Recal vs Otter
Turn conversations into action, not just notes
Otter is great at recording and transcribing meetings. Recal is built for something different: turning conversations into clear, actionable tasks — especially from Slack, async discussions, and shared recordings.
If you already have too many notes and transcripts, but still need things to actually get done, Recal may be a better fit.
The fundamental difference
Otter focuses on what was said.
Recal focuses on what needs to happen next.
Otter
Transcription & notes
- Recording live meetings
- Generating transcripts
- Producing meeting summaries
- Searchable transcripts
Recal
Action items & decisions
- Video understanding — sees screen shares & visuals
- Slack-native workflows
- Task extraction as core feature
- Built for async teams
| Recal | Otter | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Action items & decisions | Transcription & notes |
| Built for async teams | Mostly meetings | |
| Slack-first workflows | Native | Limited |
| Task extraction | Core feature | Secondary |
| Best for | Founders, PMs, remote teams | Meetings & interviews |
How Recal works
Designed for real work conversations, not just meetings.
Connect sources
Paste or connect Slack messages and threads, or upload recordings (Loom, meetings, videos).
AI analyzes
Recal understands context and extracts what actually matters from your conversations.
Get action items
Instantly generate clear summaries, structured action items, and follow-up tasks you can actually use.
What Recal generates
How Otter works
A fair look at what Otter does well — and where it stops short.
Otter is a strong choice if
- ✓Your work happens mostly in meetings
- ✓You need searchable transcripts
- ✓You want automated meeting notes
- ✓You conduct interviews and need verbatim records
⚠️However, Otter is less optimized for
- ○Slack-heavy teams
- ○Async communication
- ○Turning messages into tasks
- ○Remote-first workflows
When to choose which
Honest guidance to help you pick the right tool.
Choose Recal if you:
- Live in Slack more than meetings
- Want to extract tasks from message threads
- Work asynchronously across time zones
- Use Loom or shared recordings
- Care more about what to do next than full transcripts
Choose Otter if you:
- Attend many live meetings
- Need verbatim transcripts
- Want meeting-focused note-taking
- Don't rely heavily on Slack threads
Feature comparison
A detailed look at what each tool offers.
| Feature | Recal | Otter |
|---|---|---|
| Video understanding | — | |
| Slack thread summaries | — | |
| Task extraction from messages | Limited | |
| Async-first workflows | — | |
| Meeting transcription | Supported | Core |
| Loom / video summaries | Limited | |
| Action-oriented output | — |
Pricing philosophy
Otter's pricing
Built around meeting minutes and transcription volume. Great if you need lots of recorded hours.
Recal's pricing
Designed around number of recaps, task extraction, and real usage across Slack and async workflows.
If meetings are expensive or overused in your team, Recal helps reduce that cost by making async communication more effective.
See full pricing detailsFrequently asked questions
Is Recal a replacement for Otter?
Not necessarily. Some teams use Otter for transcripts and Recal for turning conversations into tasks. Many teams switch fully once they realize they don't need full transcripts — they need action items.
Does Recal record meetings?
Recal focuses on analyzing existing conversations and recordings, rather than being a meeting recorder first. You can upload recordings or connect them via Loom links, then get AI-powered summaries and action items.
Can Recal summarize Slack threads?
Yes! Slack thread summarization and task extraction is one of Recal's core features. Just type /recal in any thread to get an instant summary with action items, decisions, and deadlines extracted.
Can I use both Recal and Otter together?
Absolutely. Some teams use Otter for meeting recording and transcription, then bring key discussions to Recal for task extraction and actionable follow-ups. Use what works best for your workflow.
Learn more about our main product:
Meeting Summary AI
AI-powered meeting summaries with key points and decisions
Try Recal if action matters more than notes
If your biggest problem isn't capturing conversations but acting on them, Recal is built for you.
Learn more about Recal