Otter.ai and Shadow are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Otter.ai: AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings in real time with an auto-joining meeting agent. Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
For ai-meeting-assistants workflows, shortlist Otter.ai when real-time meeting transcription matters most, and Shadow when capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining matters most. Both record across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams; trial each on real meetings before committing.
Otter.ai is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant
Standout feature
OtterPilot auto-join agent
On-device (local) transcription on macOS
Team usage
AI summaries and action items
Speaker identification during transcription
Integrations
Searchable meeting notes
Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Languages & capture
Live highlights and comments
Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Best-fit workflow
Real-time transcription
Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools
Best for
Otter.ai
Choose Otter.ai if you need real-time meeting transcription — strengths include fast, well-known real-time transcription.
Shadow
Choose Shadow if you need capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining — strengths include does not add a visible bot to meetings.
Pros & cons
Otter.ai
+ Fast, well-known real-time transcription
+ Auto-join agent reduces manual setup
- Advanced features and higher minute limits require paid plans
Shadow
+ Does not add a visible bot to meetings
+ Local transcription keeps core audio processing on the device
- Available for macOS only
FAQ
Is Otter.ai or Shadow better for AI meeting notes?
It depends on your workflow. Otter.ai is strong for real-time meeting transcription, while Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
How do Otter.ai and Shadow compare on price?
Otter.ai is a free tier with paid upgrades and Shadow is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Can I use both Otter.ai and Shadow?
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary and the budget is justified.