A free transcription app with no minute cap always asks for something first. Fathom Free needs an online meeting. Pocket Free and the free plan on Comu Note Pro (€139.99) or Comu Action Pro (€179.99) come with a recorder. Audacity runs on your own computer. Otter Basic stops at 300 minutes a month, Plaud Starter at 300, Notta Free at 120 and Descript Free at 60.
If you want to know which free plans have no minute cap, jump to unlimited free transcription. If you record in person or on the phone and want to compare costs, skip to free AI transcription with Comu AI.
Free transcription apps compared: minute limits at a glance
Four free plans have no minute cap, Vibe is free software that runs on your computer, and six apps cap minutes, files or the length of each recording. Comu prices are euro prices from the EU store (Nov 6, 2026); competitor prices are US dollar prices from each company's own site.
| App | Free plan | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Comu | Unlimited transcription and real-time transcription | Comu Note Pro (€139.99) or Comu Action Pro (€179.99) |
| Unlimited transcription at standard accuracy | Pocket device ($129) | |
| Fathom | Unlimited recordings and transcription | A Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Slack huddle call |
| Audacity | No minute limits | Free Audacity plus the OpenVINO plugin on Windows, Mac or Linux |
| Vibe | Free, open source, runs on your computer | Free desktop app for Windows, Mac or Linux |
| Otter Basic | 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation, 3 imported files in total | The Otter Basic plan |
| Plaud Starter | 300 minutes a month | Plaud Note ($159) or Plaud Note Pro ($189) |
| Notta Free | 120 minutes a month, 3 minutes per conversation | The Notta Free plan |
| Descript Free | 60 media minutes a month | The Descript Free plan |
| Wave | Upload tool: 5 files a day, 200MB each. App: 30 minutes a month | Upload tool: no account needed |
| TurboScribe Free | 3 files a day, 30 minutes each | The TurboScribe Free plan |
Competitor prices were checked on Nov 9, 2026.
Free transcription app with unlimited minutes: three kinds
Unlimited free transcription comes in three kinds: an app for online meetings (Fathom), a recorder with its own plan (Pocket, and Comu below) and software on your own computer (Audacity).
Fathom Free: unlimited transcription for online meetings
Fathom Free costs $0 and includes unlimited recordings, unlimited transcription and an instant AI summary of every call. It also includes clips, playlists and search across your calls. You choose between a bot that joins the meeting and bot-free capture, which is in beta on Mac. Fathom captures Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Slack huddles, and in-person conversations through its iOS app. If you spend the day in video meetings and want every call transcribed without a monthly cap, Fathom Free fits. For what the paid plans add, read Fathom AI pricing.
Pocket Free: unlimited transcription on the recorder
Pocket Free has no minute limit once you own the $129 Pocket device. It includes unlimited transcription at standard accuracy, Ask Pocket with 3 chats a day and up to 3 messages per chat, unlimited summaries kept for 30 days, unlimited to-dos and task app integrations, and text export with audio download. Live transcription covers the first 2 segments of a recording, speaker names are tagged by hand and 9 summary templates are built in. Full live transcription, automatic speaker names, 80+ templates and summaries kept forever belong to Pro, which costs $239.88 a year ($19.99 a month billed yearly).
Audacity: unlimited free transcription on your own computer
Audacity runs the Whisper speech-recognition model on your computer with no uploads, no minute limits and no subscription. It is free for Windows, Mac and Linux. The free OpenVINO plugin adds a Whisper Transcription effect under Analyze, and the result lands in a label track you can edit and export as SRT, VTT or plain text.
Vibe: free open-source transcription software that runs on your computer
Vibe is a free, open-source desktop app under the MIT license for Windows, Mac and Linux, and transcription runs on your own machine. It supports Whisper, Nemotron 3.5 and Parakeet TDT v3 models, transcribes files in batches, separates speakers, transcribes the microphone or system audio, and exports SRT, VTT, TXT, HTML, PDF, JSON and DOCX. Audacity and Vibe fit people who already have audio files and want them transcribed privately.
Free AI transcription with usage caps: Otter, Plaud, Notta, Descript, Wave and TurboScribe
Free AI transcription plans from Otter, Plaud, Notta and Descript cap the month, Otter and Notta also cap each recording, and Wave's upload tool and TurboScribe cap files per day.
