> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useraven.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Raven vs Otter
> A free, open-source Otter.ai alternative — no 300-minute cap, no bot, no cloud, plus live in-call assist. Recordings stay on your machine.
Otter is the legacy brand in meeting transcription, but its free plan is tightly metered — **300 minutes a month, a 30-minute cap per conversation, and 3 lifetime file imports** — it captures with a **bot**, stores everything in its **cloud**, and offers **no live help** during the call. Raven has **no minute cap**, captures **locally with no bot**, keeps recordings **on your machine**, adds **real-time assist**, and is **open source**.
## At a glance
| | Raven | Otter |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Live in-call assist | **Yes** | No — transcription + summaries |
| Free-tier limit | **No minute cap** | **300 min/month**, 30-min per conversation, 3 lifetime imports |
| Capture | Local, **bot-free** (Mac + Windows) | Bot joins the meeting |
| Where your meetings live | Local SQLite | Otter's cloud |
| Price | Free, open source (your own keys) | Free (300 min); Pro \$8.33/user/mo annual (\$16.99 monthly); Business \$19.99/user/mo annual (\$30 monthly) |
| Open source | Yes | No |
## Price
Otter's free tier is really a trial: **300 transcription minutes/month**, **30 minutes max per conversation**, and **3 lifetime imports**. Pro (\$8.33/user/mo annual, \$16.99 monthly) raises that to 1,200 minutes; unlimited transcription only arrives on **Business (\$19.99/user/mo annual, \$30 monthly)**.
Raven doesn't meter minutes at all. You pay your own transcription/AI provider for usage — typically a few dollars a month — with no per-seat fee.
## Where your meetings live
Otter records with a **bot** that joins your call, and stores transcripts in its **cloud**. Raven captures **locally** (macOS ScreenCaptureKit + CoreAudio, Windows WASAPI), splits **You** and **Them** on-device, and writes everything to a **local SQLite database**. No bot shows up in the meeting; audio only goes to the providers you chose with your own keys. Open source means the data path is auditable.
## What Otter does better (honestly)
* A big, mature brand with polished **iOS/Android apps**.
* Deep **integrations** and meeting-wide search across a large archive.
* OtterPilot and team/admin features for larger orgs.
If you need mature mobile apps and a big cloud archive with team admin, Otter is established.
## When Raven wins
* You keep hitting the **300-minute** or **30-minute-per-call** free limits.
* You don't want a **bot** in the meeting or your transcripts in a **cloud**.
* You want **live help during** the call, not just a transcript after.
* You'd rather pay your AI provider **cents** than a per-seat subscription — and audit the tool.
## Switching from Otter
1. Export any transcripts you want to keep from Otter.
2. [Download Raven](https://useraven.ai/download), add your keys, enable meeting auto-start.
3. Run both for a week; cancel Otter once Raven covers your transcription + notes habit. (Importers are on the roadmap.)
Free, open source, Mac + Windows. Bring your own keys.
Dual-stream local capture, You/Them, your own STT key.
Otter pricing and free-tier limits verified August 2026 (otter.ai/pricing). Vendors change pricing often — confirm before relying on a figure.