finished written outcomes like follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs
You want a real free path: unlimited local dictation, file transcription, and meetings on Mac with Whisper/Parakeet, or BYOK instead of a forced subscription
You need multilingual dictation with 100+ languages, auto-detection, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules

Look elsewhere if

You need Windows, Android, Linux, web access, or a browser extension
You need mature team infrastructure such as a shared workspace, API/webhooks, third-party note destinations, or assistant chat over transcripts today.

Otter.ai

Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web · Limited free · $16.99/mo

Otter.ai is a strong meeting transcription and team-notes platform with real-time summaries, CRM/workflow integrations, and broad apps, but it is not a system-wide dictation tool and relies on cloud transcription with only 6 published input

Choose if

You want AI meeting notes, summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, and searchable transcripts across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, web, desktop, iOS, and i
You run a team that needs shared workspaces, Salesforce or HubSpot note sync, Slack/Zapier workflows, API/webhooks, and compliance claims including SOC 2 Type
You need a meeting-focused product with a usable free trial path: Basic has 300 transcription minutes/month, Pro is $16.99/month or $8.33/user/month annually,

Look elsewhere if

You need true system-wide dictation that inserts text into any app; the dossier says this is not supported.
You need private or offline local transcription, BYOK, or zero-data-retention guarantees; imported files upload to Otter and those privacy claims are not public

Spokenly

Mac, Windows, iOS · Limited free · $9.99/mo

Spokenly is a strong pick for Mac-first dictation with real offline and BYOK options, but it is not a meeting assistant and has no web, Linux, Android, or live meeting workflow.

Choose if

You want system-wide push-to-talk dictation on macOS, iOS, or Windows, with text inserted directly into the active app.
You want unlimited free local dictation in 100+ languages, or BYOK transcription where Spokenly charges nothing beyond your provider costs.
You need file transcription from the terminal, including batch audio/video jobs and TXT, SRT, VTT, Markdown, or JSON output.

Look elsewhere if

You need meeting recording, calendar detection, summaries, action items, follow-up emails, or shared meeting memory.
You need a browser, web app, Android, or Linux workflow instead of installed desktop/mobile apps.

The evidence

What actually differs, claim by claim.

Each section opens with the takeaway. The table underneath is the receipt — every cell carries its source and the date we checked it.

Pricing

Spokenly has the cleanest low-cost path of the three: unlimited free Local Models, free BYOK where you pay the provider, and Pro at $9.99/mo. Otter.ai gives a limited Basic plan with 300 monthly transcription minutes, then Pro at $16.99/mo and Business at $19.99/seat/mo. Ottex is broader on pricing than Otter.ai, with free local AI, free BYOK, PAYG at $0.2/hour, Pro at $14/mo, and Team at $24/seat/mo.

See the evidence — 15 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026

	Ottex	Otter.ai	Spokenly
Free tier	YesWhisper & Parakeet run on your Mac. Dictation and meetings, $0.	Partial300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; Import and transcribe 3 audio or video files lifetime per user	PartialUnlimited use; no usage limits
Subscription	$14/mo$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.	$16.99/moAnnual price is published as $8.33/user/month and monthly price as $16.99/user/month.	$9.99/moThe pricing page shows annual billing at $99.99 per year and references Pro cloud features.
Pay-as-you-go / one-timeEscape the flat subscription	$0.2/hourHosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).	NoSubscription only	NoSubscription only
Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman	YesOpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers.	NoNo public BYOK transcription or LLM-key support claim found.	YesUsers can connect their own API keys from OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, ElevenLabs, Mistral, and other providers.
Education discount	NoSame pricing for everyone.	YesStudent and teacher discount program is listed for the Pro plan.	YesVerified students get 50% off Pro after contacting support with an academic email.

Platforms

Otter.ai wins platform coverage with Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Web. Spokenly covers Mac, Windows, and iOS, which is enough for desktop dictation but leaves out Android and Web. Ottex is the narrowest here with Mac and iOS only, so it loses if Windows, Android, Linux, or browser access matters.

See the evidence — 4 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026

	Ottex	Otter.ai	Spokenly
Platforms	Mac, iOS	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web	Mac, Windows, iOS
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke	YesNative Swift app, ~50MB RAM.	No public claim	No public claim

Meetings & team memory

Otter.ai wins meeting capture because it is built for meetings, with Basic at 300 monthly transcription minutes, Pro at 1200 in-app recording minutes, and Business at 6000 monthly transcription minutes. Spokenly does not offer meetings, so it is the wrong choice for recording, speaker-separated meeting memory, or live meeting workflows. Ottex also supports meetings and file transcription, but Otter.ai is the safer of

See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026

	Ottex	Otter.ai	Spokenly
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all	YesWith speaker separation.	YesOtter Notetaker records and transcribes Zoom meetings in real time.	NoNot supported.
Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call	YesSystem-audio capture, no bot joins the call.	YesDesktop app supports bot-free meeting capture.	NoNot supported.
Speaker separation	Yes	YesSpeaker identification is listed on the pricing page.	NoNot supported for live meetings.
Calendar detection	YesCalendar-based meeting detection.	YesNotetaker can automatically join synced calendar event meetings.	NoNot supported.
Cross-meeting search	Yes	YesOtter AI Chat searches across meetings and connected apps.	NoNot supported.
Shared team memory	PartialPublic share links, not a full team workspace.	YesOtter Workspaces provide team collaboration and management features.	NoNot supported.

