Software advice
Best AI Transcription Software in 2026
Transcription software turns recorded or live speech into written text, usually with speaker labels and timestamps, and lets you edit, search and export the result. Most products here are automatic and priced by the hour or by a monthly allowance. Some add human proofreading, and several are developer APIs. It is not a meeting bot that writes summaries, though some tools do both.
Quick answer
Otter ranks first for people who need a transcript from any file or live call at low cost. Trint fits newsrooms that need verification and editing. AssemblyAI fits developers who want a per-hour speech API with a large free allowance and strong training controls.
Buying transcription software starts with one question: who will touch the text afterward? A journalist who corrects quotes needs an editor and clean exports. A researcher with a hundred interviews needs hours priced low and languages covered. A developer needs an API billed per hour of audio. This ranking covers all three, and flags which entries are apps and which are APIs. We read each vendor's pricing page, security page and privacy policy in October 2026, and we did not run accuracy tests. Accuracy claims are the vendor's, so we describe design trade-offs such as live capture, language count and human review, and we suggest you test your own audio before paying.
The 10 best transcription software in 2026, ranked
The order is the verdict, there is no score. No vendor paid for position. How we rank.
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otter.ai | Individuals and small teams who want cheap transcripts of files and live conversations | Yes | $8.33 per user per month, billed annually |
| 2 | Trint | Newsrooms and media teams who verify quotes and edit transcripts together | Trial | Quoted |
| 3 | Notta | Budget buyers who need many languages and a generous monthly minute allowance | Yes | $8.17 per month, billed annually |
| 4 | Happy Scribe | Multilingual teams who want AI transcripts, subtitles and optional human proofreading in one place | Trial | $9 per month for 60 minutes |
| 5 | Descript | Podcasters and video makers who cut audio by deleting words from the transcript | Yes | $16 per person per month, billed annually |
| 6 | Rev | Legal and investigative teams who need AI drafts plus human-verified transcripts | Yes | $25.49 per seat per month, billed annually |
| 7 | AssemblyAI | Developers adding transcription to a product, with language breadth and training opt-out | Yes | $0.15 per hour |
| 8 | Deepgram | Developers building real-time or high-volume voice products who want low per-minute rates | Yes | $0.0043 per minute |
| 9 | Sonix | Researchers and media teams who pay per hour and need subtitles in many languages | Trial | $10 per hour, pay as you go |
| 10 | Speechmatics | Teams needing a speech API with EU, US or Australian processing and on-premises options | Yes | $0.12 per hour |
- 1
Otter takes first place as a general transcription tool because the free plan is usable, annual Pro is cheap, and exports cover TXT, PDF, DOCX and SRT. It slips on languages, since transcription covers six, and on data terms, since its privacy policy says it trains its AI on de-identified audio and transcriptions. Anyone transcribing sensitive interviews should read that clause before uploading.
Strong on
- Pro allows 1,200 minutes a month and 90 minutes per conversation
- Exports to TXT, PDF, DOCX and SRT, with bulk export on higher tiers
- Lists SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR and AES-256 encryption on its security page
Weak on
- AI transcription supports English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese only
- Privacy policy says de-identified audio and transcripts train its proprietary AI
Skip it if: Multilingual teams, or reporters protecting sources who cannot accept training on de-identified recordings. Pro tier. Monthly billing is $16.99, and the free Basic plan caps conversations at 30 minutes.
- 2
Trint
Trint ranks second because its security and editing story suits journalists: ISO 27001, EU or US data storage and a stated promise that recordings are not used to train its algorithms. The trial needs no credit card. The cost of that focus is price opacity, since a buyer has to contact sales or log in to see current rates, which keeps it below cheaper self-serve tools.
Strong on
- Says it never listens to recordings to train its algorithms
- ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certified, with EU or US storage
- Transcribes in more than 50 languages and exposes a documented API
Weak on
- Current self-serve plan prices were not visible on its public pricing page
- Default retention is for the lifetime of the subscription
Skip it if: Solo users who want a public price list and a permanent free plan before signing up. Its live pricing page returned an error when checked, so no rate is quoted. A 7-day trial covers 3 files.
- 3
Notta
Notta ranks third because the annual Pro plan packs 1,800 minutes and recordings up to five hours for under $10 a month, across 58 languages. It lacks a documented public API and its page does not say whether customer data trains models. The free plan, limited to 3 minutes per conversation, works as a short trial, not a working tool.
