Roomtone vs Otter
Otter is the default for online meetings and has been for years. The difference that matters is where the audio comes from: a bot in the call, or the microphone in your pocket.
Free to start · three recordings, no card
The problems you know too well
Half of your meetings are not on a video call
A bot cannot attend a conversation across a table, in a car or on a site walk.
A bot in the call is visible to everyone
Some rooms are fine with that. A client conversation often is not.
You do not want another subscription per seat
Roomtone is one app on one phone.
Side by side
| Roomtone | Otter | |
|---|---|---|
| Records an in-person meeting | Yes, from the room | Only if you set a laptop on the table |
| Joins the call as a bot | Never | Yes, by design |
| Needs a calendar invite | No | For automatic recording, yes |
| Speaker labels | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier | 3 recordings, 30 minutes each | Limited monthly minutes |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad | Web, iOS, Android |
Compiled from each product's own published material. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
What you get
In-person meetings
Recorded from the room, no invite involved.
No bot in the call
Nobody sees a participant with your name twice.
Action items and decisions
Written from the transcript, not bolted on.
Ask your archive
Chat across every recording you have.
Perfect for
- In-person meetings
- Client calls
- Site visits
- One-on-ones
Questions
Is Roomtone a replacement for Otter?+
For meetings you attend in person or on your phone, yes. If your day is entirely scheduled video calls and you want a bot to sit in them for you, Otter is built for that and we are not.
Does a bot join my meeting?+
No. Roomtone records the room from your phone — the microphone, not the calendar. Nobody on the call sees a bot with your name on it, and it works for a meeting held across a table, where a bot cannot go at all.
Is there a free plan?+
Yes. Three recordings, up to 30 minutes each, with the full write-up — enough to see whether the notes are any good before you pay.
What languages does it handle?+
Over 100. The notes come back in the language that was spoken, not translated into English first.
What happens to my recordings?+
The audio is used to produce the transcript and then deleted from the server; your phone keeps its own copy until you delete it. Nothing is used to train a model.
Record the next one
Three recordings free. No card.
Download for iPhone