diff --git a/apps/web/content/articles/free-transcription-software.mdx b/apps/web/content/articles/free-transcription-software.mdx
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--- a/apps/web/content/articles/free-transcription-software.mdx
+++ b/apps/web/content/articles/free-transcription-software.mdx
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---
-meta_title: "Top 6 Truly Free Transcription Software in 2025"
-display_title: "Best Free Transcription Software in 2025"
-meta_description: "Find truly free transcription solutions in 2025 that offer real usability, privacy, and accuracy for all your speech-to-text needs. No surprises or limits."
+meta_title: "Best Free Transcription Software in 2026"
+display_title: "Best Free Transcription Software in 2026"
+meta_description: "Find truly free transcription solutions in 2026 that offer real usability, privacy, and accuracy for all your speech-to-text needs. No surprises or limits."
author: "Harshika"
coverImage: "/api/images/blog/free-transcription-software/cover.png"
published: true
-date: "2025-10-08"
+date: "2026-02-11"
---
-If you're looking for free transcription tools to automatically transcribe your meetings, video, or audio files, we have done the research for you.
+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.
-Most "free" tools aren't really free. They cap you at 30 minutes total, force upgrades after a trial period, or lock basic features behind paywalls.
-
-This guide cuts through the marketing and reviews genuinely free transcription software that works without constant payment prompts.
+This guide focuses on tools with truly generous free plans that provide real usability for your specific needs.
## Best Free Transcription Software: Quick Comparison
-| Tool | Best For | Transcription Type | Real-Time | Monthly Limit | Export Formats |
-| -------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | --------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------ |
-| Hyprnote | Privacy & unlimited use | Meeting + live video/audio transcription | ✅ Yes | Unlimited | MD, PDF, RTF |
-| Transcript LOL | Multi-source imports | Files + URL imports | ❌ No | 2 files daily (20 min each) | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
-| Riverside | Unlimited no-signup tool | Files only | ❌ No | Unlimited | TXT, SRT |
-| Otter AI | Meeting bot automation | Meeting bot + files | ✅ Yes | 300 min (30 min/recording) | MP3, TXT (PDF/DOCX paid) |
-| Notta | Multi-language translation | Meeting bot + files | ✅ Yes | 120 min (3 min/recording) | TXT (others paid) |
-| MacWhisper | Simple Mac transcription | Files only | ❌ No | Unlimited | TXT, SRT, VTT |
+| Tool | Best For | Transcription Type | Real-Time | Monthly Limit | Export Formats |
+| -------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------- | --------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------- |
+| Char | Data control & unlimited use | Meeting + live transcription | ✅ Yes | Unlimited | MD, PDF, VTT |
+| Heidi Health | Medical professionals | Audio upload + Live transcription | ✅ Yes | Unlimited consultations | Medical formats |
+| Riverside | No-signup simplicity | Files + video | ❌ No | Unlimited | TXT, SRT |
+| TurboScribe | Daily transcription | Files + video + audio | ❌ No | 3 files daily (30 min each) | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
+| Transcript.LOL | Multi-source imports | Files + URL imports | ❌ No | 2 files daily (20 min each) | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
## How We Chose These Tools
-We evaluated dozens of transcription tools and selected these six based on what actually matters for free users:
+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.
+- **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.
-
-## Popular Transcription Tools We Didn't Include (and Why)
-
-### 1. oTranscribe
-
-[oTranscribe](https://otranscribe.com) is a manual transcription assistant, not automatic transcription software. 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
+- **No hidden costs**: We clearly documented where free plans end and paid features begin, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
-[Rev](https://www.rev.com) only offers 45 minutes of AI transcription per month on the free plan, which most regular users exhaust within days.
-
-**Consider for**: The unique hybrid model offering both AI transcription and the option to upgrade to 99% accurate human transcription for critical documents.
-
-### 3. Sonix
+## What Are the Best Free Transcription Software (Detailed Reviews)
-[Sonix](https://sonix.ai) 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 for**: Multi-language support across 53+ languages and team collaboration features with shared folders.
+### 1. Char: Best Free Transcription Software for Mac
-### 4. Trint
+
-[Trint](https://trint.com) provides a 7-day free trial (up to 3 files) with no ongoing free tier. Plans start at $80/month.
+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.
-**Consider for**: Newsrooms and media professionals who need fast turnaround times and collaborative editing workflows.
+Char is an open-source AI note-taker that stores your data locally and gives you complete control over AI processing.
-### 5. Happy Scribe
+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.