Strong on
- Pro includes 1,800 transcription minutes and recordings up to 5 hours
- Page lists 58 transcription languages and an on-device option
- Page states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance
Weak on
- Free plan allows only 3 minutes per conversation and 120 minutes monthly
- No public API is described, only MCP, CLI and Zapier options
Skip it if: Developers who need a documented API, or teams that need a clear no-training statement. Pro tier, $97.99 charged yearly. Free allows 120 minutes a month, and Business is $16.67 monthly on annual billing.
- 4
Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe ranks fourth because it covers the widest language range here, with 150 or more languages advertised, plus subtitle exports and a human proofreading option from $2 a minute. Training on your files is opt-in, which beats several rivals. Allowances are small at the entry level, and its own pages quote different language counts in different places.
Strong on
- Machine-learning training on your content is opt-in, per its privacy policy
- Exports TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT and PDF, with a documented developer API
- Pro and Business tiers list 600 and 6,000 minutes monthly
Weak on
- Lite includes only 60 minutes a month, with extra credits at $0.20 a minute
- Its pricing page was unreachable, so plan figures come from its review page
Skip it if: Heavy users on a tight budget, who get more hours per dollar from Notta or an API. Lite plan. Pro is $29 for 600 minutes, and pay-as-you-go starts from $12 for 60 minutes.
- 5
Descript
Descript sits fifth because transcription here is the way into an editor, not the end product. It transcribes in 25 languages with speaker detection and lets you edit media by editing text. A buyer who only wants a clean transcript pays for video and AI features they will not use, and its privacy policy permits model training.
Strong on
- Transcribes in 25 languages and detects eight or more speakers
- Multitrack transcription keeps separate speaker recordings aligned for precise speaker labels
- Edits the audio and video itself when you change the transcript
Weak on
- Privacy policy says data may be used for research, including training its AI
- Media hours and AI credits are capped, with top-ups sold separately
Skip it if: Researchers and journalists who only need accurate text and standard subtitle exports. Hobbyist tier with 10 media hours monthly. Monthly billing is $24, and Free allows 60 media minutes.
- 6
Rev
Rev ranks sixth because its pricing page now sells an investigative and legal platform, with human transcripts as an add-on, instead of a simple transcription app. Human work is stated at 99 percent or better, and the company says it will not train external LLMs on your data. General buyers will find seats, file limits and legal features beyond their needs.
Strong on
- Human transcription at $1.99 a minute with a stated 99 percent accuracy
- Page lists SOC 2 Type II and says no external LLM training on your data
- Separate rev.ai API prices Reverb transcription at $0.20 an hour
Weak on
- Free plan is English only, and Spanish arrives only on Essentials
- Plans are priced per seat and framed around legal and investigative cases
Skip it if: Podcasters, students and marketers who want a simple transcript app without a legal platform around it. Essentials tier with 5,000 AI minutes per user. Free gives 45 minutes, and human transcripts start at $1.99 a minute.
- 7
AssemblyAI
AssemblyAI ranks seventh because it is an API, not an app, so a non-developer gets nothing to click. For builders it has a clear rate card, a free tier of 185 pre-recorded hours with no card, and 99 languages on Universal-2. Paid accounts can opt out of training, and EU-server data is never used for it.
Strong on
- Free tier covers 185 pre-recorded hours and 333 streaming hours, no card
- Paid accounts can opt out of training, and EU-server data is never used
- Pre-recorded audio can carry a time-to-live as low as one hour
Weak on
- No editor or transcript workspace, so you build the interface
- Newest model supports 18 languages, while the 99-language model is older
Skip it if: Journalists and researchers who want to upload a file and edit a transcript in a browser. Universal-2 pre-recorded rate. Universal-3.5 Pro is $0.21 an hour, and the free tier gives 185 hours.
- 8
Deepgram
Deepgram ranks eighth because its Nova-3 rates are among the lowest listed here and it offers streaming models built for voice agents. Its pricing page also lists a free credit of $200 for new accounts. The data side needs care: model improvement is controlled by a mip_opt_out parameter you must send, and BAAs for health data are enterprise-only.
Strong on
- Nova-3 pre-recorded audio starts at $0.0043 a minute on pay as you go
- Free credit of $200 and streaming models built for voice agents
- Page lists SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 certification
Weak on
- Participation in model improvement is controlled by a request parameter you must set
- Policy says it stores data on servers in the U.S.
