tldv offers accurate transcriptions with an intuitive interface and a generous free plan, making it accessible for users testing AI meeting tools. However, it suffers from limited platform support and dependency on internet quality, with some users expressing privacy concerns. The tool works best for remote teams using Zoom or Microsoft Teams who need reliable transcription and basic CRM integration, though its integrations remain somewhat surface-level.

Otter.ai excels at ease of use and provides comprehensive meeting capture with real-time transcription and AI-generated summaries. Its main drawbacks include overly verbose transcripts that lack structure, accuracy issues with complex audio, and unwanted calendar spam from poorly configured assistants. The platform suits educational settings, interviews, and in-person meetings where live transcription is valuable, particularly for users who need mobile access and don't mind working primarily in English.

Both tools offer standard integrations with popular platforms like HubSpot, Notion, and Salesforce, but these connections tend to be basic data pushes rather than sophisticated workflow automation. While each provides AI agents for recording and summarization, neither tool truly transforms meeting outputs into actionable next steps or seamlessly connects meeting insights to broader productivity workflows. Users often find themselves still manually processing meeting content to drive actual business outcomes.

The choice between tldv and Otter.ai largely depends on your meeting environment and language needs, with tldv favoring remote video meetings and Otter.ai supporting more diverse recording scenarios. Both tools serve as competent transcription services but fall short of becoming comprehensive meeting productivity solutions. Organizations seeking deep workflow integration or substantial post-meeting automation may need to look beyond these options or supplement them with additional tools.

Comparison table

What users say about tldv and Otter.ai

Users consistently praise tldv for its comprehensive automation capabilities, with one reviewer noting an "absolutely positive experience" after using it for over 18 months. The platform is highlighted for having robust features that can automate online meetings from start to finish, making it a powerful tool for meeting management. Users appreciate how tldv streamlines the entire meeting workflow with its end-to-end automation approach.

Otter.ai receives strong user feedback for its accessibility and ease of use, with reviewers emphasizing its intuitive interface that even non-tech-savvy users can navigate easily. The AI Meeting Assistant feature stands out as a particularly impressive capability according to user experiences. Users find Otter.ai's design philosophy focuses on simplicity while delivering powerful transcription and note-taking functionality.

Users often switch away from tldv due to its limited platform support, which can create significant workflow disruptions for teams and individuals who need broader meeting coverage. While tldv works well with major platforms like Zoom and Teams, users who frequently participate in meetings across diverse platforms or need more comprehensive recording capabilities may find these limitations restrictive for their daily operations.

Another major factor driving users to alternative solutions is tldv's dependency on internet quality, which can severely impact the reliability of transcriptions and recordings. For professionals who work in environments with unstable internet connections or who need consistent, high-quality meeting documentation regardless of network conditions, this technical limitation becomes a critical pain point that affects their productivity and meeting outcomes.

Privacy concerns also push users toward competitors, particularly in organizations with strict data security requirements or industries with regulatory compliance needs. When users need absolute confidence in how their meeting data is handled, stored, and processed, any uncertainty about privacy policies or data protection measures can become a dealbreaker, leading them to seek platforms with more transparent or robust privacy frameworks that better align with their organizational security standards.

Users frequently switch away from Otter.ai due to transcript quality and organization issues that make the tool less practical for professional use. The transcripts produced by Otter.ai tend to be overly verbose and lack proper structure, making it difficult for users to quickly locate key takeaways from their meetings. Additionally, the accuracy suffers when dealing with complex audio situations, leading to mistakes in both transcription quality and speaker identification, which can be problematic for important business meetings or interviews.

Another significant pain point that drives users to seek alternatives to Otter.ai is Otter.ai's problematic meeting management system. The assistant feature has been known to spam users' calendars with unwanted invites and join meetings that users didn't intend it to attend. This creates awkward situations and requires constant vigilance in configuration settings, adding unnecessary complexity to what should be a streamlined process.

The limitations of Otter.ai's free tier also push users toward competing solutions. The free version caps Zoom meeting transcriptions at just 40 minutes, which is insufficient for most professional meetings and forces users to either upgrade to paid plans or look for alternatives with more generous free offerings. Combined with limited language support that primarily covers only English with basic Spanish and French capabilities, these restrictions make Otter.ai less appealing for diverse teams and cost-conscious users who can find better value elsewhere.

Using tldv

Does tldv work for in-person meetings?

No, tldv does not work for in-person meetings.

What do users say about the quality of tldv transcriptions?

Users report that tldv provides accurate transcriptions.

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

Yes, tldv integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Notion, and over 5,000+ other applications.

Using Otter.ai

Does Otter.ai work for in-person meetings?

Yes, Otter.ai can transcribe live in-person conversations via its app.

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

No, Otter.ai can record audio via web or mobile app without requiring a meeting bot. However, it does have an assistant that can join virtual meetings in real time for platforms like Zoom and Teams.

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

Users have mixed feedback about transcription quality. Many appreciate the real-time transcription capabilities and find it extremely easy to use for transcribing and note-taking. However, some users report that accuracy can suffer with complex audio, noting mistakes in transcription or speaker identification. Additionally, transcripts can be overly verbose and lack structure, making it difficult to quickly find key takeaways.

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

Otter.ai uses "OtterPilot" which auto-generates summaries, follow-up emails, and CRM updates to help with follow-up tasks.

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