Best Free Transcription Software in 2026

Most “free” transcription tools aren’t genuinely free. They cap you at a few minutes max, force upgrades after trials, or lock essential features behind paywalls.

This guide focuses on tools with truly generous free plans that provide real usability for your specific needs.

Best Free Transcription Software: Quick Comparison

How We Chose These Tools

We evaluated dozens of transcription tools and selected these five based on what actually matters for free users:

• Automatic transcription only: Manual transcription assistants, which just help you type faster while listening to audio, were excluded. 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. Each tool on this list provides ongoing access to core transcription features without requiring payment.
• Usable limitations: Many “free” tools impose restrictions that make them unusable, like 10-minute one-time trials or 3-minute recording limits. We focused on tools where the free tier actually works for real-world use cases.
• Transcription quality: All selected tools use modern AI models (primarily OpenAI’s Whisper or similar) that deliver genuine accuracy, not outdated speech recognition that requires extensive manual correction.
• 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, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

What Are the Best Free Transcription Software (Detailed Reviews)

1. Char: Best Free Transcription Software for Mac

Most transcription software force you into their cloud, their servers, their rules, you have no say about what happens to your data. This is why Char was built.

Char is an open-source AI note-taker that stores your data locally and gives you complete control over AI processing.

You decide if your audio, transcripts, or notes ever leave your device. And, you pick your preferred STT and LLM provider, which means you can go completely local if you want to. No forced stack. No lock-in.

What’s Free Forever

• Unlimited transcription with local AI or bring-your-own-key
• Option to upload audio
• Manual note-taking with AI enhancement
• System audio capture (works on Zoom, Teams, phone calls, in-person)
• Search across all meetings
• Custom templates for recurring meetings
• Offline functionality
• Export to any format (already stored as .md files)
• Open-source code for security audits
• Works on macOS and Linux

Why Choose Char

• Complete Data Ownership: Your notes are Markdown files on your device—not rows in a database. Open them in Obsidian, Notion, VS Code, or any tool you already use.
• AI Flexibility: Choose between managed cloud service, bring your own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepgram), or run fully local models via Ollama/LM Studio. Switch providers anytime without losing data.
• No Meeting Bots: System audio capture means Char works everywhere—Zoom, Teams, phone calls, in-person conversations—without anyone knowing. No calendar permissions needed.
• Open Source & Auditable: Public codebase that security teams can review and verify. Know exactly what happens to your data.
• Zero Lock-In: Export anytime, switch AI providers anytime, or stop using Char entirely. Your notes stay with you as portable files.

When You’ll Need Char Pro

Upgrade to Char Pro ($8/month) when you want managed cloud AI without configuring your own keys, faster and higher-quality transcription and summaries.

2. Heidi Health: Best Free Medical Transcription Software

Unlike general transcription tools, Heidi is purpose-built for clinical documentation. It understands medical terminology, generates SOAP notes, creates referral letters, and extracts billing codes. All from a single consultation transcript. (Available on web, iOS, Android, and Chrome extension)

What’s Free Forever

• Unlimited consultations and dictation (no monthly caps)
• 10 Pro actions per month free
• Real-time medical transcription during patient visits
• Clinical note generation (progress notes, SOAP notes, referrals)
• Medical specialty templates for all specialties
• Speaker identification for multi-person consultations
• Multi-language support (110+ languages)
• HIPAA, GDPR, PIPEDA, NHS, ISO 27001 compliant
• EHR integration with Epic, Best Practice, Athena, and more
• Works on desktop, mobile, and web (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
• Offline functionality on mobile devices
• Export formats: Various medical documentation formats

Why Choose Heidi

• Comprehensive Clinical Workflow: Beyond transcription, Heidi generates structured clinical notes, extracts action items (follow-ups, medication changes, referrals), and creates task lists with priorities—all from one consultation.
• Privacy-First Medical Data: Heidi adheres to best-in-class healthcare privacy standards including ISO27001:2022, SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, NHS standards, Cyber Essentials, PIPEDA, and APP, with data encryption at rest and in transit.
• Medical Specialty Support: Cardiology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Oncology, Dermatology, Orthopedics, OB/GYN, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and 200+ other specialties.

When You’ll Need Heidi Pro

Upgrade to Heidi Pro ($99/month) when you need custom templates, the “Ask Heidi” AI assistant for clinical queries, unlimited Pro actions, advanced EHR integrations, and priority support. The Pro plan also includes team collaboration features for practices with multiple providers.

