Tactiq vs Otter.ai for Nonprofits
Choosing between Tactiq's privacy-first Chrome extension and Otter.ai's fully automated meeting bot? Both tools turn meetings into searchable transcripts, but their approaches diverge sharply. Tactiq never records audio and supports 60+ languages. Otter.ai joins your calendar automatically, syncs to CRM platforms, and enables cross-meeting search. Your decision hinges on whether automation and integrations or privacy and language breadth matter more to your team.
Quick Verdict
Choose based on your nonprofit's priorities:
Choose Tactiq if:
- •Privacy is non-negotiable (sensitive donor, advocacy, or client conversations)
- •Your team includes non-English speakers (60+ languages supported)
- •You want a lightweight tool that never appears as a bot in meetings
- •You primarily use Google Meet or Teams in Chrome
- •You want in-meeting moment highlighting without a complex setup
Choose Otter.ai if:
- •Full automation matters (OtterPilot joins meetings from your calendar)
- •You use Salesforce or HubSpot and want meeting notes auto-synced to donor records
- •You hold in-person community meetings that need mobile recording
- •Cross-meeting organizational memory and search are priorities
- •You qualify for TechSoup nonprofit verification (40% off Business plan)
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Feature | Tactiq | Otter.ai | Winner / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 10 transcripts/month, 5 AI credits | 300 min/month, 30 min/meeting max | Tactiq for predictable schedules; Otter for longer meetings |
| Paid Plan (Annual) | ~$8/month (Pro) | ~$8.33/month (Pro) | Tie on price; both affordable |
| Nonprofit Discount | 30% off (contact Tactiq) | 40% off Business via TechSoup | Otter for formal team plans; Tactiq for flexibility |
| Language Support | 60+ languages | English, Spanish, French only | Tactiq wins decisively for multilingual teams |
| Audio Recorded | No (text only) | Yes (audio stored) | Tactiq for privacy-sensitive work |
| Bot Visible in Meeting | No (Chrome extension only) | Yes (OtterPilot joins as participant) | Tactiq for unobtrusive approach |
| Supported Platforms | Google Meet, Zoom, Teams (Chrome only) | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex | Otter for broader platform support |
| Mobile App | No | iOS + Android | Otter for in-person meetings |
| CRM Integration | HubSpot, Salesforce (via Zapier) | HubSpot, Salesforce (native, custom fields) | Otter for deeper CRM sync |
| Cross-Meeting Search | No | Yes (Otter Chat) | Otter for organizational memory |
| AI Summaries | Yes (credits-based, post-meeting) | Yes (automated, real-time) | Otter for hands-free automation |
| Privacy/Legal Risk | Low (no audio, SOC 2, GDPR) | Higher (audio stored, 2025 lawsuit) | Tactiq for sensitive conversations |
Last updated: February 25, 2026. Pricing and features subject to change; verify with vendors.
Why Meeting Transcription Matters for Nonprofits
Nonprofit teams are perpetually stretched thin. Staff juggle grant deadlines, program delivery, donor relationships, and board responsibilities, often within the same week. Meetings are where decisions get made, commitments get recorded, and accountability gets established. But when the meeting ends and everyone goes back to their overflowing inboxes, the institutional knowledge generated in that hour risks disappearing into a tangle of personal notes and half-remembered conversations.
AI meeting transcription tools solve this problem by automatically capturing what was said, who said it, and what was agreed upon. For a small nonprofit running a $500,000 grant-funded program, that searchable record of funder conversations can be the difference between accurate grant reporting and a costly compliance gap. For a community health organization whose staff speak five languages, automatic transcription in each person's native language removes a barrier that English-only tools entirely ignore.
Tactiq and Otter.ai represent two thoughtful approaches to this problem, and they serve genuinely different organizational needs. Tactiq is a Chrome browser extension that reads meeting captions without ever recording audio, joining as a bot, or storing sound files. Otter.ai deploys an autonomous agent that joins your meetings automatically, records both audio and video, and connects that data to your CRM systems. Neither approach is objectively superior. The right choice depends on what your organization values most: privacy and simplicity, or automation and depth.
