Otter.ai vs. QuorumBook for public meetings
Many clerks have tried Otter.ai or other note-takers. They are useful for transcripts, but a transcript is not minutes. Here is the practical difference.
Last updated October 11, 2026
| QuorumBook | Otter.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Draft minutes in your state’s format | Transcript plus a general summary |
| Motions, seconds and roll-call votes | Structured for every motion | Not structured |
| Speaker names in a room recording | Matched to your board roster | Speaker labels often need manual fixing |
| Bot joins online meetings | No, you upload the file | Can join automatically |
| Used to train AI | Never | See the vendor’s policy |
| Records retention workflow | Included | No |
A transcript of a two-hour meeting runs to twenty or thirty pages. Turning it into minutes still means finding every motion, who made and seconded it, and how each member voted, then rewriting the rest into concise action minutes. That is the part that takes hours, and it is the part QuorumBook does.
Some municipalities have also restricted AI note-takers that join meetings automatically. QuorumBook never joins a meeting; the secretary chooses which recording to upload.
See it with your own meeting.
Send us a recording of a recent meeting and we'll send back draft minutes in your board's format. Free, no credit card, no sales call.