Comparison · Otter.ai
Otter.ai vs Tessa: an Otter alternative that follows through
Otter.ai is a well-known tool for transcribing and summarising meetings. Tessa takes meeting notes as well, but most of her work happens afterwards: email, Slack, tasks and follow-ups across the whole company.
You have the transcript. The work is still undone.
Recording and transcribing a meeting is a solved problem. What comes next is not: someone has to hand out the tasks, send the recap, remember that the client promised an answer by Thursday and chase them when it doesn’t arrive. If all of that lives in a document nobody opens again, the meeting is lost anyway.
In a small company, meetings are also only part of the day. What gets agreed on a call mixes with email, Slack threads and sometimes WhatsApp. If you are looking for an Otter alternative, the real question is whether a good transcriber is enough, or whether you need something that turns all of it into finished work.
How it works with Tessa
- 1
Create your company and connect Google and Slack
Each person connects their Google account (mail, calendar, Drive and Meet) and Slack in one click. Nothing to install, no keys to configure.
- 2
Let Tessa catch up
Tessa reads the last few days of email and messages and shows you what is waiting for a reply or an action, with priority and due date. It is the quickest way to see whether she adds more than a transcriber.
- 3
Use her in this week’s meetings
Tessa joins your Google Meet calls as a visible note-taker, writes the minutes, creates a task for each owner and sends the recap. Zoom and Teams work in beta.
- 4
Decide based on your own team
You can run both tools side by side for a few weeks. See which one actually turns meetings into tasks and follow-ups, and keep what works.
What you get
- From minutes to tasks, no copy and pasteEvery commitment in the meeting becomes a task with an owner and a date, and the recap reaches attendees by Slack and email.
- Follow-through on what was agreedTessa reminds each owner of their commitments and tells you when something stalls. If a client goes quiet, she drafts the nudge for you.
- Email and Slack in one inboxRequests that arrive by email or Slack also become tasks, with a reply drafted in your tone, ready to send in one click.
- Spanish-first, English tooBuilt for Spanish-speaking teams first, which makes it a natural fit for companies that work across Spain, Latin America and English-speaking clients.
- Data stored in the EU, with you in controlWhat Tessa stores is encrypted on EU servers, and anything that leaves the company waits for your approval.
What Otter.ai is
Otter.ai is a meeting assistant focused on transcribing conversations and producing AI notes and summaries. It is used on video calls and for recording conversations, and it is one of the best-known tools in its category.
Its strength is the transcript: having a searchable, shareable record of what was said. For people whose days are full of interviews, lectures or calls, that is exactly what they need.
Information about Otter.ai is based on its public website as of October 2026; it may change.
How Tessa is different
Tessa is not a transcriber with extras. She is an AI assistant for the whole company, and meetings are one of her sources alongside email, Slack and, in beta, WhatsApp Business. Whatever comes in through any of them becomes prioritised tasks, ready replies and follow-ups.
The other difference is control. Tessa works on her own inside the team, but anything going outside the company (an email to a client, a recap to an external attendee, a quote) waits for your approval unless you decide otherwise.
- Meeting notes with tasks per owner and a recap sent out (Meet; Zoom and Teams in beta).
- A briefing ten minutes before each meeting: who is coming, what you last discussed and what is still open.
- An inbox of tasks from email and Slack, with one-click replies.
- Routines written in plain language, sales without a CRM and a company wiki that writes itself.
- No individual metrics for managers: Tessa tracks work, not people.
When to choose Otter.ai
If what you mainly need is an accurate transcript that is easy to search, Otter.ai is a strong choice. It also fits if you work alone, if your days are interviews or lectures, or if your team already has a task workflow and only lacks the meeting text.
Tessa is not designed for people who only want transcription. If you will not use the inbox, the follow-ups or the company features, she is probably more than you need.
When to choose Tessa
Tessa is a better fit for small companies and startups on Google Workspace and Slack that lose time chasing what was agreed: unanswered emails, tasks nobody wrote down, deals going cold. If you want meetings to end in finished work, connected to every other channel, that is where she shines.
She is also a good choice if it matters to you that the tool is Spanish-first, that data is stored in the EU and that nothing leaves the company without someone approving it.
| Otter.ai | Tessa | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Transcribing and summarising meetings | AI assistant for the whole company |
| Meeting notes | ✓ Its specialty | ✓ Minutes, tasks per owner and recap sent |
| Tasks and replies from email | Not its focus | ✓ Gmail (Outlook in beta) |
| Slack | Check its integrations | ✓ Inbox, mentions and @Tessa in channels |
| Automatic follow-ups | Not its focus | ✓ With the reminder drafted |
| Spanish-first | Check languages on its website | ✓ |
| Data stored in the EU (Tessa) | Check its data policy | ✓ Encrypted on EU servers |
What Tessa reads for each person stays private, your data is stored in the EU and nothing goes out without your approval.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good alternative to Otter.ai for small businesses?
It depends on what you need. If you only want transcripts, look at other transcription tools. If you want meetings to turn into tasks, recaps and follow-ups, and you also want help with email and Slack, Tessa is built for that.
Does Tessa transcribe meetings like Otter?
Tessa joins the call, captures the conversation and turns it into minutes with decisions and tasks per owner. Her goal is not a verbatim text to read but getting the agreed work done. Recordings are included in the Business plan.
Which video platforms does Tessa support?
Google Meet, where she has been tested with real accounts. Zoom and Microsoft Teams work in beta.
Can I use Otter and Tessa at the same time?
Yes. Many teams trial both for a few weeks before choosing. Just remember there will be two note-takers on the call, so let participants know.
Is Tessa free?
There is a Free plan for teams of up to 3 people, no card needed. Meeting notes are part of the Team and Business plans, which you can try for 14 days with no commitment.
Keep reading
- FeaturesTessa takes the notes, assigns the work and sends the recapTessa takes notes in your meetings, writes the minutes, assigns each action item to its owner and sends the recap to attendees. Try 14 days free.
- FeaturesIf they go quiet, Tessa remembers for youTell Tessa “follow up if they don't reply in 3 days” and she'll have the reminder drafted in the same thread, ready to send. Start for free.
- FeaturesEvery email that asks for something becomes a taskTessa reads your email and Slack, turns every request into a prioritized task with a due date and clears what's already done. Try it free.
- CompareFireflies.ai vs Tessa: what changes if you switchFireflies.ai records and searches meetings. Tessa takes notes and turns email, Slack and meetings into tasks and follow-ups. Compare and try it free.
- Comparetl;dv vs Tessa: record the meeting, or do what was agreedtl;dv records meetings and marks key moments. Tessa takes notes, assigns tasks and follows up across your email and Slack. Compare and try Tessa free.
What does your team look like?
Same AI for both. Where you start is what changes.
Startups
5 to 30 people
Grow without losing the thread
Tasks from email and Slack, follow-ups, sales and investors, without everything landing on the founders.
Companies
30 to 250 people
What gets decided gets done
Minutes and tasks from every meeting, commitments that get followed up and a pulse per team, without watching anyone.
Try Tessa in this week’s meetings and see what happens to what gets agreed.
Start freeFree plan for teams of up to 3 people. Anything that leaves the company waits for your approval.