Descript vs Otter:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Otter had more branded searches than Descript among transcription services worldwide. Otter had about 382,000 branded searches, while Descript had 301,000. Otter made up 31.4% of all transcription service searches we track, and Descript accounted for 24.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about transcription services, Otter appeared in all five answers and Descript in three. Otter was mentioned before Descript in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Otter, about 27% more searches than Descript
Who does AI mention more?
Otter, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Otter, named ahead of Descript in 4 of 5 answers
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Top transcription services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Otter appeared in all five answers. Descript was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Otter was listed before Descript in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Rev1st- Otter2nd
Descript3rd
GoTranscript4th
TranscribeMe5th
Sonix5th
Whisper7th
Fireflies.ai8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Otter5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Rev5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Descript3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Whisper3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- TranscribeMe2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GoTranscript2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sonix2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Fireflies.ai1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about transcription services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which transcription service should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best transcription services?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best transcription service for audio and video?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“transcription services”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“audio transcription service”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Descript or Otter more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Descript and Otter by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight transcription services we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Otter, Descript. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Otter | Descript | TranscribeMe | Fireflies.ai | GoTranscript | Whisper | Sonix | Rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 37.3% | 24.1% | 7.2% | 10% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 34% | 26.7% | 8% | 11% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 1.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 33.1% | 26% | 7.8% | 10.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.2% | 25.9% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 7.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 1.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.7% | 27.5% | 8.2% | 9.4% | 5.5% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.5% | 23.9% | 8.8% | 9.9% | 4.8% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.6% | 22.8% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 5.6% | 10.2% | 4.6% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 33.7% | 21.4% | 9.6% | 10.8% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 5.3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.6% | 23.8% | 10.7% | 9.9% | 7.2% | 10.7% | 4.8% | 2.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.7% | 24% | 13.1% | 8.4% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 3.9% | 2.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.8% | 25% | 11.2% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.4% | 24.7% | 11.1% | 10.3% | 9% | 7.4% | 4.1% | 2% |
How has the Descript and Otter comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Otter was ahead of Descript in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Descript’s share of searches among transcription services worldwide moved from 24.1% to 24.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Otter’s share of searches among transcription services worldwide moved from 37.3% to 31.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 569K to 382K.
How did search popularity change for transcription services worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
11 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Descript’s and Otter’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among transcription services
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