Dedicated clinical scribe vs generic meeting assistant
An honest, fact-checked-where-possible comparison — not a takedown.
Written by Kshitij Domadia, Founder, MyKaya
Published June 24, 2026
The short answer
Otter.ai is a general business meeting assistant, whereas MyKaya is a clinical scribe built specifically for therapists. Otter.ai primarily sends a visible bot into your calls, generates basic business transcripts, and is not HIPAA-compliant on standard plans. MyKaya records silently from your desktop, formats transcripts into structured therapy notes (SOAP, DAP), and tracks safety measures like PHQ-9 and GAD-7.
Feature comparison: MyKaya vs Otter.ai
| Criteria | MyKaya | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Recording method | Browser-based, bot-free desktop recording with manual session audio upload. | Sends a visible "OtterPilot" bot to join calls via calendar integration (though a desktop app is available for bot-free local recording). |
| Language support | Global languages + 22+ Indic languages, handling code-switching natively. | No Indian-language support (transcribes only English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese). |
| Clinical safety layer | Standardized PHQ-9, GAD-7, and C-SSRS alerts built in. | None; business summary action items and transcripts. |
| Core focus | Mental health clinical documentation and safety outcomes. | Business meeting transcripts and collaborative notes. |
| Compliance & Security | Built with client privacy first: session data is encrypted and isolated per practice, using secure, healthcare-grade cloud infrastructure. | GDPR and SOC 2 Type II compliant; HIPAA compliance is Enterprise-only (requires custom BAA). |
| Trust & Credibility | Trusted by mental health professionals from institutes like NIMHANS. | Used by corporate teams for product and business meetings. |
| Pricing | 14-day free trial, then flat-rate INR plans: Compass at ₹999 (30-day pass) or the flagship Atlas subscription at ₹2,999/mo (or ₹29,999/yr). | Free tier; Pro tier starts at ~$8.33/user/month; Business/Enterprise tiers. |
| Best for | Therapy practices that need private, secure session notes and clinical tracking. | Business teams looking to transcribe standard office meetings. |
Recording method
Browser-based, bot-free desktop recording with manual session audio upload.
Sends a visible "OtterPilot" bot to join calls via calendar integration (though a desktop app is available for bot-free local recording).
Language support
Global languages + 22+ Indic languages, handling code-switching natively.
No Indian-language support (transcribes only English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese).
Clinical safety layer
Standardized PHQ-9, GAD-7, and C-SSRS alerts built in.
None; business summary action items and transcripts.
Core focus
Mental health clinical documentation and safety outcomes.
Business meeting transcripts and collaborative notes.
Compliance & Security
Built with client privacy first: session data is encrypted and isolated per practice, using secure, healthcare-grade cloud infrastructure.
GDPR and SOC 2 Type II compliant; HIPAA compliance is Enterprise-only (requires custom BAA).
Trust & Credibility
Trusted by mental health professionals from institutes like NIMHANS.
Used by corporate teams for product and business meetings.
Pricing
14-day free trial, then flat-rate INR plans: Compass at ₹999 (30-day pass) or the flagship Atlas subscription at ₹2,999/mo (or ₹29,999/yr).
Free tier; Pro tier starts at ~$8.33/user/month; Business/Enterprise tiers.
Best for
Therapy practices that need private, secure session notes and clinical tracking.
Business teams looking to transcribe standard office meetings.
Otter.ai feature details reflect public positioning at the time of writing and may have changed — confirm directly with Otter.ai before deciding.