From meeting to finished work

Otter.ai is stronger than Spokenly for meeting intelligence because it supports summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, searchable transcripts, Salesforce or HubSpot note sync, Slack and Zapier workflows, API/webhooks, and team workspaces. Spokenly has 0 meeting workflow coverage, so it cannot compete on shared meeting memory or action items. Ottex goes further than plain notes by turning meetings into follow-up email

See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026

	Ottex	Otter.ai	Spokenly
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear	YesDecisions with owners extracted.	YesBusiness trial lists assigning action items to teammates.	NoNot supported.
Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized	YesDrafted from templates or your own.	YesOtter creates follow-ups from meetings.	NoNot supported.
CRM update / ticket draft	YesStructured for the target app.	YesPricing lists synced notes to Salesforce or HubSpot and AI Chat with Salesforce.	NoNot supported.
Your rough notes steer the result	YesRough notes and instructions steer the result.	No public claim	NoNot supported.

Dictation & transcription AI

Spokenly wins the Otter.ai vs Spokenly dictation decision because it has system-wide dictation, 100 languages, local models, and BYOK, while Otter.ai has no dictation, 6 published input languages, no local option, and no BYOK. Ottex matches Spokenly on the core AI shape with dictation, 100 languages, local models, and BYOK, plus file transcription and meetings. Otter.ai only belongs here if the recording is really a

See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026

	Ottex	Otter.ai	Spokenly
Engines	Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.	proprietary cloud AI transcriptionOtter describes AI transcription and cloud upload for imported files.	Whisper, Parakeet, Apple Speech Analyzer, GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3, Soniox, Groq, ElevenLabs, Mistral, Fireworks, CerebrasPublished pages name local, BYOK, managed cloud, and third-party providers across pricing and privacy materials.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine	YesWhisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.	NoImported files upload to Otter for transcription.	YesLocal Only Mode keeps transcription on-device and blocks network access.
Model selection per task	YesChoose the model per task and per provider.	NoNo user-selectable recognition model is published.	YesDocs say users choose between fast and high-accuracy dictation models.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence	Yes100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.	No public claim	No public claim
Per-app output rules	YesPer-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.	No public claim	No public claim

Cost

What a year actually costs at your volume.

Personal or team — switch tabs. Subscriptions are flat; usage-based pricing depends on how much you speak and meet.

You dictate about 3 h a week≈ 23,400 words at ~130 wpm

0 h5 h10 h

and sit in 4 h of meetings a weekhours you'd want captured and turned into follow-ups

0 h7.5 h15 h

Fill the gaps with:

Dictation appadded to meetings-only toolsMeetings appadded to dictation-only tools

Otter.aiPro$100/yr$100 + $0Annual price is published as $8.33/user/month and monthly price as $16.99/user/month. · 1200 in-app recording minutes; Up to 90 mins/meeting; 10 monthly audio/video file imports

OttexOttex Provider — PAYG$135/yrHosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).

OttexPro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.

Otter.aiBusiness$240/yr$240 + $0Business is published for teams at $19.99/user/month billed annually. · Unlimited meetings + in-app recordings; 6000 monthly transcription minutes - 4 hours per conversation; Import and transcribe unlimited audio or video files

SpokenlyPro$268/yr$100 + $168The pricing page shows annual billing at $99.99 per year and references Pro cloud features. · High-accuracy cloud models; AI text processing; works out of the box; priority support

Estimates, not quotes. Striped bar segments are the cost of the second app you picked above to cover the gap — rankings use that combined total. PAYG and BYOK usage are estimated at provider at-cost rates ($0.2/h dictation, $0.5/h meetings) — bring-your-own-key plans still pay the model provider per use. One-time licenses are amortized over 2 years. Subscriptions use published pricing, checked Jun 2026.

FAQ

Questions people actually ask.

Otter.ai vs Spokenly: which should I use?

Pick Otter.ai if the job is meeting transcription, summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, searchable transcripts, or team workflows. Pick Spokenly if the job is system-wide dictation on Mac, Windows, or iOS with 100 languages, local models, and BYOK. Pick Ottex if you want one Mac/iOS tool for dictation, meetings, file transcription, and finished outputs.

Is Otter.ai free?

Yes, but it is limited: Basic includes 300 monthly transcription minutes, 30 minutes per conversation, and 3 lifetime audio or video file imports per user. That can test meeting notes, but it is not unlimited use.

Is Spokenly free?

Yes, Spokenly has unlimited free Local Models and a free BYOK mode where Spokenly charges nothing and you pay the provider directly. Its paid Pro plan is $9.99/mo for cloud models, AI text processing, and priority support.

How much does Otter.ai cost compared with Spokenly?

Otter.ai starts with Basic free, then Pro at $16.99/mo and Business at $19.99/seat/mo. Spokenly is cheaper for dictation, with unlimited free Local Models, free BYOK, and Pro at $9.99/mo. The lower price only helps if you do not need meeting recording or team meeting memory.

Is Otter.ai or Spokenly better for privacy?

Spokenly is the better privacy pick because it offers local models and BYOK, while Otter.ai relies on cloud transcription and has no local option or BYOK. Otter.ai can still fit teams that need meeting workflows and compliance claims, but it is not the private offline option.

Is it worth switching from Otter.ai to Spokenly?

Switch if you mainly want dictation into any app, 100 languages, local models, or BYOK. Do not switch if your team depends on meeting summaries, follow-ups, shared transcripts, Salesforce or HubSpot note sync, Slack, Zapier, API/webhooks, or workspaces.

Does Otter.ai or Spokenly work on Windows or Android?

Otter.ai works on Windows and Android, plus Mac, iOS, and Web. Spokenly works on Windows, Mac, and iOS, but not Android or Web. Ottex works on Mac and iOS only.

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