Best Podcast Transcription Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Simon Says is ranked #1 of 24 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Happy Scribe and OpenWhispr. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Happy Scribe. The lowest first paid tier on this page is AssemblyAI at $0.15/mo.
Podcast transcription tools can help turn recordings into text for review, editing, and caption preparation. Compare transcription languages and speaker labels, then look at transcript editor and caption export for the work you need to do with that text. Monthly transcription and searchable library offer details about capacity and finding past material; free-plan availability and “Paid from” provide cost points to weigh. Happy Scribe and Transkriptor open the ranking, with Pepys and OpenWhispr also among the first entries. Use these listed features to compare options for your podcast workflow, from working with transcripts to exporting captions.
24 podcast transcription software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
10 of the 24 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon SaysWeb · Windows · Mac · iPhone · Self-hosted · Extension | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $1.25/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | Happy ScribeMac · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $8.50/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | OpenWhisprWindows · Mac · Linux · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $6.67/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | SpeechmaticsWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | mercuryScribeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | RevWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $29.99/mo | 6.5 | |
| 7 | AssemblyAIWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.15/mo | 6.4 | |
| 8 | AudioPod AIWeb · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $20/mo | 6.4 | |
| 9 | PepysWeb · API · Extension | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 10 | Transcript.soWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.3 | |
| 11 | TranskriptorWeb · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $8.33/mo | 5.6 |
| 12 | Transcribe.soWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | WhipscribeWeb · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | SkyScribeWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 15 | Swell AIWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 16 | PodlogWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 17 | PodsqueezeWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 18 | PostcrestWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $1.25/mo | 5.0 |
| 19 | AmberscriptAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | €1.85/mo | 4.9 |
| 20 | CastmagicWeb · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 21 | Deepgram AuraAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 22 | SonixAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | $10/mo | 4.8 |
| 23 | Perceptive Vision Podcast TranscriptionWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
| 24 | TrintAPI | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which podcast transcription software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Simon Says is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 6.7. Happy Scribe is second and OpenWhispr third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, AssemblyAI has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.15/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.