This comparison will walk through each tool's architecture, features, pricing, nonprofit discount programs, and the specific scenarios where each tool excels. It will also surface one important concern about Otter.ai that every nonprofit should review before adoption, and explain how to evaluate both tools against your team's real-world meeting patterns.
What Is Tactiq?
Tactiq is a Chrome browser extension that intercepts the live captions already generated by Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, turning them into a structured, searchable transcript without ever recording audio. Because the transcription happens by reading text rather than processing sound, Tactiq never joins a meeting as a visible participant, never creates audio files, and never stores recordings. For nonprofits conducting sensitive donor conversations, advocacy strategy discussions, or community meetings with vulnerable populations, this architectural difference has real privacy implications.
During a meeting, Tactiq displays a live transcript panel alongside the video call. Users can manually highlight important moments with a single click, creating a tagged annotation that makes post-meeting review faster. Once the meeting ends, Tactiq's AI layer (powered by GPT-4 via the OpenAI API) processes the transcript to generate a structured summary, extract action items, and make the content available for custom AI prompts. OpenAI has confirmed that data submitted via API is not used to train models, which is an important data handling consideration.
Tactiq supports transcription in more than 60 languages, which reflects the diversity of nonprofit teams and communities worldwide. For an organization where board members speak Tagalog, staff communicate in Spanish, and community partners use Somali, this breadth of language support is meaningful in a way that competitors rarely match. Transcripts can be exported to Google Docs, Notion, Slack, Confluence, HubSpot, and Salesforce, or pushed via Zapier to hundreds of other tools.
Tactiq Strengths
- No audio recorded, reducing privacy risk significantly
- 60+ languages for multilingual teams and communities
- Invisible to meeting participants (no bot presence)
- In-meeting highlight feature for real-time moment tagging
- SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR compliant
- Custom AI prompt templates for common nonprofit meeting types
Tactiq Limitations
- Chrome-only; no Firefox, Safari, Edge, or mobile support
- No in-person or phone call recording capability
- AI features use a credit system (5/month free, 10/month Pro)
- Cannot search across all past transcripts simultaneously
- Free plan limited to 10 transcripts per month
- Nonprofit discount process is not formally documented
What Is Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is a full AI meeting assistant built around OtterPilot, an autonomous bot that joins your scheduled video calls automatically from your calendar. OtterPilot records both audio and video, identifies speakers, captures slides shared during the meeting, and generates a structured summary with action items, which is delivered to all meeting participants via email within a couple of hours. This hands-free automation is Otter's defining advantage: nobody needs to remember to press record.
Beyond meeting capture, Otter provides Otter Chat, a natural language interface for querying the entire history of your organization's meeting transcripts. A development director could ask, "What outcomes did we commit to in our Q4 funder calls?" and receive an answer synthesized from months of recorded conversations. For grant reporting, board accountability, and institutional memory building, this cross-meeting search capability is genuinely powerful in ways that other tools, including Tactiq, cannot match. Otter also integrates deeply with Salesforce and HubSpot, allowing teams to define which meeting data gets mapped to which CRM fields automatically, making it particularly valuable for development and fundraising teams.
The platform includes iOS and Android mobile apps, enabling transcription of in-person community meetings, site visits, and field interviews where video calls are not an option. This coverage of both virtual and physical meeting environments is a meaningful operational advantage for nonprofits with active community engagement programs. However, Otter.ai's language support is limited to English, Spanish, and French, which is a significant constraint for organizations serving linguistically diverse communities or operating internationally.
Otter.ai Strengths
- OtterPilot joins meetings automatically (no manual start needed)
- Otter Chat: natural language search across all past transcripts
- Deep CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot custom field mapping
- Mobile app for in-person meeting recording
- Supports Zoom, Meet, Teams, AND Webex
- 40% nonprofit discount via TechSoup (formal verified pathway)
Otter.ai Limitations
- 2025 class-action lawsuit raises consent and data use concerns
- Language support limited to English, Spanish, and French
- Audio files are recorded and retained on Otter's servers
- OtterPilot bot appears as a participant, which can unsettle attendees
- Free plan's 30-minute/meeting cap prevents full coverage of most nonprofit meetings
- Speaker identification errors reach ~30% in larger meetings
Head-to-Head Feature Breakdown
A detailed look at the dimensions that matter most for nonprofit meeting workflows.
