In short
Otter is a note-taking tool for meetings, hosted in the United States. It trains its models on de-identified recordings, except for Enterprise accounts. Verbatim transcribes interviews and hosts them in Europe. During the interview, it checks every sentence as it is spoken, against your documents and your sources. The interview then joins the project: every quote stays tied to its exact excerpt, and the agents write the first draft in your style.
Otter and Verbatim both transcribe interviews in English and French. They differ in hosting, in the use of recordings, and in what happens during and after the interview. The information on Otter comes from its official pages.
Verbatim and Otter, point by point
| Criterion | Verbatim | Otter |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Research, analysis and writing, starting with journalism. The interview is part of a project: preparation, live checking, verification and writing. | Meeting notes. A “Media Notetaker” page is aimed at the media. |
| Languages | Reads, transcribes and translates recordings in most languages. Writes in the language you choose. | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese. |
| Files | Recordings, reports, scans, spreadsheets and emails, gathered in the same project. Usage volume depends on the plan. | Imports: 3 in total on Basic, 10 a month on Pro, unlimited on Business. |
| Speakers | Every sentence is tied to the person who said it, then compared with everything that person has said before. | Speakers identified by name. |
| Quotes | Every quote stays tied to the exact excerpt of the recording. The agents check that the source says what the draft attributes to it. | Quote extraction, according to the Media Notetaker page. |
| Live | In interviews, press conferences and meetings, Verbatim transcribes every word and checks every sentence against your documents, your sources and the web. When an answer contradicts your documents, the proof is on your screen while the person is still talking. | Live transcription. |
| Data | Recordings hosted and processed in Europe. They are never used to train third-party AI. | Hosted on AWS, in the western United States. Otter trains its models on de-identified recordings, except for Enterprise accounts. |
| After the interview | The agents check every claim made in the interview and write the first draft in your style. | Questions about one or more meetings with AI Chat. Writing help, according to the Media Notetaker page. |
| Formats and exports | Articles, news briefs, scripts, notes and rewritten wire stories, drawn from the same sources. Verbatim records the origin of every line: you, the AI or a source. | Exports to MP3, TXT, PDF, DOCX and SRT. |
| Price | VerbatimAgent: €49.95, €99.95 or €149.95 a month, VAT included, with two months free on yearly billing. 14-day free trial. Fixed price, with no AI usage fees. | Pro: $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed annually. Business: $30 a month, or $19.99 a month billed annually. |
When to choose Verbatim
Verbatim is built for these cases:
- the interview could identify a source, and the recording has to stay hosted in Europe;
- during the interview, the journalist wants to see when an answer contradicts their documents;
- quotes have to stay tied to their exact excerpt;
- the interview is then used to write and check a text, in the journalist’s style.
When Otter is enough
Otter is enough for meetings in English or in its five other languages. It integrates with Zoom, Teams and Meet. It suits cases where hosting in the United States and training on de-identified recordings are not a problem.
Questions
Does Otter transcribe French?
Yes. Otter transcribes six languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese.
Where does Otter host recordings?
On AWS, in the western United States. Data transfers from Europe rely on the Data Privacy Framework between the European Union and the United States.
What does Verbatim prepare before an interview?
The Prep agent gathers what the person has said before, what the documents show and the questions they will try to avoid. The People agent works out how to reach them.
Sources
Facts about Otter checked on 1 October 2026 on its official pages.