Otter.ai Alternative in 2025: Comparison and Solutions

In 2025, companies will face the decision of how they want to document, transcribe, and track meetings effectively. Two prominent solutions stand out in this area: Otter.ai and the German alternative Sally. But which of these two AI meeting assistants offers the best solutions to the challenges companies are currently facing?

Otter.ai, a US-based company, offers a wide range of features, including real-time transcriptions and sentiment analysis. However, due to increasing data protection concerns, it is facing growing criticism. Companies that handle sensitive data or are based in the EU must consider the potential legal and privacy issues associated with processing personal data in the United States.

Sally, on the other hand, directly addresses these concerns. As a German company hosted entirely within the EU, Sally is fully GDPR-compliant and deliberately avoids sentiment analysis to protect user privacy. For European companies, this is a clear and decisive advantage.

Of course, there are many other differences between the two tools. So, what exactly sets Fireflies.ai apart from the alternative Sally?

Comparing features: Otter.ai vs Sally

Otter.ai and Sally both offer essential features such as voice recognition, meeting transcription, and the ability to create and assign tasks directly within the transcript. Both platforms also support custom vocabulary and provide search functionality within transcripts. However, there are some key differences that should be taken into account when deciding between these two AI assistants.

1. Transcription speed and quality

Otter.ai provides real-time transcriptions, which can be very helpful in some scenarios. The AI transcriptions are immediately available, and the company also provides a post-meeting summary. However, it may take up to two hours for the post-meeting summary to be delivered. Sally, on the other hand, focuses on high-quality transcription and provides an immediate summary right after the meeting. This makes Sally particularly efficient when you want quick results.

2. Language and dialect support

A major advantage of Sally is its support for over 35 languages, including German dialects such as Austrian and other linguistic nuances. This ensures that teams across different countries and dialects can collaborate smoothly. In comparison, Otter.ai offers only a limited selection of languages: English, Spanish, and French. For companies operating in a multilingual environment, Sally is therefore clearly the better choice.

3. Integrations and Analytics

Sally scores points with particularly advanced automatic meeting analytics. It recognizes questions and objections from customers and provides detailed language analytics that enable companies to intelligently manage their meetings. Sally also offers broad integration with 6 different CRM systems, while Otter.ai is only compatible with Salesforce and Hubspot.

4. Value for money: Otter.ai comparison with Sally

Otter.ai offers a free plan that includes 300 minutes per month and limits each meeting to 30 minutes. This plan comes with further restrictions. The Pro Plan, starting at $8 per month, includes 1,200 minutes per month and allows meetings of up to 90 minutes. This is comparable to Sally’s Starter Plan, which costs €8 (or $10) per month. Sally also offers a free trial, allowing anyone to test the tool. The Starter Plan includes 1,200 minutes per month and unlimited transcriptions of audio and video files — a clear advantage over Otter.ai, which limits the number of file uploads in both its Free and Pro plans.

The biggest advantage of Sally, however, lies in its advanced analytics features. The Team Plan, priced at €34 per month, not only includes unlimited transcription minutes, but also offers advanced sales analytics — such as automatic tracking of objections, punctuality, and the aggregation of meeting data. These features enable in-depth analysis and optimization of conversation processes.

By contrast, Otter.ai’s comparable Business Plan, which costs $20 per month, includes significantly fewer features and is limited to a maximum of 3 concurrent meetings and 6,000 minutes per month.

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5. Data protection and compliance

Probably the biggest difference between Otter.ai and Sally is data protection. Otter.ai processes data in the United States and includes sentiment analysis, which can reveal potentially sensitive insights into the emotional tone or tendencies within conversations. Sentiment analysis and data protection is a difficult topic. In the EU, where strict regulations like the GDPR apply, this can lead to legal and compliance issues.

Sally, on the other hand, is fully GDPR-compliant and ensures the secure, private processing of all data. For many European companies, this level of data protection is a decisive advantage.

Conclusion: Otter.ai vs German alternative: What is the right decision for you?

Both Otter.ai and Sally offer valuable features that can make working in meetings more efficient. However, there are significant differences depending on your company’s specific requirements and geographical location.

For companies in the EU that place a high value on data protection and fast, high-quality transcriptions, Sally is the better choice. Features like immediate meeting summaries and extensive language support provide a clear advantage. In addition, Sally enables in-depth analytics and broad integrations, which help optimize workflows and deliver valuable insights.

Otter.ai also offers a solid solution, especially with its real-time transcription and sentiment analysis. However, potential data protection issues and longer wait times for summaries may be problematic for companies operating under strict EU regulations. Otter.ai is therefore best suited for use cases where real-time transcription and sentiment insights are essential, and data privacy is not the top priority.

In conclusion, Sally is the more comprehensive and privacy-conscious solution in many areas. If you're looking for an alternative to Otter.ai that is specifically tailored to the European market, Sally is a great choice to consider for 2025.