An Otter.ai alternative for transcribing recordings
GhostMinutes is a cheaper alternative to Otter.ai if you mostly transcribe recordings you already have. Lite costs $1 a month for 600 minutes of uploads, while Otter Pro costs $16.99 a month, or $8.33 with annual billing, and includes 10 file imports a month. Otter is the better fit if you want an assistant that joins your calls and writes notes live.
GhostMinutes and Otter.ai compared
| Feature | GhostMinutes | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 150 minutes a month, no lifetime limit on uploads | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 file imports in total |
| Lowest paid price | Lite: $1/mo, or $5 a year | Pro: $16.99/user/mo, or $8.33 with annual billing |
| Minutes on that plan | 600 a month | 1,200 in-app recording minutes a month |
| Uploading files | As many as your minutes cover, up to 1 GB each | 10 imports a month on Pro |
| Long recordings | Full recording on Pro ($5/mo). Free and guest uploads on the web stop at 30 minutes | Up to 90 minutes per meeting on Pro, 4 hours on Business |
| Joins your call | Never. You upload the recording after the call | Joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet to write and share notes |
| Live notes during a call | Not on the web. The iOS app records on your iPhone | Yes |
Otter.ai details come from Otter.ai pricing, checked on November 6, 2026. Prices change, so check the vendor's page before you decide.
Which one should you choose?
Choose GhostMinutes if
- You have recordings to transcribe, including old ones
- You would rather not add an assistant to the call
- You transcribe more than a handful of files a month and price matters
Choose Otter.ai if
- You want notes appearing live while people talk
- You want an assistant to join your calendar meetings automatically
Common questions
On list price, yes. GhostMinutes Lite is $1 a month and Pro is $5 a month. Otter Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month with annual billing, and Otter Business is $30, or $19.99 annually.
It gives more minutes: 300 a month against GhostMinutes' 150. It also limits each conversation to 30 minutes and allows 3 file imports in total. GhostMinutes has no lifetime limit on uploads, and free uploads on the web also stop at 30 minutes.
No. GhostMinutes works from a recording you upload, so it never appears in the call. That also means it cannot take notes while the meeting is happening.
GhostMinutes does not import transcripts from other tools. If you still have the original recordings, you can upload those and get new transcripts.