kitio.aiOtter.ai vs Shadow
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Shadow has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Live transcription
- Automatic meeting summaries
- Action item extraction
- AI chat across meetings
- Mobile recording
- Bot-free call recording
- Real-time speaker labels
- Meeting and Action Skills
- Markdown storage
- Webhooks
| Feature | Otter.ai | Shadow |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes your calls | Bot-free Mac meeting assistant that saves notes as Markdown |
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $16.99/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Otter.ai | Shadow |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Shadow has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Basic
Free
- 300 minutes per user/month
- 30 minutes per conversation
- 3 lifetime file imports
Pro
$16.99/mo
- Per user
- 1,200 recording minutes/month
- 90 minutes per conversation
- 10 file imports/month
Business
$30/mo
- Per user
- Unlimited meetings and recordings
- Custom AI workflows
- 4 hours per conversation
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Advanced security and admin
- Schedule a demo
2 plans
Free
Free
- Unlimited transcription
- Unlimited audio recording
- Unlimited smart screenshots
Plus
$8/mo
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited Action Skills
- Unlimited AI meeting notes
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Otter.ai
- Works with Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Searchable archive of all calls
- Good mobile app for in-person talks
- Free plan caps each conversation length
- Bot joining calls can bother guests
Shadow
- No bot joins your meetings
- Notes are Markdown files you own
- Unlimited transcription on the free plan
- Mac only
- AI features need the Plus plan
- Plans beyond Plus are not listed
Which one should you choose?
Choose Otter.ai if you want:
- Works with Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Searchable archive of all calls
- Good mobile app for in-person talks
Watch out: free plan caps each conversation length.
Choose Shadow if you want:
- No bot joins your meetings
- Notes are Markdown files you own
- Unlimited transcription on the free plan
Watch out: mac only.
Otter.ai vs Shadow FAQ
What is the difference between Otter.ai and Shadow?
Otter.ai: Meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarizes your calls. Shadow: Bot-free Mac meeting assistant that saves notes as Markdown. Both are productivity tools.
Is Otter.ai or Shadow cheaper?
Shadow has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $17 for Otter.ai.
Do Otter.ai and Shadow have free plans?
Otter.ai: Yes. Shadow: Yes.
Who makes Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is made by Otter.ai, based in United States.
Who makes Shadow?
Shadow is made by Shadow.
Which should I choose, Otter.ai or Shadow?
Choose Otter.ai if you value works with zoom, meet and teams and searchable archive of all calls. Choose Shadow if you value no bot joins your meetings and notes are markdown files you own.