Softwr

Remote Work · head to head

Otter.ai vs Rev

Otter.ai logo

Otter.ai

Remote Work

Transcription and meeting notes powered by AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rev logo

Rev

AI

Human and AI transcription, captions and subtitles priced per minute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Otter.ai two separate limits apply at once, a monthly minute allowance and a per conversation cap, so a long meeting can be cut short with allowance remaining; Rev human transcription at 1.99 US dollars a minute means roughly 120 dollars an hour of audio, so a long-form interview series costs more in transcription than most teams assume before they run the arithmetic.
  • They diverge on capability: Otter.ai covers Automatic transcription, Rev covers Human transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Otter.ai and Rev actually diverge.

Attributes where Otter.ai and Rev differ
AttributeOtter.aiRev
Pricing modelfreemiumPer minute for human work, per seat per month for AI
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, MacWeb, iOS, Android, API
CategoryRemote WorkAI
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Otter.ai

  • Automatic transcription
  • Real-time transcription
  • Searchable transcripts
  • Highlights and summaries
  • Sharing
  • Mobile apps
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Rev

  • Human transcription
  • AI transcription
  • Captions and subtitles
  • Legal transcripts
  • File analysis
  • Clio integration
  • Rev API

Both cover

  • Speaker identification

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Otter.ai

  • Meeting transcription and recordingnot Rev
  • Live transcription for accessibilitynot Rev
  • Multi-language meeting supportnot Rev

Rev

  • A law firm that needs a deposition transcript in a court-acceptable page format with a fixed turnaround and a published per-page price it can bill to a matter.not Otter.ai
  • A documentary or podcast producer costing a project in advance, because human transcription at a published per-minute rate makes the transcription line item a known number.not Otter.ai
  • A broadcaster needing compliant human captions rather than machine captions, where accuracy is a regulatory requirement and not a convenience.not Otter.ai
  • A team with high AI volume and occasional high-stakes files, using the subscription for the bulk and paying the discounted human rate only where accuracy matters.not Otter.ai

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Otter.ai

  • Two separate limits apply at once, a monthly minute allowance and a per conversation cap, so a long meeting can be cut short with allowance remaining
  • The free plan cuts off at 30 minutes per conversation and 300 minutes a month
  • The Pro plan still caps a single conversation at 90 minutes
  • Even unlimited plans cap a conversation at 4 hours
  • Imported file transcription has its own separate monthly limit, at 6,000 minutes on Business
  • Paying monthly rather than annually roughly doubles the rate, from $8.33 to $16.99 on Pro

Rev

  • Human transcription at 1.99 US dollars a minute means roughly 120 dollars an hour of audio, so a long-form interview series costs more in transcription than most teams assume before they run the arithmetic.
  • AI minutes are allocated per seat per month and do not roll over, so bursty workloads, which is how most media production actually behaves, waste allowance in quiet months and run out in busy ones.
  • The product direction has moved towards legal and investigative use, so a newsroom or media buyer is choosing a tool whose roadmap priority sits elsewhere.
  • Foreign-language subtitles are priced from 6.49 to 15.99 US dollars per minute, an order of magnitude above transcription, which makes multi-language localisation of any volume of video expensive enough to change the plan.
  • Human turnaround is stated in hours rather than guaranteed contractually on the published plans, so a hard broadcast or filing deadline needs an agreement beyond the standard terms.

Pricing, plan by plan

Otter.ai

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 300 monthly transcription minutes
    • 3 lifetime audio/video file imports
    • Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet support
  • Pro$16.99/month
    • 1,200 in-app recording minutes
    • 10 monthly audio/video file imports
    • Up to 90 minutes per meeting
  • Pro Annual$8.33/month
    • 1,200 in-app recording minutes
    • 10 monthly audio/video file imports
    • Up to 90 minutes per meeting
  • Business$30/month
    • Unlimited meetings and in-app recordings
    • Unlimited audio/video file imports
    • Up to 4 hours per meeting

Rev

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 45 AI transcription and caption minutes per month
    • Up to 5 files analysed
    • No human transcription included
  • Essentials$25.49/month
    • 5,000 AI minutes per seat per month
    • Up to 3 seats
    • 10 per cent discount on human transcription, captions and subtitles
  • Pro$47.99/month
    • 10,000 AI minutes per seat per month
    • Up to 5 seats
    • 15 per cent discount on human work
  • Unlimited$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI minutes
    • Up to 500 files analysed at once
    • Dedicated account specialist

Which should you pick?

Choose Otter.ai if

  • You need automatic transcription.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Mac.
  • You also want real-time transcription.
Otter.ai review

Choose Rev if

  • You need human transcription.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want ai transcription.
Rev review

Questions people ask

Is Otter.ai or Rev better?
Neither clearly leads. Otter.ai starts at Free and Rev at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Otter.ai or Rev?
Otter.ai starts at Free and Rev at Free.
Does Otter.ai or Rev run on more platforms?
Otter.ai runs on Web, Ios, Android, Mac. Rev runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Otter.ai for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Otter.ai best used for?
Otter.ai is most often used for meeting transcription and recording, live transcription for accessibility, multi-language meeting support. Of those, meeting transcription and recording and live transcription for accessibility are not what Rev is typically brought in for.
What can Otter.ai do that Rev cannot?
Otter.ai covers Automatic transcription, Real-time transcription, Searchable transcripts, Highlights and summaries. Rev covers Human transcription, AI transcription, Captions and subtitles, Legal transcripts. Both handle Speaker identification.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Otter.ai: What are the monthly transcription minute limits on Otter.ai plans?

Basic tier includes 300 monthly transcription minutes at no cost. Pro tier includes 1,200 in-app recording minutes. Business tier provides unlimited meetings and in-app recordings.

Source
Rev: How much is human transcription?

1.99 US dollars per minute with a stated accuracy target above 99 per cent, typically returned within 12 hours. Subscribers get 10 to 15 per cent off.

Otter.ai: What meeting duration limits apply to different Otter.ai tiers?

Pro tier supports up to 90 minutes per meeting. Business tier supports up to 4 hours per meeting. Enterprise tier offers custom configurations.

Source
Rev: Is there a free tier?

Yes, 45 AI minutes per month and up to 5 files analysed, with no human transcription included.

Otter.ai: How much can you save with Otter.ai annual billing?

Pro annual plan costs $8.33 per month (51% savings compared to $16.99 monthly). Business annual plan costs $19.99 per month (33% savings compared to $30 monthly).

Source
Rev: Do unused AI minutes roll over?

No. The allowance is per seat per month and resets, which penalises irregular workloads.

Otter.ai: What integrations are available with Otter.ai Pro plan?

Pro tier includes integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier. Enterprise tier provides access to Otter API and custom webhooks.

Source
Rev: Can it do subtitles in other languages?

Yes, across seventeen languages, priced from 6.49 to 15.99 US dollars per minute, considerably more than transcription.

Rev: Is Rev still a good choice for newsrooms?

It works, but the subscription tiers are now positioned around legal and investigative workflows, so a newsroom should compare it against a tool built specifically for journalism.

Share

Related pages

More on Otter.ai

More on Rev

Keep looking

Other head to heads