Best Audio Transcription Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Happy Scribe is ranked #1 of 31 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Gladia and Grain. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Gladia. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Rev AI at $0.01/mo.
Audio transcription software turns spoken recordings into text, with capabilities and limits that can shape which tool fits your workflow. Compare supported languages, maximum file length, and monthly transcription limits, as well as real-time transcription and speaker identification. API access may be relevant if transcription needs to connect with other software; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are also stated. Happy Scribe, Grain, and Notta are among the options shown. Consider the kinds of audio you handle and whether live results or speaker labels matter, then weigh those needs against the listed language coverage and usage limits.
31 audio transcription software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Audio Transcription Software, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 17 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 Happy ScribePaid from $8.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 GladiaPaid from $0.20/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 GrainPaid from $15/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 NottaPaid from $8.17/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 AssemblyAIPaid from $0.15/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 RevPaid from $29.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 AvomaPaid from $19/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 FathomPaid from $15/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 Google Cloud Speech-to-TextPaid from $0.02/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 MacWhisperPaid from €64/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 SpeechmaticsFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 tl;dvFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 Fireflies.aiPaid from $10/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 Rev AIPaid from $0.01/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 15 TactiqPaid from $8/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 16 Amazon TranscribePaid from $0.01/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Otter.ai
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 SonioxPaid from $19.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 TranskriptorPaid from $8.33/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 aTrain
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 ESPnet
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 TranscribeMe
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 noScribe
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 Sembly AIPaid from $10/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 AmberscriptPaid from €1.85/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Languages supported | Speaker identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Scribe | 7.9 | Free plan | $8.50/mo | Yes | — | 150 languages | Yes |
| 2 | Gladia | 7.8 | Free plan | $0.20/mo | No | — | 100 languages | Yes |
| 3 | Grain | 7.8 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | 130 languages | — |
| 4 | Notta | 7.4 | Free plan | $8.17/mo | Yes | — | 58 languages | Yes |
| 5 | AssemblyAI | 7.1 | Free plan | $0.15/mo | No | — | 99 languages | Yes |
| 6 | Rev | 7.1 | Free plan | $29.99/mo | Yes | — | 2 languages | Yes |
| 7 | Avoma | 7.0 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | 62 languages | — |
| 8 | Fathom | 7.0 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | 38 languages | — |
| 9 | Google Cloud Speech-to-Text | 7.0 | Free plan | $0.02/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 10 | MacWhisper | 7.0 | Free plan | €64/mo | Yes | — | 100 languages | Yes |
| 11 | Speechmatics | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | tl;dv | 7.0 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Fireflies.ai | 6.9 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | — | 115 languages | — |
| 14 | Rev AI | 6.9 | Free plan | $0.01/mo | No | — | 1 languages | Yes |
| 15 | Tactiq | 6.9 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | Amazon Transcribe | 6.7 | Free plan | $0.01/mo | No | — | 113 languages | Yes |
| 17 | Otter.ai | 6.7 | No | — | Yes | — | 6 languages | — |
| 18 | Soniox | 6.7 | Free plan | $19.99/mo | Yes | 19.99 /mo | 60 languages | Yes |
| 19 | Transkriptor | 6.7 | No | $8.33/mo | Yes | 9.99 /mo | — | Yes |
| 20 | aTrain | 6.3 | No | — | — | — | 99 languages | Yes |
| 21 | ESPnet | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | TranscribeMe | 6.1 | No | — | — | — | 10 languages | Yes |
| 23 | noScribe | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 24 | Sembly AI | 5.9 | No | $10/mo | No | 10 /mo | 48 languages | — |
| 25 | Amberscript | 5.8 | No | €1.85/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which audio transcription software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Happy Scribe is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.9. Gladia is second and Grain third.
How many of these have a free plan?
17 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Rev AI has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.