3. Riverside: Best Free Video Transcription Software

Riverside’s standalone transcription tool is the most straightforward free video transcription software available. No signup required, unlimited usage, just upload and transcribe.

While Riverside is primarily known as a podcast and video recording platform, their free transcription utility works as a simple web tool that converts any audio or video file to text using OpenAI’s Whisper model.

What’s Free Forever for Video Transcription

• 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 formats: TXT or SRT (caption format)
• Timestamps included in transcript
• Supported formats: MP3, WAV, MP4, MOV

Why Choose Riverside

• Generous File Limits: 5GB file size support means you can transcribe long-form content like webinars, lectures, or full podcast episodes without splitting files.
• Clean, Simple Interface: No bells and whistles, no learning curve. Upload, wait, download. It works reliably for basic transcription needs.
• Perfect for One-Off Jobs: If you need to transcribe something quickly without committing to a platform, Riverside is your best option.

When You’ll Need Riverside Pro

You’ll need Riverside’s paid platform ($19/month Standard or $29/month Pro) when you want 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, or professional recording features with 4K video and separate audio tracks.

The free video transcription tool works fine for basic text conversion, but serious video creators will quickly outgrow its limitations.

4. TurboScribe: Best Free Interview Transcription Software

TurboScribe is excellent free interview transcription software because its daily allocation model (3 files per day, 30 minutes each) perfectly matches typical interview workflows. Most interviews last 20-45 minutes, falling within TurboScribe’s free tier limits.

What’s Free Forever for Interview Transcription

• 3 interview transcripts daily (up to 30 minutes each)
• 99.8% accuracy with minimal editing required
• Automatic speaker recognition (distinguishes multiple speakers)
• Upload interview recordings from files, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox
• Supports 98+ languages for multilingual interviews
• Translation to 134+ languages for international research
• Timestamps at regular intervals or speaker changes
• Audio restoration for interviews in noisy environments
• Private encryption (data not used for AI training)
• Export formats: TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT

Why Choose TurboScribe

• Accurate Speaker Identification: TurboScribe automatically detects and labels different speakers, making it easier to follow conversations with multiple participants. For qualitative researchers conducting 10-20 interviews, this saves hours of manual speaker labeling.
• Daily Refresh: Unlike monthly caps that disappear if unused, TurboScribe’s daily limit resets every 24 hours. This matches research workflows where interviews happen consistently over weeks rather than batched in one month.
• High Accuracy with Accents: User reports confirm TurboScribe handles multiple accents well—critical for international research or diverse interview subjects.

When You’ll Need TurboScribe Unlimited

Upgrade to Unlimited ($10/month yearly) when conducting more than 3 interviews daily, interviewing subjects for longer than 30 minutes, need batch transcription for large research projects, or require priority processing for tight deadlines.

5. 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.

Transcript.LOL runs on a daily allocation model: 2 transcripts per day (up to 20 minutes each) rather than a monthly bucket. For content creators handling daily voice memos 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 = 40 minutes per day)
• 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)

Why Choose Transcript.LOL

• Direct Platform Integration: Skip the download step. Transcribe YouTube videos, Zoom recordings, or files from Google Drive/Dropbox directly by pasting a link or connecting your account. This is especially useful for content creators who work across multiple platforms.
• Multiple Export Formats: Get your transcript in TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT (subtitles), or VTT (web video captions). This flexibility makes it easy to use transcripts across different workflows—blog posts, video captions, documentation, etc.
• Convenient Integrations: Chrome extension for browser-based transcription, WhatsApp and Telegram bots for transcribing voice messages on the go. These integrations make transcription accessible wherever you work.

When You’ll Need an Unlimited Plan

You’ll need the $20/month Unlimited plan 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.

Upgrade to $40/month Team plan when you need shared workspaces for collaboration, multiple user accounts under one subscription, and team access management features.

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

1. Rev

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

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

2. Sonix

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

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

3. Trint

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

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

4. 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 Happy Scribe for: Subtitle creation with support for 120+ languages and automated translation capabilities.

5. Otter.ai

Otter.ai offers 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute limit per recording, but forces cloud processing and includes visible meeting bots.

Consider Otter.ai for: Teams already comfortable with cloud services who want automated meeting bot integration with calendar sync.

Our Top Recommendation

If you value both functionality and control, Char is the only tool on this list built for you.

You get AI-powered features without giving up ownership of your data. You get enterprise-grade functionality without vendor lock-in. You get ease of use without sacrificing flexibility.

This isn’t a bait and switch. You can try the tool out for free, and if you decide it’s not for you, just export everything and walk away. That’s the deal!