Audio to Text Transcription_ Top 5 Best Tools Recommendation [2025]

Audio to text transcription used to be a very niche thing to do in the past, but with the advancements of AI audio-to-text technology, it is becoming more and more advanced. Yet, despite all these advancements in recent times, transcription accuracy is low, with the software often fumbling words and failing to understand the emotions behind them. So in this article, I’ll share the top 5 tools to transcribe audio to text free that can help you increase your productivity.

Top 5 Audio to Text Transcription

In this section, we will be looking at the top 5 audio to text transcription tools I’ve found to be the most useful and impactful. So if your goal is to find a Audio to text transcription free online tool or a paid one with additional features, this review should give you a good idea of which one you want to use

Turboscribe

Turboscribeis a web-based platform that can convert your audioor videofiles into text quickly, and since it is web-based, it doesn't require any downloads. Not only this, but you can use Turboscribe to translate the text you transcribe into 134 other languages, both popular and more regional languages. There could be a question that most transcription software struggles with more regional or small languages, but Turboscribe has an extremely high accuracy in terms of dialect. It has personally been a big help in note-taking for me in my university classes.

Turboscribe does well at basic transcription and translation, but it falls back in certain areas. Despite the updates, it struggles with certain words and phrases and has problems transcribing someone whose accent is thick. So it’s not exactly perfect and may need intervention, but it generally does a great job at filtering background noise and picking up only what I need.

Features:

• Basic interface: Easily navigate and import media files for transcription without unnecessary complexity.

• Supports multiple formats: Upload common media files like MP4, MP3, MOV, AAC, WMC, and YouTube links as well.

• Downloadable transcripts: Downloadable in multiple formats like PDF, DOCX, TXT, or captions and subtitles (VTT and SRT).

• Translation feature: translate your transcripts or subtitles into 134+ languages.

Price:

TurboScribe offers two versions: a free plan and the TurboScribe Unlimited plan. The free plan lets you convert 3 audios daily, which is enough if it's light work. /unlimited is $10 every month, which offers unlimited transcriptions and allows you to upload up to 10 hours of audio and many more features.

Pros:

• Creates near accurate summaries.

• Integrates with other apps like zoom.

• Support batch import.

• Reliable with a 99% accuracy

Cons:

• Has difficulty differentiating speakers.

• Struggles with certain accents.

• Occasional errors in final text.

I’ve used Turboscribe for quick transcriptions of meetings. It’s simple, I just upload the audio and it converts it into text in a couple of minutes. But due to its fast speed, it struggles under noisy audio, so it becomes vital to edit the final text. It’s a time-saver for initial transcription, especially with its various download options.

Notta

The second tool we’re going to discuss is Nottawhich is an AI-poweredtranscription tool that uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology, which is the same kind of technology used for Alexa and Siri. This means it specialises in transcription related tasks. Notta can transcribe with up to 98% accuracy, and it performs well in both casual conversations and technical discussions. What I appreciate is its ability to handle complex technical words without fumbling.

But what’s truly unique about it is its ability to take down detailed notes and summaries for long meetings and recordings.

But it has its drawbacks. Notta supports only 58 languages, and its accuracy can vary depending on the dialect being used. Another issue many users have pointed out is the misleading free trial. While it advertises 120 minutes of transcription, it actually only processes the first three minutes, something that really casts doubt on its usefulness for serious work.

Features:

• 58 languages: Notta supports an impressive 58 different languages for transcription.

• 5 minutes: It takes an average of 5 minutes to transcribe an hour-long recording.

• Export the notes to where you work: Easily send your notes to Notion or export them in formats like TXT, Word Doc, PDF, and SRT, making the content easy to use and share.

• Turn meeting highlights into shareable clips: Instead of sharing the entire meeting, Notta lets you extract and share the most important highlights, boosting communication efficiency.

