Comparison

Vexa vs Otter.ai

Open-source meeting bot API vs consumer transcription service. Vexa is infrastructure for developers. Otter.ai is a product for end users.

Vexa
$0.30/hr

Bot infrastructure + storage. Transcription: +$0.20/hr. Self-host free.

Open source (Apache 2.0)
Full API: REST, WebSocket, MCP
Otter.ai
$16.99/user/mo

Pro plan. AI meeting notes, summaries, and action items.

Closed source
No self-host option
No developer API

Feature
comparison

FeatureVexaOtter.ai
Open source
Self-hostable
Developer API
Google Meet
Microsoft Teams
Zoom
Real-time transcription
Recording + storage
Interactive bots (TTS)
Screenshare from bot
MCP server
n8n integration
On-premises deployment
Apache 2.0 license
REST API
WebSocket streaming
AI meeting summaries
Consumer dashboard

Why developers
choose Vexa

API-first architecture

REST API, WebSocket streaming, webhooks, and MCP server. Build custom meeting workflows, not just read transcripts.

Open source

Apache 2.0 licensed. Full source code access. Otter.ai is a closed-source SaaS with no way to inspect or modify.

Usage-based pricing

Pay $0.30/hr per bot, not per user seat. Scale infrastructure without per-seat costs eating your margin.

Data sovereignty

Self-host with Docker, Kubernetes, or OpenShift. Your meeting data stays on your infrastructure.

Interactive bots

TTS speak, listen, respond, and screenshare from bots. Build truly interactive meeting experiences.

Bring your own AI

Vexa gives you raw meeting data via API. Use any LLM for summaries, analysis, or custom processing.

Need meeting infrastructure, not just notes?

Otter.ai is great for personal meeting notes. Vexa is for developers who need to send bots to meetings and get structured data via API.

No credit card required

Frequently asked questions

How is Vexa different from Otter.ai?

Vexa is a meeting bot API for developers. Otter.ai is a consumer transcription product. Vexa gives you REST API, WebSocket, MCP, and meeting bots you control programmatically. Otter gives you a dashboard with AI-generated meeting notes.

Can I self-host meeting transcription with Vexa?

Yes. Vexa is Apache 2.0 licensed and fully self-hostable with Docker, Kubernetes, or OpenShift. Otter.ai is cloud-only with no self-host option.

Is Vexa cheaper than Otter.ai?

Different pricing models. Otter charges $16.99/user/mo regardless of usage. Vexa charges $0.30/hr per bot. For API-driven use cases with variable meeting volumes, Vexa's usage-based pricing is typically more cost-effective.