TL;DR (Verdict)
- Choose Otter if real-time, cloud-based transcription with robust collaboration features is essential. It excels in dynamic, team-oriented virtual environments.
- Choose Rev when the highest possible accuracy for publish-ready transcripts is paramount, and a longer turnaround time is acceptable.
- Choose Meetly if privacy, full offline functionality, unlimited recording, and predictable cost control are the primary considerations.
Overview: What Otter, Rev, and Meetly Offer
The landscape of transcription services is diverse, with solutions tailored to various user needs, from real-time meeting capture to highly accurate post-production transcription. This section introduces three prominent players—Otter, Rev, and Meetly—highlighting their core functionalities and distinct value propositions.
Otter: Cloud-Based AI Meeting Transcription
Otter operates as a cloud-based AI meeting transcription service, primarily designed for live captions, shared notes, speaker identification, and team collaboration. It integrates seamlessly with popular video conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, automatically joining sessions to capture conversations in real-time.
Rev: Human and AI Transcription Services
Rev offers a dual approach, providing both human and AI transcription services for uploaded audio and video recordings. Rev's human transcription service is widely recognized for its industry-leading accuracy, consistently achieving a 99% accuracy rate, coupled with professional formatting.
Meetly: Privacy-First, On-Device Transcription
Meetly, in contrast, is a privacy-first, on-device transcription application specifically for iPhone users. Its defining characteristic is that all audio recording and transcription processes occur locally on the device, ensuring that sensitive audio data never leaves the user's phone.
Pricing and Cost Model
The pricing structures of Otter, Rev, and Meetly reflect their distinct service models and target audiences, offering varying levels of cost predictability and feature access.
Otter Pricing
- Free Plan: 300 transcription minutes/month, 3 lifetime audio/video imports
- Pro Plan: $8.33/month (annual) - 1200 recording minutes, 10 monthly imports
- Business Plan: $20/month (annual) - unlimited recordings, 6000 import minutes
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing ($6,323-$35,000 annually)
Rev Pricing
- AI Transcription: $0.25 per minute (90-95% accuracy)
- Human Transcription: $1.99 per minute (99% accuracy)
- Platform Subscriptions: $9.99-$20.99/month with discounts
Meetly Pricing
- Free Plan: 25 minutes per recording, 10 summaries/month
- Pro Subscription: $4.99/month or $49.99/year - unlimited recording
- Lifetime Solo: $4.99 one-time purchase
- Core transcription: Free (on-device processing)
Accuracy and Languages
Otter Accuracy
Otter generally performs adequately for common English meetings, providing functional live captions and speaker identification. However, user feedback indicates that Otter's transcription accuracy can be "below par" and "not great," particularly noting frequent misattributions in speaker identification. Language support is limited to English, Spanish, and French.
Rev Accuracy
Rev distinguishes itself through its tiered approach to accuracy. Its Human Transcription service delivers industry-leading accuracy, consistently achieving a 99% accuracy rate. Rev's AI Transcription offers an accuracy rate of approximately 90-95%. Rev.ai officially supports over 58 languages.
Meetly Accuracy
Meetly leverages OpenAI's Whisper model for its on-device transcription capabilities, supporting transcription in over 90 languages. Whisper is widely recognized for its strong performance across various languages, accents, and noisy environments. Academic benchmarks show Word Error Rates (WER) ranging from 2.7% for clean English audio to 9.0% on the Common Voice dataset.
Privacy and Data Handling
Otter Privacy
Otter operates on a cloud-based model, meaning all user content, including audio recordings and their corresponding transcripts, is processed and stored on Otter's remote servers. The company utilizes AWS S3 storage with AES-256 encryption for data at rest. Otter asserts compliance with major data protection regulations, including SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, and CCPA.
Rev Privacy
Rev employs an upload-based workflow, necessitating that audio and video content be transmitted to Rev's cloud servers for processing by either human transcribers or AI algorithms. While Rev states that vendor privacy controls are in place, the core process inherently involves content being transferred to and stored within a cloud environment.
Meetly Privacy
Meetly is designed with privacy as its foundational principle, operating "on-device by default." All audio recording and transcription processes occur entirely on the user's iPhone, ensuring that the raw audio data never leaves the device. If users opt for the optional AI summary feature, only the transcripts (not the original audio) are sent directly from the user's phone to OpenAI's API.
Turnaround and Speed
Otter Speed
Otter offers real-time capture during live meetings, providing searchable notes and highlights immediately after a session concludes. For pre-recorded audio or video file imports, the transcription process typically takes approximately 5-6 minutes to transcribe a 15-minute audio file.
Rev Speed
Rev provides varying turnaround times depending on the service selected. For Human Transcription, standard delivery can range from 12-48 hours. Rev's AI Transcription is significantly faster, with results typically available in approximately 5 minutes.