Otter Basic: 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation
Otter Basic costs $0 and includes 300 transcription minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation and 3 audio or video file imports for the life of the account. It also includes live transcription, speaker identification, multi-language support, AI Chat within and across meetings, and iOS and Android apps. Otter joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet meetings. Ten 30-minute conversations use the whole 300 minutes. Otter Pro raises the cap to 1,200 minutes, 90 minutes per meeting and 10 file imports a month for $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly. For every plan side by side, read Otter AI pricing.
Plaud Starter: 300 minutes a month with the device
Plaud Starter is free with every activated Plaud account and includes 300 transcription minutes a month. Plaud Note ($159) and Plaud Note Pro ($189) come with it. Every Plaud plan, Starter included, has the full Plaud Intelligence feature set: transcripts with speaker labels in 112+ languages, 10,000+ summary templates, Ask Plaud for questions across your recordings, and AutoFlow for action items. Plaud does not support real-time transcription, so the transcript and summary arrive after the recording ends. Pro adds 1,200 minutes a month for $99.99 a year ($17.99 billed monthly). Unlimited costs $239.99 a year ($29.99 billed monthly).
Notta Free: 120 minutes a month and 3 minutes per conversation
Notta Free costs $0 and includes 120 transcription minutes a month, up to 3 minutes per conversation, 50 file uploads a month and 10 AI summaries a month. It transcribes Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex and Slack meetings and includes speaker identification. The 3-minute limit per conversation makes the free plan a fit for voice notes and short clips. Pro raises the limits to 1,800 minutes a month and up to 5 hours per recording for $97.99 a year. Business is unlimited transcription with up to 5 hours per recording for $199.99 a year.
Descript Free: 60 media minutes a month
Descript Free includes 60 media minutes (1 hour) a month. Descript is an audio and video editor, and its paid Hobbyist plan raises the allowance to 10 media hours a month. The free allowance fits an occasional recording of an hour or less in total.
Wave and TurboScribe: free upload tools with daily file limits
Wave's upload tool and TurboScribe cap files per day, not minutes per month. Wave's tool transcribes up to 5 audio or video files a day at 200MB each, with no account and no watermark. Each speaker is labeled with timestamps, and an AI summary with action items comes with the transcript. The Wave app has a free plan of 30 minutes a month, and Wave Pro includes unlimited recording and transcription for $80 a year or $15 a month. TurboScribe Free transcribes 3 files a day, each up to 30 minutes long, one file at a time with lower priority. TurboScribe Unlimited costs $10 a month billed yearly ($120) or $20 a month, with uploads up to 10 hours. Wave and TurboScribe fit a single file. For the steps from file to text, read How to Transcribe Audio to Text.
Live transcription free: which free transcription app captions speech as it happens
Live Transcribe on Android, Live Captions on iPhone, Voice Memos on iPhone and Mac, and Otter Basic write words on screen while people speak.
- Live Transcribe (Android). It transcribes speech in real time in over 70 languages and dialects. On Pixel phones and select other Android devices that run Android 12 or later, you can download multiple languages for offline use. Select devices on Android 8 to 11 can download English. External, Bluetooth and USB microphones give better audio reception. Saved transcriptions stay on the device for up to 3 days.
- Live Captions (iPhone 11 or later). It gives a real-time transcription of audio in any app and of conversations around you. The Microphone button transcribes an in-person conversation, and Copy Captions moves the text into Notes or Messages. Apple offers it in select languages, countries and regions.
- Voice Memos (iPhone 12 or later, and Mac). On iPhone 12 or later, the app shows a transcription while you record and after, in English (all variants), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. On Mac, the Transcription button shows the text live while you record. Apple offers transcription in select countries and regions. For the steps, read How to Transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone and Mac.
- Otter Basic. Live transcription with speaker identification inside the 300-minute monthly allowance.
- Pocket Free. Live text for the first 2 segments of a recording. Full live transcription is a Pro feature.
How to choose an AI transcription app on a free plan: six limits to check
Choose a free AI transcription app by checking six limits: minutes, length per recording, imports, where the audio comes from, how long the output is kept and whether text appears live.
- Minutes per month. Otter Basic and Plaud Starter stop at 300, Notta Free at 120, Descript Free at 60 and the Wave app at 30. Ten one-hour interviews a month need 600 minutes, twice what Otter Basic or Plaud Starter includes.