Price:

There are 4 plans that Notta offers: Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. The Free plan provides 120 transcription minutes per month with limited features. The Pro plan costs $8.17/month and includes 1,800 minutes and additional features like transcript export and translation. The Business plan, at $16.67/month, offers unlimited transcription and advanced team features, while the Enterprise plan is customizable for larger organizations needing advanced support and security.

Pros:

• Record and transcribe meetings on apps like Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, and many more

• Translate into 42 languages.

• Integration with apps like Zapier and Salesforce.

Cons:

• Misspells certain words and phrases

• Fewer transcription and translation options compared to alternatives like Turboscribe.

• The free version is quite limited in features and functionality.

Notta worked great for transcribing client meetings, especially with technical terms. What I would do is just upload the recording or the link, and it would automatically transcribe it, and what I love is that it generates a summary with it, which helps in my busy schedule.

Restream

Restream'saudio-to-text transcription tool uses AI to convert your audio files into text. So even if it’s a podcast, conference call, or personal voice notes, Restream handles it in no time. What stands out is that this service is completely free, unlike other transcription tools we've discussed. The interface is straightforward and user-friendly; just drag and drop your file, and let the AI do the work.

But Restream doesn’t come without its own flaws. Unlike others, it supports only 15 languages, covering most of the popular ones, but that's still quite limited compared to other tools. Also, remember that Restream's main focus isn’t transcription, it's just an additional tool they've added. It’s a general live streaming tool with transcription added as a secondary feature, and it lacks advancedoptions or customization. Due to this, it’s less accurate compared to others.

Features:

• AI-powered transcription: Quickly converts audio files into accurate text, saving you time and effort.

• Free to use: Offers completely free transcription without requiring software downloads or account creation.

• Easy-to-use interface: Simply drag and drop your files, and let the AI handle the rest with minimal effort.

• Supports 15 languages: Provides transcription in popular languages like English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin, making it versatile for many users.

Price:

Restream offers four pricing plans: Free, Standard, Professional, and Business. The Free plan allows basic features like multistreaming to 2 channels at no cost. The Standard plan, priced at $16/month, supports multistreaming to 3 channels and additional features like unlimited cloud recordings. For more advanced features, the Professional plan at $39/month offers multistreaming to 5 channels, and the Business plan at $199/month includes features for large-scale operations with multistreaming to 8 channels and priority support.

Pros:

• It is totally free

• Very simple Interface.

• Record up to 20 hours.

Cons:

• No advanced features.

• Fewer languages supported.

• Lower accuracy

For live events, I used Restream to transcribe multiple live-streamed sessions. I linked the live stream, and it transcribed everything automatically. It worked well for simple streams, but the language support was limited. Overall, it was smooth and effective for live transcription.

EverNote

If you've used Restream, you’ll notice that Evernote's AI Transcribe works similarly to a web-based transcription tool, but it's not a specialized transcription service either. It does do a great job, but it’s important to remember that it is not solely made for this. With that said, Evernote’s AI can transcribe audio and video files fast.

You can use Evernote for MP3, MP4, or even some YouTube video you saw. This saves you from the frustration of converting files. The interface is simple with a drag and drop.

But still, I saw some flaws. It only supports files up to 100MB or one hour in length, which can be a big problem as it could stop in the middle of a large meeting. However, it does stand out from Restream with its instant summary feature. This lets you to quickly capture the main points from your transcript without having to read the whole lengthy thing, something Restream doesn’t offer. The free version isn't good for large tasks but excels at shorter versions.

Features:

• Generate meeting notes: Record meetings and upload audio to AI Transcribe for quick text conversion and summary creation with AI Edit.

• Convert video to text: Upload or paste a video URL to transcribe the content and find key info without rewatching.

• Transcribe voice memos: Record and transcribe your ideas instantly, organizing them with other notes in Evernote.