Privacy Architecture
How each tool handles your meeting data
Tactiq
Tactiq reads text captions generated by the meeting platform itself. No audio is ever captured, transmitted, or stored. Only text transcripts exist on Tactiq's servers. The tool never appears in a meeting's participant list because it operates entirely within the user's Chrome browser. AI processing runs through the OpenAI API, which contractually prohibits using API-submitted data for model training.
Otter.ai
OtterPilot joins meetings as a visible participant and records audio and video. Recordings are stored on Otter's servers (AWS, U.S.-based only). Otter uses de-identified audio data for AI model training, a practice disputed in a 2025 class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court. Otter is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, but the U.S.-only data storage creates GDPR complications for international organizations.
Verdict: Tactiq for privacy-sensitive work
Organizations working with vulnerable populations, handling sensitive advocacy conversations, or operating in two-party consent states should prefer Tactiq's no-audio architecture and consult legal counsel before adopting Otter.ai.
Language Support
Critical for nonprofit teams serving diverse communities
Tactiq
Supports transcription in more than 60 languages. The system relies on the host platform's native captioning engine (Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams), all of which have broad multilingual caption support. This makes Tactiq practical for genuinely diverse teams, board meetings with international members, or organizations serving immigrant communities where meetings may shift fluidly between languages.
Otter.ai
Supports English, Spanish, and French only. This is a significant limitation that is not prominently advertised in Otter's marketing materials. Nonprofits serving Haitian Creole, Somali, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Mandarin, or any of dozens of other widely spoken immigrant community languages will find Otter functionally unusable for those meetings.
Verdict: Tactiq wins decisively
For any nonprofit with multilingual operations, this single factor may determine the choice. Tactiq's 60+ language support reflects the actual diversity of nonprofit communities in a way Otter.ai's three-language library does not.
AI Features and Automation
How each tool generates summaries, action items, and insights
Tactiq
Tactiq's AI features run post-meeting and consume AI credits (5/month free, 10/month Pro). Users can generate structured summaries, extract action items, or run custom prompts against any transcript, such as "List all budget concerns mentioned" or "What follow-ups were committed to in this funder call?" Pre-built templates for common meeting types (board meeting, client call, team standup) accelerate this process. However, credits are a finite resource, which limits heavy AI use on lower-tier plans.
Otter.ai
Otter's AI operates automatically without requiring any user action. Summaries and action items are generated during and immediately after each meeting, then emailed to all participants. Otter Chat enables natural language querying across all past meeting history, a capability Tactiq cannot match. The AI writing assistant can draft follow-up emails and meeting reports from transcripts. Speaker learning over time improves attribution accuracy for recurring team meetings.
Verdict: Otter.ai for automation; Tactiq for custom prompts
Otter's fully automated summaries and cross-meeting search are more powerful for teams that want zero friction. Tactiq's custom AI prompts give users more control for specific analytical tasks.
Integrations and Workflow Connectivity
Connecting meeting insights to the tools your team already uses
Tactiq
Tactiq connects to Google Docs, Google Drive, Notion, Confluence, Slack, Dropbox, HubSpot, and Salesforce for direct transcript export. Zapier connectivity opens up hundreds of additional workflows, including pushing action items to project management tools and creating tasks in Asana or Monday.com. The Salesforce connection works with Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud. For the most common nonprofit workflows, Tactiq's native integrations cover the essential bases.
Otter.ai
Otter's CRM integration is more sophisticated: custom field mapping allows teams to define exactly which meeting insights flow into which Salesforce or HubSpot fields. Action items from meetings can be sent directly to Asana as tracked tasks, creating a clean loop between discussion and execution. Otter also integrates with SharePoint, Amazon S3, Egnyte, and OneNote, which serves organizations with existing Microsoft or AWS infrastructure.
