What is Otter.ai's recording limit?
Per conversation: Basic (free): 30 minutes, Pro: 90 minutes, Business: 4 hours, according to Otter.ai's pricing page (checked Nov 4, 2026).
Otter.ai alternatives for long recordings
Otter.ai's pricing page limits each conversation by plan (Basic (free): 30 minutes, Pro: 90 minutes, Business: 4 hours; checked Nov 4, 2026). If your recordings run longer, use a service that accepts long uploads. Below: the longest file each one accepts, whether you can pay for one file without a subscription, and what one 3-hour recording costs, each figure read from the vendor's own pricing page.
Longest file and how you pay
Each cell links to the vendor page it was read from. "Not stated on their page" means we looked and found no figure.
| Service | Longest file | One file without a subscription? | Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai | Basic (free): 30 minutes · Pro: 90 minutes · Business: 4 hours source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | No: their pricing page lists plans only source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | From $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| TurboScribe | Free: 30 minutes · Unlimited: 10 hours (5 GB per file) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | No: their pricing page lists plans only source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | $20 a month, or $120 a year ($10 a month) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| HappyScribe | Their page: 45 minutes per recording on Free, 90 on Basic, unlimited on Pro and Business source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Not for AI transcription: extra AI minutes are top-ups at $0.20 a minute on a paid plan. Human proofreading is an add-on from $2.00 a minute source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | From $17 a month, or $8.50 a month billed yearly source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| Sonix | Not stated on their page source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Yes: pay as you go, $10 per hour source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | From $25 a month source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| FileToText | Pay per file: 20 hours source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Yes: $3 per started audio hour, $3 minimum and $12 maximum per file source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Pay per file $3 per started hour ($3 minimum, $12 maximum); or Basic $10 a month (600 minutes), $100 a year source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| BrassTranscripts | No length limit stated (450 MB per file) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Yes: $2.50 per file up to 15 minutes, $6 per file of 16 minutes or more source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Not stated on their page source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| Notta | Free: 3 minutes · Pro: 5 hours · Business: 5 hours source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | No: their pricing page lists plans only source · checked Nov 4, 2026 | Pro $8.17 a month billed annually (monthly dollar price not stated; the pricing page showed us €11.69 a month or €83.99 a year) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| WhoScribe | 10 hours per file; uploads up to 1 GB (10 GB on Unlimited) | Yes: $5 per file, paid once, the same price at any length up to 10 hours | Unlimited at $20 a month or $120 a year Until December 1, Unlimited is 30% off. |
What one 3-hour recording costs
Worked out only from the rates in the table above; nothing is estimated. A service that sells plans only is marked as such, with the plan its page says takes a 3-hour file.
| Service | One 3-hour recording |
|---|---|
| Otter.ai | Subscription only (Business) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| TurboScribe | Subscription only (Unlimited) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| HappyScribe | Subscription only source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| Sonix | $30 source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| FileToText | $9 source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| BrassTranscripts | $6 source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| Notta | Subscription only (Pro, Business) source · checked Nov 4, 2026 |
| WhoScribe | $5 |
Which one to pick
You record live meetings
If you want notes written while the meeting runs, a meeting-notes tool fits better, and Otter.ai is one. WhoScribe has no meeting bot: it works on recordings and links.
Occasional long recordings
Lectures, sermons, council sessions, podcasts: a service that sells one file without a plan lets you pay for the recording you have, with nothing to cancel. In the table: Sonix, FileToText, BrassTranscripts and WhoScribe.
Many long recordings every month
A flat subscription that takes long files costs less per file: TurboScribe and WhoScribe Unlimited.
Every word must be right
Pay for human transcription or human proofreading. Some services above offer it as an add-on; check their pages.
How we checked
Every figure about another service was read on that service's own pricing page on Nov 4, 2026, and each cell links to that page. Prices change, so follow the link before you buy. WhoScribe is our product; where another service fits better, we say so.
FAQ
Questions before you upload
What is a cheaper alternative to Otter.ai for one long file?
A service that sells one file without a subscription. Among the services in the table, the lowest price for one 3-hour recording is $5 (WhoScribe). On WhoScribe one file is $5 per file, paid once, the same price at any length up to 10 hours.
Which Otter.ai alternatives take 10-hour files?
Among the services in the table that state a number, TurboScribe, FileToText and WhoScribe accept a file of 10 hours or more (checked Nov 4, 2026).
Can I move my old Otter.ai recordings?
If you have the audio or video files, upload them. On WhoScribe Unlimited you can upload up to 50 files at once.
Does WhoScribe join Zoom calls?
No. WhoScribe works on recordings and links: upload the meeting recording instead. It has no meeting bot.
Transcribe a YouTube video
Paste the link. The first 5 minutes are free without an account, 15 with a free account. The whole file is $5, a one-time payment.
Paste a YouTube linkFacts about other services come from each vendor's own page, checked on Nov 4, 2026. Prices change, so follow the source link to see their current page.