Kimiko vs Otter: Local, Bot-Free Meeting Notes Compared (2026)

The short answer

Otter is a cloud notetaker. By default its Notetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls as a participant, and its desktop app can also record without a bot. Transcripts live in Otter’s cloud, with a free plan, shared channels and plenty of integrations. Kimiko records from your computer and transcribes and summarizes there, so your meetings stay on your Mac or PC.

Choose Kimiko if

You want meetings transcribed and summarized on your own computer.
You need meetings processed offline once your models are downloaded.
You’d like a full notes editor beside the live transcript.
You want to choose your AI models, or use your own provider account.
You also want voice dictation in your other apps.

Choose Otter if

You want a free plan to start with.
You want a notetaker that joins Zoom, Teams or Meet calls from your calendar.
You record in-person conversations on your phone.
Your team shares transcripts in channels and connects Salesforce or HubSpot.

Side by side

Kimiko and Otter compared, checked 17 October 2026. Numbers link to the sources at the end of the page.
Feature	Kimiko	Otter
Recording
Records without a bot in the call	YesThe desktop app records your microphone and computer audio, so nobody new joins the call.21	With the desktop appNotetaker joins calls as a participant by default. The Mac and Windows apps can record without it.8
Zoom, Teams and Google Meet	Yes, and other call appsIt listens to your computer’s audio, so it works alongside Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet and other call apps.22	Yes, and moreNotetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet; the desktop app also records huddles and other apps.3
Apps	Mac and WindowsApple silicon Macs with macOS 14.4 or later, and 64-bit PCs with Windows 11. No web or mobile app.23	Mac, Windows, web, phonesDesktop apps for macOS 12.3+ and Windows 10+, a web app, iPhone and Android apps, and a Chrome extension.2
Privacy and processing
Transcribes on your computer	Yes, by defaultLocal speech models run on your Mac or PC. Cloud transcription with Deepgram or ElevenLabs is optional.24	NoTranscription runs in Otter’s cloud. No on-device option is documented.6
Summaries and chat on your computer	Yes, by defaultBuilt-in local AI writes summaries, suggests tasks and answers questions. Cloud AI is optional.25	NoAI features run in Otter’s cloud; Anthropic is among its subprocessors.6
Works without internet	Yes, after setupDownloaded models work offline. Downloads, activation and subscription checks still need a connection.26	Records, then waitsThe apps keep recording if your connection drops and transcribe once you’re back online.9
Where your meetings are kept	On your computerAn encrypted database on your computer. Your Kimiko account doesn’t upload or sync your meetings.27	Otter’s cloud, USStored on AWS in the US West region, encrypted with AES-256.10
Meeting audio	Not saved by defaultKimiko transcribes, then discards the audio, unless you choose to keep it for 7 or 30 days.28	Kept with each conversationAudio stays for playback and MP3 export. Workspace admins can set retention policies.11
AI training on your content	NoYour meetings don’t reach Kimiko’s servers. A cloud provider you choose applies its own terms.27	Yes, de-identifiedOtter’s privacy policy says it trains its own AI on de-identified recordings and transcripts.5
Choose your AI models	YesPick local models, connect Ollama or LM Studio, or use OpenAI, Anthropic or OpenRouter with your own account.29	NoAI Chat has Express and Advanced modes, with no choice of model or own key.12
Notes and AI
Write your own notes during the call	YesWrite in a full notes editor beside the live transcript. Your notes help shape the summary.21	Highlights and commentsAdd highlights, comments and images to the transcript as it records.1
Ask questions across meetings	YesAsk about one meeting, a project or your whole library, then follow the source links back.30	YesAsk about one conversation or across meetings and folders, from 20 to 200 questions a month by plan.14
Action items	YesKimiko suggests next steps. You keep or dismiss each one, and it stays linked to its meeting.31	YesSummaries include action items you can assign and track across conversations.15
Speaker labels	YesLive labels for up to eight remote voices; your microphone is “You”. Remembering voices is experimental.32	YesLearns voices you’ve tagged and labels them in new conversations.16
Voice dictation in other apps	IncludedTurn it on and dictate into most apps’ text fields with your shortcut, using local or cloud speech.33	Not documentedOtter’s plans don’t list dictation into other apps.1
Export formats	PDF, Word and MarkdownExport the summary, your notes or the transcript.34	TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, MP3All five on paid plans. The free Basic plan exports TXT text and MP3 audio.1
Connect AI assistants (MCP)	Yes, localDesktop AI apps can read your notes, meetings and tasks through local MCP, off until you turn it on.35	Yes, hostedAn Otter MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Perplexity, from the free plan up.18
Teams and plans
Integrations	Calendars and MCPOptional Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook connections. No CRM, Slack or Notion sync.36	CRMs, Slack, ZapierSalesforce, HubSpot and Zapier from Pro, plus Slack, Dropbox and calendars.1
Shared workspaces and admin	NoBuilt for individuals. One license works on up to 3 of your computers; ask us about team licensing.37	YesShared channels and folders; admin tools on Business; SSO and SCIM on Enterprise.1
Security certifications	None yetKimiko doesn’t host your meetings: they stay in the encrypted database on your computer.27	SOC 2 Type IISOC 2 Type II; HIPAA on Enterprise with a signed BAA.19
Free option	Free trialTry the full app free. No credit card needed.38	Free planBasic: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, your 25 most recent conversations.1
Paid plans from	$12 a month, or $107.88 a yearThe full app, tax included.39	US$8.33 per user a monthPro, billed annually ($16.99 billed monthly), with 1,200 minutes a month.1

