Transcription software is a digital transcriber that converts audio into text. With the rise of voice technology in everything from podcasts and video conferencing to voice assistants, the demand for transcription is rising. In fact, the US transcription market is expected to reach $41.93 billion by 2030, according to GVE.

An audio-to-text converter allows you to repurpose content, make it accessible in different languages, and reach a global audience. Be it captions for social media videos, online course transcriptions, documentation of meeting proceedings, or legal transcripts, the right transcription tool can save you time, improve accessibility, and create searchable records of your audio content.

I have evaluated 25 transcription software and listed the best option based on transcription type, editing features, accuracy, privacy, and pricing.

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Best Transcription Software Comparison

I’ve summarized key features, pricing, and overall rating for each software. Most of them offer a free trial to explore its functionality.

Transcription Software
Editing Tool
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Pricing (mo)

$0.20/minute

$8.33

$15

$9

$9.99

$15

$20/year

$52

FREE

$7.72

$0.25/minute

$12/hour

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$ 0.13/minute

€49

$10

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Visit

Best Transcription Software Review

Below, I’ve reviewed each software in detail, highlighting why you should use it, its pros and cons, transcription accuracy details, and given an overall rating.

1. GoTranscript

1. GoTranscript

Best for Human Accuracy

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    99.2%+
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Phone
$0.20/minute
Try GoTranscript

Why GoTranscript?

GoTranscript focuses on human transcription services and offers AI-powered or automated transcription services. Its professional native transcribers convert your video to text in 60+ languages with 99.2% accuracy.

It offers a translation service for audio/text and provides captions and subtitles for videos. Since experienced transcription experts handle every order, you can expect exceptional accuracy even for videos with lower quality, heavy accents, and industry-specific terminology.

Upload your files using your preferred method—from your device, YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, or Dropbox. To ensure convenience, GoTranscript delivers your transcriptions in MS Word, but you can request custom formats to suit your specific needs.

I like how GoTranscript ensures the highest possible quality by putting every file through a four-step process of transcription, review, proofreading, and quality check. It offers free editing tools that you can use to edit the transcripts according to your preferences.

GoTranscript Pricing

GoTranscript’s human transcription pricing starts at $1.02/minute when ordered for 1000+ minutes. AI transcription with a 5-minute turnaround time costs $0.20/minute.

GoTranscript Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Cloud-native API solutions for continuous transcription

  • Advantage

    2048-bit SSL encryption and NDA protection for security and confidentiality

  • Advantage

    Special discount for educational, non-profit, and green organizations

  • Disadvantage

    Complex pricing structure

  • Disadvantage

    No integration support with virtual meeting apps

  • Disadvantage

    No Android app, despite being mentioned on the website

2. Otter.ai

2. Otter.ai

Best for Real-Time Notes

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    90%
  • Customer Support
    Email, Help Center
$8.33/month
Free Plan Available
Try Otter.ai

Why Otter.ai?

Companies like Zoom, Dropbox, and IBM use Otter.ai for their transcription needs, and you can do that, too. Besides instantly generating transcripts from live meetings, it lets you record audio from your phone or use a web browser to transcribe it instantly.

Its intelligent features, such as automatic speaker ID, action item summaries, and meeting slide captures, eliminate the need to juggle multiple third-party tools for simple enhancements.

Otter.ai takes out the hassle of note-taking during virtual meetings by automatically capturing meeting slides and integrating them into detailed notes, giving you full context without extra effort. Its automatic action item summaries and collaborative transcription editing allow your team to stay aligned and productive.

I’m impressed by the extensive integration support of Otter.ai, extending to Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Dialers, RingCentral, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, Amazon S3, Egnyte, and more. It even has an Android app and Chrome extension to facilitate easy accessibility.

Otter.ai Pricing

Besides the free plan, Otter.ai offers three more plans, which are as follows.