Skip it if: Buyers needing a transcript editor, or teams that need EU hosting without an enterprise contract. Nova-3 monolingual pre-recorded, pay as you go. A $200 free credit starts the account, and Growth rates are lower.
- 9
Sonix
Sonix ranks ninth because per-hour pricing is simple and the privacy policy states it does not use customer content to train its models, but the hours cost more than any plan above it. It offers 54 or more languages, subtitle exports and burned-in captions. Heavy users find Core's five hours a month thin against rivals.
Strong on
- Privacy policy says it does not use your content to train its models
- Exports DOCX, PDF, TXT, SRT and VTT, plus burned-in subtitles
- Page lists SOC 2 Type II, API access and 54 or more languages
Weak on
- Core allows 5 hours monthly, and extra hours cost $10 each
- Data is stored outside the EEA, under standard contractual clauses
Skip it if: Heavy users who transcribe dozens of hours monthly and want the lowest cost per hour. Core is $25 a month for 5 hours. The trial gives 30 minutes with no credit card.
- 10
Speechmatics
Speechmatics ranks tenth only because it is the narrowest fit for most readers: an API without an editor. On its own merits it is strong, with the lowest listed rate here, ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II, and a stated policy of no data logging for training by default. On-premises containers suit regulated buyers, but they sit on enterprise terms.
Strong on
- Lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, GDPR and HIPAA
- No data logging for model training by default, per its pricing page
- Processing location choice across EU, US and Australia
Weak on
- No editor or app, so non-developers cannot use it at all
- On-premises containers and virtual appliances are offered only as enterprise deployments, not self-serve
Skip it if: Non-technical users who want to upload a file and edit text in a browser. Melia 1 pre-recorded rate. Enhanced is $0.38 an hour, and $100 in credits needs no card.
How these transcription software were judged
How accurate is AI transcription, and what do vendors actually claim?
Accuracy depends on audio quality, accents, crosstalk and domain words, so no single score settles it. Vendors give mostly design facts instead: Sonix says 99 percent accuracy, Rev sells a human-verified tier it calls 99 percent or better, and the API vendors publish model names such as Nova-3 and Universal-3.5 Pro. Language coverage differs widely, from Otter's six to Happy Scribe's 150 or more. Features such as custom vocabulary, speaker detection and code switching matter as much as headline claims. Run your messiest ten minutes of audio through two shortlisted tools and count the errors that change meaning.
How much does transcription software cost per hour of audio?
Apps bill monthly allowances and APIs bill per audio hour, so convert everything to one unit. As of October 2026, Sonix pay-as-you-go is $10 an hour, Happy Scribe's Pro plan is $29 a month for 600 minutes, and Notta's annual Pro works out to $8.17 a month for 1,800 minutes. APIs are far lower: Speechmatics lists $0.12 an hour for Melia 1, AssemblyAI $0.15 an hour for Universal-2, and Deepgram $0.0043 a minute for Nova-3. Human transcripts sit near $2 a minute. Trint publishes no current self-serve rate we could verify.
Does transcription software train its models on your recordings?
Interviews, patient calls and client meetings make this the most important check. Otter's privacy policy says it trains its AI on de-identified audio and transcriptions. Happy Scribe makes training opt-in, and Sonix says it does not use customer data to train its models. Trint says it never listens to recordings to train its algorithms and offers EU or US storage. Rev says it does not let customer data train external LLMs. Deepgram requires you to set mip_opt_out to exclude requests, AssemblyAI lets paid accounts opt out, and Speechmatics says it logs no data for training by default.
How easy is it to move transcripts out of one tool and into another?
Plain text and subtitle files travel well, so lock-in is mostly about what you add on top. Otter exports to TXT, PDF, DOCX and SRT on paid plans, Sonix adds VTT and burned-in subtitles, and Happy Scribe lists TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT and PDF. Speaker names, comments and corrections may not survive an export, and video-linked edits in Descript live inside its projects. For APIs, the switching cost is code: request formats, word timestamps and diarization output differ between vendors. Export a sample file and re-import it elsewhere before committing a year of work.
Which transcription tool suits a journalist, a researcher or a developer?
A journalist who verifies quotes against audio should start with Trint, whose editor and security posture target newsrooms. A student or small team on a budget fits Otter or Notta, both with free tiers. Researchers working across many languages should compare Happy Scribe and Sonix. A podcaster who also edits video fits Descript. Legal teams that need certified or human-checked output should read Rev's current plans, which are now aimed at legal and investigative work. Developers should look at the three APIs and price their own monthly audio volume first.
