In my previous articles, I tested the best audio to text apps for iPhone and Android. Now, it’s time to shift our focus to the desktop — let’s dive into the top online audio transcription tools for PC.
I’ll personally try out and test these transcription tools myself.
Whether you’re a student trying to transcribe a recorded lecture, a content creator working on subtitles, or just someone who’d rather speak than type, this list is for you.
Additionally, if you are looking for transcription tools on iPhones or audio transcription tools for Android systems, you can check here.
Specially, if you are looking for AI meeting note taker, check this out.
What to Look for in an Audio to Text Tool
Before we jump into the list, let’s talk about what actually makes a great tool.
Here it is:
| Feature | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | Nobody wants to spend 30 minutes fixing AI mistakes. It’s important to note that transcription accuracy can vary significantly. Most transcription tools today use similar AI models, and under ideal conditions, they all deliver high accuracy. However, in challenging situations such as multiple people speaking simultaneously or high background noise, the accuracy can drop sharply. Test results show that Otter’s accuracy can fall to 85% in such scenarios. |
| Speed | The faster, the better — especially if you’re working with large files. |
| Free vs Paid Features | Some tools are generous with their free plans; others lock everything behind a paywall. |
| Ease of Use | Upload, transcribe, download — it shouldn’t feel like a science project. |
| Supported Formats & Languages | The more, the better |
Quick Comparison Table of Audio to Text Online Tools
| Tool Name | Best for | My Real Experience | Free Plan | Paid Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any2text | Pay-as-you-go transcription users | Easy to use. Accurate transcription. No sign-up required. Exports are free. | 15 minutes/user | $3.2/100 mins; $14/500 mins; $25/1000 mins |
| Otter.ai | Meeting notes with collaboration features | Can’t record. Fast transcription/upload. Export works fine. | 300 mins/month; 30 mins/convo; 3 file imports lifetime | Pro: $8.33/user/month; Business: $20/user/month (annual billing) |
| Rev | Accuracy geeks, Lawyers | No free plan. Haven’t tested deeply. | None | Basic: $14.99/user/month; Pro: $34.99/user/month |
| Temi | Journalists, Podcasters | Can’t record. Upload is fast. Transcription only via email. | 1 free transcript (≤45 mins) | $0.25 per audio minute |
| Trint | Journalists, Video producers | Upload is fast. Needs survey to start transcription. Short snippet only. Exporting is easy. | Trial: 30 minutes | Starter: €73/seat/month; Advanced: €87/seat/month |
| Sonix.ai | Multilingual teams | Free trial only. Fast upload/transcription. Long survey before viewing transcript. | Trial only | Premium: $22/seat/month + $5/hr AI transcription; Standard: $10/hr transcription |
| Notta | Bilingual meetings transcription & translation | Fast upload. Accurate. Free version restricts viewing/exporting — unusable unless paid. | 120 mins/month, 3 mins/convo cap | Pro: $8.17/month; Business: $16.67/month (billed annually) |
| Speechnotes | Students, quick note-takers | 30-min free credit. Fast upload. Avg transcription speed. Exporting is free. | 30-minute credit | Dictation: $1.9/month; Transcription: $0.1/min |
| Happy Scribe | Subtitling, researchers | Fast upload and transcription. Good UI for speaker/timestamps. Export has no issues. | 10-minute AI transcription/subtitling/translation trial | Pay-as-you-go: $12/60 mins; Subscription: $9–$89/month; Human proofreading: $2/min |
| Google Docs Voice Typing | Casual users, bloggers | Quick to start. Accurate dictation. | Completely free | None |
10 Best Online Audio Transcription Tools
1. Any2text
- Best for: Pay-as-you-go transcription users
- A minimalist transcription tool that supports multiple languages and formats. Free users can export files without limitations.
- My Real experience: Easy to use. The transcription is accurate, and there are no major paywalls when exporting. You can use it without even signing up.
- Free Plan: 15 minutes/user
- Paid Plan: 3.2 USD/100 minutes; 14 USD/500 minutes; 25 USD/1000 minutes
2. Otter.ai
- Best for: Meeting notes with collaboration features
- Otter’s real-time transcription and cross-platform sync make it a go-to for team meetings and interviews. Not just transcription — it also offers AI summaries and action item highlights, among other features.
- My Real experience: You can’t record audio with it. Both uploading files and transcription are fairly fast. File export has no restrictions.
- Free Plan: 300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; Import and transcribe 3 audio or video files lifetime per user
- Paid Plan: Pro 8.33 USD per user/month Billed Annually; Business plan is 20 USD per user/month Billed Annually.
3. Rev
- Best for: Accuracy geeks, Lawyers
- Rev focuses on delivering highly accurate transcriptions, secure recordings, and full compliance. It’s a great choice if you need precise transcripts, protected recordings, and intelligent AI summaries—ideal for legal or professional use.
- My Real experience: Rev doesn’t offer a free plan, so I haven’t personally explored its features in depth.
- Free Plan: None
- Paid Plan: Basic 14.99 USD per user/month; Pro 34.99 USD per user/month.