Pro: $8.33/user/month [For small teams]

Business: $20/user/month [Greater productivity for teams]

Enterprise: Custom pricing [Advanced security, control, and support for organizations]

Otter.ai Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    7-day free trial

  • Advantage

    Training Otter to recognize certain voices for future reference

  • Advantage

    600 minutes of free seamless transcription upon sign-up

  • Disadvantage

    Single Sign On and OtterPilot for Sales are only available to Enterprise plan

  • Disadvantage

    Live transcription via RTMP costs extra fees

3. MeetGeek

3. MeetGeek

Best for Auto Meetings Transcripts

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    Not Disclosed
  • Customer Support
    Support Center, Email
$15/user/month
Free Plan Available
Try MeetGeek

Why MeetGeek?

MeetGeek is an AI meeting automation platform with a transcription feature for 30+ languages. Whether collaborating on Google Meet, pitching clients on Zoom, or hosting a webinar, MeetGeek ensures you never miss a detail.

Beyond transcription, it offers timestamps, speaker IDs, and adjustable playback speeds to quickly revisit key moments without watching the entire meeting.

The MeetGeek mobile app and security features caught my attention. Its mobile app is useful for transcribing both in-person and virtual meetings. For added security, MeetGeek uses 256-bit AES and 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption.

MeetGeek Pricing

MeetGeek offers a free forever plan besides paid subscriptions. The paid plans are listed below.

Pro: $15/user/month [For professionals and small teams]

Business: $29/user/month [For innovative teams and businesses]

Enterprise: $59/user/month [For teams that need brand customization, increased storage, and support]

MeetGeek Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free forever plan with 5 hours of transcription per month

  • Advantage

    14-day free trial for paid plans

  • Advantage

    GDPR and SOC 2 Type II compliant

  • Disadvantage

    Does not support file upload for transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Human transcription service not available

4. Notta AI

4. Notta AI

Best for AI Transcription and Translation

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    98.86%
  • Customer Support
    Help Center, Email
$9/month
Free Plan Available
Try Notta AI

Why Notta AI?

Notta AI utilizes artificial intelligence to generate accurate transcripts for podcasts, interviews, lectures, voice memos, and meeting recordings at an accuracy rate of 98.86%. This audio-to-text converter accepts MP3, WAV, MP4, and WMV.

You can even upload files from your computer or paste URLs from YouTube, Google Drive, and Dropbox. All these save time and effort and help you become more productive.

Download the transcription text in Word, TXT, and PDF formats of your choice. Share transcriptions via a link, even with non-Notta users, for effortless communication.

I appreciate that Notta AI complies with SSL, GDPR, APPI, and CCPA standards, manifesting its commitment to data security and user privacy.

Notta AI Pricing

Notta AI offers a free plan. Its paid plans are listed below.

Pro: $9/month [For professionals]

Business: $16.67/month [For teams]

Enterprise: Custom pricing [For organizations]

Notta AI Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free forever plan with 120 minutes per month

  • Advantage

    Mobile apps for live transcription

  • Advantage

    Supports 58 languages for transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer professional transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Self-transcription not supported

5. Rev

5. Rev

Best for Fast Human Transcription

Geekflare rating score 4.0 out of 5
4.0
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    90%+
  • Customer Support
    Help Center, Email, Phone
$9.99/month
Free Plan Available
Try Rev

Why Rev?

Rev boasts 73,000+ talented freelance transcriptionists as human transcribers. Besides, it supports automated transcription with AI technology. It converts audio or video files into readable and searchable text with 99% accuracy for human transcription.

Rev’s AI transcript assistant helps you save time and stay focused by instantly turning audio and video files into text. Whether you’re analyzing a podcast, extracting insights from an interview, or converting meeting recordings into notes, Rev simplifies the process and ensures compatibility by supporting various formats like MP3, MP4, and MOV.

It has the option to download transcripts as Word documents, PDFs, or plain text, allowing you to choose the most suitable format.

I like its free interactive editor with version control, changing speaker names, and adjusting times features. It integrates with Google Drive, YouTube, Vimeo, and Dropbox to have a faster workflow. You can share the links of multimedia files streaming online to create transcripts.

Rev Pricing

Rev offers a free plan for 300 AI transcription minutes per month. The paid plans are listed below.

