An offline Otter.ai alternative that keeps your calls on your computer.
Otter is a popular cloud transcription service. Earshot does the same core job, turning meetings into searchable transcripts with summaries and action items, but everything happens on your own computer. Here's how they differ, and when each one is the better fit.
The short version
Choose Earshot if your calls are confidential, you'd rather not have a bot in your meetings, or you're tired of paying for transcription every month. Choose Otter if you need live captions during calls, shared team workspaces, or transcription that works entirely from your phone.
| Earshot | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed | On your own computer | On Otter's cloud servers |
| Where transcripts are stored | Your computer only | Your Otter account in the cloud |
| Joins your meetings | Never. Records from your computer or imports saved recordings | Its assistant can join calls as a participant |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes, after a one-time setup | No |
| Pricing | $19.99 once, for up to 3 computers | Free plan plus paid subscriptions |
| AI summaries and action items | Yes, with a free local AI (Ollama) | Yes, in the cloud |
| Live captions during a call | No, transcribes after the recording | Yes |
| Team sharing | Export to Word, Markdown, SRT, VTT or CSV | Built-in shared workspaces |
| Source code | Included, change anything | Not available |
Otter's plans and features change over time; check Otter's pricing page for current details.
Why people look for an Otter alternative
Confidential conversations. Lawyers, therapists, HR teams, researchers and anyone handling client calls often can't, or would rather not, upload recordings to a third-party service. Earshot transcribes with OpenAI's Whisper model running locally, so the audio never leaves your machine.
No bot in the meeting. A notetaker that joins as a participant can make calls feel awkward, and some organizations block them. Earshot records your microphone and the other side of the call from your own computer, or watches the folders where Zoom, Teams (OneDrive) and Google Meet (Google Drive) save recordings and picks up new files automatically. Because nothing announces the recording, always tell people you're recording.
Subscription fatigue. Earshot is a single $19.99 purchase that activates on up to three computers, with no storage fees and no per-minute limits.
What you give up
Earshot transcribes after a recording, not live during the call. There's no shared cloud workspace, so teammates get exports rather than a link. It needs a Windows, Mac or Linux computer with 8 GB of memory (16 GB recommended); an NVIDIA graphics card makes it faster but isn't required. On a Mac, recording the other people on a call needs the free BlackHole audio driver. Updates and support aren't included, though you get the full source code to change or extend with a coding agent.
Questions
Is there an Otter.ai alternative that works offline?
Yes. Earshot runs OpenAI's Whisper speech model on your own computer, so recordings are transcribed without being uploaded. After a one-time setup it works with the internet unplugged.
Can I transcribe Zoom or Teams calls without a bot joining the meeting?
Yes. Earshot records your microphone and the other people on the call from your own computer, or watches the folders where Zoom, Teams and Google Meet save recordings. Nothing joins the meeting, so you should always tell people you're recording.
When is Otter the better choice?
If you want live captions during a meeting, shared team workspaces, or transcription on your phone without your own computer involved, a cloud service like Otter fits better. Earshot is for people who want their recordings to stay on their own computer.
Try private transcription
Earshot is a one-time $19.99 for Windows, Mac and Linux, with the full source code included. Installation takes about 10 minutes.
Otter and Otter.ai are trademarks of their owner. NewcombLabs isn't affiliated with Otter.ai.