The best Otter alternatives: bot-free, free and for Windows
In short
If you want something like Otter but without an assistant joining your calls, these are the alternatives worth a look in October 2026: Loro (Windows and Mac, English and Spanish, no bot, notes plus dictation, free to start), Granola (no bot, on your computer and your phone), Wispr Flow (bot-free dictation and notes), Jamie (no bot, also for in-person meetings), Fathom (unlimited free recordings, uses a bot) and Fireflies (100+ languages; uses a bot, or no bot from its desktop app). If you want bot-free notes with dictation included, in an app built in English and Spanish, go with Loro.
Why look for an Otter alternative
Otter is one of the oldest meeting notes apps. Its assistant, Otter Notetaker, joins your Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls on its own to write and share the notes. For bot-free notes, Otter has a desktop app for Mac and Windows. These are the most common reasons to look for another one:
- The bot. The assistant joins under its own name and everyone sees it in the call, unless you record from its desktop app. What is a meeting bot.
- The limits. The free plan gives you 300 transcription minutes a month; Pro, up to 90 minutes per meeting.
- The price. Pro is USD 16.99 a month, or USD 8.33 a month billed yearly.
- Calls outside Zoom, Meet and Teams, like WhatsApp calls: the assistant only joins those three, and for the rest you have to use its desktop app.
- They want to dictate too. Otter takes notes, but it doesn't type with your voice in other apps.
The alternatives, one by one
1. Loro
It listens from your computer, without a bot, and works with Meet, Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp and other call apps. When you hang up it builds the note with the topics and each person's next steps, and whatever is yours goes to your To-do with one click. It also dictates in any app: hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac), talk, and clean text appears.
- Runs on: Windows 10 and 11, and Macs with macOS 14.2 or later.
- Languages: English and Spanish, in the app, on the website and in the notes.
- Free: unlimited meeting notes and to-dos (you see the last 30 days) and 2,000 words of dictation a week.
- Pro: USD 9.99 a month or USD 80 a year.
- Missing: a phone app. And since it listens from your computer, it can't take notes of a meeting you don't join.
2. Granola
It takes bot-free notes from your computer, and it's one of the best known at that. On a Mac it also dictates in other apps, in beta.
- Runs on: Windows and Mac, plus iPhone, Android and Apple Watch.
- Free: unlimited notes, with 30 days of history. Full history is in Business, at USD 14 per person a month.
3. Wispr Flow (Wispr Notetaker)
A well-known dictation app that now also takes bot-free meeting notes.
- Runs on: Mac and Windows. Notes aren't on phones yet.
- Languages: notes in 21 languages.
- Free: includes meeting notes with a weekly limit.
- Pro: USD 15 a month, or USD 12 a month billed yearly.
4. Jamie
It takes bot-free notes from your computer, and also records in-person meetings from your laptop or phone.
- Runs on: Mac and Windows.
- Languages: 99+.
- Free: 10 AI notes a month.
5. Fathom
One of the most generous free plans: unlimited recordings and instant summaries. It uses a bot; bot-free capture is, for now, a Mac-only beta.
- Free: unlimited recordings.
- Paid: from USD 15 a month.
6. Fireflies
Popular with sales teams. Like Otter, a bot joins the call, and it can also record without a bot with its desktop app for Mac and Windows or, in Google Meet, with its Chrome extension, on every plan. It also dictates in any app with Fireflies Talk, for free.
- Languages: 100+.
- Free: yes, forever.
- Paid: Pro from USD 10 per person a month and Business from USD 19, billed yearly.
Quick comparison
Details from each app's official pages, checked on October 13, 2026; Otter's, Granola's and Fireflies' on October 28, 2026.
| App | Bot in the call? | Windows | Mac | Dictates in other apps | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loro | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unlimited notes (30 days) and 2,000 words a week |
 Otter | Yes (bot-free: desktop app) | Yes | Yes | No | 300 minutes a month |
| Granola | No | Yes | Yes | In beta, Mac only | Unlimited notes, 30 days of history |
| Wispr Flow | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Meetings with a weekly limit |
| Jamie | No | Yes | Yes | No | 10 notes a month |
| Fathom | Yes (bot-free: Mac beta only) | With a bot | Yes | No | Unlimited recordings |
| Fireflies | Yes (bot-free: desktop app) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which one to pick
- You want bot-free notes and dictation in one app, in English and Spanish: Loro.
- You record in-person meetings on your phone: Granola or Jamie.
- You already dictate with Wispr Flow: Wispr Notetaker.
- You want it free and don't mind the bot: Fathom.
- Your sales team needs integrations and call analytics: Fireflies.
Try Loro for free
Dictate in any app and get notes from your meetings, with no bot. For Windows and Mac, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best bot-free Otter alternative?
Loro, Granola, Wispr Flow (Wispr Notetaker) and Jamie listen from your computer, and nobody new joins the meeting. Loro also dictates in any app on Windows and Mac, in English and Spanish.
Is there a free Otter alternative?
Yes. Loro doesn't cap the number of meetings on its free plan (you see the last 30 days). Fathom gives you unlimited recordings, Granola unlimited notes with 30 days of history, and Jamie 10 notes a month.
How do I remove the Otter bot from my meeting?
The organizer can remove it from the participant list, like any guest, or not admit it from the waiting room. If you connected it yourself, check Otter's settings so it doesn't join your calendar's meetings on its own.
Does Loro work with Zoom, Meet and Teams?
Yes, and with WhatsApp calls and other apps too, because it listens to your computer's audio.
Sources
- Otter, pricing and desktop app, checked on October 28, 2026.
- Granola, pricing and Voice Typing, checked on October 28, 2026.
- Fireflies, pricing, desktop app, recording without a bot and Fireflies Talk, checked on October 28, 2026.
- Wispr Flow, pricing and Notetaker. Jamie, pricing. Fathom, pricing. Checked on October 13, 2026.
Keep reading
Key concepts
What is a meeting bot
A meeting bot is an assistant that joins your video call as one more participant to record it and take notes. How it works, its pros and cons, and how to take notes without a bot.
Comparisons
Granola alternatives
Six Granola alternatives for AI meeting notes, compared: Loro, Wispr Flow, Jamie, Fathom, Fireflies and Otter. Which ones add a bot, which run on Windows and in Spanish, and what they cost.
Meeting notes
AI meeting notes
What an AI meeting notes app does, the difference between "with a bot" and "without a bot", how Loro takes notes in Meet, Zoom, Teams and WhatsApp, and what happens to your audio. Free to start.
Comparisons
Granola vs Otter
Granola takes meeting notes without a bot; Otter sends an assistant to Zoom, Meet and Teams or records from its desktop app. Free plans, prices, languages and privacy, side by side.
Otter, Granola, Wispr Flow, Jamie, Fathom, Fireflies, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their owners. Loro is not affiliated with them. Each app's details come from its official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.