Basic: $9.99/user/month [Built for individuals and small teams]

Pro: $20.99/user/month [Built for larger teams]

Enterprise: Custom pricing [Built for organizations]

Rev Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    API with clear documentation

  • Advantage

    Free mobile app for audio recording

  • Advantage

    Collaboration on transcripts with team members

  • Disadvantage

    Speaker names may be inconsistent for files 30+ minutes

  • Disadvantage

    Does not accept physical media like SD cards and CD

  • Disadvantage

    Additional charges for rushed delivery

6. Nuance Drago

6. Nuance Drago

Best for Specialized Dictation

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    99%
  • Customer Support
    Support Center, Phone
$15/month
7-Day FREE Trial
Try Nuance Dragon

Why Nuance Drago?

Nuance Dragon is speech-to-text software that offers a variety of speech transcription solutions for home users, professionals, legal groups, law enforcement, and medical users.

Its professional-grade mobile app delivers up to 99% accuracy, enabling you to format, edit, and customize text using your voice on the go. Nuance Dragon adapts to your unique workflow and enables you to work smarter by letting you add industry-specific terms or create auto-text shortcuts.

In my opinion, professionals will benefit from the Auto‑Transcribe Folder Agent (ATFA) as it simplifies third-party review and correction by automating transcription tasks. In this case, all you have to do is just to drag and drop audio files and let Nuance Dragon handle the rest.

Nuance Dragon Pricing

Nuance Dragon offers a 7-day free trial, and the paid plans are listed below.

1 month: $15

12 months: $150

Volume Licenses: Custom pricing

Note: Nuance Dragon is available in the US and Canada.

Nuance Drago Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    7-day free trial is available

  • Advantage

    Continuous dictation with no word limits

  • Advantage

    Android and iOS mobile apps

  • Disadvantage

    Available only in the US and Canada

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer manual transcription

7. Transcribe

7. Transcribe

Best for Foot Pedal

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    90%
  • Customer Support
    Email

Why Transcribe?

With Transcribe, you can turn podcasts, speeches, lectures, calls, and interviews into text in over 80 languages, using automatic transcription or performing self-transcription.

If your source file has minimal background noise, you can save valuable time with quick and accurate automatic transcription. If the audio files are unclear, the manual transcription mode ensures you still achieve results efficiently.

I appreciate that Transcribe empowers its users with tools to enhance productivity. For example, you can trim media files for focused segments, identify speakers for organized output, include timecodes for better navigation, and use a custom dictionary to make the software adapt to your unique terminology.

The auto-loop feature allows pausing and resuming and automatically helps you transcribe without interruptions.

Transcribe Pricing

Transcribe offers self-transcription for $20/year with free one-week trial. The automatic transcription costs $20/year + $6/hour.

Transcribe Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    1-week free trial for self-transcription

  • Advantage

    Foot pedal integration with popular devices

  • Advantage

    Support punctuation command for dictation

  • Disadvantage

    Professional transcriber service not available

  • Disadvantage

    The PDF file is not supported for document export

8. Trint

8. Trint

Best for Collaborative Transcription

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    99%
  • Customer Support
    Knowledge base
$52/seat/month
7-Day FREE Trial
Try Trint

Why Trint?

Trint is an AI audio transcription software ideal for converting audio into text in 40+ languages. Its client base includes law firms, financial services, podcasters, content creators, and educational institutes.

Trint transforms the way you handle transcription by delivering 99% accurate transcripts through its cutting-edge ASR and NLP technologies. Its API seamlessly integrates with your internal tools, enabling customization that fits your unique workflow.

Trint’s real-time editing features, like highlighting key moments, leaving comments, and assigning tasks, ensure everyone stays aligned. Granular access permissions enable easy transcription sharing with the teammates.

I appreciate how Trint lets you perform many post-transcription editing tasks. You can add markers, assign speaker names, search for certain words, and even leave reminders via comments on specific sections. It exports the transcription in MS Word, allowing easy editing and formatting.

Trint Pricing

Trint offers a 7-day free trial to its advanced plan. The paid plans are listed below.