Verdict: Otter.ai for CRM-dependent development teams
For fundraising and development teams where every donor call should update a Salesforce record automatically, Otter's native CRM mapping is a time-saving advantage. Tactiq's Zapier connectivity handles most other integration needs.
Platform Coverage and Accessibility
Which meetings and devices each tool can serve
Tactiq
Tactiq works exclusively in Chrome on desktop or laptop computers. It supports Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. No Firefox, Safari, Edge, or mobile browser support exists. There is no mobile app. This means Tactiq cannot transcribe in-person meetings, phone calls, community events, or any gathering that does not happen on one of the three supported video platforms in a Chrome browser.
Otter.ai
Otter supports Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex. Its iOS and Android mobile apps enable audio recording at in-person meetings, community town halls, site visits, and any gathering where a phone can be present. File import allows transcription of pre-recorded content like webinars, training sessions, and donor event recordings. This breadth of coverage is an operational advantage for community-facing nonprofits.
Verdict: Otter.ai for broader coverage
Nonprofits that blend virtual and in-person programming, or whose staff use a mix of devices and browsers, need Otter's broader platform support. Tactiq's Chrome-only limitation is a real constraint for many modern nonprofit teams.
Pricing Breakdown and Total Cost of Ownership
A realistic look at what each tool costs for nonprofits of different sizes.
Tactiq Pricing
Free Plan
$0
- 10 transcripts per month
- 5 AI credits per month
- All supported platforms
- Basic export options
Pro Plan (Annual)
~$8/month
- Unlimited transcripts
- 10 AI credits per month
- All integrations
- Priority support
Nonprofit Discount
30% off any paid plan. Contact Tactiq support directly to apply. Process is informal but accessible for most registered nonprofits.
Otter.ai Pricing
Basic (Free)
$0
- 300 minutes/month total
- 30-minute max per meeting
- 25 transcript storage limit
- English only on free tier
Pro Plan (Annual)
~$8.33/month
- More transcription minutes
- Longer meeting recordings
- Advanced exports
- Import audio/video files
Nonprofit Discount (TechSoup)
40% off Business plan via TechSoup. Formal verification required. Applies to Business plan only, not Pro. Must renew annually through TechSoup.
TCO Analysis: 3 Nonprofit Scenarios
Small Nonprofit (5 staff, 20 meetings/month)
Tactiq
5 users on Pro at $8/month each = $480/year. With 30% nonprofit discount: approximately $336/year. Free plan may work if meetings are evenly distributed and 10 transcripts/user/month is sufficient.
Otter.ai
5 users on Business plan at ~$20/month each = $1,200/year. With 40% TechSoup discount: approximately $720/year. Free plan's 30-minute meeting cap will likely be hit regularly for board or program meetings.
Mid-Size Nonprofit (15 staff, 60 meetings/month)
Tactiq
15 users on Pro at $8/month each = $1,440/year. With 30% nonprofit discount: approximately $1,008/year. Team plan may be needed for shared workspace features.
Otter.ai
15 users on Business at $20/month each = $3,600/year. With 40% TechSoup discount: approximately $2,160/year. The automation value (no manual recording starts) saves meaningful staff time at this scale.
Large Nonprofit (40+ staff, multilingual operations)
Tactiq
Enterprise pricing applies. Key differentiator: if staff communicate in multiple languages, Tactiq's 60+ language support makes it the only viable option. No comparable alternative for multilingual transcription quality at this scale.
Otter.ai
Enterprise pricing with SSO and advanced admin controls. Strong for English-speaking teams with high meeting volume and CRM integration needs. Not viable for multilingual operations beyond English, Spanish, and French.
Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.
Nonprofit Discounts and Special Pricing
Tactiq Nonprofit Program
Otter.ai Nonprofit Program
TechSoup Note: TechSoup is a trusted nonprofit technology intermediary used by thousands of organizations to access software discounts. If your organization is not yet registered with TechSoup, the Otter.ai discount provides a good reason to do so. Registration gives access to discounts on dozens of other tools including Salesforce, Microsoft, and Adobe. See our TechSoup guide for more.
