---
title: "Otter.ai alternative for free transcription and notes"
description: "Otter.ai's free plan allows 3 lifetime imports. ToolSugar transcribes files for free in 22 languages and turns lectures into notes. See how the two differ."
canonical: https://toolsugar.com/alternatives/otter-ai-alternative
image: https://toolsugar.com/og.png
---

# An Otter.ai alternative for transcribing audio files

ToolSugar is our product. We are not affiliated with Otter.ai. We checked its public pages on 2026-11-07, and its limits and prices can change.

ToolSugar is an Otter.ai alternative for transcribing recorded files. Transcribe to Text runs on your device and handles 22 languages or auto detection. Otter.ai's free plan gives 300 minutes a month but only 3 lifetime file imports, and its plans are built around conversations and per-user minutes.

## ToolSugar and Otter.ai compared

| Feature | ToolSugar | Otter.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free limits | No monthly cap. 5 free AI runs per rolling 24 hours | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 lifetime imports |
| Paid plan | None | Pro has 1,200 minutes per user and 10 monthly imports. Our price readings disagreed, so see its pricing page |
| Languages | 22 languages or auto detection | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese |
| Output | TXT, SRT or VTT. Lecture to Notes adds a summary, notes, a quiz and flashcards | See its site for export options |
| Where the audio goes | Stays on your device | Online service. Read its privacy policy for how it handles recordings |

## When Otter.ai is the better pick

- You want a team plan with minutes per user.
- You want a free monthly allowance on a hosted service and your device is slow. On-device Whisper depends on your hardware.

## When ToolSugar is the better pick

- You have a recording and have used Otter's 3 lifetime imports.
- You want the audio to stay on your device.
- You study from recordings and want notes, a quiz and flashcards.

## Questions

### How many files can I import on Otter's free plan?

Its pricing page lists 3 lifetime file imports on the Basic plan.

### How long a lecture can ToolSugar turn into notes?

About 75 minutes, because Lecture to Notes accepts a transcript of 60,000 characters. Nothing is uploaded, because the speech and a small writing model both run in your browser.

## Try these tools

- [Transcribe to Text](https://toolsugar.com/tools/transcribe-audio-to-text)
- [Lecture to Notes](https://toolsugar.com/tools/lecture-to-notes)

## Guides

- [Transcribe to Text guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-transcribe-audio-to-text)
- [Lecture to Notes guide](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-turn-a-lecture-into-notes)

## Sources

- [Otter.ai pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing)