Manual transcription is time-consuming and requires intense focus. Thankfully, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has gotten to the point where you can now transcribe audio to text automatically in a fraction of the time, with impressive accuracy. Even better, many of the best AI audio-to-text converters out there are completely free. The only problem left is figuring out which software is best for you.

To help, we compiled a list of the best free audio-to-text software. For our selection process, we thoroughly tested many audio-to-text software options, considered online reviews, and reviewed discussions in niche forums where people regularly need transcription apps. We excluded paid tools with only a free trial and transcription-level restrictions. Let's get started.

TL;DR: Best audio-to-text converters in 2024

What is an audio-to-text converter?

Audio-to-text converters use AI to transcribe recordings or voice into text accurately and efficiently, even with nuances like accents and tone variations. They save time on manual transcription and streamline the process of transforming spoken content into written form, which helps with accessibility, boosts SEO, and makes it easy to repurpose audio and video as blog posts and other written content.

Audio-to-text software can help with:

• Transcribing meetings, interviews, conferences, podcasts, lectures, and customer service calls for documentation, reference, analysis, and training purposes
• Creating subtitles or captions for videos to enhance accessibility, engagement, and SEO
• Converting voicemails, voice notes, and interviews into text for better organization
• Creation of searchable archives for audio content, such as speeches or presentations
• Supporting individuals with hearing impairments by providing written transcripts of spoken content

What is the best tool to convert audio to text?

Short answer: Descript. Sure, you'd expect us to say that. But we really do believe Descript’s free audio-to-text converter is overall the best solution for quickly and accurately transcribing audio files.

Long answer: Choosing the best method for converting audio to text depends on the following:

• Needs and goals
• Budget and software pricing
• Ease of use
• Expected accuracy of the transcript
• Availability of additional features (e.g., editing tools, speaker identification)
• Integration with other software or platforms
• Supported file formats and languages
• Security and privacy of your audio content

Narrowing down the options based on the above factors will help you choose the best free audio-to-text software. But for this article, we'll focus on the tools that are best for someone looking for free options—and maybe willing to pay more for additional features.

Top 6 free audio-to-text converters

1. Descript

Descript offers automated transcription for both audio and video files, accessible through its desktop app for Mac and Windows or its browser-based editor. Drag and drop your audio files to convert to text in seconds. Descript supports 23 languages and boasts up to 95% accuracy. The tool transcribes audio verbatim, including pauses and filler words, but makes it easy to remove either with a click.

But Descript goes beyond mere transcription. It's a robust audio and video editor equipped with AI-powered features. Use its voice cloning or text-to-audio feature, Overdub, to refine recorded speech—perfect for correcting mispronunciations or adjusting pacing. Plus, you can effortlessly remove background noise and improve audio quality with just a click thanks to Studio Sound.

Best for

Transcribing any video and audio files on a computer.

Pricing

• Free for up to 60 minutes of transcription per month
• Annual paid plans start at $12 per month

Unique features

• Detects 8+ speakers and labels them automatically
• Transcription glossary for custom dictionaries
• Multitrack transcription for synchronized recordings
• Automatic sync of the transcript to audio, including dialogue and sounds
• Cloud sync and storage up to 5 GB in the free plan
• Data security and privacy
• AI Actions for writing summaries, blogs, and much more
• Supports various audio file formats including WAV, MP3, AAC, AIFF, M4A, and FLAC

Cons

• No mobile app
• Not suitable for live transcription of online meetings
• Limited to 60 minutes of transcription per month in the free plan

What are people saying about Descript?

"Saved me so much time in transcribing: I use Descript for quickly and efficiently transcribing videos I've recorded. If I'd recorded an interview or off-the-cuff teaching, it used to take me hours to transcribe it, or I had to put it out without the accessibility features. Now, it does in seconds what it used to take me hours to do. I can include closed captions, transcripts, and audio-only files, which make my courses so much more accessible.” –Shuna M on G2

2. Otter.ai

Otter is an audio-to-text tool that offers live and automatic transcription within seconds. Out of all the transcription tools we have listed here, it's the only one with a Chrome extension, an iOS app, and an Android app. It integrates seamlessly with platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. 

