The 10 best alternatives to Otter

Otter.ai is an American AI note-taking tool, known for its real-time English transcription. If you're looking for an alternative, it's often for two reasons: Otter hosts and processes your data in the United States, with no European option, and its French support was only recently added to a product originally designed for English.

This page compares Otter and Leexi on what really matters for a European team: where your data goes, who can access it, and what the tool actually covers. It is published by Leexi: Leexi is therefore included in the comparison, evaluated with the same criteria as Otter, including where it falls short.

Choosing an alternative to Otter: hosting, AI training, scope

Before comparing features, three questions determine the choice.

1. Where is your data hosted, and who can legally access it? A tool storing data in the US is subject to post-Schrems II transfer rules. An American vendor, even when hosting in Europe, remains subject to the Cloud Act: a US authority can request data access.
2. Is the model trained on your conversations? Meeting notes contain client, HR, or strategic data. Some tools use this to train their AI, others do not.
3. Does the tool cover your actual meetings? Video calls, but also phone and in-person. Many tools limit themselves to video conferencing.

Otter vs Leexi comparison: hosting, GDPR, scope, and pricing

Otter: US hosting, no European hosting region

Otter transcribes meetings in real time with speaker identification and customizable vocabulary. It is historically one of the best tools for English meetings.

Two points should be considered. First, data is hosted in the US, with no European hosting region. Second, Otter states it trains its own AI models on de-identified user data. However, its third-party AI providers are not allowed to use your data to train their models. For companies subject to strict privacy or compliance requirements (GDPR, sensitive data), these factors may influence the choice of solution.

Leexi: data hosted in Europe and AI not trained on your meetings

Leexi is an AI note-taking tool published in Belgium. The assistant joins your Teams, Meet, or Zoom meetings, also records your phone calls and in-person meetings, then drafts the minutes: decisions, actions, deadlines, sending to CRM.

Your data is stored in Europe, with an option to host at Scaleway, a French provider. The language model processes your meetings without using them to train the AI, on all accounts. Leexi holds ISO 27001, provides a DPA and a list of its subcontractors, and encrypts data in transit and at rest.

Where Leexi falls short: by default, part of the infrastructure relies on American subcontractors (AWS, Azure), and only the Scaleway option removes this exposure. Leexi is not SecNumCloud qualified, and its ecosystem of third-party integrations is more limited than Otter's. Ten thousand companies use it in Europe.

Try Leexi on your next meeting

Otter or Leexi: sovereignty, English in video, in-person

• Your data must stay in Europe: Leexi, with the Scaleway option for strict sovereignty.
• You mostly transcribe English, in video calls: Otter remains strong in this specific case.
• You cover video, phone, and in-person with French minutes: Leexi.
• You want guaranteed no AI training on all accounts: Leexi.

For more on compliance, see the Leexi security and compliance dossier or the AI note-taking tool glossary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to pay to use Otter daily?

The free plan stops at 300 minutes of transcription per month, about five hours of meetings. Beyond that, the Pro offer costs $8.33 per user per month. At Leexi, the Starter plan starts at $12 per user per month, with no minute limits at entry.

Does Otter transcribe French as well as English?

Otter supports six languages and added French in 2024, on a product originally designed for English. Leexi offers a French interface and multilingual transcription. If your meetings are mostly in English, the gap is not noticeable. In French, it is.

Can Otter host my data in Europe?

No. Otter hosts and processes data in the US, with no European hosting region. Leexi stores in Europe, with a Scaleway option, a French hoster, for strict sovereignty requirements.

Are my meetings used to train Otter's AI?

Otter states it trains its own models on de-identified user data. However, its third-party AI providers are not allowed to use your data to train their models. Leexi trains no models on your meetings, on all accounts.

Is Otter ISO 27001 certified?

No. Leexi holds the certification and provides the certificate on request. This is a point to check early if your buyer or tender requires it, as no negotiation can make up for a missing certification.

Does Otter cover phone calls and in-person meetings?

Yes, Otter covers video conferencing, phone, and in-person via its app. Leexi covers all three as well, with room recording from the mobile app.

Data verified July 22, 2026 on the official pages of Otter (otter.ai) and Leexi (pricing, security, documentation). Prices and limits evolve: check the vendor's page before any decision.