Starter: $52/seat/month [For content creators]

Advanced: $60/seat/month [For advanced content creators and teams]

Enterprise: Custom pricing [For organizations]

Trint Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Automatic language detection and transcription

  • Advantage

    Easily deployable cloud technology with Single Sign-On (SSO) integration

  • Advantage

    Integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox

  • Disadvantage

    Expensive service

  • Disadvantage

    The free trial lasts for 7 days only

9. oTranscribe

9. oTranscribe

Best for Free In-Browser

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    Not Disclosed
  • Customer Support
    Email

Why oTranscribe?

oTranscribe is an entirely free and open-source transcription tool. Unlike many of its competitors, it does not use any AI or employ human transcribers to transcribe the audio. Instead, it allows you to listen to any preferred audio content or video files and transcribe them using the given text editor.

oTranscribe automatically saves each change safely on your computer, so you don’t lose the transcript if the internet connection gets interrupted.

I like its hotkeys functionality, which lets you pause, rewind, and forward the video using a keyboard. oTranscribe shows interactive timestamps for easy navigation through the transcript, resulting in enhanced data extraction and search capabilities.

oTranscribe Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Video file support with a built-in player

  • Advantage

    Customizable keyboard shortcuts

  • Advantage

    Export to Google Docs, markdown, or plain text

  • Disadvantage

    Support only YouTube URL for source video file

  • Disadvantage

    Retains only 100 backups

10. Express Scribe

10. Express Scribe

Best for Pro Transcriptionists

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    Not Disclosed
  • Customer Support
    Phone, FAQs
$8.83/month
Free Plan Available
Try Express Scribe

Why Express Scribe?

Express Scribe is a free transcription software that also comes in a PRO version. Thanks to its keyboard hotkeys and transcribing pedal support, you have to spend less time in the transcription process to get accurate results.

Express Scribe supports encrypted dictation files, letting you comply with strict data protection standards. Besides supporting 45+ audio and video file formats, Express Scribe works with Microsoft Word, Corel Wordperfect, Lotus Wordpro, and other text editors. You can apply different playback speeds to complete the transcription work at your own speed.

Its ability to load audio from a CD for transcription caught my attention. Express Scribe automatically sends the transcription to you once it is done, so you do not have to worry about getting it in time.

Express Scribe Pricing

The Express Scribe offers a free plan that supports common file formats such as WAV, MP3, and WMA. For the pro edition, the pricing is $8.83/month.

Express Scribe Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Dedicated software for Windows

  • Advantage

    Plug-and-play install wizard for professional foot pedals

  • Advantage

    Automatically loads audio files from the FTP server

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer automatic transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Old-style software interface

11. Temi

11. Temi

Best for Budget Automatic (ASR)

Geekflare rating score 4.3 out of 5
4.3
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    90-95%
  • Customer Support
    Phone, Email
$0.25/minute
FREE Trial Available
Try Temi

Why Temi?

Temi is an advanced speech recognition software that journalists, reporters, podcasters, bloggers, and authors use for transcribing interviews, video content, podcasts, meetings, and dictations. It specializes in machine learning and speech recognition, ensuring increased speed and accuracy.

Its simple editing tool features speaker identification and custom timestamps, making it easier for you to organize your work and polish your transcript with minimum effort. Temi accepts all audio and video file types to create transcription within a few minutes. It saves transcripts in MS Word, PDF, SRT, VTT, and other formats, so you can share and repurpose your content easily.

I appreciate Temi’s features, which offer more control to its users. You can video playback on its dashboard, where you can control the volume and speed of the video. In addition, you can delete your files whenever you want to ensure the privacy of your projects.

Temi Pricing

Temi offers a free trial for one transcript for 45 minutes. The paid plan costs 0.25/audio minute.