Privacy, Security, and Legal Considerations
For nonprofits, data privacy is not just a compliance checkbox. It is a matter of organizational integrity, donor trust, and legal responsibility to the communities served.
The Otter.ai 2025 Class-Action Lawsuit
In August 2025, a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against Otter.ai in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The core allegations center on three issues: first, that OtterPilot joins meetings and records conversations without obtaining affirmative consent from all participants, including those who are not Otter account holders; second, that recorded conversations may be used to train AI models without adequate participant consent; and third, that these practices violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and California's Invasion of Privacy Act.
Otter.ai maintains that it de-identifies audio before using it for training and that its privacy practices are compliant with applicable law. The lawsuit was ongoing as of the date of this comparison. However, the mere existence of this litigation, and the underlying consent concerns it raises, is a material risk factor that nonprofits should evaluate carefully.
For nonprofits specifically: Organizations working with domestic violence survivors, mental health clients, undocumented community members, whistleblowers, or any population where conversation confidentiality is essential should review this litigation with legal counsel before deploying OtterPilot. Similarly, nonprofits conducting meetings in California or other states with two-party consent recording laws should confirm their legal standing before using any automated recording bot.
Security Certifications Comparison
| Security Feature | Tactiq | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes (U.S. storage only) |
| Audio Storage | None (text only) | Audio retained on servers |
| Data Used for AI Training | No (OpenAI API terms) | De-identified audio (disputed) |
| Data Residency Options | Not specified | U.S. only (AWS West) |
| Pending Litigation | None known | 2025 class-action lawsuit |
Ease of Use and Implementation
Tactiq Learning Curve
Tactiq's setup involves installing a Chrome extension and enabling captions in the meeting platform. Most users are capturing transcripts within 10 minutes. The in-meeting interface is minimal (a side panel showing the live transcript), which means there is very little to learn during a meeting itself.
The post-meeting AI features have a slight learning curve around the credit system and custom prompts, but standard users who want summaries and action items without customization can get results immediately. Non-technical staff adapt quickly.
Otter.ai Learning Curve
Initial setup requires granting Otter access to your Google or Microsoft calendar, which generates a consent dialogue that some IT-restricted environments may flag. Once connected, OtterPilot operates automatically without any user action. The ongoing experience is actually lower friction than Tactiq for most users because nothing needs to be initiated manually.
The Otter Chat and CRM integration features have a higher learning curve and require configuration time, but basic transcription is effortless once setup is complete. Allow a few hours for initial configuration and testing.
Implementation Timeline
Tactiq
- Day 1:Install Chrome extension, enable captions, test in one meeting
- Week 1:Explore AI summaries and action item extraction; configure export integrations
- Week 2:Build custom prompt templates for common meeting types; connect to CRM via Zapier if needed
Otter.ai
- Day 1:Create account, connect calendar, verify OtterPilot joining test meeting
- Week 1:Configure CRM field mapping (if using Salesforce or HubSpot); test action item sync to Asana
- Week 2-3:Explore Otter Chat for cross-meeting queries; review speaker ID accuracy and make corrections
Nonprofit Use Case Scenarios
Real-world scenarios illustrating where each tool excels for nonprofit teams.
Scenario 1: Immigrant Services Organization with Multilingual Staff
A resettlement agency holds weekly case review meetings where staff speak English, Somali, Dari, and Spanish. Program notes need to be captured in each participant's primary language, and sensitive client information must not be stored on external audio servers.
Best choice: Tactiq
Tactiq's 60+ language support and no-audio-storage architecture address both requirements directly. Otter.ai cannot handle Somali or Dari, and its audio storage creates unacceptable risk for meetings discussing protected client information.
Scenario 2: Development Team Using Salesforce for Donor Management
A community foundation's development team has 8 staff conducting 30+ funder calls and major donor meetings per month. Each conversation should update the relevant Salesforce contact record with next steps, pledges mentioned, and follow-up commitments, without anyone manually entering notes after each call.