Price:

Evernote offers three pricing plans: Personal ($8.58/month), Professional ($10.41/month), and Enterprise (custom pricing). The Personal plan includes 150,000 notes, 10GB of monthly uploads, and unlimited connected devices. The Professional plan adds features like Adobe Acrobat Standard, 20GB of uploads, and AI-powered search, while the Enterprise plan offers custom solutions for large organizations, with advanced security and support.

Pros:

• Very fast conversion.

• Supports common formats like MP3, MP4, and YouTube

• The instant summary feature helps you catch key points fast.

• Transcribed content integrates seamlessly with your other notes.

• Multi-language support is great for global teams or language learners.

Cons:

• The free version limits file sizes to 25MB, which may not be enough.

• It lacks advanced features compared to specialized transcription tools.

• Accuracy may not be as high as dedicated transcription services.

• The free version has significant limitations for heavy use.

Evernote’s AI Transcribe became my go-to for transcribing voice memos and meetings. I record or upload audio, and the transcription is done quickly. The instant summary feature is a huge time-saver, giving me key points right away. It’s not the most advanced, but its ease of use is a major plus.

Riverside

Now, onto our last tool, Riverside is an AI-powered tool that can turn even poorly recorded audio into accurate text. It offers an automatic transcription with a 99% accuracy rate. What makes Riverside unique, compared to all the other tools, is that it doesn't get confused even with noise or multiple speakers and can bring out accurate text.

It supports 100 languages for its transcription. It is targeted at creators and professionals who need to be clear, who are mostly busy with their creative work, and don't want to edit it. And not only that, it also lets you create clips, captions, and more, saving your time and energy. You can even edit it directly from the audio waveform or omit certain words and phrases.

Features:

• 99% accuracy rate: Quickly and accurately transcribe even poorly recorded audio with minimal errors.

• Multiple speaker transcription: Transcribe recordings with multiple speakers without confusing their voices.

• Supports 100+ languages: Cater to a wide range of users with support for over 100 languages.

• Advanced editing tools: Easily edit your transcript by deleting words, sentences, or paragraphs directly from the waveform or text.

• Clip and caption creation: Save time by generating clips and captions directly from the transcript, streamlining your workflow.

Price:

Riverside offers four pricing plans: Free, Standard ($15/month), Pro ($24/month), and Business (custom pricing). The Free plan includes 2 hours of multi-track recording and basic editing tools. The Standard plan provides 5 hours of multi-track recording with up to 4K video quality. The Pro plan gives you 15 hours of recording, unlimited edits, and advanced features. The Business plan is tailored for teams and offers unlimited multi-track recording, advanced editing, and live streaming capabilities.

Pros:

• Riverside offers up to 4K video and 48kHz audio quality for clear recordings.

• It supports multi-track recording for audio and video, perfect for podcasts or interviews.

• The Pro and Business plans allow unlimited editing, giving full control over your recordings.

• Automatic transcriptions in over 100 languages save time on manual work.

• The Business plan supports team collaboration for larger projects.

Cons:

• The Free plan is limited to 2 hours of recording.

• The Pro and Business plans can be expensive for basic users.

• Lower-tier plans have limited language support.

• The Free plan includes a Riverside watermark on recordings.

Riverside is great for recording podcasts or interviews with multiple speakers. I upload the audio, and it generates a transcription. The ability to edit directly from the waveform or transcript makes it easy to clean up the text. It’s ideal for high-quality recordings and webinars with accurate transcriptions.

Comparison of the Five Tools

Now that we’ve looked at each tool individually, let’s comparethem side by side. This will help you better understand how they stack up against each other and clear up any confusion, making it easier to choose the one that best suits your needs.

Complementary Tool: Toolsmart’s Text Summarizer

By now, I hope you have a better idea of the tool that suits your needs. However, after comparing all the transcription tools, a question naturally arises, what else do we need besides basic transcription? In today’s fast-paced world, we need more than just transcription; we need something that not only transcribes but also provides valuable summaries.