- Length per recording. Otter Basic caps a conversation at 30 minutes and TurboScribe Free caps a file at 30 minutes. Notta Free caps it at 3 minutes.
- Imports. Otter Basic allows 3 imported files in total. Notta Free allows 50 uploads a month, and Wave's upload tool allows 5 files a day.
- Where the audio comes from. Fathom takes meeting calls. Pocket, Plaud and Comu need their device. Audacity, Vibe, Wave and TurboScribe take files you already have.
- How long the output is kept. Pocket Free keeps summaries for 30 days, and Live Transcribe keeps a saved transcription for up to 3 days.
- Live text. Live Transcribe, Live Captions, Voice Memos and Otter Basic show words as they are spoken. Pocket Free covers the first 2 segments.
If the audio must stay on your computer, Audacity and Vibe process it locally. A voice note under 3 minutes fits Notta Free's limit per conversation.
Free AI transcription with Comu AI: unlimited minutes compared on cost
Comu Note Pro (€139.99) and Comu Action Pro (€179.99) come with a free plan that includes unlimited transcription, unlimited real-time transcription and speaker identification (Nov 9, 2026).
Comu is a pocket recorder with an app. You record a meeting, interview, lecture or phone call from a device you carry, and the transcript and summary arrive in the app. Comu has a bone-conduction microphone, and a call records when the device sits against the phone. Once the device is paired, the app also imports audio files you already have, including iPhone voice memos. The plan that comes with the device includes:
- Unlimited transcription, with unlimited real-time transcription
- Speaker identification, which labels who said what
- AI summaries and action items
- Comu AI, which answers questions across your recordings
- Templates, with 30+ built in and unlimited custom templates
- 113 languages
- Exports to TXT, Markdown, Word and PDF for text, and MP3 and WAV for audio
- Compliance: Comu is GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant
| Free plan | Comu | Pocket Free | Plaud Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device price | €139.99 (Note Pro) or €179.99 (Action Pro) | $129 | $159 (Note) or $189 (Note Pro) |
| Transcription minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited, standard accuracy | 300 a month |
| Real-time transcription | Unlimited | First 2 segments | Not supported |
| Speaker labels | Speaker identification | You tag names by hand | Speaker labels |
| Questions across recordings | Comu AI | Ask Pocket, 3 chats a day | Ask Plaud |
That plan covers real-time transcription without a segment limit, includes speaker identification where Pocket Free leaves the names to you, and exports text to Word, PDF and Markdown where Pocket Free offers a text export. Against Plaud Starter, it transcribes without a 300-minute monthly cap and transcribes in real time.
The Comu rows use only that free plan. Plaud Starter stops at 300 transcription minutes a month, so the tables price Plaud with the Unlimited plan at $239.99 a year, which has no minute cap. Plaud does not support real-time transcription. Pocket Free has no minute cap, so Pocket appears at the device price.
| Total cost for one person | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu Note Pro, free plan | €139.99 | €139.99 | €139.99 |
| Plaud Note with Unlimited, billed yearly at $239.99 | $398.99 | $638.98 | $878.97 |
| Pocket with the Free plan | $129.00 | $129.00 | $129.00 |
| Total cost for one person | Year 1 | Year 2 (total) | Year 3 (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comu Action Pro, free plan | €179.99 | €179.99 | €179.99 |
| Plaud Note Pro with Unlimited, billed yearly at $239.99 | $428.99 | $668.98 | $908.97 |
Unlimited plans from software apps cost $240 over three years for Wave Pro, $360 for TurboScribe Unlimited and $599.97 for Notta Business.
To see every feature in that plan, read our guide to the features that come with Comu. For prices and specs, see Comu Note Pro and Comu Action Pro.
Which free transcription app fits your situation?
Match the app to the recording: a recorder you carry, a file, a meeting, a private file on your computer or live speech.
| If you | Choose |
|---|---|
| Record in person or on calls and want unlimited transcription | The Comu free plan or Pocket Free, with the device bought first |
| Want real-time text and speaker identification on that recorder | The Comu free plan |
| Have one short file and want text now | Wave (5 files a day, no account) or TurboScribe Free (3 files a day, 30 minutes each) |
| Spend the day on Zoom, Meet or Teams and want every call transcribed | Fathom Free |
| Want audio to stay on your computer | Audacity with the OpenVINO plugin, or Vibe |
| Need live captions on your phone | Live Transcribe on Android, Live Captions on iPhone |
| Record a voice memo on an iPhone 12 or later and want the text | Voice Memos |
| Record meetings under 30 minutes, up to 300 minutes a month | Otter Basic |
A free upload tool is the simpler answer when you have one file and no recorder.