Best choice: Otter.ai
Otter's native Salesforce integration with custom field mapping automates exactly this workflow. OtterPilot joins every meeting without staff needing to remember to start it, and the meeting insights flow directly into donor records. The TechSoup nonprofit discount makes the Business plan cost-effective at this team size.
Scenario 3: Small Advocacy Nonprofit with Sensitive Coalition Meetings
An advocacy organization working on criminal justice reform holds weekly coalition calls with community partners, some of whom are directly impacted individuals who are cautious about being recorded. The organization operates in California, a two-party consent state.
Best choice: Tactiq
Tactiq's absence from the participant list and no-audio-recording approach eliminates the consent concern entirely. Participants see a transcript being generated but no audio is captured. Otter.ai's bot presence and audio recording would require explicit consent from every participant, which may be inappropriate in this context given the 2025 litigation concerns.
Scenario 4: Community Health Nonprofit with In-Person Programs
A community health organization runs both virtual staff meetings and in-person community health workshops, town halls, and focus groups. Staff need a single tool that works across all these meeting formats, and they need to search past meeting notes for grant reporting purposes.
Best choice: Otter.ai
Otter's mobile app handles in-person meetings, and Otter Chat enables the cross-meeting search needed for grant reporting. Tactiq cannot record in-person meetings at all. If privacy concerns are significant, organizations should consult legal counsel and inform participants of recording before deploying OtterPilot.
Which Tool Should Your Nonprofit Choose?
The choice between Tactiq and Otter.ai ultimately comes down to two fundamental questions: how important is privacy architecture to your organization, and how important is automation and CRM integration? These are not the same question, and the answer to each points in different directions.
Tactiq's privacy-first design is not just a feature, it is a philosophical commitment to minimizing data footprint. No audio is captured, no bot joins your calls, and no recordings sit on remote servers. For organizations that handle sensitive conversations as a core part of their mission, whether that is domestic violence support, immigration legal services, or politically sensitive advocacy, Tactiq's architecture reduces risk in ways that are difficult to replicate with tools that record audio. Add Tactiq's 60+ language support and it becomes the obvious choice for any organization with genuine multilingual operations.
Otter.ai's automation depth is its defining strength. When OtterPilot is properly configured, meeting capture becomes completely frictionless: no one needs to remember to start recording, summaries arrive in email automatically, and donor records in Salesforce update without any manual entry. For development-focused teams, program staff managing complex grant portfolios, or executive directors who need institutional memory across months of stakeholder conversations, this automation creates genuine operational leverage. The key qualification is ensuring that your organization's consent practices are in order and that you have reviewed the 2025 litigation context with legal counsel if operating in jurisdictions with strong recording consent laws.
Decision Framework: 5 Questions
1. Do your meetings involve sensitive conversations with vulnerable populations?
Yes → Tactiq (no audio stored, no bot visible). No → Either tool works.
2. Do your staff or community members speak languages beyond English, Spanish, and French?
Yes → Tactiq (60+ languages). No → Either tool works.
3. Do you use Salesforce or HubSpot for donor management and want meeting notes to auto-sync?
Yes → Otter.ai (native CRM integration with custom field mapping). No → Either tool works via Zapier.
4. Do you hold in-person community meetings that need transcription?
Yes → Otter.ai (mobile app). No → Either tool works for virtual meetings.
5. Is your primary browser Chrome, and do you use only Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams?
Yes → Either tool is compatible. No (use Safari, Firefox, Webex, or other platforms) → Otter.ai.
Choose Tactiq if...
- Privacy and no-audio-storage are non-negotiable
- You serve or employ multilingual communities
- You want to avoid having a bot visible in sensitive calls
- Your team is Chrome-based and uses Meet, Zoom, or Teams
- Budget flexibility is limited and Zapier can handle integrations
Choose Otter.ai if...