How to choose a transcription software in three steps
- Split people-facing tools from APIs. Decide whether a person or a program will read the output. If a person edits the text, shortlist Otter, Trint, Notta, Happy Scribe, Sonix or Descript and judge the editor, the exports and the language list. If code will call the service, shortlist AssemblyAI, Deepgram and Speechmatics and judge the per-hour rate, the free credit, streaming support and where data is processed. Comparing an app subscription with an API rate directly leads to wrong conclusions, because the app includes an editor, storage and support that an API does not.
- Convert every price to cost per audio hour. Take your real monthly audio volume and compute the cost under each plan. A 1,800-minute allowance is 30 hours, a 600-minute plan is 10 hours, and an API bills the exact minutes you send. Add the cost of extra hours, seat fees and any human proofreading, which Happy Scribe and Rev list at about $2 a minute. Note whether unused minutes roll over: Otter's page says its allowances do not. Re-run the numbers for a busy month, since overage rates decide the real bill.
- Test with your hardest audio and your own privacy rules. Pick a recording with overlapping speakers, an accent and jargon, and run it through each free trial or free credit: Otter and Notta have free plans, Sonix gives 30 free minutes, Trint a 7-day trial, and Speechmatics $100 in credits. While testing, read each vendor's training and retention terms. If the recordings are sensitive, ask for a data processing agreement and confirm whether opt-out is a setting, a contract term or an enterprise-only option. Keep the results in one spreadsheet so you compare errors, speed and price per hour side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI transcription software in 2026?
Otter ranks first here because it combines a free plan, live transcription, low annual pricing and common export formats. Trint ranks second for editing and verification in newsrooms, and Notta third for its low-cost allowance and 58 languages. Developers should look to AssemblyAI, Deepgram and Speechmatics, which charge per audio hour and are listed lower.
Is there free transcription software that works?
Yes, within limits. Otter's free plan gives 300 monthly minutes with a 30-minute cap per conversation, and Notta's free plan gives 120 minutes. Descript's free plan includes 60 media minutes, Rev's gives 45 AI minutes, and Sonix offers a 30-minute trial. Developers can start on AssemblyAI's free tier of 185 hours or Deepgram's $200 credit.
Which transcription tool supports the most languages?
Happy Scribe advertises 150 or more languages for AI transcription, and AssemblyAI's Universal-2 model supports 99. Notta lists 58, Speechmatics' Melia 1 model covers 56, and Sonix says 54 or more. Otter covers six, and Descript covers 25. Language lists differ between transcription and translation, so check the exact language you need.
What is the cheapest transcription API?
Among the three APIs here, Deepgram lists Nova-3 monolingual pre-recorded audio at $0.0043 a minute, about $0.26 an hour, while Speechmatics lists Melia 1 at $0.12 an hour and AssemblyAI lists Universal-2 at $0.15 an hour. Newer, more accurate models cost more, for example $0.21 an hour for AssemblyAI's Universal-3.5 Pro. Add-ons such as diarization are billed separately.
Can I get a human-checked transcript instead of an automatic one?
Yes. Rev lists human transcription at $1.99 per minute with a stated 99 percent or better accuracy, and Happy Scribe lists human proofreading from $2.00 per minute. Both take hours rather than seconds. Automatic output is cheaper and instant, so many teams use it for a first draft and pay for humans only on files that will be published or filed.
Which transcription software keeps data in Europe?
Trint says you can store data in the EU or the US, and Happy Scribe's own materials say data sits in an EU data center. Speechmatics lists EU, US and Australia as processing locations, and AssemblyAI says data sent to its EU servers is never used for training. Check your contract for the exact hosting and sub-processor terms.
Is Otter safe for confidential interviews?
Otter lists SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, CCPA and HIPAA as an add-on on its security pages, and encrypts stored data with AES-256. Its privacy policy also says it trains its proprietary AI on de-identified audio and transcriptions. For privileged or source-protected material, read that policy and consider a tool with opt-in training or contractual exclusion.
Do I need a different tool for video subtitles?
Not always. Happy Scribe, Sonix and Otter export SRT files, and Happy Scribe and Sonix also export VTT. Sonix offers burned-in subtitles on video, and Descript builds animated captions into its editor. For broadcast or accessibility rules, a human-verified caption service from Rev may be needed, since it says its captions meet FCC and ADA standards.