Common questions about free transcription apps
What is the best free transcription app with unlimited minutes?
Fathom Free fits online meetings, the Comu free plan and Pocket Free fit recordings made on a recorder, and Audacity fits files on your own computer. Each of those has no minute cap. Otter Basic, Notta Free, Plaud Starter and Descript Free cap minutes.
Can I transcribe audio for free without signing up?
Yes. Wave's upload tool transcribes up to 5 audio or video files a day, 200MB each, with no account and no watermark. Audacity and Vibe transcribe on your computer without uploading the audio.
What is the best free AI transcription app?
Wave or TurboScribe Free fit one file, Fathom Free fits online meetings, Otter Basic fits conversations under 30 minutes within 300 minutes a month, and Comu or Pocket fit a recorder you carry. Audacity or Vibe fit private files.
Is there a free live transcription app?
Yes. Otter Basic is free and includes live transcription. Live Transcribe on Android writes real-time text in over 70 languages and dialects, and Live Captions on iPhone 11 or later transcribes audio from any app and conversations around you.
Does the iPhone have a built-in transcription app?
Yes. Voice Memos on iPhone 12 or later transcribes recordings in 10 languages and shows the text while you record and after. Apple offers it in select countries and regions.
Does Otter have unlimited free transcription?
No. Otter Basic includes 300 transcription minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation and 3 imported audio or video files for the life of the account. Otter Pro raises the monthly cap to 1,200 minutes and costs $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed yearly.
Is Plaud transcription free?
Yes. Plaud Starter is free with every activated Plaud account and includes 300 transcription minutes a month, and Plaud Note ($159) comes with it. Unlimited transcription needs the Unlimited plan at $239.99 a year or $29.99 a month.
Can a free transcription app record phone calls?
Yes. Comu Note Pro and Comu Action Pro have a bone-conduction microphone and record a call when the device sits against the phone, and the free plan that comes with the device transcribes it without a minute limit. Plaud Note and Pocket also record calls. Tell the other person you are recording. Laws on recording calls differ by country, and you are responsible for following them.
What is the catch with a free transcription app?
Free plans limit four things. Minutes: Otter 300, Plaud 300, Notta 120, Descript 60 and the Wave app 30 a month. Recording length: Otter 30 minutes, TurboScribe 30 minutes and Notta 3 minutes. Files: Wave 5 a day and TurboScribe 3 a day. What you buy or set up first: Comu, Pocket and Plaud need the device, Fathom needs a meeting call, and Audacity and Vibe need installation.
Related reading
- How to Transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone and Mac (2026 Guide)
- Plaud Pricing (2026): Note and Note Pro Prices, Plans and Real Costs
- Otter AI Pricing (2026): Free Plan, Paid Plans and What Each Includes
- Fathom AI Pricing (2026): Free Plan, Premium at $16, Team at $15 and Business at $25
- Pocket AI Cost and Pricing (2026): HeyPocket Price, Free Plan and Pro at $19.99
Sources
Pages were checked on Nov 9, 2026.
- Otter, Pricing
- Plaud, AI plan pricing, Plaud Note, Plaud Note Pro, Comparison and Does Plaud support real-time transcription?
- Pocket, Home page, Sales page and Pocket Pro 12-month subscription with the Free and Pro comparison
- Fathom, Pricing and Overview
- Notta, Pricing
- Descript, Pricing
- Wave, Free audio transcription and Pricing
- TurboScribe, Free audio and video transcription
- Audacity, Free AI audio transcription
- Vibe, GitHub repository and Vibe website
- Google, Live Transcribe and Sound Notifications on Google Play, Use Live Transcribe and Get started with hearing resources
- Apple, Get live captions of spoken audio on iPhone, View a Voice Memos transcription on iPhone and View a Voice Memos transcription on Mac
- Comu, Comu Action Pro, Comu Note Pro, and app downloads