Temi Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Android and iOS apps for creating, editing, and sharing recording

  • Advantage

    TLS 1.2 encryption and secure servers

  • Advantage

    Free Trial for one transcript under 45 minutes of transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Does not support video URLs

  • Disadvantage

    Transcription accuracy is reduced for audio with heavy background noise

12. Descript

12. Descript

Best for Editing + Transcription

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    95%
  • Customer Support
    Knowledge base, Email, In-app Live Chat
$12/user/month
Try Descript

Why Descript?

Descript delivers excellent accuracy along with flexible collaboration options to have perfect transcription every time. You can download its desktop application for Windows and Mac to create transcripts, while its web app enables access to transcription services on the go.

Its advanced speaker detection feature can identify 8+ speakers in the audio and label each speaker separately, eliminating confusion during edits. Descript’s version control feature of the web app ensures every team member works with the latest files while maintaining a complete history of all changes.

I like that Descript supports content creators by importing transcription documents for free so that they can sync with the media content. It keeps all the uploaded content confidential, so you do not have to worry about their security.

Descript Pricing

Descript offers a free plan, which provides a 1-hour maximum per month for transcription. The paid plans listed below offer savings of up to 35%.

Hobbyist: $12/person/month [Watermark-free]

Creator: $24/person/month [Advanced AI-powered features]

Business: $40/person/month [Offers collaboration in the team]

Descript Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free plan to try the basic features

  • Advantage

    Supports 23 languages for transcription

  • Advantage

    Custom transcription glossary for commonly used words

  • Disadvantage

    The web version has a 5 GB maximum file size limitation

  • Disadvantage

    The desktop app does not work on old versions of Windows and Mac

13. Sonix

13. Sonix

Best for Fast, Customizable ASR

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    99%
  • Customer Support
    Help Center, FAQs
$10/hour
30 Minutes FREE
Try Sonix

Why Sonix?

Sonix is an automatic transcription software that ensures fast and secure audio/video transcription without any complicated workflows. Whether you’re a busy professional, a podcaster, a teacher, or a researcher, it saves you hours by delivering highly accurate transcripts that require little to no editing.

By supporting all major file formats, Sonix saves you from the tedious file conversion process. Just upload the files or add them from Google Drive or Dropbox, and it will quickly generate transcripts for editing in an in-browser editor. You can save the transcript in MS Word, PDF, TXT, and other formats.

I appreciate how Sonix makes team collaboration effortless by letting you add notes and comments directly within the transcript. Its additional features like word-by-word timestamps, sharable team folders, importing existing transcripts, and sharing transcripts for editing, enhance collaboration and enable efficient review.

Sonix Pricing

Sonix offers 30 minutes of free transcription on every new account. The paid plans are highlighted below.

Standard: $10/hour [Perfect for project-based work]

Premium: $5/hour + $22/user/month [Perfect for advanced collaboration]

Enterprise: Custom pricing [Perfect for High volume transcription with advanced user controls and content analysis]

Sonix Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free trial for 30 minutes

  • Advantage

    Supports 49+ languages and dialects

  • Advantage

    Search, edit, and share media files

  • Disadvantage

    No mobile apps

  • Disadvantage

    The speaker recognition feature is still in beta stage

14. Audext

14. Audext

Best for ASR with Editing Tool

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    99%
  • Customer Support
    Email
$12/hour
FREE Trial Available
Try Audext

Why Audext?

Audext offers both automatic transcription and professional manual transcription, where you can expect 80% and 99% accuracy, respectively. The most common use cases of this software include education, marketing, media, healthcare, agriculture, consulting, and event management.

Regardless of your field—education, media, healthcare, or event management—Audext adapts to your needs. Its built-in editor, with its intuitive features like active word highlighting, find-and-replace, and adjustable playback speed, ensures you can edit the transcripts at your pace.

Moreover, automatic speaker identification and timestamps are useful for transcribing meetings, interviews, or any situation with multiple speakers.

I like Audext’s process, which is quite simple from start to finish. This cloud software does not need any installation, so you can start working on it from anywhere. It supports standard multimedia file formats like MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, etc. Exporting your work is easy, and transcription files in Word, JSON, and TXT formats make it simple to integrate these into your workflow.

Audext Pricing

Audext manual transcription costs $1.20/minute, while automatic service costs $12/hour.

