A Rev alternative for AI transcripts at a lower price
Rev still does something we don't: it has people who type and check your transcript. But if you buy Rev's AI transcript, you're paying $15 for each hour of audio. Below, Rev's $0.25 a minute next to our prices, and the cases where Rev is worth it.
Rev and Textspert compared
| Feature | Textspert | Rev |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 files a day, each up to 60 minutes, in 100 languages | 45 AI minutes a month, English only |
| Pay as you go, AI | Hour packs: 5 hours $5, 20 hours $15, 60 hours $35 | $0.25 a minute ($15 an hour) |
| Human transcription | Not offered | $1.99 a minute |
| Subscription | Unlimited: $20 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly (fair use up to 720 hours a month) | Essentials $29.99 a seat a month ($25.49 a seat a month billed yearly), 5,000 AI minutes; Pro $59.99 a seat a month ($47.99 a seat a month billed yearly), 10,000 AI minutes |
| Languages | 100 on every plan | English on Free, English and Spanish on Essentials, 37+ on Pro |
| Exports | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT, CSV and JSON on every plan | Transcript formats not listed on its pricing pages |
| AI tools | Summary, chapters, action items; chat and translation on Unlimited | See Rev's current AI features |
| Speech model training | Never on your files | Terms allow subscriber content to be used for continuous training of its speech models |
The price gap, worked out
Rev's AI rate is simple: 25 cents for every minute. That's easy to budget and painful at volume.
| Audio | Rev AI at $0.25 a minute | Textspert |
|---|---|---|
| A 45-minute interview | $11.25 | Free (3 files a day) |
| 5 hours | $75 | $5 pack |
| 20 hours | $300 | $15 pack |
| 60 hours | $900 | $35 pack, about $0.58 an hour |
Pack hours last 12 months, so a researcher can buy 60 hours in spring and finish coding in the fall.
If you're past 60 hours a month, Rev Essentials covers 5,000 AI minutes, about 83 hours, for $29.99 a seat. Textspert Unlimited covers files up to 10 hours each, and there are no seats to count.
Rev's published limits, and what Textspert does instead
| Limit | What Rev publishes | What Textspert does |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | English only, 45 AI minutes a month, 1 user | 3 files a day of up to 60 minutes each, in 100 languages |
| Paying for AI transcripts | Billed by the minute, at $0.25 | Hour packs, paid once: 5 hours for $5, 20 hours for $15 or 60 hours for $35 |
| Languages on a paid plan | English and Spanish on Essentials; 37+ on Pro | 100, Free included |
| Model training | Speech-to-text content may be used for continuous training of its models | Your files never train any model |
When you need Rev's human transcribers
A machine draft is the wrong product for court filings, contract disputes, or work where someone must stand behind every word, and Rev lists human transcription at $1.99 a minute.
Textspert is machine transcription. You click any word to hear it, so fixes go fast, but you do the checking. Some teams split the work: Textspert for the large pile of internal recordings, Rev for the few that must be certified. Legal transcription says where Textspert fits and where it doesn't.
Who Textspert suits better
Researchers with dozens of interviews
A study with 40 one-hour interviews costs $600 at Rev's AI rate. On Textspert it fits inside one 60-hour pack for $35, with CSV export for coding.
Anyone working outside English and Spanish
Rev's Essentials plan stops at two languages. Textspert transcribes 100 languages on every plan, Free included.
Small teams without per-seat budgets
Rev's subscriptions are priced per seat. Textspert's plans aren't, and a private share link lets a colleague read a transcript with no seat of their own.
Checking a machine draft without the busywork
Most of what an AI transcript costs you is the time spent fixing it. Each word lights up as the audio plays; click one that looks off, hear it, type the fix. Rename Speaker 1 once and every line follows, timestamps intact.
Past 4 voices, people share labels, so a crowded focus group takes more checking. For a crowded room, a human service can be worth paying for.
How each company treats your recordings
Rev's terms say that for speech-to-text subscribers, customer content "may be used for continuous training of those models". They also say "Customer Content will not be used for any generative AI model training", and Rev's help center says Enterprise and Unlimited customers can ask to opt out of AI training.
We never use your files or transcripts to train or fine-tune any model. Your audio is never sent to any AI company; transcription and AI run on our own GPUs.
Switching from Rev, step by step
Try one file free
Upload a recording you already paid Rev to transcribe and compare the two side by side.
Pick a pack or Unlimited
Packs for uneven months, Unlimited for steady weekly work with translation and chat.
Upload your backlog
Paid plans take up to 50 uploads at a time, each up to 10 hours and 5 GB.
Keep your Rev account if you still need human transcripts now and then; nothing here asks you to choose only one.
Rev alternative questions
Is Textspert cheaper than Rev?
For AI transcripts, yes. Rev charges $0.25 a minute, or $15 an hour. A 60-hour Textspert pack is $35, about $0.58 an hour.
Does Textspert offer human transcription?
No. Every transcript is machine-made and yours to correct. For human or certified transcripts, Rev is the better fit.
Can Textspert transcribe languages other than English?
Yes, 100 on every plan. Rev's free plan is English only and Essentials adds Spanish.
Can I get a Word document like Rev gives me?
Yes. Export DOCX, or PDF, TXT, SRT, VTT, CSV and JSON, with timestamps and speaker names if you want them.
Does Textspert charge per seat?
No. Send a colleague a private link instead of buying a seat.
Do hour packs expire?
Yes, 12 months after purchase. Packs leave out translation, chat and bulk export.
Is there a monthly minimum?
No. Packs are one-time, and you can cancel the monthly plan anytime and keep it to the end of the period you paid for.
What if my file is long?
Paid plans and packs take files of up to 10 hours and 5 GB each, enough for a deposition-length draft. Free stops at 60 minutes.
Who can see my recordings?
You, and anyone you send a share link to. Admins need two-factor sign-in, impersonation needs a written reason that goes in an audit log, and transcript text never appears in our logs.
Related comparisons and pages
- CompareTextspert next to TurboScribe, Otter, Rev, Descript and more, with sources.
- Otter alternativesSeven tools for people who upload files instead of running a bot.
- Interview transcriptionFor reporters checking quotes and researchers coding interviews, with every line tied to the audio.
- Legal transcriptionPrivate draft transcripts of interviews, calls and hearing audio, clearly not certified.
- PricingFree, subscriptions, and one-time hour packs.
Compare plans on the pricing page, or read our short privacy promises.
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