Meetly Speed
Meetly stands out with its Instant On-Device Results. As all processing occurs locally on the iPhone, it provides immediate transcription results either while recording or directly after the recording is finished. A critical advantage of Meetly is its Offline Capability: it functions fully even in airplane mode.
Best Use Cases by Scenario
Live meetings with collaborative notes
Winner: Otter
Otter is purpose-built for real-time meeting environments. Its ability to provide live captions, shared notes, and seamless integration with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet makes it ideal for dynamic team interactions.
Interviews and publishing (highest accuracy, formatting)
Winner: Rev (human transcription)
For content destined for publication, legal documentation, or any scenario where a single error can have significant consequences, Rev's human transcription service is unmatched. It guarantees 99% accuracy, making it the gold standard for publish-ready text.
Confidential sessions (clinics, therapy, legal) or strict privacy policies
Winner: Meetly
Meetly's on-device processing model ensures that audio never leaves the user's iPhone, providing the highest level of technical privacy for sensitive conversations. However, it is crucial to note that while it offers strong technical privacy, Meetly explicitly states it is "not HIPAA-compliant" for healthcare professionals.
Travel, fieldwork, or unstable networks
Winner: Meetly
Meetly's full offline functionality is a significant advantage for users who need to record and transcribe in environments without reliable internet access, such as during travel, fieldwork, or in remote locations.
Long lectures and multilingual capture
Winner: Meetly
Meetly offers unlimited recording duration, making it ideal for capturing extended sessions like university lectures or full-day events without concern for minute limits. Its on-device Whisper transcription supports over 90 languages.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Otter | Rev | Meetly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transcription Mode | Cloud live | Human/AI (upload) | On-device (iPhone) |
| Privacy | Stored in cloud | Uploaded to cloud | Audio stays on device |
| Accuracy | Good for meetings | Highest (human) | Strong with Whisper; 90+ languages |
| Turnaround | Real-time | Hours (human) / minutes (AI) | Instant on device |
| Offline Use | No | No | Yes |
| Pricing | Subscription | Per-minute (human/AI) | Free transcription; pay for summaries |
| Best for | Team meetings | Interviews/publishing | Confidential, offline, long recordings |
FAQs
Is Otter, Rev, or Meetly more accurate?
Rev's human transcription is generally the most accurate for difficult audio, consistently achieving 99% accuracy. Otter is strong for live meetings but may require edits for complex audio or accents. Meetly's on-device Whisper delivers robust AI accuracy in over 90 languages and works offline.
Which is cheaper in the long run?
Otter is subscription-based, offering predictable costs for frequent live meeting users. Rev charges per minute for its services, making it efficient for selective, high-stakes files but potentially expensive for very long recordings. Meetly's on-device transcription is free, with costs only incurred for optional AI summaries.
Can I transcribe offline?
Otter and Rev require cloud processing, meaning an internet connection is necessary for transcription. Meetly works fully offline and in airplane mode, as all transcription occurs directly on your iPhone.
Is my audio private?
Otter and Rev process and store data in the cloud, requiring audio uploads. Meetly keeps audio entirely on your device by default, ensuring it never leaves your phone. If optional summaries are enabled, only transcripts (not audio) are sent to OpenAI.
What's best for doctors, therapists, or legal work?
Meetly's on-device model is ideal for general confidential work because audio never leaves your phone, offering strong technical privacy. However, Meetly explicitly states it is "not HIPAA-compliant" for healthcare professionals. For publish-ready documents or situations requiring strict regulatory compliance, Rev's human transcription service is often the preferred choice.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The choice between Otter, Rev, and Meetly hinges on a user's specific needs, balancing factors such as real-time collaboration, transcription accuracy, data privacy, and cost. Each platform has been developed with a distinct core philosophy, leading to specialized strengths that cater to different user priorities.
If the primary requirement is live collaboration during meetings, with features like real-time captions, shared notes, and team-wide search, Otter stands out as a robust choice. For users who demand the cleanest, publish-ready transcripts and can accommodate a longer turnaround time, Rev's human service is unmatched.
However, if privacy, full offline functionality, unlimited recording, and cost control are the paramount priorities, Meetly fits best. Its on-device transcription model ensures that audio never leaves the user's iPhone, offering superior technical privacy. The unique pricing model, where core transcription is free and only optional AI summaries incur a cost, offers significant financial predictability and control.
Ultimately, the "best" tool is the one that most effectively addresses the user's specific context and priorities. Understanding the fundamental differences in their design and service models is key to making an informed decision.
Want a More Comprehensive Comparison?
This comparison focuses on three key players, but there are many more meeting recorder options available in 2025. For a complete analysis of 8+ leading platforms including detailed pricing, accuracy benchmarks, and strategic recommendations, check out our comprehensive guide.
Read The Definitive Guide to Meeting Recorders in 2025