Fathom is the stronger starting point for free recording volume; Otter is worth considering for short sessions and occasional audio or video imports. That recommendation concerns documented plan limits, not a claim that one produces more accurate transcripts.
Official plan pages checked October 13, 2026. This is a documentation-based comparison. No hands-on accuracy test was performed for this article.
The free plans at a glance
- Otter Basic: 300 transcription minutes per month, a 30-minute conversation limit, three lifetime audio/video imports, and access to the 25 most recent conversations. Its plan page lists live transcription, speaker identification, mobile apps, and AI chat.
- Fathom Free: unlimited recordings and transcription with instant summaries. Advanced summaries and Ask Fathom are marked for limited use. Bot-free capture is a Mac beta.
Sources: Otter official pricing and Fathom official pricing. Check these pages again before signing up because allowances and availability may change.
Which fits your meeting schedule?
For an illustrative schedule of eight 25-minute sessions, the total is 200 minutes. That fits inside Otter’s published monthly and per-conversation limits, assuming you do not use additional minutes elsewhere. Eight 45-minute sessions would total 360 minutes and would also exceed the individual-session cap. Both limits matter independently.
If you routinely have longer calls, prioritize a plan whose documented capture allowance fits them. That is why our free-volume recommendation favors Fathom. Still check account eligibility, device support and the features you actually need before switching.
Recorded files are a separate use case
Otter’s three-import allowance is lifetime, not a fresh allowance every month. That makes it a way to evaluate file transcription rather than a recurring upload workflow.
Do not assume that a product offering unlimited meeting recording can import an unlimited folder of existing files. Test the file-upload path with a harmless sample and confirm the relevant plan before committing your archive.
Summaries, action items and exports
A transcript, a summary and a task list solve different problems. A transcript helps you recover wording. A summary helps you skim. A task list is useful only when it preserves the correct owner and deadline.
When evaluating either service, check those outputs separately. Do not infer that an advanced feature is included just because a basic summary is available. Before paying, try exporting the exact content you need and check whether teammates can open it without another subscription.
Do you specifically need bot-free capture?
Check the capture mode on your operating system rather than relying on a general “AI note taker” label. Our guide to AI meeting note takers without a bot compares additional options and explains the device and history limits to consider.
A fair comparison you can do yourself
- Use the same short practice meeting, with participants informed and in agreement.
- Include two speakers, a corrected date, a technical term and an assigned action.
- Check whether either summary invents a commitment or drops the correction.
- Compare how easily you can locate, correct, share and export the result.
- Check your usage counters afterward to understand what the session consumed.
This evaluation is more useful than choosing on an unsupported “99% accurate” claim. Use a non-sensitive sample before entrusting client or company conversations to a new service.
Frequently asked questions
Does unlimited recording mean unlimited AI features?
No. Capture allowances and advanced AI allowances are separate. Read the feature-level restrictions.
Should I upgrade immediately?
Only after identifying a specific limit that blocks your workflow. First try a representative meeting and the export or sharing process you expect to use.
Which free plan should I try first?
Try Fathom first if recording volume is your deciding factor. Consider Otter if your sessions fit its limits and its documented workflow matches your needs. Browse more options in our AI tools directory.