Conva vs Otter.ai
Otter.ai is the name most people already know in meeting transcription — a generous free tier, broad calendar/video integrations, and AI Chat you can query during or after a call. Conva is a narrower, newer tool built around one specific moment: composing what to say while the call is still happening, with the suggestion cited back to the document it came from.
The comparison mostly comes down to whether you want a mature, well-integrated transcription product with AI Chat on demand, or a beta-stage tool that proactively surfaces help without you having to ask.
At a glance
Conva
Real-time call co-pilot for sales reps — dual-channel live transcription and AI-suggested replies with document citations, processed locally on your desktop.
Pricing: Free (invite-only beta)
Best for: Sales reps and teams who want live, in-call talking-point help during calls they're already taking themselves — not a business looking for something to answer its phone.
Otter.ai
The highest-brand-recognition meeting transcriber — live transcription with a generous free tier, but AI help still lands after the call.
Pricing: Free (300 min/mo)
Best for: Individuals or teams who mainly want reliable, searchable meeting transcripts and are comfortable asking their own AI Chat questions afterward rather than getting suggestions live.
Feature comparison
"Not published" means the vendor doesn't document it — we don't guess. Verified 2026-09-03.
| Feature | Conva | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| CRM / back-office integrations | Not publishedNo integrations published as of 2026-09-03 | PartialZoom, Teams, Google Meet integrations; no CRM sync published |
| Call analytics dashboard | PartialSearchable call recordings and transcripts; no aggregate reporting/metrics dashboard published | Not published |
| Self-serve signup | ✓Free beta signup by email — nothing to configure, open the app and join a call | ✓Free tier, 300 min/mo |
| Live AI assistance while the call is happening | ✓AI-suggested replies compose while the call is still happening, not after it ends | ✕Live transcription only; AI Chat and summaries are queried during/after, not proactively suggested |
| On-device / local audio processing | PartialAudio capture and transcription run locally via an offline model; the AI-suggested-replies feature is a separate opt-in cloud path (bring your own API key) | ✕Cloud transcription and AI processing |
| Bring-your-own API key | ✓Bring-your-own API key for the cloud speech/LLM engines that power AI-suggested replies | ✕No bring-your-own API key option published |
| Unlimited call length | ✓No published cap on call length, since core processing runs on-device | ✕Minutes are metered by plan (300 free, 1,200 Pro/mo, up to 4 hrs/meeting on Business) |
| AI answers cite their source | ✓AI-suggested replies cite the specific document/passage they're drawn from | ✕Not published |
| Dual-channel speaker separation | ✓Rep and caller kept on separate channels, not one blended transcript feed | Not publishedNot published |
Proactive vs on-demand AI help
Otter's AI Chat is genuinely useful, but it's something you ask — type a question about the transcript, get an answer. Conva's AI-suggested replies are proactive: they compose and surface while you're mid-conversation, without you having to stop and query anything. That's a meaningfully different interaction model, not just a speed difference.
Processing model and limits
Otter is a cloud product with metered minutes on every paid tier (1,200 min/mo on Pro, up to 4 hrs/meeting on Business). Conva's core transcription runs on-device with no published call-length cap, and its cloud AI-suggest layer is opt-in and BYOK — a combination Otter doesn't offer at any tier.
Maturity and brand trust
Otter has the far longer track record, broader integrations, and a real, generous free tier (300 min/mo) that doesn't require an invite. Conva is newer, invite-only, and doesn't publish CRM integrations or a post-beta price yet — a real gap if track record and ecosystem breadth matter to you as much as the live-assist feature does.
Verdict
Conva
Choose Conva if proactive, cited, in-call suggestions matter more to you than a mature integration ecosystem, and you want on-device processing with a bring-your-own-key option for the cloud AI layer.
Otter.ai
Choose Otter.ai if you want a proven, well-integrated transcription tool with a generous free tier today, and you're fine asking AI Chat a question rather than getting suggestions surfaced automatically mid-call.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Otter suggest what to say during a call?
- Not proactively. Otter's AI Chat answers questions you ask about the transcript, during or after the call — it doesn't surface suggestions on its own the way Conva's live-assist feature does.
- Which processes audio locally?
- Conva's transcription runs on-device; per Conva, audio never leaves the machine for that step. Otter's transcription and AI processing are cloud-based.
- Is this comparison independent?
- This site is published by Avant-Garde Global LLC, which also makes AIRIN (an unrelated AI receptionist product) and is not affiliated with Conva or Otter.ai. Conva is included in this guide's directory as a tool we cover, not one we sell.