4. Temi
- Best for: journalists, podcasters
- Temi uses a proprietary algorithm to deliver accurate transcriptions, provides simple editing and playback controls, recognizes different speakers, includes customizable timestamps, and allows exporting transcripts in various formats.
- My Real experience: You can’t record audio with it. Uploading files is fast, but you can’t get the transcription results directly on the website; you need to provide your email to receive them.
- Free Plan: One transcript under 45 minutes
- Paid Plan: $0.25 per audio minute
5. Trint
- Best for: Journalists, Video producers
- Trint allows you to record or upload audio and video, featuring AI-powered automatic transcription. It offers solid team collaboration tools and supports real-time transcription.
- My Real experience: I uploaded an audio file — the upload was fast, but transcription didn’t start until I filled out a bunch of survey questions like job title and company. It only transcribed a short snippet. On the bright side, exporting the file was hassle-free.
- Free Plan: Only Trial 30 minutes
- Paid Plan: Starter €73 per seat/ month; Advanced €87 per seat
6. Sonix.ai
- Best for: Multilingual teams
- Supports 40+ languages, has great accuracy, and lets you translate your transcripts too.
- My Real experience: There’s only a free trial. Uploading and transcription are very fast, but you have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire to access the transcription text.
- Free Plan: Only Trial
- Paid Plan: Sonix has a rather complex Premium pricing structure. First, there’s a platform fee of $22 per seat per month. On top of that, AI transcription costs $5 per hour, AI translation is $3 per hour, and AI analysis is an additional $5 per month. It also offers a pay-as-you-go Standard plan: $10 per hour for AI transcription and $10 per hour for AI translation.
7. Notta
- Best for: Transcription & translation for bilingual meetings
- Besides the basic transcription features, Notta’s standout feature is transcription and translation for bilingual meetings.
- My Real experience: Uploading and transcription are fairly quick, and the accuracy is impressive. However, you can only view a small portion of the transcript — the rest is behind a paywall. Exporting files also requires payment. Overall, it’s a tool that’s basically unusable unless you pay.
- Free Plan: 120 transcription minutes/month. But each conversation is limited to just 3 minutes, making the free plan almost unusable.
- Paid Plan: Pro 8.17 USD/month billed annually; Business 16.67 USD/month billed annually
8. Speechnotes
- Best for: Students, quick note-takers
- Browser-based, voice-typing tool that just works. No sign-up needed.
- My Real experience: After logging in, you get 30 minutes of free credits. Once that’s used up, you’ll need to top up. Uploading is pretty fast, and transcription speed is average. You can export freely without any restrictions.
- Free Plan: 30 minites credits
- Paid Plan: Dictation $1.9/month. Transcription $0.1/minutes.
9. Happy Scribe
- Best for: Subtitling, researchers
- Happy Scribe offers both human and AI transcription. It has comprehensive support for meetings, allowing you to import Google and Outlook calendars and join meetings for real-time transcription.
- My Real experience: Uploading and transcription are both very fast. The UI handles speaker identification and timestamps really well, and there are no restrictions on downloading.
- Free Plan: 10-minute free trial of AI Transcription, Subtitling and Translation
- Paid Plan: There are two pricing options: pay-as-you-go at $12 per 60 minutes, or a subscription plan — Lite at $9/month, Pro at $25/month, and Business at $89/month. Annual billing gives you a 34% discount. Human proofreading is also available at $2 per minute.
10. Google Docs Voice Typing
- Best for: Casual users, bloggers
- Google Docs Voice Typing is a feature that lets you speak instead of type. However, it lacks advanced features like AI summaries and meeting notes templates.
- My Real experience: : It launches quickly, and the transcription is quite accurate.
- Free Plan: Totally free
- Paid Plan: None
If you still don’t know how to use Google Docs Voice Typing, here is a guide.
Best Free Speech to Text Online Tools
If you’re just starting out or working on a tight budget, here is the best tools for you:
| Tool Name | Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Otter.ai | 300 transcription minutes/month; 30 mins per conversation; 3 file uploads (lifetime) |
| Any2text | 15 minutes per user; no sign-up required |
| Google Docs Voice Typing | Completely free in Chrome browser |
Best Paid Options Worth the Investment
If you’re in it for accuracy, integrations, or team workflows:
| Tool Name | Best For | Paid Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Rev | Accuracy seekers, legal professionals | Basic: $14.99/user/month；Pro: $34.99/user/month；High-accuracy human transcription available |
| Otter.ai | Team collaboration, meeting transcription | Pro: $8.33/user/month (billed annually)；Business: $20/user/month (billed annually) |
| Trint | Journalists, media producers | Starter: €73/seat/month；Advanced: €87/seat/month |
| Sonix.ai | Multilingual teams | Platform fee: $22/seat/month；+$5/hr transcription；translation $3/hr；Pay-as-you-go $10/hr |
| Happy Scribe | Subtitle creators, researchers | Pay-as-you-go: $12/hour；Lite: $9/month；Pro: $25/month；Business: $89/month；Human: $2/min |
Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you’re transcribing casual voice memos, a free tool like Otter or Google Docs Voice Typing is perfect. But if you’re working on a high-stakes project, investing in something like Otter, Rev or Trint might save you time greatly.
Let me know which one you end up trying!
