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The everyday-dictation Otter.ai alternative
Spokenly is completely free with local Whisper and BYOK cloud. Voice dictation in any Mac or iPhone app. Otter is built for meetings; Spokenly fills the everyday-dictation gap. Keep Otter for meetings, add Spokenly for everything else.
Updated
Side-by-side cost
Otter.ai
$16.99/mo
Spokenly
Free, Pro $9.99/mo
You save
Up to $203.88/year
Why switch from Otter.ai to Spokenly
Voice input everywhere
Otter requires a meeting or recording. Spokenly is voice dictation in any app: Gmail, Slack, terminal, Notion, ChatGPT.
Free with local models
Otter Free caps at 300 minutes/mo. Spokenly's local models are unlimited at zero cost.
Audio stays on your device
Otter uploads everything to their cloud. Spokenly's Local Only Mode keeps audio on your Mac.
iOS app with custom keyboard
Spokenly's iOS keyboard works in every app. Otter's iOS app records and transcribes meetings only.
MCP for AI coding agents
Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor can request voice input directly. Otter has no developer integration.
No per-user fees
Otter Business is $30/user/mo. Spokenly is per-device with no team multipliers.
Side-by-side: where Spokenly differs
| Feature | Spokenly | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | System-wide dictation | Meeting transcription |
| Free tier limits | Unlimited local | 300 min/mo |
| Works in any app | Yes, system-wide | No, meetings only |
| Auto-join Zoom/Meet/Teams | No | Yes |
| Speaker diarization | Provider-dependent | Yes |
| AI meeting summaries | No | Yes |
| Calendar integration | No | Yes |
| iOS custom keyboard | Yes | No |
| Offline mode | Yes | No |
| BYOK | Yes | No |
| MCP for agents | Yes | No |
| Per-user pricing | Per device | Per user |
How to switch from Otter.ai in 5 minutes
- 1Keep Otter for meeting transcription if that's your primary use case. The two apps complement each other.
- 2Download Spokenly from spokenly.app/download for daily dictation.
- 3Pick Parakeet or Whisper Large V3 Turbo locally, or BYOK with OpenAI/Deepgram keys.
- 4Set your dictation shortcut for system-wide voice input.
- 5Optional: install on iPhone for system-wide dictation with the custom keyboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I replace Otter or use both?
If you only do meeting transcripts, Otter is purpose-built for that. If you also do daily dictation in apps like Gmail, Slack, or terminal, Spokenly handles both with one free install. Many teams keep Otter for meetings and adopt Spokenly for everything else.
Can Spokenly transcribe meetings?
Spokenly transcribes audio files and supports system-wide dictation. It does not auto-join Zoom or Google Meet calls like Otter does. For meeting bots, Otter remains the better fit.
Is Spokenly really free if Otter charges $17/mo?
Yes. Spokenly's local Parakeet and Whisper models are completely free with no usage limits. We charge for cloud transcription via Pro, but BYOK with your own API keys is also free. See spokenly.app/pricing for the full breakdown. Students get 50% off at spokenly.app/students.
Does Spokenly work on Windows or web?
Not yet. Spokenly is macOS and iOS only. Otter has a web app and Android. For Mac and iPhone users, Spokenly is the more powerful daily dictation tool. See spokenly.app/dictation-for-mac for the full Mac feature list.
How does privacy compare?
Otter sends all audio to their cloud and stores transcripts on their servers. Spokenly's Local Only Mode keeps everything on your device. For confidential work, Spokenly is the privacy-first choice. See spokenly.app/legal-dictation-software and spokenly.app/medical-dictation-software for vertical-specific privacy notes.
Ready to try Spokenly?
Free to use with local models. No account required.
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This page is published by Spokenly. Pricing reflects publicly available information at the time of writing. Learn more about Otter.ai on their official site.