Compare
Stillnote vs Otter.ai
Yes, Stillnote is a strong alternative to Otter.ai if your priority is privacy: Stillnote runs entirely on your Mac, so your meeting audio and transcripts never leave your device and no bot joins the call. The core difference is architecture. Otter.ai is a cloud-based note-taker that uploads your meeting to its servers to transcribe and summarize it, while Stillnote does that work locally on your machine.
Both give you automatic transcripts, summaries, decisions, and action items. The question that separates them is where your audio goes. If you handle confidential or sensitive conversations and would rather not send recordings to a third-party server, Stillnote keeps everything on your Mac.
How Stillnote and Otter.ai differ
The honest, category-level difference is architecture. Stillnote does its work on your Mac. Tools in the cloud-based note-taker category process your meeting in their cloud, and many of them send a bot to join the call. Here is the contrast, point by point.
| Stillnote | Otter.ai (category: cloud-based note-takers) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where transcription happens | On your Mac. Recording, transcription, and summarization all run locally. | In the cloud. The recording is processed on the provider's servers. |
| Does your audio leave your device? | No. Meeting audio and transcripts never leave your Mac, never reach a Stillnote server, and never train a model. | Yes, by design. Cloud note-takers upload your meeting to transcribe it. |
| Does a bot join the call? | No bot. Stillnote listens through your own computer's audio, so no extra participant appears in the meeting. | Often yes. Cloud tools commonly send a bot to join and record the call. |
| Works with Zoom, Meet, Teams | Yes, plus Slack huddles, Webex, calls on speaker, and in-person meetings. If your Mac can hear it, Stillnote can note it. | Yes, typically through calendar and meeting integrations. |
| Platform | Native macOS app today (Apple Silicon). | Cloud service with web and mobile apps. |
| Pricing | Free for 5 enhanced notes a month, no credit card. Plus $8/month, Pro $13/month. | Tiered subscription plans (see Otter.ai for current pricing). |
The on-device and no-bot difference
Stillnote records, transcribes, and summarizes your meeting locally on your Mac. Your meeting audio and transcripts never leave your device, are never sent to a Stillnote server, and are never used to train a model. There is no separate participant in the call: nobody has to admit a recorder, and other attendees do not get a recording-started notice triggered by a guest bot.
Stillnote takes notes by listening through your own computer's audio, so it works the same way across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, Webex, calls on speaker, and in-person conversations. If your Mac can hear it, Stillnote can take notes on it. Stillnote is a native macOS app today (Apple Silicon). As with any AI tool, review the generated summary before relying on it.
Stillnote vs Otter.ai: common questions
Is Stillnote a good alternative to Otter.ai?
Stillnote is a good alternative to Otter.ai for anyone who wants meeting notes without sending audio to the cloud. It runs on your Mac and keeps your meeting audio and transcripts on your device, while Otter.ai is a cloud-based service that uploads your meeting to transcribe it. You still get summaries, decisions, and action items, processed locally instead.
Does Stillnote upload my audio to the cloud like Otter.ai?
No. Stillnote processes meetings entirely on your Mac, so your meeting audio and transcripts never leave the device. Cloud note-takers like Otter.ai upload your recording to their servers to transcribe and summarize it. That on-device versus cloud difference is the main reason to choose Stillnote for sensitive meetings.
Does Stillnote use a meeting bot the way some tools do?
No. Stillnote does not send a bot to join your call. It captures the meeting by listening through your own computer's audio, so there is no extra participant in the attendee list and nobody has to admit a recorder. Cloud meeting tools often rely on a bot that joins the call to record it. Either way, the responsibility to obtain any recording consent participants require stays with you.
Does Stillnote work with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams like Otter.ai?
Yes. Because Stillnote listens through your Mac's audio rather than joining the call, it works across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, Webex, calls on speaker, and in-person conversations. If your computer can hear the meeting, Stillnote can take notes on it.
Is Stillnote free to try?
Yes. Stillnote is free for 5 enhanced notes per month with no credit card required. Paid plans are Plus at $8 a month for 30 notes and up to 3 connected calendars, and Pro at $13 a month for unlimited notes. Stillnote is a native macOS app today (Apple Silicon).
Compare Stillnote with other tools
Looking at the privacy-first, on-device category more broadly? See the other side-by-side comparisons, or read how Stillnote works.
This comparison describes Otter.ai at the category level (cloud-based note-takers that process meetings in the cloud, often by sending a bot to join the call) and does not assert specifics about its internal implementation. Product details for both tools can change. Stillnote is made by LeapVision Technologies Inc.