Best Speech-to-Text Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Notta is ranked #1 of 32 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Happy Scribe and Speechmatics. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Happy Scribe. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Amazon Transcribe at $0.01/mo.
Speech-to-text software turns spoken audio into text, whether you capture speech live or work with recordings. Compare capture modes, supported languages, speaker labels, and offline transcription. Desktop and mobile apps may suit different recording setups, while API access is another listed capability to consider. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost details. Notta, Happy Scribe, and Speechmatics are among the entries, alongside Fathom and tl;dv. Think about how you record speech and where you need transcripts to go, then weigh the listed language, app, and access options against your workflow.
32 speech-to-text software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
14 of the 25 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 | NottaWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $8.17/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | Happy ScribeMac · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $8.50/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | SpeechmaticsWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | FathomWeb · Windows · Mac | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $15/mo | 6.5 | |
| 5 | tl;dvWeb · Windows · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | Amazon TranscribeWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.01/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | AssemblyAIWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.15/mo | 6.4 | |
| 8 | Google Cloud Speech-to-TextWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.02/mo | 6.4 | |
| 9 | MacWhisperMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | €64/mo | 6.4 | |
| 10 | TactiqWeb · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $8/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | Voice InWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | Rev AIAPI | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | $0.01/mo | 6.3 | |
| 13 | TurboScribeWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | SonioxAPI | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | $19.99/mo | 6.2 | |
| 15 | Zoom SchedulerWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 16 | Otter.aiWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 17 | TranskriptorWeb · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $8.33/mo | 5.6 |
| 18 | BuzzWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | Dragon ProfessionalWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | Google Voice AccessAndroid | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | OpenAI Text-to-SpeechAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | $15/mo | 5.2 |
| 22 | WhisperWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | SpokeMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | VoskAPI | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | NVIDIA RivaNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
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 speech-to-text software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Notta is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 6.7. Happy Scribe is second and Speechmatics third.
How many of these have a free plan?
14 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Amazon Transcribe has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/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.