The problem with most free transcription tools is that they lack good text summarization features. Even if they offer one, it's often a paid option or the quality isn't up to par. Many tools cut off vital information, leaving you with a summary that’s more confusing than helpful. You end up spending more time editing the summary than you would have spent just taking the notes yourself. This is where Toolsmart's Text Summarizer shines. It’s specifically designed for summarizing text and notes, and the AI is trained with input from experts in summarization, ensuring that no important information is left out.

Toolsmart transforms lengthy transcripts into concise, digestible summaries, helping you quickly understand the key points without having to go through every detail. The best part? It’s a completely free, web-basedtool, unlike other summarizers that often come with hidden costs. So, if you're struggling with large volumes of text and need a quick, efficient way to process it, this is the best choice.

What is Toolsmart’s Text Summarizer:

Toolsmart’s Text Summarizer is an AI-powered tool designed to turn lengthy transcripts and documents into concise, easy-to-understand summaries. In a world overflowing with information, this tool helps you quickly extract key points from large volumes of text, saving you time and effort.

Features:

• AI-powered summarization: Uses advanced AI algorithms to generate accurate and relevant summaries.

• Support for long texts: Efficiently handles lengthy documents and transcripts, turning them into bite-sized summaries.

• Free and web-based: No downloads or installations required, and it’s completely free to use.

• No information loss: Summaries retain critical information, ensuring you don't miss out on vital points.

• Easy to use: Simple interface with a few clicks to summarize your content.

Pros:

• Saves time by condensing large texts into key points.

• Free to use, unlike most paid tools.

• AI generates relevant, detailed summaries.

• Simple and user-friendly interface.

Cons:

• Limited customization for summaries.

• May have text formatting issues.

• Requires a stable internet connection.

How to use Toolsmart’s Text Summarizer:

Toolsmarts text summarizer is perhaps the easiest tool to use. Just paste your text into the text box, and it generates a summary.

Step 1: Go to Toolsmart's Text Summarizer. You'll land on a clean, distraction-free interface.

Step 2: Paste your text or upload a document. You can paste a blog post, article content, or research text into the input field.

Step 3: Click "Summarize." The tool processes your input and generates a concise summary within seconds.

Step 4: Make any additional changes you can also change the format of the summary between bullet points and text.

FAQs

Q1: Can Toolsmart’s AI Summarizer handle long texts?

Yes, it can! Toolsmart’s AI Summarizer works great with long texts, summarizing them efficiently without cutting out crucial information. It’s perfect for those lengthy meeting notes or articles you need to process quickly.

Q2: How accurate is Toolsmart’s AI Summarizer?

The AI is pretty spot-on when it comes to generating summaries. It’s trained to focus on the key points, so you won’t miss anything important. Of course, no tool is perfect, but it’s definitely one of the best for creating clear, relevant summaries.

Q3: Can I customize the summary output?

Right now, customization is a bit limited. The tool focuses on summarizing the key points, but you don’t have much control over how the summary is structured. Still, it does a great job of keeping the most important info intact.

Q4: Is Toolsmart’s AI Summarizer free to use?

Yes, it’s totally free! Unlike some other tools, you don’t have to pay to access its features. You can summarize as many texts as you need without worrying about hidden costs.

Q5: Do I need to download anything to use Toolsmart’s AI Summarizer?

No downloads necessary! It’s a web-based tool, so all you need is an internet connection. Just upload your text, and the AI does the rest. Simple and easy!

Pair Toolsmart Text Summarizer with Your Transcription Tool

After comparing audio to text transcription tools, you might wonder what else is needed. While tools like Evernote and Riverside excel at transcription, they don’t provide summaries. Toolsmart’s Text Summarizer fills that gap. It quickly condenses lengthy texts into concise summaries, saving you time and helping you focus on key points. It’s free and perfect for anyone needing to process large amounts of information efficiently.