Where they differ

A notetaker in the call, or your computer’s audio

Otter Notetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet as a visible participant and can join meetings from your synced calendar. It needs meetings that admit guests. Otter’s Mac and Windows apps can also record your computer’s audio without it.

Kimiko only records from your computer, using your microphone and the call audio playing on it. Nothing new appears in the participant list, so let people know you’re taking notes.

Where meetings are processed and kept

Otter transcribes and runs its AI in the cloud, stores conversations on AWS in the United States, and keeps the audio with each conversation. It trains its own models on de-identified recordings and transcripts.

Kimiko runs local speech and AI models and keeps your library in an encrypted database on your computer. Meeting audio isn’t saved unless you choose to keep it, and cloud providers are optional.

Minutes, length and languages

Otter’s plans meter transcription. Basic includes 300 minutes a month with 30 minutes per conversation, Pro 1,200 minutes with 90 minutes per conversation, and Business removes the monthly cap with conversations up to four hours. Otter transcribes six languages.

Kimiko processes meetings on your own hardware, so speed depends on your computer and the models you choose. Its speech languages depend on the speech model, and summaries can be written in ten languages.

Pricing

Kimiko

$12 a month, or $107.88 a year

The full app on up to 3 of your computers, tax included. Free to try, no credit card needed.

See Kimiko’s plans

Otter

Basic: Free300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation.
Pro: $8.33 per user a monthBilled annually, or $16.99 monthly. 1,200 minutes, 90 minutes per conversation.
Business: $19.99 per user a monthBilled annually, or $30 monthly. Unlimited meetings up to 4 hours each.
Enterprise: On requestSSO, SCIM and HIPAA.

As listed by Otter.ai, Inc. on 17 October 2026, in US dollars.1

Questions

Can Otter record without a bot?

Yes. Otter’s desktop app for Mac and Windows records your computer’s audio without Notetaker joining. By default, though, Notetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls as a participant. Kimiko only records from your computer.

Does Otter work offline?

Otter keeps recording if your connection drops, then transcribes once you’re back online. Kimiko’s local models transcribe and summarize without internet once they’re downloaded.

Does Otter use my conversations to train AI?

Otter says it trains its own models on de-identified recordings and transcripts, and that its AI providers don’t train on your data. Your Kimiko meetings stay on your computer and don’t reach Kimiko’s servers.

How many languages does Otter transcribe?

Six: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. In Kimiko, speech languages depend on the model you choose, and summaries can be written in ten languages.

Is there a free version?

Otter’s Basic plan is free, with 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation. Kimiko has a free trial of the full app, with no credit card needed.

Try Kimiko with your next meeting

Record a short call you have permission to record, then read the summary and the tasks Kimiko suggests. Free to try. No credit card needed.

Download for Mac

Apple silicon · macOS 14.4 or later

Download for Windows

64-bit Windows 11 PCs

Running locally? 16 GB of RAM is a practical starting point. See the system requirements

Sources

We read Otter’s pages on 17 October 2026. Plans and features change, so check them before you decide. Kimiko is an independent product and is not affiliated with Otter.ai, Inc. Product names belong to their owners. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.