- Automation matters (no one will remember to start recording)
- Salesforce or HubSpot are central to donor management
- You hold in-person meetings requiring mobile recording
- Cross-meeting organizational memory and search are priorities
- Your team qualifies for TechSoup nonprofit verification
Getting Started with Your Choice
Starting with Tactiq
- 1Install the Tactiq Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store
- 2Create a free account and enable live captions in your meeting platform
- 3Run a test meeting to verify the transcript appears correctly in the side panel
- 4Explore AI summaries after your first real meeting using the free AI credits
- 5Contact Tactiq support to apply for the 30% nonprofit discount if you decide to upgrade
Starting with Otter.ai
- 1Create an Otter.ai account and connect your Google or Microsoft calendar
- 2Configure OtterPilot to join meetings automatically or selectively
- 3Test OtterPilot in an internal meeting before enabling it for donor or funder calls
- 4Register with TechSoup and apply for the nonprofit discount (process takes 3-7 business days)
- 5Configure CRM integration if using Salesforce or HubSpot for donor management
Both tools offer free plans that allow meaningful evaluation before any financial commitment. For Tactiq, the free plan's 10 transcript limit per month gives most small nonprofits two to three weeks of realistic testing across regular meeting types. For Otter.ai, the free plan's 300 minute monthly cap and 30-minute meeting limit is more constrictive, but it is sufficient to evaluate OtterPilot's quality and the summary automation before committing to a paid plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for nonprofits: Tactiq or Otter.ai?
It depends on your priorities. Tactiq is better if privacy is non-negotiable, you work with multilingual teams or communities, or you prefer a lightweight browser extension that never records audio. Otter.ai is better if you need full meeting automation, deep CRM integration with Salesforce or HubSpot, mobile recording for in-person events, or the ability to search across all past meeting transcripts.
Does Otter.ai have a nonprofit discount?
Yes. Otter.ai offers approximately 40% off its Business plan for verified nonprofits through TechSoup. Organizations must have valid 501(c)(3) status or equivalent charitable status and apply through TechSoup's verification process. The discount is for a one-year subscription and must be renewed annually through TechSoup.
Does Tactiq have a nonprofit discount?
Tactiq offers approximately 30% off paid plans for registered nonprofits. Unlike Otter.ai's TechSoup pathway, Tactiq's discount is handled directly through their support team. Contact Tactiq support to confirm eligibility and apply.
Is Otter.ai safe for sensitive nonprofit conversations?
Nonprofits should exercise caution. In August 2025, a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against Otter.ai alleging that OtterPilot joins meetings without affirmative consent and that conversations may be used for AI training without adequate participant consent. Organizations working with vulnerable populations or operating in two-party consent states should consult legal counsel before deploying Otter.ai.
Can Tactiq transcribe meetings in languages other than English?
Yes. Tactiq supports transcription in more than 60 languages by reading the native captions generated by Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams. This is a major advantage over Otter.ai, which only supports English, Spanish, and French.
What is Otter Chat and why does it matter?
Otter Chat is a natural language search interface that lets you query all your past meeting transcripts simultaneously. For example, you can ask 'What commitments did we make to our major donors this quarter?' and get synthesized answers from months of meeting history. This is valuable for grant reporting, board accountability, and institutional memory. Tactiq does not offer an equivalent cross-meeting search capability.
Does Tactiq record audio?
No. Tactiq works by reading the live text captions generated by the meeting platform itself. Only text transcripts are created. No audio is ever captured, transmitted, or stored. This is a significant privacy advantage for organizations handling sensitive conversations.
Which meeting platforms does each tool support?
Tactiq supports Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, but only in Chrome browser. Otter.ai supports Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex, plus has a mobile app for in-person recordings.
Can I try both tools before deciding?
Yes. Both offer free plans. Tactiq's free plan allows 10 transcripts per month with 5 AI credits. Otter.ai's free plan allows 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute per-meeting cap. Testing both on a mix of your most common meeting types over two to three weeks will give you a clear sense of which fits your workflow better.
Still Deciding?
Book a free consultation and we will help you evaluate which meeting transcription tool best fits your nonprofit's workflow, privacy requirements, and budget.