Aside vs Otter
Otter is built to record, transcribe and share meeting notes across a team. Aside is built for the moment someone asks you a question: it puts an answer beside your call while it still matters.
Mac and Windows · Free 30-day trial · Checked October 29, 2026
At a glance
| Feature | Aside | Otter |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Answers questions during the call | Records and transcribes meetings, then summarizes them |
| During the call | Detects questions as they’re asked and streams an answer on its own. You can also type one. | Live transcript, plus an AI chat you can ask mid-meeting. In-call tips (Live Assist) are Enterprise only. |
| How it hears the meeting | Your computer’s audio. No bot joins. | A notetaker bot joins Zoom, Teams or Meet, or the desktop app records your audio without one |
| Where transcription runs | On your computer, with a local Whisper model | In the cloud. The desktop app uploads your audio. |
| Kept on servers | No conversation content. Transcripts stay on your computer. | Audio and transcripts, stored in the cloud |
| Platforms | macOS 14.6+ on Apple Silicon; Windows 10 (version 2004) and 11 | Web, iPhone, Android, a Chrome extension, and desktop apps for macOS 12.3+ and Windows 10+ |
| Teams and integrations | None. Each person uses Aside on their own. | Shared channels and folders, admin tools, and 30+ integrations including Slack, Salesforce and HubSpot |
| Free plan | 30-day trial with 40 answers | Basic: 300 minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation |
| Paid plans | Pro $19 a month (600 answers). Max $39 a month (1,500 answers and the Max model). | Pro $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly. Business from $19.99 a user per month, billed yearly. |
Which one fits
Pick Otter if
- You want every meeting recorded and searchable, with notes your team can share.
- You record in-person conversations on your phone.
- You need integrations like Slack, Salesforce or HubSpot.
- You want a free plan you can keep using.
Pick Aside if
- You want help while the question is being asked, not a summary afterwards.
- You’d rather your meeting audio stay on your computer.
- You don’t want your conversations kept on someone else’s servers.
Otter details checked on October 29, 2026, from otter.ai/pricing, its desktop app help page, its Notetaker overview and its privacy and security page. Prices and features change, so check their site before you decide. Otter is a trademark of its owner, and Aside isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Otter.
Questions about Aside and Otter
Can I use Aside and Otter together?
Yes. Aside runs on your computer and doesn’t join the call, so it works alongside Otter’s notetaker.
Does Aside record meetings like Otter does?
Aside keeps a transcript of each session on your computer and writes a wrap-up when you ask. It isn’t a shared library of recordings.
Is Otter cheaper?
On paper, yes. Otter Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly, and Otter has a free plan. Aside Pro is $19 a month or $190 a year. Aside’s price pays for live answers rather than transcription minutes, since transcription runs on your computer.
See how Aside handles your next call.
Thirty days free. Forty answers. No card.