Is there an open-source alternative to Otter.ai?

Yes. Txtify is a free, open-source (Apache 2.0) transcription tool you can self-host with one Docker command. It uses OpenAI's Whisper for transcription and can translate results with DeepL, so recordings never have to leave your own server.

Can I self-host a transcription tool instead of using Otter.ai's cloud?

Yes. Txtify runs entirely on your own machine via Docker. No account is required and audio is processed locally; the only optional external call is DeepL for translation, which you can leave disabled.

Does Txtify support speaker diarization like Otter.ai?

Not yet. Txtify does not label speakers today, and Otter.ai does. If speaker-by-speaker meeting notes are essential, Otter.ai is the better fit right now. Diarization is on the Txtify roadmap.

The open-source, self-hosted alternative to Otter.ai

Otter.ai is a great cloud transcription and meeting-notes service — but every recording you upload lives on someone else's servers, and you pay per month for the good tiers. Txtify is a free, open-source tool that does the core job — turning audio and video into text and subtitles — entirely on your own machine.

Try the live demo Get it on GitHub

Txtify vs Otter.ai at a glance

	Txtify	Otter.ai
Open source	Yes (Apache 2.0)	No
Self-hosted / runs on your hardware	Yes	No — cloud only
Audio stays on your machine	Yes	Uploaded to the cloud
Account required	No	Yes
Price	Free	Free tier + paid plans
Transcription languages	70+ (Whisper)	A handful (English-first)
Built-in translation	Yes (DeepL, optional)	No
Subtitle export (SRT/VTT/SBV)	Yes	Limited
Speaker diarization	Not yet	Yes
Live / real-time capture	No	Yes
Meeting bots & integrations (Zoom/Teams/Meet)	No	Yes

Competitor details change often — check Otter.ai's site for their current plans and language list.

Why people pick Txtify

Privacy by default. Files are transcribed on your own server. Nothing is uploaded unless you turn on optional DeepL translation.
No subscription. It's free and open source — run it as much as you want on your own hardware.
Many languages, plus translation. Whisper handles 70+ languages, and DeepL can translate the transcript into 30+ target languages.
Real files and YouTube links. Upload audio/video or paste a YouTube URL, pick a Whisper model, and export TXT, SRT, VTT, SBV, or PDF.

Run it in one command

docker pull lkmeta/txtify

The container serves a web UI where you drop a file or paste a link. Full setup and configuration (including raising the default upload and YouTube limits when self-hosting) are in the GitHub repository.

When Otter.ai is the better choice

We'd rather tell you the truth than win a click you'll regret. Choose Otter.ai if you need:

• Speaker labels — Otter separates who said what; Txtify does not label speakers yet.
• Live meeting capture — Otter joins Zoom/Teams/Meet and transcribes in real time; Txtify works on finished files and links.
• A zero-setup hosted service — Otter is sign-up-and-go; Txtify asks you to run a Docker container.

If instead you want private, self-hosted, multilingual file transcription with translation and subtitle export, Txtify is built for exactly that.

FAQ

Is Txtify really free?

Yes — it's open source under the Apache 2.0 license. There's no paid tier; you host it yourself.

Does my audio leave my machine?

No, transcription happens locally. The only optional external call is DeepL for translation, which you can leave off.

What can I export?

Plain text (TXT), subtitles (SRT, VTT, SBV), and PDF.

Transcribe something now See all self-hosted options