-[Happy Scribe](https://www.happyscribe.com) offers only 10 minutes of transcription total (one-time, not monthly) and doesn't allow file exports on the free tier.
+#### What’s Free Forever
-**Consider for**: Subtitle creation with support for 120+ languages and automated translation capabilities.
+- 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
-You can check detailed reviews of these tools in our guide to [best transcription software for Mac](/blog/transcription-software-mac).
+#### Why Choose Char
-## Best Free Transcription Software: Detailed Reviews
+- **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.
-### 1. Hyprnote: Best for Local Processing and Unlimited Transcription
+#### When You’ll Need Char Pro
-
+
-[Hyprnote](/) is a local-first transcription tool that processes everything on your device. While most tools send your audio to cloud servers, Hyprnote's Whisper-powered transcription engine delivers high-quality transcripts without surveillance capitalism business models or data privacy compromises.
-
-This local processing approach dramatically reduces your compliance surface area by eliminating third-party vendor dependencies and keeping sensitive data on-device, making it ideal for organizations with strict data policies while 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?
-
-
-
-You'll likely never need to pay for Hyprnote's core transcription features since unlimited transcription stays free forever.
-
-Consider upgrading to Pro ($8/month) only when you want unlimited AI chat with your transcripts, custom template building, or advanced search capabilities.
-
-Enterprise becomes relevant when your organization needs on-premises deployment, SSO integration, consent management, or custom branding for compliance requirements. [Contact sales for a quote](/founders).
+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. Transcript.LOL: Best for Multi-source Imports
+### 2. Heidi Health: Best Free Medical Transcription Software
-
+
-Transcript.LOL is a cloud-based transcription platform powered by OpenAI's Whisper that converts audio and video files into text across 100+ languages.
+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)
-The platform handles imports directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and Zoom, so you can transcribe content without downloading files first.
+#### What’s Free Forever
-You can also transcribe audio from WhatsApp or Telegram messages directly through integrations, making it convenient for processing voice notes on the go.
+- 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
-Also, the platform runs on a daily allocation model: 2 transcripts per day (up to 20 minutes each) rather than a monthly bucket that disappears quickly.
+#### Why Choose Heidi
-For podcasters processing a few episodes weekly, content creators handling daily voice memos, or professionals with regular but moderate transcription needs, this daily reset provides consistent access without the pressure to batch everything at once.
+- **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.
-#### What's Free Forever
+#### When You’ll Need Heidi Pro
-- 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?
+
-
+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.
-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.
+### 3. Riverside: Best Free Video Transcription Software
-Upgrade to $40/month Team plan when you need shared workspaces for collaboration, multiple user accounts under one subscription, and team access management features.
+
-### 3. Riverside: Best for No-Signup Transcription
+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](https://riverside.com/transcription) works as a simple web tool that converts any audio or video file to text using OpenAI’s Whisper model.
-While Riverside is primarily known as a podcast and video recording platform, their [standalone transcription tool](https://riverside.com/transcription) 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.
-
-It's straightforward, no bells and whistles, but it works reliably for basic transcription needs.
-
-#### What's Free Forever
+#### 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 as TXT or SRT (caption format)
+- Download formats: TXT or SRT (caption format)
- Timestamps included in transcript
-- Works with MP3, WAV, MP4, MOV formats
+- 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 Will You Need to Pay?
+#### 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.
+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 transcription tool works fine for basic text conversion, but serious content creators will quickly outgrow its limitations and upgrade for the editing workflow integration.
+The free video transcription tool works fine for basic text conversion, but serious video creators will quickly outgrow its limitations.
-### 4. Otter.ai: Best for Meeting Bot Integration
+### 4. TurboScribe: Best Free Interview Transcription Software
-
+
-Otter.ai is a meeting assistant similar to Hyprnote. It transcribes conversations, generates summaries, and helps you search through meeting history.
+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.
-The fundamental difference is architecture: while Hyprnote processes everything locally on your device, Otter sends all your audio to the cloud for processing.
+#### What’s Free Forever for Interview Transcription
-That cloud-based approach enables Otter's signature feature: the meeting bot. "OtterPilot" automatically joins your Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet calls based on your calendar, records everything, and shares notes with participants afterward.
+- 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
-For teams already comfortable with cloud services and living in scheduled meetings, this automation feels natural once you accept having a visible bot participant in your calls.
+#### Why Choose TurboScribe
-**Also read**: [Otter AI Review](/blog/otter-ai-review)
+- **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.
