Best free speech-to-text and transcription tools
Turn recordings, meetings and videos into text, privately and in almost any language.
- Transcribe and translate audio on your computer, offline★ 22.4kstarsbuzz by chidiwilliams · Free alternative to Otter.ai, Descript transcriptionDesktop app: drop in a file, get a transcriptNo codingDesktop appHealthy
- Turn speech and recordings into text in almost any language★ 112kstarswhisper by openai · Free alternative to Otter.ai, RevThe model most tools use; free online demoSome setupCommand-line tool▶ Try onlineHealthy
- Transcribe speech to text on your own computer★ 54.9kstarswhisper.cpp by ggml-org · Free alternative to Otter.ai, MacWhisperFast on ordinary computers, including MacsSome setupCommand-line toolHealthy
- Transcribe audio with word-level timing and speaker labels★ 25.1kstarswhisperX by m-bain · Free alternative to Rev, Otter.aiAdds who-said-what speaker labelsFor developersCode libraryHealthy
- Transcribe audio faster with Whisper★ 26.5kstarsfaster-whisper by SYSTRAN · Free alternative to Otter.aiFaster Whisper for developersFor developersCode libraryHealthy
Ranked for people new to AI: ease of use first, then quality, upkeep and popularity. Last checked 4 Nov 2026.
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