Fetch vs Otter.ai

Fetch is a free Windows app that records and transcribes meetings on your own PC. Otter.ai is one of the best-known cloud notetakers, with a meeting bot, a desktop app, mobile apps and team features. Otter wins if you need phones, Macs, team workspaces or CRM integrations. Fetch wins on privacy, offline use and price.

Facts about Otter come from its own website, checked October 29, 2026. Links are at the bottom.

At a glance

	Fetch	Otter.ai
How it joins meetings	No bot. Records from your PC	Otter Notetaker bot, or the desktop app without a bot
Where speech becomes text	On your PC	Otter’s cloud
Records and transcribes offline	Yes	Not stated by Otter
Free plan limits	No minute limits during early access	300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation
Paid plan	None yet	Pro from $16.99 per user per month (list price)
AI chat about your meetings	Yes, with your own Claude or ChatGPT account	Yes, built in
Apps	Windows	Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
Team workspaces and CRM	No	Yes

Where does your meeting go?

Fetch captures audio on your computer and transcribes it with a speech model running on your own hardware. Recordings and transcripts are saved in your Documents folder. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose Google Drive backup or the one optional online speech model.

Otter is a cloud service. Its security page says data is stored on AWS with AES-256 encryption, and that it’s SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Its privacy policy says Otter trains its own AI “on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions,” and that outside AI providers may not train on customer data. Fetch doesn’t train any AI on your meetings. Its AI notes come from your own Claude or ChatGPT account, which only sees text when you ask for notes.

The bot question

Otter’s Notetaker joins your Zoom, Teams or Meet call as a participant, and you can set it to join automatically. Otter’s desktop app can also record without a bot, including in-person conversations. Fetch never joins as a guest. It listens on your PC, and you can set it to notice Zoom and Google Meet calls and offer to record.

Limits and price

Otter’s free Basic plan includes 300 minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation, and 3 lifetime imports. Pro lists at $16.99 per user per month ($8.33 a month billed yearly), and Business at $30 ($19.99 a month billed yearly). Otter’s pricing page was showing promotional discounts when we checked, so prices may differ when you look.

Fetch is free during early access, with no minute limits. If we add paid plans later, the pricing page will say so first.

Where Otter wins

Pick Otter if:

• You need Mac or phone apps. Fetch is Windows only for now.
• Your team works in one shared space with admin controls.
• You want CRM and Zapier integrations out of the box.
• You want live coaching during calls, which Otter is rolling out to paid plans.
• You’d rather nothing runs on your own computer.

Where Fetch wins

Pick Fetch if:

• Privacy matters. Audio and transcripts stay on your PC, and nothing trains on them.
• You don’t want minute caps. Free with no limits during early access.
• You record offline or in person. One click, no connection needed.
• You want to own your files. Every call is a folder with an MP3 and Markdown notes.

Switching from Otter?

Export your transcripts from Otter, then use Import in Fetch. Fetch can turn them into searchable calls with fresh AI notes. See Import recordings and transcripts.

Sources

Checked October 29, 2026. Prices and features change, so check Otter’s site for the latest.

• Otter pricing
• Otter desktop app (Mac and Windows, recording without a bot)
• Otter privacy and security
• Otter privacy policy (AI training on de-identified data)

Otter and Otter.ai are trademarks of their owner. Soggy Dog Studios isn’t affiliated with Otter.ai. This comparison is based on public information as of the date above.