TranscribeBolt, listed first, is our own tool. We are not affiliated with the other services; their numbers come only from their own websites, read on the date below, and can change.
| Tool | Free tier | Paid price | Longest file / limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| TranscribeBolt | None | 2 credits/min; packs from $9.90 (900 credits) | 120 min, 500 MB per file |
| TurboScribe | 3 files a day, up to 30 minutes each (sign-up) | Unlimited $10/month billed yearly ($120/year) | 10 hours or 5 GB per file (Unlimited) |
| ElevenLabs | 10,000 credits a month; speech to text uses 330 credits per minute | Starter $6/month (30,000 credits) | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Otter.ai | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 file imports per user (lifetime) | Pro $16.99/month or $8.33/month billed yearly | Pro: 1,200 imported minutes and 10 imported files a month, up to 90 minutes per meeting |
| FastTranscriber | 2 transcripts a day, 20-minute previews | Pro $20/month or $10/month billed yearly | 15 GB per file |
Checked 2026-11-11 on each service's own pricing or home page.
How we compared audio to text converters
We compared audio to text converters on what their own pricing and home pages state: the free allowance, the cheapest paid plan, and how long one file can be. Every number was read on 2026-11-11; nothing was run through the paid plans, and we did not measure accuracy, so the table ranks no one on word error rate. Where a page does not state a figure, the table says so.
TranscribeBolt
Best for: A few recordings a month without a subscription.
Strengths: Pays per minute (2 credits, 5-credit minimum); TXT, SRT and VTT; works in a phone browser.
Limits: Free use: None; no speaker labels; files up to 120 minutes.
TurboScribe
Best for: Many hours a month, or short files every day for free.
Strengths: Free tier of 3 files a day up to 30 minutes; Unlimited plan with 10-hour, 5 GB files.
Limits: Unlimited is $10 a month only when billed yearly ($120); the free tier needs an account.
ElevenLabs
Best for: People who also use its voice tools, or developers.
Strengths: Monthly free credits; speech to text is one of several products on the same credits.
Limits: Speech to text uses 330 credits a minute, so the free 10,000 credits go quickly.
Otter.ai
Best for: Meetings recorded or joined through Otter itself.
Strengths: 300 free minutes a month and speaker identification; Pro adds 1,200 imported minutes a month.
Limits: Free plan allows only 3 imported files per user, ever, and 30 minutes per conversation; Pro allows 10 imported files a month.
FastTranscriber
Best for: A quick look at a transcript before deciding to pay.
Strengths: Says it uses Whisper and lists speaker recognition; 15 GB files on Pro; TXT, SRT and VTT exports.
Limits: Free use is 2 transcripts a day with 20-minute previews.
What is the best free audio to text converter?
The best free audio to text converter for occasional files is a daily free tier: TurboScribe gives 3 files a day of up to 30 minutes after sign-up, and FastTranscriber gives 2 a day but only 20-minute previews. Otter's free plan has 300 minutes a month but only 3 file imports per user, ever. For phone voice messages, the free transcripts in WhatsApp and iPhone Voice Memos need no upload at all.
Which audio to text app is best on a phone?
The best audio to text app on a phone is often one you already have: WhatsApp transcribes received voice messages on the device, and iPhone Voice Memos shows a transcript for recordings on supported models. For an uploaded file, the best online options here (TranscribeBolt, TurboScribe, FastTranscriber) run in a mobile browser with nothing to install.
What is the best AI for audio to text?
The best AI for audio to text is a modern speech model such as OpenAI's Whisper family or ElevenLabs Scribe; both handle many languages and give timestamps. FastTranscriber says it uses Whisper, and TranscribeBolt runs Whisper large-v3-turbo. No independent test here ranks them on accuracy, so try a short clip of your own audio first: noise, accents and crosstalk matter more than the brand.
How to choose an audio to text converter
Choosing an audio to text converter comes down to how many hours you transcribe and whether you need speaker names. Pay per minute for a few files, pick a flat monthly plan for many hours, use a free daily tier for short files, and pick a meeting tool when speaker labels matter more than price.
- A few files a year, no subscription: TranscribeBolt, 2 credits a minute from a $9.90 pack.
- Many hours every month: a flat plan such as TurboScribe Unlimited.
- Short files most days, free: TurboScribe free tier.
- Meetings with speaker names: Otter, whose plans list speaker identification.
- Building an app: a speech-to-text API (ElevenLabs, OpenAI).
Choosing a converter: FAQ
Is a subscription cheaper than paying per minute?
Only if you transcribe a lot. At the Pro pack rate, $10 of TranscribeBolt credits covers 500 minutes, so a $10-a-month plan (TurboScribe Unlimited is $120 billed yearly) costs less once you transcribe more than about 500 minutes every month. Below that, per-minute packs cost less, last a year and nothing renews.
Which converters label speakers?
Otter lists speaker identification on its plans, FastTranscriber lists speaker recognition, and ElevenLabs says its Scribe model separates speakers. TranscribeBolt does not; it gives the words in order with timestamps.
Do these prices change?
Often. The table shows what each official site said on 2026-11-11; check their pricing page before you buy.