An Otter.ai alternative that keeps your meetings on your device
I make Karl, so read this knowing that. Otter and Karl both turn a meeting into a transcript and a summary. The difference is where that happens. Otter uploads your audio and does the work on its servers. Karl does all of it on your iPhone or Mac, and nothing is uploaded.
Side by side
| Karl | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it transcribes | On your iPhone or Mac | On Otter's servers |
| Account | None | Required |
| Bot in your call | Never. On the Mac, Karl records the call's audio directly. | Otter's Notetaker joins Zoom, Meet and Teams calls. Its desktop app can also record without one. |
| Free plan | Unlimited recording and transcription, with no time limit per meeting | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation |
| Paid plan | Pro is $1.99 a month, $14.99 a year, or $24.99 once | Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly |
| Offline | Works fully offline once a language is downloaded | Records offline. The transcript comes after the upload. |
| Summaries | Written on your device with Apple Intelligence | Written in Otter's cloud |
| Runs on | iPhone (iOS 26) and Mac (macOS 26) | iPhone, Android, web, Mac and Windows |
Otter's details come from its own pricing and help pages, checked in September 2026. The prices are list prices before any promotion. Check otter.ai/pricing before you decide.
When Otter is the better pick
- You're on Android or Windows, or you work in a browser. Karl is iPhone and Mac only, and it needs iOS 26 or macOS 26.
- You want integrations. Otter connects to other tools. Karl has no Zapier, no CRM link and no API.
- You're setting it up for a team. Otter has shared workspaces and admin controls. Karl is made for one person.
- Your device can't run Apple Intelligence. Karl still records and transcribes, but the automatic summaries need it.
When Karl is
- You'd rather your meetings never left your device. Audio, transcripts and summaries stay on your iPhone or Mac. The App Store privacy label says Data Not Collected.
- You're tired of counting minutes. There's no monthly cap and no limit per meeting, because the work runs on your own chip.
- You don't want a bot in the participant list. Karl hears remote people through your Mac's audio, even with headphones on.
- You'd rather pay once. The free app is complete. Pro adds sync between your iPhone and Mac through your own iCloud, speaker names, folders and Ask Karl, for $24.99 once.
Bringing old recordings
If you have the audio files, Karl imports them and transcribes them on your device. There's no limit on imports.
Download on the App StoreFree · iPhone and Mac