Free options · Checked Oct 31, 2026
Free transcription software and apps in 2026: what's actually free
Free and unlimited transcription exists, but you pay in time: Whisper runs on your own computer if you can install it, and oTranscribe helps you type by hand. The rest give a free allowance: Otter 300 minutes a month, TurboScribe 3 files a day, Notta 120 minutes, Descript 60, Rev 45 in English, and HiText 30 minutes plus a free tool with no sign-up.
Interview summary, ready to share:
- Problem: Invoices take two days to approve.
- Would pay for: Approval from the phone.
- Next step: Send the prototype next week.
How to choose a free option
- 1
Count your minutes
One 20-minute file fits almost any free plan. Ten hours a month doesn't: there you either install something like Whisper or pay for a plan.
- 2
Check the per-file cap
Many free plans cap each recording (3 minutes in Notta, 30 in Otter and TurboScribe) or the number of imports. A long lecture or interview hits that wall first.
- 3
Check your language
Rev's free plan is English only and Otter transcribes six languages. If you speak Portuguese, Italian, Dutch or Arabic, test with a real recording before you rely on it.
Ten free options, side by side
Free limits as published on each official page, checked on October 31, 2026. Free plans change often, so check the source before you rely on one. Already using TurboScribe? See TurboScribe alternatives.
- Whisper: open-source speech recognition from OpenAI, MIT license, free with no limits because it runs on your computer. You need Python, ffmpeg and the command line. Source: GitHub
- oTranscribe: free web app to transcribe by hand: an audio player and a text editor with shortcuts and timestamps. It doesn't transcribe automatically, and your audio never leaves your computer. Source: oTranscribe
- Otter (Basic): 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation and 3 file imports in total. Transcribes English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese. Source: Otter pricing
- TurboScribe (Free): 3 files a day, up to 30 minutes each, one at a time and with low priority. Unlimited plan $10 a month billed yearly ($120). Source: TurboScribe pricing
- Notta (Free): 120 minutes a month, conversations of up to 3 minutes, 50 uploads a month. Source: Notta pricing
- Descript (Free): 60 media minutes a month, transcription in 25 languages, inside a video and podcast editor. Source: Descript pricing
- Rev (Free): 45 AI minutes a month, English only. Source: Rev pricing
- Google Docs voice typing: free in Chrome, Edge and Safari. It types what you say into the microphone; it doesn't transcribe an audio file. Source: Google Docs Help
- Notes and Voice Memos on iPhone: free on iPhone 12 and later, in supported languages and regions, for what you record on the phone. Source: Apple Support
- HiText: 30 free minutes in total (not per month) in the app or the browser, no card, with a summary and translation. On this site you can also transcribe the first 3 minutes of a file for free, 3 files a day, with no sign-up
Which free option fits you
- Lots of audio and you're comfortable with the command line: Whisper, on your own computer
- You must type it yourself, with full control: oTranscribe
- Meetings in English, live: Otter's free plan, while 30 minutes per call is enough
- Up to three files a day of half an hour: TurboScribe's free plan, if you don't mind waiting
- Editing a podcast or a video: Descript, because the transcript is the editing timeline
- A memo you just recorded on the iPhone: Notes or Voice Memos (iPhone options compared)
- A long recording in another language, with a summary or translation: HiText, with 30 free minutes to test it
The catch with free plans
- Caps per file or per import: the free minutes look generous until one recording is longer than the cap
- Queues: free files can wait behind paying users
- Languages: several free plans transcribe only English or a handful of languages
- Privacy: an online service uploads your audio; a local tool like Whisper keeps it on your computer. Read the policy before uploading something sensitive
Where HiText is not the best choice
If you need hours of free transcription every month, HiText isn't it: after 30 minutes you need Pro. It doesn't transcribe live, doesn't label speakers in the standard app and doesn't export subtitles (SRT) or Word files. Where it helps is with recordings you already have, in 13 languages, from your phone or the browser. More in the best transcription apps compared.
Frequently asked questions
Is there truly free transcription software with no limits?
Yes, if it runs on your computer: Whisper is open source and has no minute limits, but you have to install it and use the command line. oTranscribe is free with no limits too, but you type the transcript yourself. Online services that do the work for you give a free allowance.
Which free plan gives the most minutes?
As of October 31, 2026, in practice it's TurboScribe: 3 files a day of up to 30 minutes each, roughly 90 minutes a day if your files are long (TurboScribe pricing). Among plans with a monthly allowance, Otter gives the most: 300 minutes, 30 per conversation and only 3 file imports in total (Otter pricing).
Can I transcribe an audio file for free without signing up?
On this site, yes: our free tool transcribes the first 3 minutes of an audio or video file, up to 3 files a day, with no account. For the whole file you get 30 free minutes with an account at app.trytiro.app or in the app.
Is free transcription accurate?
Modern AI is very accurate with clear audio, free or paid. What hurts accuracy is noise, people talking over each other, names and technical terms. Read the transcript once before quoting it.
Is this comparison neutral?
It's written by the HiText team, so we say where HiText is not the best option. Every figure comes from the official page linked next to it, checked on October 31, 2026; if something has changed, the official page is what counts.
More tools
- Transcribe audio to text on iPhone and Android in minutes
- How to convert a WhatsApp voice message to text on iPhone and Android
- Transcribe a YouTube video to text from its link
- Transcribe interviews and meetings to text, with a summary
- How to translate audio to text in your own language
- How to convert a video to text without rewatching it
- How to convert an MP3 to text in a few minutes
- How to choose a transcription app (and what HiText does)
- How to transcribe a Zoom recording, even on a free Zoom account
- How to turn a voice recorder recording into text on Android
- How to get a Google Meet transcript from the recording
- How to turn an iPhone voice memo into text
- How to convert an M4A file to text
- How to get a Teams meeting transcript from the recording
- How to convert a WAV file to text
- How to turn a podcast episode into text
- How to turn a recorded lecture into text and study notes
- How to convert an OPUS or OGG file to text
- The best transcription apps in 2026, compared on what actually limits you
- An Otter.ai alternative for recordings you already have
- How to turn audio into notes you can actually use
- How to transcribe a sermon into text, with a summary
- The best transcription apps for iPhone in 2026, and when you don't need one
- The best apps that record and transcribe in 2026
- The best meeting transcription apps in 2026, online and in person
- TurboScribe alternatives in 2026: when another tool fits better
- OGG and OPUS to MP3 converter: WhatsApp voice notes, in your browser
- SRT to TXT converter: clean text from subtitles, and TXT to SRT
- HiText home
Start with 30 free minutes
Download HiText or open it in your browser and transcribe your first recording for free.
