Best Free Transcription Software in 2025

If you're looking for free transcription tools to automatically transcribe your meetings, video, or audio files, we've researched the options for you.

Most "free" tools cap you at 30 minutes total, force upgrades after a trial period, or lock basic features behind paywalls.

This guide reviews genuinely free transcription software that works without constant payment prompts.

Best Free Transcription Software: Quick Comparison

How We Chose These Tools

We evaluated dozens of transcription tools using these criteria:

• Automatic transcription only: Manual transcription assistants help you type faster while listening to audio, but don't transcribe automatically. This guide focuses on software that actually transcribes for you.
• Genuine free access: We prioritized tools with permanent free plans, not trials disguised as "free" offerings.
• Usable limitations: Many "free" tools impose restrictions that make them unusable—10-minute one-time trials or 3-minute recording limits. We focused on tools where the free tier actually works for real-world use.
• Transcription quality: All selected tools use modern AI models (primarily OpenAI's Whisper) that deliver genuine accuracy.
• Privacy and data handling: We noted whether tools process locally or in the cloud, and whether your data gets used for AI training.
• No hidden costs: We clearly documented where free plans end and paid features begin.

Popular Transcription Tools We Didn't Include (and Why)

1. oTranscribe

oTranscribe is a manual transcription assistant. You still type everything yourself; they just provide keyboard shortcuts and audio playback controls.

Consider for: Academic research or journalism, where you need complete control over every word transcribed.

2. Rev

Rev only offers 45 minutes of AI transcription per month on the free plan, which most regular users exhaust within days.

Consider for: The hybrid model offering both AI transcription and the option to upgrade to 99% accurate human transcription for critical documents.

3. Sonix

Sonix only offers a 30-minute one-time trial with no ongoing free plan. After that, you must pay $10/hour for transcription.

Consider for: Multi-language support across 53+ languages and team collaboration features with shared folders.

4. Trint

Trint provides a 7-day free trial (up to 3 files) with no ongoing free tier. Plans start at $80/month.

Consider for: Newsrooms and media professionals who need fast turnaround times and collaborative editing workflows.

5. Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe offers only 10 minutes of transcription total (one-time, not monthly) and doesn't allow file exports on the free tier.

Consider for: Subtitle creation with support for 120+ languages and automated translation capabilities.

You can check detailed reviews of these tools in our guide to best transcription software for Mac.

Best Free Transcription Software: Detailed Reviews

1. Char: Best for Local Processing and Unlimited Transcription

Char is a local-first transcription tool that processes everything on your device. Most tools send your audio to cloud servers. Char's Whisper-powered transcription engine runs locally, which means no surveillance capitalism business models or data privacy compromises.

This local processing approach eliminates third-party vendor dependencies and keeps sensitive data on-device, simplifying HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance requirements.

What's Free Forever

• Unlimited transcription with no monthly caps or per-minute charges
• Real-time transcription using Whisper models (Tiny, Base, V3 Large Turbo)
• AI-powered meeting summaries with custom HyperLLM-V1 model
• Conversational search across all transcription history
• Custom vocabulary support for industry-specific terminology
• Universal platform compatibility without bots
• Works completely offline for maximum privacy
• Export as Markdown, PDF, or Rich Text
• Open-source transparency with full code access
• Connect your own AI models (OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama via LM Studio)

When Will You Need to Pay?

The core transcription features stay free forever. Upgrade to Pro ($8/month) if you want unlimited AI chat with your transcripts, custom template building, or advanced search capabilities.

Enterprise licensing is available when your organization needs on-premises deployment, SSO integration, consent management, or custom branding. Contact sales for a quote.

2. Transcript.LOL: Best for Multi-source Imports

Transcript.LOL is a cloud-based transcription platform powered by OpenAI's Whisper that converts audio and video files into text across 100+ languages.

The platform handles imports directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and Zoom, so you can transcribe content without downloading files first. You can also transcribe audio from WhatsApp or Telegram messages directly through integrations.

The daily allocation model provides 2 transcripts per day (up to 20 minutes each) rather than a monthly bucket that disappears quickly. For podcasters processing a few episodes weekly or professionals with regular but moderate transcription needs, this daily reset provides consistent access.

What's Free Forever

• 2 transcripts daily (up to 20 minutes each)
• 99.8% accuracy with OpenAI Whisper
• Speaker detection and recognition
• Import from Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, Zoom, URLs
• Basic editing tools (find & replace, speaker assignment, highlighting)
• Export as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT
• Chrome extension, WhatsApp, and Telegram integrations
• Low priority processing (slower turnaround)

When Will You Need to Pay?

The $20/month Unlimited plan is necessary when you exceed 2 daily transcripts, need files longer than 20 minutes, want AI summaries and custom prompts, require chatbot features for querying transcripts, or need high-priority faster processing.

The $40/month Team plan adds shared workspaces for collaboration, multiple user accounts under one subscription, and team access management.

3. Riverside: Best for No-Signup Transcription

While Riverside is primarily known as a podcast and video recording platform, their standalone transcription tool works as a simple web utility that converts any audio or video file to text.

The tool uses OpenAI's Whisper model and handles files up to 5GB across 100+ languages. Upload your file, wait a few minutes (a 50-minute file processes in roughly 5 minutes), and download your transcript as plain text or SRT format for video captions.

