HearingScribeAn Otter alternative with no bot, no uploads and no subscription.
Otter is great for teams that live in the cloud. If your recordings are confidential, or you'd rather pay once, HearingScribe transcribes meetings, interviews and long recordings on your Mac.
Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) · macOS 13 or later · Free for recordings up to 30 minutesNo bot in the meeting
Nothing joins your call. HearingScribe records both sides on your Mac, with your permission.
No length cap with Pro
Multi-hour hearings and workshops are transcribed in one piece.
Pay once
Pro is $29, one time, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Who said what
Speaker labels you can rename, plus timestamps to replay any line.
Summaries on your Mac
Apple Intelligence (macOS 26) writes an overview and next steps without the cloud.
Import old recordings
Drop in MP3, M4A, WAV or AIFF files, or a whole folder with Pro.
| HearingScribe | Otter | |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed | On your Mac | Otter's servers |
| Price | Free; Pro $29 once | Pro $16.99/month, or $8.33/month billed yearly |
| Length of one conversation | Free 30 min; Pro unlimited | Basic 30 min; Pro 90 min |
| Joins your meetings | No bot | Otter's notetaker can join as a participant |
| Speaker labels | Yes | Yes |
| Phone, web, Windows | No (Mac only) | Yes |
Otter details from otter.ai/pricing, checked October 2026; plans change, so check their current page. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. HearingScribe isn't affiliated with them.
Confidential recordings stay confidential.
HearingScribe has no servers to send your audio to. Recording, transcription, speaker detection and AI summaries all happen on your Mac, even with Wi-Fi off.
- No uploads, ever
- No account or sign-in
- Works offline (Pro activates once online)
- You decide what's kept and deleted
Questions
When is Otter the better choice?
When you need transcripts on your phone or the web, live notes shared with a team, or Windows. HearingScribe is a Mac app for people who want their audio to stay on their Mac.
Can I import my Otter recordings?
If you have the audio files, yes: drop them in and HearingScribe transcribes them on your Mac.
Do the other people on the call know I'm recording?
HearingScribe doesn't join the call, so tell them yourself. Many places require everyone's consent, and the app reminds you each time.
More ways to use HearingScribe