Audext Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free trial of 10 minutes

  • Advantage

    100% native speakers for manual transcription

  • Advantage

    60+ languages supported for automatic transcription

  • Disadvantage

    Offers 6 pricing plans, which could be complex for the users

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer the option to get transcription in PDF format

15. Amberscript

15. Amberscript

Best for Accurate Speaker ID

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    100%
  • Customer Support
    Knowledge base, Phone, Email

Why Amberscript?

Amberscript is an intelligent tool for converting audio and video files into text or subtitles. With its AI-powered speech recognition, you can automatically transcribe files in 70+ languages, achieving up to 85% accuracy.

You can rely on Amberscript’s professional human transcription service for crucial projects, delivering 100% precision in 18 languages. Export your transcriptions in Word, JSON, or TXT formats to easily incorporate them into your workflows.

Its online text editor allows users to improve the accuracy of machine transcriptions. It automatically adds timestamps and recognizes distinct speakers.

I am intrigued by its specialized transcription, which can include jargon or specific vocabulary. It minimizes the need for manual corrections, especially for transcribing industry-specific languages.

Amberscript Pricing

Amberscript offers a 10-minute free trial. The pricing model is highlighted below.

Machine-Made Transcription

One-off credit: $10 [Includes 1 hour of audio or video]

Subscription: $20/month [Includes 3 hours of audio or video]

Human-Made Transcription: $1.50/minute [1 minute of audio or video]

Amberscript Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    10 minutes of free transcription

  • Advantage

    GDPR-compliant and ISO-certified

  • Advantage

    Offers verbatim and non-verbatim trancriptions

  • Disadvantage

    Standard API does not support language detection

  • Disadvantage

    Human transcription is available in a limited number of languages

16. GoSpeech

16. GoSpeech

Best for Small Business

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    No
  • Accuracy
    Not Disclosed
  • Customer Support
    Email, Phone
€49/month
Try GoSpeech

Why GoSpeech?

GoSpeech is an AI-based SaaS transcription solution for automatically transcribing audio and video files. Built to meet the highest data security standards, it runs exclusively on German servers, making it the ideal choice for professionals handling sensitive information.

GoSpeech adapts to your needs by recognizing multiple speakers and dialects and delivering a transcript ready for search and collaboration. Its intuitive online editor lets you conveniently edit the transcript or work on it with your team using its group function.

As the source file format, it supports AAC, MP3, MP4, M4A, M4V, OGG, WAV, DSS, etc., while it exports transcriptions in DOCX, TXT, PDF, and VTT formats.

I appreciate how it offers an on-premise solution in addition to a cloud application, giving you the power to work your way. Moreover, its link-sharing feature enables hassle-free collaboration—even with members without a GoSpeech account.

GoSpeech Pricing

GoSpeech offers a free plan which allows 10 minutes of transcription. The paid plan costs €49/month.

GoSpeech Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free plan available

  • Advantage

    Online editor with vocabulary, version history, and comments

  • Advantage

    Data protection compliant platform

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer live chat support

  • Disadvantage

    Telephone support is only available during business hours

17. Happy Scribe

17. Happy Scribe

Best for ASR and Subtitles

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Human Transcription
    Yes
  • Accuracy
    99%
  • Customer Support
    Help Center
$10/month
Free Plan Available
Try Happy Scribe

Why Happy Scribe?

Happy Scribe is a free transcription software that empowers you to convert audio to text in over 60 different languages. Whether you’re creating subtitles for videos or transcribing interviews, this free tool saves you time and enhances productivity.

Collaboration becomes seamless as you can bring your team onboard—proofreaders and editors, to work together in real-time, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Features like speaker name assignments and custom vocabularies let you tailor transcriptions to your unique needs, while the interactive transcription editor ensures quality improvements with minimal effort.

I am impressed that Happy Scribe allows you to upload files of any size and length, making it ideal for everything from short podcasts to lengthy conference recordings. Its integration with platforms like YouTube and Zapier helps streamline your workflow, while the option to set starting timecodes gives you precise control over where transcriptions begin.

