Otter.ai and Chirp solve different problems. Otter.ai is a meeting assistant. It records conversations, transcribes them in the cloud, labels who said what, writes summaries and makes transcripts easy to share. Chirp is a dictation tool. You press a key, speak, and your words are transcribed on your own computer and placed where you're typing.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Chirp | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Dictating into apps on your computer | Recording and transcribing meetings |
| Pricing | 28 free transcriptions, then $9.99/year for unlimited use on up to 5 devices | Basic free (300 min/month, 30 min per conversation); Pro $16.99/mo or $8.33/mo billed yearly |
| Platforms | macOS 13+, Windows 10/11 | Web, iOS, Android, desktop apps |
| Where transcription runs | On your computer | In the cloud |
| Speaker labels and summaries | No | Yes |
| Sharing and collaboration | No | Yes |
| Typing into other apps | Auto-paste on Mac; copied to the clipboard on Windows (press Ctrl+V) | Not its focus |
| Recording length | Up to 5 minutes per dictation | Per plan (30 min per conversation on Basic) |
| Account | None | Required |
| History | Searchable local history, CSV export | Searchable cloud library |
What Otter.ai Does Well
- Meetings. Recording, transcribing and summarizing conversations with several people.
- Speaker labels and summaries. You get a readable record of who said what.
- Sharing. Transcripts live in the cloud, so teams can search and share them.
- Everywhere. Web, mobile and desktop apps.
What Chirp Does Differently
Chirp is for your own words, typed into your own apps. On a Mac, press Fn or Option+M, speak, and press it again, and the text is pasted into the app you're using. On Windows, press Alt+M. The text is copied to the clipboard and you press Ctrl+V. There's one small English model, one shortcut and no account.
Chirp transcribes on your computer with whisper.cpp and deletes the recording as soon as the text is ready. The text is kept in a local history on your computer. There is no account and no analytics. Chirp goes online only to check for updates when it launches and, once you have a license, to check it about once a day (it keeps working for up to 7 days offline between checks).
Pricing
Chirp includes 28 free transcriptions, then a $9.99/year license (up to 5 devices) unlocks unlimited use. At the time of writing (September 2026), Otter.ai Basic is free with 300 minutes a month and up to 30 minutes per conversation. Otter Pro costs $16.99 per month, or $8.33 per month billed yearly. Check otter.ai for current prices.
Who Each Is For
Otter.ai is excellent if you want meeting notes, with transcripts, speaker labels and summaries you can share with a team.
If you want dictation that never leaves your computer, for emails, documents and messages in English, try Chirp. It runs on macOS 13 or later and Windows 10 and 11.
FAQ
Are Chirp and Otter.ai the same kind of tool?
Not really. Otter.ai is built for meetings: it records conversations, transcribes them in the cloud, labels speakers and writes summaries. Chirp is for dictation: you press a key, speak, and your words go into the app you're typing in.
Does Otter.ai work offline?
Otter.ai is a cloud service. Recordings are processed and stored on its servers, so it needs an internet connection. Chirp transcribes on your computer and does not need a connection to transcribe.
How much do Chirp and Otter.ai cost?
Chirp includes 28 free transcriptions, then a $9.99/year license (up to 5 devices) unlocks unlimited use. At the time of writing (September 2026), Otter.ai Basic is free with 300 minutes a month and up to 30 minutes per conversation, and Otter Pro costs $16.99 per month, or $8.33 per month billed yearly. Check otter.ai for current prices.
Can Chirp transcribe meetings?
It isn't designed for that. Chirp records one dictation at a time, up to 5 minutes, in English, with no speaker labels or summaries. For meetings, Otter.ai is the better fit.
For more on on-device vs cloud tools, see our private, offline dictation guide.
Last updated: September 2026. Otter.ai details are from otter.ai at the time of writing. Pricing and features change, so check each product's website for the latest information.