We found its transcription capabilities to be pretty accurate and it used proper punctuation as per the context of the message. However, it tends to exclude filler words from the transcript, making it challenging to discern the speaker's emotions during recorded calls.

Pricing

• Basic (free plan): 300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; allows importing and transcribing of three audio or video files in a lifetime.
• Annual paid plans start at $10 per month.

Best for

Automatically transcribing meetings on platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.

Unique features

• AI features for meeting notes, summaries, questions, and action items
• Speaker identification by name
• Real-time transcription and notes via the Otter app
• Real-time annotation (highlights, text notes, comments, and images)
• Exportable audio, text, and captions in the free plan
• Editable text and speaker tags
• Takeaways panel for annotations and action items.
• OtterPilot automatically takes and shares notes even if you can’t join a Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet meeting.

Cons

• Very limited free plan for transcribing audio files to text
• Supports only the English language

3. Fathom

Fathom is one of G2's highest-rated conversation intelligence solutions—that's a tool that helps businesses record, transcribe, and analyze conversations between their employees and customers. It’s not a traditional audio-to-text converter per se. But it instantly records, transcribes, and summarizes your Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams meetings, allowing you to concentrate on the conversation without worrying about taking notes. 

Best for

Sales teams and customer service representatives looking to simplify meeting documentation and extract actionable insights. Use it as a free Otter alternative for automatically transcribing your meetings, as there are no usage limitations on Fathom's free version.

Pricing

• Free with no usage limitations 
• The Team Edition, Fathom’s paid tier, starts at $24 per user, per month when billed annually and provides additional features for organizational deployment and insights into customer calls.

Unique features 

• Supports seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese.
• Instant access to fully transcribed call recordings and highlighted moments.
• Automatic generation and synchronization of call notes to Salesforce, HubSpot, or Close CRM.
• Seamless integration with Slack for real-time sharing of specific highlights.
• Integration with various productivity tools like Google Docs, Gmail, Notion, Asana, and Todoist for easy sharing of summaries and action items.
• Auto-generates and syncs call notes
• Hosted and developed following security best practices, including end-to-end encryption and regular security audits.

Cons

• While the free version has no usage limitations, some advanced features are only available in the paid Team Edition.
• Limited to integration with specific CRM platforms and productivity tools.
• Transcribing is limited to seven languages. 

4. MacWhisper

MacWhisper is a free audio-to-text transcription tool for Mac devices running on Ventura (13.0 and higher). It uses OpenAI's Whisper technology and offers high-quality transcription. The app ensures privacy by performing the transcription on-device, making it ideal for audio-to-text conversion of sensitive information. It's free on the developer's Gumroad page and is also available in the Mac App Store as Whisper Transcription.

Pricing

• Free with no usage limits 
• MacWhisper Pro: Starts at around $31 per license for additional features including batch transcription, system audio recording, ChatGPT integration, and translation capabilities.

Best for

People seeking fast and accurate transcription directly on their Mac, catering to diverse needs such as meetings, interviews, or educational purposes.

Unique features

• Record and transcribe audio files seamlessly on your Mac
• Export transcripts in various formats: .whisper, .srt, .vtt, csv, dot, docx, pdf, and HTML
• Metal and GPU support for rapid transcription
• Supports 100 languages with accurate text transcriptions
• Automatic filler word removal

Cons

• Requires significant computer memory, which may cause lags on your computer
• Performance may vary on older Intel-based Macs due to limited testing
• Only available for Mac users
• Unavailability of automatic speaker identification

5. Google Docs voice typing

Google Docs voice typing is a built-in feature of Google Docs that allows users to transcribe audio input to text directly within the document. It offers a convenient and straightforward way to convert spoken words into written text.