Happy Scribe Pricing

Happy Scribe has a free forever plan. Its paid plans are listed below.

Basic: $10/month [Suitable for individuals]

Pro: $17/month [Suitable for professionals]

Business: $29/month [Suitable for professionals and teams]

Happy Scribe Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Free forever plan

  • Advantage

    Supports 67 languages for automatic transcription

  • Advantage

    Export transcription in Word, TXT, PDF, JSON, VTT, etc.

  • Disadvantage

    Only verbatim transcription for automatic

  • Disadvantage

    Does not support batch-sharing of content

What Is Transcription Software?

Transcription software converts speech into written text. If you have an audio or video recording of a business meeting, podcast, or lecture, a transcription tool can turn it into text.  

Some transcription programs use advanced technology and AI to automatically generate a text transcript, while others assist human transcribers in manual transcription by providing features such as playback speed control, timestamp, and speaker identification.

It saves significant time and effort for professionals, business executives, researchers, students, content creators, and anyone who needs to work with audio and video recording.

Types of Transcription Services 

The types of transcription services are Verbatim, Intelligent, Automatic, Manual, and more.

  • Verbatim Transcript: This transcription is the written form of spoken language that captures every sound made in the source audio or video file.
  • Intelligent Transcript: It omits filler words, rambling, slang, and other irrelevant sounds.
  • Automatic Transcription: Software applications provide this transcription service that offers you speed and does not need human intervention. 
  • Manual Transcription: This type of transcription is done by humans who would create transcriptions of different types (intelligent verbatim, edited) based on client requirements.
  • Edited Transcript: It offers better readability and clarity through standardization by removing grammatical mistakes and incomplete sentences.
  • Phonetic Transcription: This type of transcription involves writing down all sounds of the audio but using phonemes (a special set of symbols for pronunciation).

There are browser extensions available for both verbatim and non-verbatim transcription.

Automatic vs. Manual Transcription: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between automatic and manual transcription is definitely a tough decision. Software-powered automatic transcription offers speed and affordability. You can quickly convert audio to text, often at a fraction of the cost of manual transcription. However, the accuracy rate could be lower, especially in the case of challenging audio with accents, background noise, or multiple speakers.

Manual transcription done by human transcribers offers the highest level of detail and precision as people meticulously listen and type the transcript. But this precision comes at a price of time and cost.

So, how do you decide the right method for you? If speed and budget are your top priorities, go for automatic transcription. It’s ideal for quick summaries, initial drafts, or situations if minor inaccuracies won’t bother you.

However, if you need an error-free transcript for legal proceedings, medical records, or academic research, manual transcription is your go-to option.

AI Transcriptions: Pros and Cons

The pros and cons of AI transcriptions are listed below.

Pros of AI Transcription

  • Faster turnaround time
  • Cost-effective than human transcription
  • Usually available 24/7
  • Scalability with a large volume of audio data

Cons of AI Transcription

  • Accuracy issues might appear for complex audio
  • Security concerns for sensitive audio
  • Output might lack proper formatting and punctuation

FAQs

What Is the Best Tool To Convert Audio to Text?

GoTranscript, Trint, Descript, and Amberscript are some of the best tools to convert audio to text.

What Software Do Legal Transcriptionists Use?

Legal transcriptionists use Nuance Dragon and Trint to transcribe all legal proceedings.

What Is the Cheapest AI Transcription Software?

Otter.ai, oTranscribe, Express Scribe, GoSpeech, and Descript are the cheapest AI transcription software applications because they offer free forever plans.

Can Transcription Software Handle Multiple Languages?

Yes, transcript software like Sonix, Descript, Trint and Amberscript support multiple languages.

Can Transcription Software Transcribe in Real-Time?

Yes, many transcription applications, including Otter.ai and Rev, transcribes in real-time.

Can Transcription Software Handle Poor-Quality Audio?

Yes, GoScript, Happy Scribe, and many other transcription tools can effectively transcribe audio files with poor quality.

What’s next?

Let’s explore more transcription platforms through our guide below.