Otter.ai vs Zoom 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 Otter.ai and Zoom AI

Otter.ai is an AI note-taking tool that transcribes audio from meetings and recordings. It works during live meetings through integrations with platforms like Zoom and Teams, or via direct audio uploads. The system identifies speakers, captures screen content, generates automatic summaries, and lets users highlight important points. Transcripts are searchable and shareable, with the service functioning both for virtual meetings and in-person conversations through mobile apps.

The platform offers a tiered pricing structure starting with a free plan (600 minutes/month) and paid options for increased transcription time and features. Premium ($10/month annually) provides 6,000 minutes and advanced features, while Business ($20/user/month) adds team sharing capabilities. The system integrates with several platforms, though transcription accuracy can vary with complex audio, and some users note that transcripts can be verbose and difficult to navigate.

Zoom AI is an integrated feature within the Zoom platform for paid subscribers. It automatically generates meeting summaries and next-action items after calls, lets participants ask questions during meetings to catch up on missed content, and assists with composing emails and documents related to meetings. The tool operates entirely within Zoom's ecosystem, requiring no additional setup for existing users.

The feature works only for virtual Zoom meetings and cannot capture in-person conversations. While it includes live transcription support for over 30 languages, its integrations are limited to Zoom's own ecosystem with no direct syncing to external platforms like HubSpot or Notion. Zoom AI is included at no additional cost for paid Zoom subscribers but isn't available to users on the free Basic plan beyond limited trial uses.

Comparing Otter.ai and Zoom AI

Otter.ai

• Otter offers multi-platform transcription with automated summaries, but lacks depth in its integrations to help users take meaningful action on meeting content. Its interface provides real-time note-taking across various meeting platforms, giving users flexibility across different communication tools.

• While Otter captures comprehensive meeting data and generates AI summaries, the tool often produces verbose transcripts that require additional processing to extract actionable insights. The limited structure in these transcripts creates more work for users trying to identify and implement key meeting decisions.

Zoom AI

• Zoom AI delivers built-in meeting intelligence directly within the Zoom platform, but falls short on integrations that would help users implement meeting outcomes in their workflow systems. Its seamless operation within existing Zoom infrastructure makes it frictionless for current Zoom customers.

• The tool's platform limitation to only Zoom meetings significantly restricts its utility for organizations using multiple communication tools. Its meeting summaries and action items remain largely trapped within the Zoom ecosystem, creating obstacles for users who need to connect meeting outcomes to other productivity systems.

Otter.ai works best for users who need flexibility across different meeting platforms and in-person conversations. Teams that use a mix of communication tools (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) or frequently conduct in-person meetings will benefit from Otter's platform-agnostic approach. Organizations with specific compliance requirements may also prefer Otter's local recording capabilities.

Zoom AI suits organizations already standardized on Zoom for all their virtual communication. It offers the path of least resistance for Zoom-centric teams, with no additional cost for paid Zoom subscribers. The tool works particularly well for multilingual teams due to its superior language support, though its utility diminishes significantly for any workflow that extends beyond the Zoom ecosystem.

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