Pricing

Google Docs Voice Typing, which is part of Google's suite of productivity tools, is available for free to all users of Google Docs.

Best for

Individuals and professionals who need a simple, free, and efficient tool for transcribing interviews, meetings, or dictation directly into text within the Google Docs environment.

Unique features

• Seamless integration with Google Docs: directly accessible within the document—no extra software needed
• Transcribes audio input into text instantly, enabling immediate feedback and editing
• Multilingual support for global accessibility
• Edit and format text within Google Docs, including punctuation and styling
• Control formatting and editing with voice commands

Cons

• Requires internet for operation, limiting offline use.
• Transcription accuracy may vary due to factors like background noise and accent
• No automatic speaker identification

6. Windows voice typing and audio conversion using a virtual audio cable

Windows voice typing is Microsoft Windows’ built-in speech-to-text software. It provides a highly accurate transcript of your dictation and can be used without an internet connection—unlike Google Docs. 

You can use a combination of Windows’ dictation tool with a virtual audio cable to transcribe audio into text for completely free. This YouTube tutorial demonstrates how to use the Windows Dictation tool along with a virtual audio cable to achieve this without any cost or time limits.

Pricing

Both Windows Voice Typing and virtual audio cables are freely available tools.

Best for

Windows users seeking a cost-effective solution to transcribe audio files like lectures, meetings, or video recordings into text.

Unique features

• Windows voice typing has a simple interface for easy usage with live audio input.
• Offers real-time transcription of spoken words into text
• Virtual Audio Cable facilitates the routing of audio output from any application to the Dictation tool.
• The combination enables flexibility in capturing audio from diverse sources for transcription.

Cons

• While generally reliable, transcription accuracy may vary, and punctuation might be missed occasionally.
• Users may find configuring the virtual audio cable and sound settings slightly challenging.

Choosing the best audio-to-text converter for you

After you've weighed the pros and cons, test your favorite audio-to-text converters using a short audio clip to find the perfect fit for your specific needs and preferences.

Descript, for example, is not only useful for transcribing recordings, but it can also be a valuable tool for content creators, as it allows them to easily convert their audio and video content into written form for blog posts, YouTube descriptions, and social media captions. It's also a great option if you want to collaborate with others on your audio and video projects.

Want to give it a try? Sign up for a free Descript account now.

Audio-to-text FAQs

Which AI can transcribe audio to text for free?

Many AI-powered tools can transcribe audio to text for free, including Descript, Otter.ai, MacWhisper, and Google Docs Voice Typing.  

What is the best way to convert audio to text?

The best way to convert audio to text depends on your goals, what you need it for, and your budget. You can use AI-powered audio-to-text converters like Descript to transcribe audio and tools like Otter or Fathom if you need transcription software that’s integrated with meeting apps like Google Meet or Zoom. Alternatively, you can use the voice typing feature of Windows or Google Docs in combination with a virtual audio cable to convert audio into text for free. 

What is the most accurate audio-to-text converter?

Determining the absolute most accurate audio-to-text converter is tricky as the accuracy can vary based on factors like audio quality, language, and accent. Plus, many transcription tools claim to provide the highest accuracy. However, some converters with high accuracy are:

• Descript
• Rev
• IBM Watson Speech-to-Text

How do I make my voice-to-text more accurate?

To make your voice-to-text more accurate, speak loudly and clearly. Minimize background noise as much as possible to ensure the voice recognition software can focus on your voice. If you're using an external microphone, ensure it's good quality and positioned correctly for optimal voice capture.

In addition to these factors, choosing the right audio-to-text conversion software is equally important. AI-powered conversion tools like Descript are trained on a large amount of data to understand various speech patterns and accents to generate accurate text.

Is there a completely free audio-to-text converter with no limit?

You can use the combination of Windows Voice Typing or Google Voice Typing with a virtual audio cable to convert audio to text for free with no limit, though it's a bit complex to set up. MacWhisper is also a good option for Mac users who need simple audio-to-text software.