Top 10 AI Transcription Tools Free in 2026 (Tested)
Free AI Transcription at 95% Accuracy
AI transcription has reached human-level accuracy for clear audio. Several tools offer generous free tiers that handle meetings, podcasts, interviews, and lectures without spending a dollar.
The Top 10 Free Transcription Tools
| # | Tool | Free Tier | Accuracy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OpenAI Whisper | Unlimited (local) | 95%+ | Offline, privacy |
| 2 | Otter.ai | 300 min/month | 93% | Live meetings |
| 3 | TurboScribe | 3 files/day | 95% | File uploads |
| 4 | Fathom | Unlimited | 94% | Meeting notes |
| 5 | tl;dv | Unlimited recordings | 93% | GDPR-compliant |
| 6 | Descript | 1 hour/month | 95% | Podcast editing |
| 7 | Google Docs | Unlimited dictation | 88% | Real-time typing |
| 8 | MacWhisper | Basic model free | 95%+ | macOS users |
| 9 | Notta | 120 min/month | 92% | Multi-language |
| 10 | Sonix | 30 min trial | 93% | 35+ languages |
1. OpenAI Whisper — Best Free Unlimited
Whisper runs locally on your computer with zero usage limits. It is open-source, supports 99 languages, and achieves 95%+ accuracy with clear audio. Install with pip install openai-whisper and transcribe any audio file.
2. Otter.ai — Best for Meetings
Otter auto-joins Zoom, Meet, and Teams meetings, transcribes in real-time with speaker identification, and generates AI summaries. 300 free minutes per month covers most individual users.
3. TurboScribe — Best for Quick Files
Upload 3 audio/video files per day for free. Uses Whisper technology with a clean web interface — no installation needed. Supports files up to 300MB.
Best Free Transcription Strategy
Use Otter.ai for live meetings (300 min/month), TurboScribe for file uploads (3/day), and Whisper locally for everything else (unlimited). Total cost: $0.
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