Gemini Notebook vs Otter.ai
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Gemini Notebook is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.0. Gemini Notebook wins on 5 of the 5 scores, Otter.ai on 0.
Students, researchers and professionals digesting long documents
Students, journalists and teams who want searchable transcripts of every meeting
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Gemini Notebook | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Assistants | AI Assistants |
| Category rank | #4 of 16 | #13 of 16 |
| Developer | Otter.ai | |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | — | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Gemini Notebook better than Otter.ai?
Gemini Notebook is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.0. Gemini Notebook wins on 5 of the 5 scores, Otter.ai on 0.
Which is cheaper, Gemini Notebook or Otter.ai?
Gemini Notebook: Free with a Google account; Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans raise the limits. Otter.ai: Free: 300 minutes a month; Pro is $8.33 a month billed yearly or $16.99 monthly. On value for money, Gemini Notebook scores higher.
Do Gemini Notebook and Otter.ai work on the same devices?
Only Otter.ai runs on Mac, Windows.
Which is more private, Gemini Notebook or Otter.ai?
Gemini Notebook scores higher on privacy (7.0/10). Google says personal accounts' data isn't used for training unless you send feedback, which human reviewers may read. The App Store label links contact info, content, IDs and usage to you.
Strengths and weaknesses
Gemini Notebook
- Answers grounded in your own documents
- Turns notes into audio, video and flashcards
- Free tier allows 100 notebooks
- AI can still misread or overreach your sources
- Higher limits come only through Google AI plans
- Feedback you send can be read by human reviewers
Gemini Notebook, called NotebookLM until July 2026, is an AI research assistant that sticks to the material you give it. Add PDFs, Google Docs and web links, and it answers with citations pointing back to your sources. It can also turn them into podcast-style Audio Overviews, video explainers, slides, flashcards or reports. The free tier is roomy. It can still get things wrong, so check those citations.
Full Gemini Notebook review
Otter.ai
- Years of experience with meeting and lecture transcripts
- Free plan includes 300 minutes a month
- Apps for phone, computer and web
- Free conversations stop at 30 minutes
- Trains AI on recordings with personal details removed, by default
- Faces a class action lawsuit over recording consent
Otter has typed up meetings and lectures for years. It writes live transcripts with speaker labels. Its notetaker can join Zoom, Meet and Teams on its own. AI Chat answers questions across your meetings. A new desktop app records calls and chats outside scheduled meetings. The free plan works but stops each conversation at 30 minutes. Otter trains its AI on recordings with personal details removed. It also faces a class action lawsuit over recording consent.
Full Otter.ai review
