Minute vs Otter: privacy
Is Otter.ai safe? A privacy comparison with Minute
Otter.ai is a cloud service. It encrypts stored data, has a SOC 2 Type 2 report, and trains its own AI on de-identified recordings and on transcripts. Minute is a Mac app that keeps the recording, the transcript, and the summary on your computer. This page compares Otter.ai privacy with Minute, row by row.
Version 1.13.0 · Mac only, macOS 11 or later · Signed and notarized by Apple
Otter.ai privacy and Minute, side by side
The Otter column quotes Otter's own privacy pages and help center.
| Topic | Minute | Otter |
|---|---|---|
| Where your meetings are stored | Plain files in a folder on your Mac | In Otter's cloud. "Otter uses AWS S3 storage". |
| What goes over the network | Nothing from your meetings. Minute goes online only to download a model, to list models, and to check for an update. | Otter is a cloud service, so your recordings and transcripts are stored on its servers. |
| AI training | None. Minute has no server, so it receives nothing to train on. | "Otter uses a proprietary method to de-identify user data before training our models so that an individual user cannot be identified." The privacy policy lists "training our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)". |
| Human review | None. Minute has no account and no server. | "This training method is automatic and as such audio recordings and transcripts are not manually reviewed by a human." Otter also says: "Before audio recordings are ever reviewed manually by a human (Otter personnel or its third parties), we require explicit consent from customers." |
| Other AI companies | None. The speech model and the language model run inside the app. | "No customer data will be used to train or improve our AI Service Provider(s)' artificial intelligence models/algorithms." |
| Selling data and ads | Minute has no account and no analytics. | "We do not sell your data." The privacy policy also says that Otter discloses device, cookie, and location information to advertising and analytics providers, and that "some of these data disclosures may broadly be considered a "sale" of Personal Information" under US state privacy laws. |
| Encryption | Minute adds no encryption of its own. Notes are plain files, so turn on FileVault to encrypt your disk. | "Server-side encryption uses a 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256)." |
| Security audit | None. The code is open source, so you can read it. | Otter says it "has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 report against stringent standards". |
| Bot in the call | No. Minute records your microphone and, on macOS 13 or later, system audio. | "Notetaker joins Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings as a guest participant and will be visible in the meeting." Otter's desktop app can also record without a bot. |
| Telling other people | Nobody sees Minute in the call, so you must say that you are recording. | When the Notetaker joins, "it posts a message in the meeting chat with a link to the live transcript". Otter also says: "Always obtain any required consent and follow applicable recording laws and the Otter Terms of Service." |
Checked on 10 November 2026 against otter.ai/privacy-security, otter.ai/privacy-policy (effective June 16, 2026), the Otter Notetaker overview, and Otter's article on recording permissions. Minute facts come from its README.
Protected in the cloud, or never sent
Otter protects your meetings after it receives them. It encrypts stored data, and an independent auditor reports on its controls. You rely on those controls and on Otter's policy, which allows Otter to train its own AI on de-identified recordings and on transcripts.
Minute never receives your meetings. Recording, transcription, and summaries run on your Mac and do not use the network. Minute has no account and no server. You rely on your own Mac, and you can read the code.
Each choice has a cost. With Otter, your meetings are on another company's servers. With Minute, the notes are plain files with no encryption of their own, so the security of your Mac is your job.
When Otter is the better choice
Minute is not the safer choice for everyone. Otter fits better in three cases.
Your company needs an audited vendor.
Otter has a SOC 2 Type 2 report. Minute has no audit report. It is an open source app, not a vendor with certified controls.
You want everyone to see the note taker.
The Otter Notetaker is visible in the meeting and posts a message in the chat. Nobody sees Minute, so telling people is up to you.
You do not use a Mac.
Minute runs only on macOS 11 or later. Apple silicon is the tested target, and the Intel build is not yet tested on real Intel hardware.
Price, limits, and features: Minute as an Otter alternative Everything Minute sends over the network
Questions about Otter.ai and Minute
Is Otter.ai safe?
Otter encrypts stored data and has a SOC 2 Type 2 report. It also trains its own AI on de-identified recordings and on transcripts. If your meetings must not leave your computer, a cloud service does not fit, and an app that works offline does.
Does Otter.ai train its AI on my meetings?
Otter's privacy policy lists "training our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)". Otter says the companies that provide its AI services do not train their models on customer data. Minute has no server, so it receives nothing to train on.
Does Otter.ai sell your data?
Otter's security page says "We do not sell your data." Its privacy policy says that Otter discloses device, cookie, and location information to advertising and analytics providers, and that some of these disclosures "may broadly be considered a "sale" of Personal Information" under US state privacy laws.
Why is Otter.ai joining my meetings?
Usually, someone on the invite connected a calendar to Otter and has auto-join on, or added the Notetaker to that meeting. If that is you, set auto-join to "Meetings I manually select" in Otter's AI Notetaker settings. During a call, anyone can type "stop otter" in the meeting chat to remove it. Minute has no bot, so it never joins a call.
Is Minute safe?
Minute sends nothing from your meetings over the network, and it has no account and no analytics. It also has limits. Notes are plain files with no encryption of their own, and Minute has no audit report. Turn on FileVault, and read the code on GitHub if you want to check.
Is Otter.ai free?
Otter has a free Basic plan with 300 transcription minutes a month and 30 minutes at most per conversation. Minute is free with no quota. See how they compare on price and features on the Otter alternative page.
Keep your meetings on your Mac.
Minute is the free, offline AI note taker for macOS.
Version 1.13.0 · Signed and notarized by Apple · macOS 11 or later
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