What's Free Forever

• Unlimited transcriptions with no signup required
• 99% accuracy using OpenAI Whisper
• Supports 100+ languages and accents
• Files up to 5GB (approximately 50+ minutes)
• Real-time processing (transcribes while you wait)
• Download as TXT or SRT (caption format)
• Timestamps included in transcript
• Works with MP3, WAV, MP4, MOV formats

When Will You Need to Pay?

Riverside's paid platform ($19/month Standard or $29/month Pro) adds speaker detection and labeling, in-tool transcript editing with audio playback sync, AI-powered Magic Clips for social media, automated show notes generation, text-based video editing, and professional recording features with 4K video and separate audio tracks.

The free transcription tool handles basic text conversion. Serious content creators will outgrow its limitations and upgrade for editing workflow integration.

4. Otter.ai: Best for Meeting Bot Integration

Otter.ai is a meeting assistant similar to Char. It transcribes conversations, generates summaries, and helps you search through meeting history. The key difference is that Char processes everything locally on your device, while Otter sends all your audio to the cloud for processing.

The cloud approach enables Otter's signature feature: the meeting bot that automatically joins your Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet calls based on your calendar, records everything, and shares notes with participants afterward.

Also read: Otter AI Review

What's Free Forever

• 300 transcription minutes per month (resets monthly)
• 30-minute max per conversation
• Live transcription in English, Spanish, or French
• Automatic meeting bot joins Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
• Speaker identification and AI summaries
• 20 AI Chat queries per month (3 per conversation)
• iOS and Android apps
• Search by keywords and basic playback
• Export as MP3 or TXT only (no PDF, DOCX, or SRT on free)
• 25 most recent conversations stored (older ones deleted)

When Will You Need to Pay?

The $16.99/month Pro plan becomes necessary when you exceed 300 minutes, need 90-minute conversations instead of 30, want 1,200 monthly minutes, require PDF/DOCX/SRT exports, need unlimited conversation history, or want advanced search and custom vocabulary features.

The $30/month Business plan adds 6,000 minutes per user, 4-hour meeting support, unlimited file imports, concurrent meeting joining, usage analytics, and prioritized support.

Enterprise is relevant for organizations requiring SSO, HIPAA compliance, domain capture, custom CRM integrations, video replay features, or dedicated customer success management.

5. Notta: Best for Multi-Language Transcription

Notta is a cloud-based transcription platform that handles 58 languages with claimed 98% accuracy.

Similar to Otter.ai, Notta automatically joins your Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Webex meetings to transcribe conversations in real-time. The platform also accepts file uploads from YouTube, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

What's Free Forever

• 120 transcription minutes per month (resets monthly)
• 3-minute maximum per recording (severely limiting)
• 50 file uploads per month
• 10 AI summaries per month
• Live transcription for Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Webex
• Speaker identification
• Chrome extension, web app, iOS and Android apps
• Basic editing and playback features
• Export as TXT only (no PDF, DOCX, or SRT on free)
• Cross-device sync

When Will You Need to Pay?

The 3-minute recording limit makes the free plan nearly useless for actual meeting transcription. The $13.49/month Pro plan is necessary immediately, providing 1,800 minutes monthly, up to 5 hours per recording, 100 file uploads, 100 AI summaries, transcript translation, custom vocabulary, and exports in multiple formats (TXT, PDF, DOCX, SRT, XLSX).

The $27.99/month Business plan adds unlimited transcription, video recording for web meetings, CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot, Zapier automation, usage analytics, and collaborative workspace features.

Enterprise becomes relevant for organizations requiring SAML SSO, audit logs, no AI training on your data, flexible payment options, priority support, and customized transcription quotas.

6. MacWhisper: Best for Simple Mac Transcription

MacWhisper is a Mac app that wraps OpenAI's Whisper technology in a simple drag-and-drop interface.

While tools like Char use Whisper as part of a complete meeting assistant, MacWhisper focuses purely on transcription. You drop in an audio file, it gives you text. The interface is minimal: drag your file, select a model size based on how much accuracy versus speed you want, and get your transcript with synced audio playback.

Performance depends heavily on your hardware. Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3) handle transcription smoothly, processing files at roughly 15x real-time speed. Older Intel Macs work but run significantly slower, especially with larger models that require more than 8GB of RAM.

What's Free Forever

• Unlimited transcriptions with no usage caps
• Three Whisper models: Tiny (fastest), Base (balanced), Small (more accurate)
• 100% local processing (audio never leaves your Mac)
• Drag-and-drop interface for audio files
• Supports 100+ languages with automatic detection
• Audio playback synced to transcript
• Search and highlight keywords in transcripts
• Export as SRT, VTT, TXT, or copy to clipboard
• Supports MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, MOV, OGG, OPUS formats
• Works completely offline once installed

When Will You Need to Pay?

MacWhisper Pro ($29-35 one-time payment, no subscription) unlocks better accuracy with Medium, Large, Large-V2, or Large-V3 models, batch transcription to process multiple files simultaneously, speaker identification for multi-person conversations, system audio recording to transcribe Zoom or Teams meetings directly, and advanced exports including Word, PDF, and HTML formats.

Our Top Recommendation for Free Transcription

If data privacy matters and you need truly unlimited transcription without hidden costs, Char stands out as the clear choice.

Unlike most transcription tools that send your audio to cloud servers, Char processes everything on your device using local AI models. Your data stays on your machine.

For teams handling sensitive conversations—patient consultations, legal discussions, financial planning, confidential business meetings—Char solves the fundamental problem that cloud-based tools can't: keeping your data private while delivering powerful transcription.

Ready to take control of your transcription data? Download Char for macOS and get unlimited private transcription (Windows version coming soon).