-#### What's Free Forever
+#### When You’ll Need TurboScribe Unlimited
-- 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?
+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
-You'll need the $16.99/month Pro plan 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.
+
-Upgrade to $30/month Business when your team needs 6,000 minutes per user, 4-hour meeting support, unlimited file imports, the ability to join 3 concurrent meetings, usage analytics, and prioritized support.
+Transcript.LOL is a cloud-based transcription platform powered by OpenAI’s Whisper that converts audio and video files into text across 100+ languages.
-Enterprise becomes relevant for organizations requiring SSO, HIPAA compliance, domain capture, custom CRM integrations, video replay features, or dedicated customer success management.
+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.
-### 5. Notta: Best for Multi-Language Transcription
+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
-[Notta](https://www.notta.ai/en) is a cloud-based transcription platform that handles 58 languages with claimed 98% accuracy.
+- 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)
-Similar to Otter.ai, Notta automatically joins your Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Webex meetings to transcribe conversations in real-time.
+#### Why Choose Transcript.LOL
-The platform also accepts file uploads from YouTube, Google Drive, and Dropbox if you prefer working with pre-recorded content.
+- **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.
-#### What's Free Forever
+#### When You’ll Need an Unlimited Plan
-- 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?
+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.
-You'll need the $13.49/month Pro plan immediately for actual meeting transcription since the 3-minute recording limit makes the free plan nearly useless.
+## Popular Transcription Tools We Didn’t Include (and Why)
-Pro gives you 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).
+### 1. Rev
-Upgrade to $27.99/month Business when your team needs unlimited transcription, video recording for web meetings, CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot, Zapier automation, usage analytics, and collaborative workspace features.
+[Rev](https://www.rev.com) only offers 45 minutes of AI transcription per month on the free plan, which most regular users exhaust within days.
-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 beyond standard plans.
+**Consider Rev for**: The unique hybrid model offering both AI transcription and the option to upgrade to 99% accurate human transcription for critical documents.
-### 6. MacWhisper: Best for Simple Mac Transcription
+### 2. Sonix
-
+[Sonix](https://sonix.ai) only offers a 30-minute one-time trial with no ongoing free plan. After that initial trial, you must pay $10/hour for transcription.
-[MacWhisper](https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper) is a Mac app that takes OpenAI's Whisper technology and wraps it in a simple drag-and-drop interface.
+**Consider Sonix for**: Multi-language support across 53+ languages and team collaboration features with shared folders.
-While tools like Hyprnote use Whisper as part of a complete meeting assistant, MacWhisper focuses purely on transcription. You drop in an audio file, it gives you text.
+### 3. Trint
-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.
+[Trint](https://trint.com) provides a 7-day free trial (up to 3 files) with no ongoing free tier. Plans start at $80/month.
-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 to function well.
+**Consider Trint for**: Newsrooms and media professionals who need fast turnaround times and collaborative editing workflows.
-#### What's Free Forever
+### 4. Happy Scribe
-- 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
+[Happy Scribe](https://www.happyscribe.com) offers only 10 minutes of transcription total (one-time, not monthly) and doesn’t allow file exports on the free tier.
-#### When Will You Need to Pay?
+**Consider Happy Scribe for**: Subtitle creation with support for 120+ languages and automated translation capabilities.
-
+### 5. Otter.ai
-You'll need MacWhisper Pro ($29-35 one-time payment, no subscription) when you want 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, or advanced exports including Word, PDF, and HTML formats.
+[Otter.ai](https://otter.ai) offers 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute limit per recording, but forces cloud processing and includes visible meeting bots.
-## Our Top Recommendation for Free Transcription
+**Consider Otter.ai for**: Teams already comfortable with cloud services who want automated meeting bot integration with calendar sync.
-If data privacy matters and you need truly unlimited transcription without hidden costs, Hyprnote stands out as the clear choice.
+## Our Top Recommendation
-Unlike most transcription tools that send your audio to cloud servers, Hyprnote processes everything on your device using local AI models; not a single byte leaves your machine.
+If you value both functionality and control, Char is the only tool on this list built for you.
-For teams handling sensitive conversations, whether patient consultations, legal discussions, financial planning, or confidential business meetings, Hyprnote solves the fundamental problem that cloud-based tools can't: keeping your data completely private while delivering powerful AI-powered transcription.
+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.
-Ready to take control of your transcription data? [**Download Hyprnote for macOS**](/download) and experience truly private, unlimited transcription (Windows version coming soon).
+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!
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