Top 7 Free Transcription Software Tools
1
Fireflies.ai
800 Free Minutes/Month
Free Plan Features
- • 800 minutes of transcription monthly
- • Basic meeting summaries
- • Speaker identification
- • Search through transcripts
- • 3 team seats included
Performance
- • Accuracy: 85-90% (good)
- • Languages: English only
- • Platforms: Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex
- • Real-time: Yes
Best for: Teams wanting conversation analytics and CRM integration with generous free limits.
2
Otter.ai
600 Free Minutes/Month
Free Plan Features
- • 600 minutes of transcription monthly
- • Real-time transcription
- • Speaker identification
- • 3 audio imports per month
- • Mobile app with offline sync
Performance
- • Accuracy: 99%+ (excellent)
- • Languages: English only
- • Platforms: All major platforms
- • Real-time: Yes
Best for: Students, researchers, and professionals who prioritize transcription accuracy over advanced features.
3
Notta
120 Free Minutes/Month
Free Plan Features
- • 120 minutes of transcription monthly
- • 104 languages supported
- • Real-time translation
- • Screen recording capabilities
- • Multi-device sync
Performance
- • Accuracy: 90-95% (very good)
- • Languages: 104 languages
- • Platforms: All major platforms
- • Real-time: Yes
Best for: Global teams and multilingual organizations needing support for non-English meetings.
4
tl;dv
Unlimited Recordings*
Free Plan Features
- • Unlimited meeting recordings
- • 20 hours AI summaries/month
- • Video highlights and clips
- • Speaker timeline view
- • Easy video sharing
Performance
- • Accuracy: 85-90% (good)
- • Languages: 30+ languages
- • Platforms: Zoom, Meet, Teams
- • Real-time: No (post-meeting)
Best for: Teams focused on video content, highlights, and visual meeting analysis. *Transcripts limited by AI summary hours.
5
Sembly AI
4 Hours/Month
Free Plan Features
- • 4 hours of transcription monthly
- • Automated meeting summaries
- • Action item extraction
- • Task management integration
- • Team collaboration features
Performance
- • Accuracy: 85-90% (good)
- • Languages: English primarily
- • Platforms: All major platforms
- • Real-time: Yes
Best for: Project teams needing task management integration and automated action item creation.
6
Google Meet (Built-in)
Unlimited (with limitations)
Free Plan Features
- • Built-in to Google Meet
- • Real-time captions
- • Basic transcript save
- • Google Docs integration
- • No third-party needed
Performance
- • Accuracy: 80-85% (fair)
- • Languages: 100+ languages
- • Platforms: Google Meet only
- • Real-time: Yes (captions)
Best for: Google Workspace users wanting basic transcription without additional software.
7
OpenAI Whisper (Self-hosted)
Completely Free
Free Plan Features
- • Open source and completely free
- • No usage limits
- • High accuracy (comparable to paid tools)
- • 100+ languages supported
- • Full privacy control
Performance & Requirements
- • Accuracy: 95%+ (excellent)
- • Languages: 100+ languages
- • Requirements: Technical setup needed
- • Real-time: No (file upload only)
Best for: Technical users who can self-host and want unlimited, private transcription without cloud services.
Free Plan Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Limit | Accuracy | Languages | Real-time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies | 800 min | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | English | Analytics | |
| Otter.ai | 600 min | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | English | Accuracy | |
| Notta | 120 min | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 104 | Multilingual | |
| tl;dv | Unlimited* | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 30+ | Video | |
| Sembly | 4 hours | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | English | Tasks | |
| Google Meet | Unlimited | ⭐⭐⭐ | 100+ | Basic | |
| Whisper | Unlimited | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 100+ | Technical |
*tl;dv allows unlimited recordings but limits AI-powered transcript generation
Which Free Tool Should You Choose?
Decision Framework
Need most free minutes? Fireflies (800 min)
Want highest accuracy? Otter.ai (99%+)
Need multiple languages? Notta (104 languages)
Want unlimited usage? Whisper (self-host)
Only use Google Meet? Google Meet (built-in)
Focus on video highlights? tl;dv
Need task management? Sembly AI
Common Limitations
- • Monthly limits - Most tools restrict free usage
- • No AI summaries - Advanced features often paid only
- • Limited storage - Old transcripts may be deleted
- • English focus - Many tools work best in English
- • No team features - Collaboration tools usually paid
- • Basic support - Priority support for paid users
Tips to Maximize Free Plans
Usage Optimization
- • Track your minutes - Monitor usage to avoid overages
- • Prioritize important meetings - Don't waste limits on casual calls
- • Use multiple tools - Spread usage across different platforms
- • Download transcripts - Save before storage limits expire
Quality Improvements
- • Use quality microphones - Better audio = better transcription
- • Minimize background noise - Find quiet environments
- • Speak clearly - Slow, clear speech improves accuracy
- • Introduce speakers - Say names for better identification