Auvi vs Otter.ai
Real-time captions vs meeting transcription — understanding the difference
Key difference in one sentence: Otter.ai is a cloud-based meeting transcription tool designed for business teams, while Auvi is a real-time, fully on-device captioning app designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing users who need immediate, private captions in any environment.
Note: Otter.ai was subject to a class-action lawsuit in 2025 alleging it recorded conversations without user consent. This is relevant context for anyone evaluating it for privacy-sensitive use. Source: NPR
Feature comparison
| Feature | Auvi | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time purchase for core features. Optional add-on subscriptions. | Free (300 min/month, limited) / $8–30/month per user |
| Processing | Fully on-device. Audio never leaves your device. | Cloud-only. All audio is sent to Otter's servers. |
| Privacy | No data collected. App Store privacy label verified. | Cloud-based data collection. Subject to a class-action lawsuit over recording without consent (2025). |
| Real-time live captions | Yes — instant live captions designed for in-person conversations. | Partial — primarily designed for recording and post-processing, not immediate accessibility. |
| Speaker identification | Yes — on-device colour-coded speaker identification. | Yes, but described by users as "hit-or-miss" and frequently misattributes quotes, especially in noisy environments. |
| Accuracy with accents/noise | Good on-device accuracy. Cloud processing can have an edge in extreme noise. | 70–86% accuracy reported with accents and background noise. |
| Transcription languages | 40+ languages, on-device. | Limited language support (English-centric). |
| Real-time translation | 31 languages on-device. Translation add-on subscription. | No real-time translation. |
| Scam detection | Yes — 25 phone scam categories + 10 tourist scam categories. | No. |
| Sound awareness | Yes — 15 environmental sounds with visual alerts and haptics. | No. |
| Accessibility features | Purpose-built for deaf/HoH users. 5 colour schemes, large text support, haptics, VoiceOver, colour-blind palette. | Standard accessibility features. Not designed with deaf/HoH users as the primary audience. |
| Export options | Text/PDF export with Plus subscription (local only). | Text, PDF, DOCX. Zoom/Google Meet integration. More business-focused export. |
| Internet required | Only for initial setup. Works fully offline. | Yes — always requires internet. |
| MDM / enterprise | Yes — Managed App Configuration for healthcare, legal, government. | Business and enterprise plans available, but cloud-based. |
| AI meeting notes | Yes — on-device meeting summaries, action items, decisions. | Strong AI meeting notes with calendar/Zoom integration. |
| Built for deaf/HoH users | Yes — designed specifically for live accessibility. | No — designed for business meeting documentation. |
Why choose Auvi
- Designed for live accessibility, not meeting minutes. Otter.ai is a business productivity tool that records meetings and transcribes them. Auvi is a live captioning tool that puts text in front of you the moment someone speaks. These are fundamentally different use cases — Otter.ai is not a substitute for real-time accessibility.
- Your audio never leaves your device. Otter.ai is cloud-only. Every word you speak goes to remote servers. Given the 2025 lawsuit alleging recording without consent, this is a significant concern for privacy-sensitive conversations.
- Reliable speaker identification. Otter.ai users consistently report that speaker identification is unreliable, especially with background noise or multiple speakers. Auvi's on-device speaker identification is designed specifically for multi-person conversations.
- Works offline. Otter.ai requires internet at all times. Auvi works in any environment — on a plane, in a building with poor signal, or anywhere you need it.
- Better for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Auvi was built specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. It has features Otter.ai doesn't — scam detection, sound awareness, a speaker colour palette, accessibility-first design, and an Apple Watch companion app.
- No monthly commitment for core accessibility. Otter.ai's free tier is limited to 300 minutes per month. Any meaningful use costs $8–30/month. Auvi's core features are a one-time purchase.
Why choose Otter.ai
- Deeper meeting integration. If your primary use case is recording and documenting meetings with Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, Otter.ai's integrations are hard to beat. It can automatically join and record calls.
- Searchable meeting library. Otter.ai maintains a cloud-based, searchable library of all your transcribed meetings. If cross-device access to an archive of business meetings is important, this is a genuine advantage.
- AI summaries and action items. Otter.ai's AI features for generating meeting agendas, summaries, and action items are mature and well-integrated with team workflows.
- Team collaboration. Multiple users can collaborate on transcripts. If you need to share meeting notes with colleagues, Otter.ai's team features are more developed.
- More export format options. Otter.ai supports DOCX export and direct sharing with platforms like Notion. Useful for business documentation workflows.
Bottom line
Auvi and Otter.ai serve very different primary audiences. Otter.ai is a business productivity tool for teams who want automated meeting notes. Auvi is an accessibility tool for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who need live captions they can trust in any situation.
If you're looking for real-time accessibility — captions that appear immediately as someone speaks, that work offline, that never send your audio anywhere — Otter.ai is not the right tool. If you want automated meeting documentation with cloud storage and team sharing, Otter.ai may be worth it despite the privacy tradeoffs.
For deaf and hard-of-hearing users specifically, Auvi is designed for your needs in a way Otter.ai simply isn't.
Try Auvi free for 7 days
Full features, no commitment. All processing on your device — no audio ever sent to any server.
Download on the App Store