Otter.ai Alternative
Otter.ai is excellent for meeting transcription and collaboration. It records meetings, identifies speakers, and creates searchable archives. But if you need voice-to-text for real-time writing — composing emails, drafting documents, writing code comments — Otter isn't built for that. Blurt is. Hold a button, speak, and text appears at your cursor instantly. $10/month with a free tier to try.
The Typing Problem
You need to type now, not transcribe later
Otter.ai is designed for meetings. You record, it transcribes, you review later. But when you're writing an email or drafting a document, you need text at your cursor right now. Otter's workflow doesn't fit — you can't hold a button and have your words appear in your email draft.
Meeting features you'll never use
Speaker identification. Meeting summaries. Collaboration tools. Searchable archives. Otter has built an impressive meeting platform. But you don't have meetings to transcribe — you have thoughts to capture while you're working. You're paying for a meeting tool when you need a writing tool.
Transcription happens after the fact
Otter records audio and processes it. Even if you could use it for writing, there's a delay. Real-time dictation for writing needs text to appear as you speak, so you can see what you're creating. Post-recording transcription breaks the flow.
The subscription covers meeting features
Otter's $10-20/month Pro plans include meeting integrations, speaker identification, and collaboration features. If all you want is to type with your voice, you're subsidizing a meeting platform you don't need. The pricing makes sense for teams with lots of meetings, not individual writers.
How It Works
Blurt is voice-to-text for writing, not meeting transcription. Hold, speak, release — text appears at your cursor.
Hold your hotkey
Press your chosen keyboard shortcut. A small indicator shows Blurt is listening.
Speak your text
Say what you want typed. Blurt handles punctuation and capitalization automatically.
Release and continue
Text appears at your cursor in whatever app you're using. No separate window, no review step.
Real Scenarios
Writing emails without switching tools
You're in your email client and need to write a response. With Blurt, you hold your hotkey, speak your reply, and the text appears right in the compose window. No recording, no waiting for transcription, no copying from another app. Your words, at your cursor, instantly.
Drafting documents in real time
You're working in Google Docs, Notion, or Word. Instead of typing, you hold a button and dictate. The text appears where you're typing, as you speak. Otter would require recording yourself, then copying the transcription over — an extra step that breaks your creative flow.
Quick Slack messages and chat replies
Someone messages you. You could type out a response, or you could hold a button and say 'Sure, I'll take a look at that this afternoon.' Three seconds later, you're done. No meeting to transcribe — just fast text input for everyday communication.
Code comments and documentation
Writing comments while coding. Explaining functions in a README. Describing changes in a PR. These are writing tasks, not meeting transcription. Blurt lets you dictate directly into your editor, keeping you in your coding flow.
Capturing ideas before they disappear
An idea strikes and you need to capture it now. With Blurt, you hold a button and speak directly into your notes app. With Otter, you'd start a recording, talk, stop it, wait for transcription, then copy the text. By then, the moment has passed.
When you don't have meetings to record
Otter shines for people with back-to-back calls and meetings. If that's not you — if you're a writer, developer, or individual contributor who mostly works heads-down — you don't need meeting transcription. You need voice typing that works everywhere.
Otter.ai and Blurt serve different needs. Here's an honest comparison.
| Blurt | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Real-time voice typing for writing | Meeting transcription and archives |
| Text appears | At your cursor, instantly | In Otter app after transcription |
| Use case | Emails, documents, chat, code | Meetings, interviews, calls |
| Speaker identification | Not needed (single speaker) | Yes, identifies multiple speakers |
| Meeting integrations | None | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams |
| Price | $10/month or $99/year | $10-20/month Pro |
| Free tier | First 1,000 words free | 300 minutes/month |
| Platform | macOS only | Web, iOS, Android |
When Otter.ai Is the Better Choice
Blurt isn't for everyone. Here's when Otter.ai is genuinely the right tool:
You need meeting transcription
If you have meetings, interviews, or calls that need transcribing, Otter.ai is built exactly for this. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. It joins your meetings automatically and creates searchable transcripts. Blurt doesn't do any of this.
Speaker identification matters
Otter.ai can distinguish between speakers and label who said what. For interviews, group calls, or any multi-person conversation, this is invaluable. Blurt is designed for single-speaker voice input — it has no concept of multiple speakers.
You want searchable meeting archives
Otter.ai creates a searchable library of all your meeting transcripts. Need to find what was discussed last month? Search for it. If you value this historical record of conversations, Otter provides it. Blurt is ephemeral — text goes to your cursor and that's it.
Team collaboration is a priority
Otter.ai allows teams to share, comment on, and collaborate around transcripts. If you work with a team that needs access to meeting notes, Otter's collaboration features are well-developed. Blurt is a personal voice-typing tool with no sharing features.
You need mobile and web access
Otter.ai works on iOS, Android, and web. Blurt is macOS only. If you need voice-to-text on your phone or across multiple platforms, Otter has broader coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
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