Transcription software compared, with a source for every fact
Free plans, prices, languages and AI for nine tools. Every rival fact links to its source, and we say when another tool fits better.
Nine transcription tools side by side
Monthly US prices unless a cell says yearly. Check the source before you buy.
Who lets you transcribe a full hour for free
Few free plans let you transcribe one 60-minute recording and take the transcript away. Otter's free plan lets you read only the first 30 minutes. Fireflies transcribes it on Free, but downloading the transcript needs Pro. TurboScribe Free stops each file at 30 minutes.
Five others stop sooner. Rev's free tier is 45 minutes a month. Sonix gives a one-time 30-minute trial. Happy Scribe's AI transcription trial is 10 minutes, once. Notta Free transcribes up to 3 minutes per conversation, and Trint's trial transcribes the first 5 minutes of each file. Two work differently. Descript's free 60 media minutes a month cover one such file a month. Riverside's separate web tool does not state a file-length cap, but it puts every voice under one speaker and exports only TXT and SRT. Textspert Free takes 3 files of up to 60 minutes every day, with every export format.
How to choose the right transcription software
- You want notes written during live calls: look at Otter or a meeting bot like Fireflies. Textspert has no bot.
- You need a person to type or certify the transcript: Rev or Happy Scribe sell human work. Textspert is machine transcription only.
- You edit podcasts or video and want to cut by text: Descript is built for that. Riverside makes sense if you record there too.
- You need 134+ translation languages or noise cleanup: TurboScribe has both.
- You have recordings and want editable text at a low price per hour: that’s Textspert.
- You need human subtitles for broadcast or 150+ transcription languages: Happy Scribe lists both.
Every comparison and alternatives list
The best free plans, and where to go when one tool stops fitting.
- Best free transcription softwareTen free plans and trials, held up against one 60-minute file.
- Otter alternativesSeven tools for people who upload files instead of running a bot.
- Descript alternativesSix tools for getting text out of recordings, minus the video editor.
- Temi alternativesTemi now points to Rev. Here is what to save and where to go.
- TurboScribe alternativeLonger free files, built-in summaries and hour packs, with sources.
- Rev alternativeRev's AI transcripts cost $15 an hour. Textspert packs run $1 an hour on 5 hours, down to about $0.58 on the 60-hour pack.
- Fireflies alternativeLong uploads and 100 languages instead of a meeting bot.
Questions about choosing transcription software
What is the best transcription software?
For live meetings, a bot like Otter's makes sense. For human-checked transcripts, Rev. For editing video by text, Descript. For recordings you already have, at a low cost per hour, Textspert.
Which transcription tool has the most generous free plan?
For uploaded files, Textspert's free plan gives 3 files a day at up to 60 minutes each. Otter gives 300 minutes a month, but only the first 30 minutes of each conversation is readable on Free, and it allows 3 imports in total. Notta Free transcribes up to 3 minutes per conversation.
What is the cheapest way to transcribe a lot of audio?
Among these tools, a 60-hour Textspert pack at $35 works out to about $0.58 an hour. Sonix charges $10 per extra hour on a subscription and Rev's AI rate is $15 an hour.
Do any of these companies use recordings to improve their AI?
Otter's privacy policy covers training its own AI on de-identified recordings and transcripts. Rev's terms allow subscriber content to be used for continuous training of its speech models, though Enterprise and Unlimited customers can ask Rev to opt out. Descript's terms allow it for AI-feature inputs and outputs unless you opt out. Textspert never uses your files to train any model.
Does Textspert have a meeting bot?
No. Record the call in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, then upload the file. If you need notes written during the call, Otter or Fireflies fit better.
Single comparisons and next steps
- Otter alternativesSeven tools for people who upload files instead of running a bot.
- Descript alternativesSix tools for getting text out of recordings, minus the video editor.
- Rev alternativeRev's AI transcripts cost $15 an hour. Textspert packs run $1 an hour on 5 hours, down to about $0.58 on the 60-hour pack.
- Fireflies alternativeLong uploads and 100 languages instead of a meeting bot.
- Free transcription3 files a day, up to 60 minutes each, with speaker labels and every export format.
- Private transcriptionYour files, sharing and deletion stay in your control.
Compare plans on the pricing page, or read our short privacy promises.
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