Avoma functions as a comprehensive AI meeting assistant that excels at producing highly accurate transcriptions and structured meeting notes organized by topics like pain points and next steps. Its strength lies in deep CRM integration and automated follow-up processes, making it particularly valuable for sales and customer success teams. However, the platform can feel overly complex for users with simple transcription needs, and its premium pricing may deter smaller teams.

Otter.ai offers a more straightforward approach to meeting transcription with real-time capture and AI-generated summaries that work well for general business meetings, classes, and interviews. The tool stands out for its ease of use and generous free tier, making it accessible to individual users and small teams. The main drawbacks include verbose, unstructured transcripts that can be difficult to navigate quickly, and accuracy issues with complex audio or speaker identification.

Avoma is best suited for sales teams and customer-facing roles that require detailed meeting analysis and CRM synchronization, though its robust feature set may be overkill for casual users. The platform works well for organizations that need structured meeting insights and automated follow-up workflows as part of their sales process.

Otter.ai serves individual professionals, students, and small teams who need basic transcription services without complex workflow requirements. While both tools offer integrations with popular platforms, neither provides the depth of connectivity or actionable workflow automation that would truly transform how users manage and act on meeting outcomes.

Comparison table

What users say about Avoma and Otter.ai

User reviews of Avoma are overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising its effectiveness and ease of use. Reviews on HubSpot highlight how it significantly outperforms manual note-taking for important client calls, with users expressing strong satisfaction with the platform. G2 reviews emphasize the straightforward setup process with video calling systems like Zoom, and users appreciate that it not only records conversations but also provides helpful recaps and additional features.

Otter.ai receives mixed reviews from users, with feedback varying significantly depending on the use case. While CNET describes it as an easy-to-use recording and transcription service and some Trustpilot users praise its amazingly accurate summarized transcription, others have serious concerns about its capabilities. Reddit users in Product Management discussions report that it's "absolutely horrible at capturing multi-speaker transcripts," suggesting significant limitations for meeting scenarios with multiple participants.

Users switch away from Avoma primarily due to its complexity and feature overload for simpler use cases. Many users find that Avoma is "not a basic transcriber" and represents a hefty platform that can be overkill for individual users or those with simple transcription needs. When users just need straightforward meeting notes without the extensive AI analysis and CRM integration features, Avoma's comprehensive approach becomes more of a burden than a benefit.

Technical reliability issues also drive users to seek alternatives. Some users report that the bot sometimes joins meetings late, which can result in missing important opening discussions. Additionally, there are occasional problems with speaker identification accuracy, and while the transcripts are detailed, they can be dense and difficult to skim quickly. These reliability concerns can be particularly frustrating during important business meetings where accurate capture is critical.

Cost considerations represent another significant factor in user churn, especially for smaller teams and organizations. Avoma's pricing for higher tiers is on the premium side, with paid plans ranging from $19 to $129 per user per month. For small teams or individual users who don't need the full suite of features, these costs can quickly become prohibitive compared to more basic alternatives that offer simpler transcription services at lower price points.

Users frequently switch away from Otter.ai due to accuracy issues with transcriptions, particularly in complex audio environments. Reviews consistently highlight problems with transcription mistakes and unreliable speaker identification, which undermines the core functionality users depend on for meeting documentation. When the fundamental promise of accurate transcription fails, users naturally seek alternatives to Otter.ai that can better handle various audio conditions and speaker recognition challenges.

The lack of structure in Otter.ai's output creates another significant pain point that drives users to competitors. Transcripts tend to be overly verbose and poorly organized, making it difficult to quickly extract key takeaways or important information from meetings. Users report frustration with having to wade through dense, unstructured text to find actionable items, which defeats the purpose of using an AI assistant to save time and improve productivity.

Technical limitations and poor meeting management also contribute to user churn from Otter.ai. The platform's language support is notably limited, supporting primarily English with only Spanish and French as additional options, which restricts its usefulness for global teams. Additionally, users frequently complain about the assistant spamming calendar invites or joining unwanted meetings when not properly configured, creating workflow disruptions. The free version's 40-minute cap on Zoom meetings and monthly transcription limits further frustrate users who need more comprehensive coverage for their meeting needs.

Using Avoma

Does Avoma work for in-person meetings?

Yes, Avoma works for in-person meetings. It has a mobile app that can record offline/in-person meetings for later transcription.

Does Avoma require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

Avoma does use a bot for online meetings, and some users report that the bot sometimes joins meetings late. However, for in-person meetings, it uses mobile app recording instead.

What do users say about the quality of Avoma transcriptions?

Users highly rate Avoma's transcription accuracy and depth, with transcriptions being approximately 95% accurate even with jargon or accents. However, some users note that while detailed, the transcripts can be dense to skim quickly, and there are occasional speaker identification misses.

How does Avoma help users follow up on action items?

Avoma has an automation engine that automates follow-up emails and generates organized notes broken into topics including next steps. It also provides actionable insights and can automatically log calls and follow-ups, which is particularly popular with sales and customer success teams.

Does Avoma integrate with software like Hubspot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Yes, Avoma integrates with HubSpot and Salesforce for CRM sync, capturing meeting information directly into these platforms. It also connects with other tools like Zoom and Slack, and can integrate with Notion via Zapier. However, Linear is not specifically mentioned in the available information.

Using Otter.ai

Does Otter.ai work for in-person meetings?

Yes. Otter.ai can transcribe live in-person conversations via its app and records audio via web or mobile app without requiring a meeting.

Does Otter.ai require a meeting bot to join the meeting?

For online meetings, Otter.ai uses an assistant that can join meetings in real time through integrations with platforms like Zoom and Teams. However, for in-person meetings, you can use the mobile app directly without needing a bot to join.

What do users say about the quality of Otter.ai transcriptions?

Users have mixed experiences with transcription quality. While many appreciate the real-time transcript capability and find it useful for capturing meeting information, some report that accuracy can suffer with complex audio, noting mistakes in transcription and speaker identification. Additionally, transcripts can be overly verbose and lack structure, making it challenging to quickly find key takeaways.

How does Otter.ai help users follow up on action items?

Otter.ai's "OtterPilot" feature automatically generates summaries, follow-up emails, and CRM updates. It provides AI-generated summaries of key themes from meetings and can push notes to integrated platforms, helping streamline the follow-up process.

Does Otter.ai integrate with software like Hubspot, Salesforce, or Linear?

Yes. Otter.ai integrates with various platforms including Zoom, Slack, HubSpot, and Notion through its OtterPilot feature. The context specifically mentions HubSpot integration but does not mention Salesforce or Linear.

Another alternative: Circleback

Circleback provides best-in-class AI-powered meeting notes and automations. We support over 100 languages and automatic participant identification in both in-person and online meetings.

• Automatically-identified and assigned action items

• AI-enabled search across all meetings

• Automations with 100+ app integrations

• Industry-leading security with SOC 2 Type II, EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and HIPAA compliance

• Ability to capture both online and in-person meetings with desktop and mobile apps