Krisp vs Otter.ai for meeting automation

Here's what you should look for in an AI meeting automation tool:

• Transcripts that create a word-for-word record of the meeting. For example, a one-hour product development meeting generates a searchable document containing every feature discussion, technical requirement, and team decision.

• Action items are pulled directly from the conversation. When someone says "John will update the wireframes by Friday," the AI automatically creates a tracked task with the assignee and deadline.

• Meeting summaries distill hour-long conversations into 2-3 paragraphs. A 45-minute sprint planning meeting becomes a concise overview of sprint goals, resource allocation, and key decisions.

• Topic segmentation breaks discussions into labeled sections. A client call covering multiple projects is automatically divided into sections like "Website Redesign," "Q1 Marketing Campaign," and "Budget Review."

Other key features

In addition to the quality of these deliverables, we'll want to look at a number of other key factors:

• Ease-of-use: does it have a simple, intuitive setup that works for non-technical users?

• In-person meeting support: can it transcribe audio from live recordings or uploaded files, not just virtual calls?

• Security and privacy: how is customer data handled on the platform?

• Integrations: can it connect with your existing stack, like HubSpot, Notion, or Slack?

• Functionality: does it go beyond transcriptions and actually help you take action?

• Languages: can it transcribe and summarize meetings in different languages?

• Desktop and mobile apps: can you access it on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android for on-the-go meetings?

Understanding Krisp and Otter.ai

Krisp is an audio processing tool that filters background noise and echo from microphone and speaker output in real-time across communication applications. It has expanded to include meeting assistance features, recording conversations and generating transcripts with structured summaries containing key points and action items. The software works with most voice apps and supports transcription in over 90 languages through its desktop application for Windows and Mac.

Krisp offers a free plan with 60 minutes of daily noise cancellation and two meeting summaries per day. Paid tiers include the Pro plan at approximately $8/month for unlimited noise cancellation and meeting features, and a Business plan at about $15/user/month with administrative controls and SSO. Some users report occasional audio distortion, word clipping with loud noises, and high CPU usage. The desktop-only implementation lacks mobile app support for AI note-taking features.

Otter.ai is an AI note-taking service that provides live transcription for meetings, conversations, and uploaded audio or video content. It creates searchable, time-stamped transcripts while identifying different speakers and capturing screen content including slides. The tool functions across different environments - joining virtual meetings through integrations with platforms like Zoom and Teams, recording in-person conversations via its mobile app, or processing uploaded files.

The service offers tiered plans starting with a free version allowing 600 minutes of transcription monthly, while paid plans ($10-20/month) include more minutes and additional features. Otter works primarily through web browsers and mobile apps rather than a desktop client. Its "OtterPilot" feature automatically generates meeting summaries and can push content to other tools like HubSpot and Notion. The system currently supports English, Spanish and French languages.

Comparing Krisp and Otter.ai

Krisp

• Krisp offers real-time noise cancellation that filters out background noise across communication apps, while also providing meeting transcription and AI summaries with key points and action items. The tool provides clear audio for meetings and captures conversation content, but its limited integration capabilities may prevent users from fully leveraging meeting data across their workflow.

• Users report excellent noise removal but occasionally experience audio distortion with very loud noises, which can affect transcription accuracy. The free plan's 60-minute daily limit for noise cancellation restricts heavy users, and some find the Pro version pricing high if they only need specific features, while the platform's shallow integrations limit its ability to help users act on meeting outcomes.

Otter.ai

• Otter.ai provides live transcription during meetings with automatic summaries, highlights, and speaker identification, working across meeting platforms through direct integrations. While functionally robust at capturing meeting content, the platform's limited integration depth prevents users from seamlessly connecting meeting outcomes to their broader productivity systems.

• Users appreciate the real-time transcript and ability to highlight during meetings, but transcripts can be overly verbose and lack structure, making it difficult to quickly extract key information. The assistant can sometimes join unwanted meetings if not properly configured, and while the tool excels at documentation, it falls short in helping users convert meeting information into actionable workflows across their tech stack.

Krisp is better suited for users who prioritize audio quality and work in noisy environments, particularly call center employees, remote workers, or those in shared spaces. Its noise cancellation functionality provides immediate value regardless of meeting outcomes, while its extensive language support makes it appropriate for international teams. The desktop-only approach works best for those primarily conducting meetings from dedicated workstations.

Otter.ai fits users who prioritize detailed meeting documentation and speaker identification across platforms. Its mobile app support makes it suitable for on-the-go professionals who need to capture conversations from various devices and locations. The more generous free minute allocation (600/month versus Krisp's 60 minutes/day) makes it cost-effective for users with moderate but not daily transcription needs.

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