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Best Speech-to-Text Software in 2026

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.

  1. 1

    Whisper

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    Whisper provides multilingual speech-processing capabilities as locally installable, MIT-licensed code and model weights.

    8.5 Open source Visit site
  2. 2

    AssemblyAI

    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

    AssemblyAI offers a broad set of speech capabilities and usage-based plans, with a free tier subject to stated limits.

    7.5 From $0.15 Visit site
  3. 3

    Azure AI Speech

    by Azure AI Speech
    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
    7.5 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    Buzz

    Free plan LinuxMacWindows

    Buzz brings multiple transcription inputs, transcript tools, and export formats into a free desktop app. Check its hardware requirements and operating-system notes before choosing it.

    7.5 Free plan Visit site
  5. 5

    Fathom

    Free plan APIExtensioniPhone+3
    7.5 Free plan · paid from $15/user/mo (annual) Visit site
  6. 6

    Gladia

    by Gladia
    Free plan APIMacWeb+1
    7.5 From $0.61 Visit site
  7. 7

    Amazon Transcribe

    Free plan APIWeb

    Amazon Transcribe covers live and batch speech transcription, with language, speaker, and privacy features.

    7.4 From $0.01 Visit site
  8. 8

    Happy Scribe

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Happy Scribe combines transcription, translation, meeting connections, and AI-assisted tools, with support for individual and team workflows.

    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  9. 9

    Google Cloud Speech-to-Text

    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

    Speech-to-Text offers multiple recognition modes, language support, and developer interfaces for application integration.

    7.3 From $0.00 Visit site
  10. 10

    Notta

    by Notta
    Free plan AndroidExtensioniPhone+3

    Notta combines meeting capture and file transcription with summaries, action items, and multiple export formats.

    7.3 Free plan · paid from $8.17/user/mo (annual) · 7-day trial Visit site
  11. 11

    NVIDIA Riva

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    NVIDIA Riva combines broad speech features with multiple deployment models and developer interfaces.

    7.3 Free plan · paid from $1 · 90-day trial Visit site
  12. 12

    Otter.ai

    Free plan AndroidExtensioniPhone+2

    Otter.ai combines meeting capture, transcription, and follow-up notes across desktop and mobile platforms. Check the plan limits if you need longer conversations or more imported files.

    7.3 Free plan · paid from $8.33/user/mo (annual) Visit site
  13. 13

    ElevenLabs

    by ElevenLabs
    Free plan APIWeb
    7.2 Free plan · paid from $6/mo Visit site
  14. 14

    MacWhisper

    by MacWhisper
    Free plan iPhoneMac

    MacWhisper covers transcription, meeting recording, dictation, and transcript workflows, with a free plan and a paid one-time Pro option.

    7.1 Free plan · paid from €64 Visit site
  15. 15

    Speechmatics

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Speechmatics offers speech APIs with multilingual transcription and multiple deployment choices. Its free plan has a two-session real-time limit, and the available deployment options depend on plan.

    7.1 Free plan · paid from $0.13 Visit site
  16. 16

    tl;dv

    by tl;dv
    Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+5

    Choose tl;dv if you want bot-based meeting capture, transcription, and summaries with action items, including a free plan with unlimited recordings and transcriptions.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  17. 17

    Transkriptor

    Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+2

    Choose Transkriptor if you need transcription or translation with speaker identification, timestamps, and broad language support.

    7.0 Free plan · paid from $9.99/mo Visit site
  18. 18

    Voice In

    Free plan ExtensionLinuxMac+1

    Choose Voice In if you want speech-to-text across web fields in Chrome or Edge, with built-in voice commands and a daily free allowance.

    7.0 Free plan · 5-day trial Visit site
  19. 19

    Vosk

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4

    Vosk provides offline recognition, streaming, and developer interfaces across a range of devices and server protocols.

    6.9 Open source Visit site
  20. 20

    Tactiq

    by Tactiq
    Free plan WebMac
    6.8 Free plan · paid from $8/user/mo (annual) Visit site
  21. 21

    Soniox

    by Soniox
    Free plan API

    Choose Soniox if you need API-based transcription and translation with support for 60 languages, speaker labeling, and timestamps.

    6.7 Free plan · paid from $19.99/mo Visit site
  22. 22

    Spoke

    Free plan Mac

    Pick Spoke if you want offline macOS dictation with on-device voice processing and a free weekly allowance.

    6.7 Free plan Visit site
  23. 23

    TurboScribe

    Free plan Web

    TurboScribe offers multilingual transcription, translation, speaker labels, and audio restoration through its web interface.

    6.5 Free plan Visit site
  24. 24

    Aiko

    Free trial iPhoneMac

    Aiko focuses on private, on-device transcription for Apple platforms, with many language options and practical export formats.

    6.3 14-day trial Visit site
  25. 25

    IBM watsonx Speech to Text

    Free plan
    6.2 Free plan Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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