# Reline vs Otter.ai

Reline (reline.so) is an AI meeting notepad for macOS, Windows, the web and Linux (beta). It records your mic and the call audio on your computer, so no bot joins the call, and keeps the audio with the note so any transcript line plays back. Transcription, AI summaries and storage run in the cloud. Chat answers can cite the note or the exact moment they came from. Reline does not claim on-device AI. Granola's security page says it does not store the audio. Free plan, no credit card.

Last updated: 2026-09-26. Canonical page: https://www.reline.so/vs/otter

## Reline vs Otter.ai

**Both can record without a bot, so pick on what surrounds it. Choose Reline if you want capture from a browser tab with nothing installed, audio you can play back from any transcript line, and a real collaborative notepad. Choose Otter if you need a bot that auto-joins calls you do not attend, mobile apps, or enterprise compliance depth like SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA and SSO/SCIM.**

Reline (reline.so) and Otter can both record without a bot: Otter joins calls with its bot by default, with a botless desktop mode, so on the bot question this is close to parity and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The split is everything around it: Reline captures every Zoom, Meet, Teams and in-person call from macOS, Windows, a browser tab or Linux (beta), keeps the audio, and lets you press play on any transcript line to hear that exact moment.

Otter built a great transcription engine, and it now offers botless recording from its desktop app and Chrome extension. On the bot question this is parity, not an advantage. What is still different: Otter's default is OtterPilot joining as a visible participant while Reline has no bot to switch off at all, Reline records from macOS, Windows, Linux (beta) or a plain browser tab with nothing to install, and it keeps the audio so you can press play on any transcript line and hear the moment it came from.

| Feature | Reline | Otter.ai | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bot-free by default (nothing to switch on) | Yes | No | Otter ships botless recording in its desktop app and Chrome extension, but OtterPilot joining the call is still the default path |
| Web app — full editor in any browser, no install | Yes | Yes |  |
| Bot-free local recording (no bot joins) | Yes | partial | Otter's desktop app offers bot-free capture; web app and OtterPilot bot use cloud processing |
| Works without integrations (records system audio) | Yes | No |  |
| Live speaker-separated transcription | Yes | Yes |  |
| Keeps the recording + click-to-seek playback | Yes | Yes | Both keep the audio and play it back against the transcript. Otter lists audio playback on the free Basic plan at 1x, with faster speeds and unlimited storage on paid tiers. Reline gives click-to-seek playback on every plan. |
| Collaborative real-time editor | Yes | No |  |
| Reusable AI Lenses | Yes | No |  |
| Multi-note rollups across folder | Yes | No |  |
| RAG chat across corpus | Yes | Yes | Otter's AI Chat works within and across meetings (Business caps it at 200 queries per user a month). Reline chat answers can cite the note or the exact moment. |
| Free plan | 1 hr per note, 10 hrs / mo, unlimited notes | 300 min/mo total, 30-min cap per meeting |  |
| Professional price | $15/user/mo · $12 annual, unlimited recording | Pro: 1,200 min/mo · Business $19.99/user/mo annual ($30 monthly), unlimited |  |
| SSO + audit log | Enterprise · $32/mo · $26 annual | Enterprise only |  |
| Desktop app: Windows | Yes | Yes |  |
| Desktop app: macOS | Yes | Yes |  |
| Mobile apps (iOS + Android) | No | Yes |  |
| Integrations (Slack, Linear, Notion) | Yes | partial |  |
| Granular permissions per note | 5 levels | No |  |
| Calendar sync (Google + Microsoft) | Yes | Yes |  |
| Audio + transcripts never train models | Yes | No | Otter has historically used customer data to improve models |

### When Otter.ai is the better choice

Choose Otter.ai over Reline if you need a bot that auto-joins Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls to capture meetings you don't attend, or if you require enterprise compliance depth like SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA (Enterprise), and SSO/SCIM. Otter is also more established, with OtterPilot for Sales and broader calendar and conferencing integrations.

### FAQ

**How does Reline record meetings without sending a bot like Otter?**

On macOS, Windows, and Linux (beta), Reline captures the system audio + microphone locally via the native desktop app. No participant joins your meeting, no "Otter has joined" message appears, and no bot joins the call. Otter also offers bot-free recording via its desktop app or Chrome extension, but sends OtterPilot into meetings by default.

**Can I use Reline without installing anything?**

Yes. Reline has a full-featured web app at https://www.reline.so: sign in, record meetings, edit notes, and collaborate in real-time, all in your browser. Desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux (beta) are optional; the web version has feature parity with the desktop on supported platforms.

**Is Reline cheaper than Otter.ai?**

Reline starts free for solo note-takers (1 hour per note, 10 hours of transcription a month). Professional is $15/user/month ($12 billed annually) with unlimited recording. Enterprise, with SSO, audit log, org-policy locks, DPA and SLA, is $32/user/month ($26 billed annually). Otter Pro caps transcription at 1,200 minutes a month, and Otter Business is $19.99/user/month billed annually ($30 monthly) with unlimited transcription. Reline Professional has no minute cap.

**Does Reline have a Notion-like editor like Otter does not?**

Yes. Reline's editor is built on Tiptap and ProseMirror, an open-source editor framework, so the transcript, your notes and the AI summary live in one document your team edits together in real time.

**Does Reline work with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams?**

Yes. Because Reline records system audio locally, it works with every meeting tool: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack Huddles, Discord, in-person meetings, lectures, podcasts. Anything making sound on your computer works, on macOS, Windows, or Linux (beta).

**Can I migrate my Otter notes into Reline?**

Not in bulk. You can import a Markdown file as a new note from a note's ••• menu. There is no bulk or folder import, so the move is about your next meetings rather than your back catalogue. Keep your Otter exports for reference and start recording in Reline on the free plan: bot-free, multilingual, with AI summaries next to the kept recording (press play on any transcript line).

**Reline vs Otter: which is better?**

Neither wins the bot question any more, so it comes down to the rest. Reline is better if you want to record from a browser tab with no install, keep the audio and press play on any transcript line to hear that moment, and work in a real collaborative notepad. Otter is better if you need a bot that attends meetings for you, mobile apps, or established enterprise compliance like SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA and SSO/SCIM.

### Sources

- [Otter.ai pricing plans](https://otter.ai/pricing)
- [Otter.ai privacy and security page](https://otter.ai/privacy-security)
- [Otter.ai privacy policy (AI training on transcripts)](https://otter.ai/privacy-policy)

Full page: https://www.reline.so/vs/otter

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All comparisons: https://www.reline.so/compare.md · Alternatives hub: https://www.reline.so/alternatives