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Fenwrite vs Otter: which AI note taker should you pick?

Updated October 2026 · 28 October 2026

Pick Otter if you want automatic notes from Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls, a web and desktop app, file imports, or a generous free plan (300 minutes a month). Pick Fenwrite if you mostly record in person on your phone and want the same 20 hours a month for less ($9.99 against $16.99 a month), recordings up to 3 hours instead of 90 minutes, an Apple Watch recorder, no bot and no account. We make Fenwrite, so read the "where Otter is better" list first.

At a glance

	Fenwrite	Otter
Paid plan, monthly	$9.99 (Pro)	$16.99 (Pro)
Paid plan, yearly	$79.99	$99.99 in the App Store; $8.33 a month billed yearly on the web; $79.99 for students
Hours a month (paid)	20 hours	1,200 minutes (20 hours)
Longest recording (paid)	3 hours	90 minutes (Pro); 4 hours (Business, $30 a month)
Free	First hour in total, 10 minutes a recording	300 minutes a month, 30 minutes a conversation, 3 file imports in total
Joins video calls	No, never (no bot)	Yes: joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet
Account	Not needed (optional, for text backup)	Otter account
Apps	iPhone, Apple Watch, Android	iPhone, iPad, Android, web, Mac, Windows, Chrome extension
Apple Watch	Yes, records on the watch	Not listed
Import audio files	No	Yes
Speaker labels	Live, with name suggestions	Yes
Languages	English, plus an Other languages mode (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and more)	English, French, Spanish, Japanese
Your audio	Kept on your phone; sent to be transcribed; never backed up	Kept in your Otter account

Otter's figures are US prices from otter.ai/pricing and Otter's US App Store listing, 28 October 2026. App Store prices include Apple's in-app purchase pricing; your country's prices may differ.

Where Otter is better

A real free plan. 300 minutes a month at 30 minutes a conversation may be enough that you never need to pay. Fenwrite's free hour is a trial by comparison.
Video calls. Its notetaker joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet from your calendar. Fenwrite doesn't do calls at all.
Everywhere you work. Web, Mac and Windows apps and a Chrome extension, so notes are on your laptop too.
Imports. Upload a recording you made elsewhere. Fenwrite only transcribes what it records.
Teams. Business plans with sharing and admin, and recordings up to 4 hours.
Maturity. Otter has years of polish and a very large user base.

Where Fenwrite is better

Price for the same hours. 20 hours a month for $9.99 instead of $16.99, or $79.99 a year instead of $99.99 (students on .edu email can get Otter Pro for $79.99 a year).
Long recordings. Up to 3 hours in one go, against Otter Pro's 90 minutes: a full workshop, a long lecture, a long interview.
Apple Watch. Record on the wrist; the iPhone writes it up.
No bot, no account. Nothing joins your calls, nothing to sign up for. Press record.
Audio stays on your phone. It's sent to be transcribed and never backed up; the optional backup is text only.
Names, not just labels. Fen suggests speaker names from what people say ("I'm Maya") and uses them in the summary and to-dos.

Pricing in detail

As of 28 October 2026, Otter Basic is free with 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes a conversation and 3 imports in total. Otter Pro is $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly on Otter's website; in the App Store, the yearly plan is $99.99. Pro includes 1,200 minutes a month, 90 minutes a conversation and 10 imports a month. Otter Business is $30 a month, or $19.99 a month billed yearly, with recordings up to 4 hours. Otter's FAQ offers students with a .edu email Pro at $79.99 a year or $13.59 a month.

Fenwrite has two plans. Free is your first hour of recording, 10 minutes a recording, with everything included. Fenwrite Pro is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year for 20 hours a month and up to 3 hours a recording. There's no weekly plan; you cancel in the App Store or Google Play. Fenwrite's unused hours don't roll over to the next month.

Bots, privacy and consent

The biggest difference isn't price; it's how each one listens. Otter is built to join your calls. That's its strength for remote teams, and the reason some people now look for an alternative: a notetaker that joins meetings from a calendar can show up where guests didn't expect it. In August 2025 a proposed class action was filed against Otter.ai in federal court in California alleging its notetaker recorded people without consent; those are allegations, not findings.

Fenwrite only hears what your phone's microphone hears, and only when you press record. That puts consent in your hands: you tell the room. Either way, audio goes to a cloud service to be transcribed (for Fenwrite, AssemblyAI); the difference is that Fenwrite keeps the audio on your phone rather than in an online account.

Who should pick which

Choose Otter if most of your meetings are video calls, you want notes without lifting a finger, you work from a laptop, or the free plan covers you.

Choose Fenwrite if most of your conversations happen in a room (meetings, classes, interviews, appointments), you want long recordings and an Apple Watch recorder, and you'd rather pay $9.99 than $16.99 a month for the same hours. Fenwrite is coming soon to the App Store (iPhone and Apple Watch) and Google Play (Android).

Questions

Is Fenwrite cheaper than Otter?

For the same 20 hours a month, yes: Fenwrite Pro is $9.99 a month against Otter Pro's $16.99, and $79.99 a year against $99.99 in the App Store (as of October 2026). Otter offers students with a .edu email Pro for $79.99 a year, the same as Fenwrite's yearly price.

Is Otter's free plan better than Fenwrite's?

Yes. Otter Basic gives 300 minutes a month, up to 30 minutes a conversation. Fenwrite's free tier is one hour in total, up to 10 minutes a recording: enough to try it, not to live on.

Does Otter have an Apple Watch app?

Not as of October 2026: Otter's App Store listing names iPhone and iPad as supported devices. Fenwrite records on Apple Watch and writes it up on your iPhone.

Can Fenwrite join my Zoom calls like Otter?

No. Fenwrite has no bot and never joins calls; it records through your phone's microphone. If you want automatic notes from every video call, Otter is the better fit.

How long can one recording be?

Otter Pro allows 90 minutes a conversation and Business 4 hours. Fenwrite Pro allows 3 hours.

Sources

Otter and Otter.ai are trademarks of their owner. Fenwrite is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Otter.ai. Prices and features as listed by Otter on 28 October 2026; check otter.ai for current details.