In a media-driven environment, the power to convert speech into text quickly and accurately is fundamental. For content creators, podcasters, and marketing teams, a reliable audio to text converter free online is a critical tool that saves countless hours and makes content more accessible and searchable for a global audience. From generating podcast transcripts to adding precise subtitles to social media clips, these tools solve a major production bottleneck.
But with dozens of platforms all claiming to be the best, finding the right one can be a frustrating process of trial and error. This guide eliminates that guesswork. We have meticulously tested and analysed the 12 leading free online converters, focusing on the details that truly matter: transcription accuracy, language support, file size limits, and export formats. We also examine privacy policies and any watermarks or restrictions tied to the free plans.
For superior transcription accuracy, investing in a high-quality microphone is crucial, as even the best software relies on clear audio input. You might want to explore options like finding the right high-quality microphone to ensure your source audio is pristine.
This resource provides a direct comparison to help you select the ideal tool for your specific needs, whether you're transcribing lectures, captioning interviews, or localizing video content. Each entry includes screenshots, direct links, and a clear breakdown of its strengths and limitations, so you can make an informed choice and get back to creating.
1. TranslateMom
TranslateMom positions itself as a robust, all-in-one localization platform, making it an exceptional choice for creators and teams who need more than just a basic audio to text converter free online. It excels in handling long-form content and providing a suite of professional-grade tools for subtitling, translation, and AI dubbing, all within a browser-based "Studio" environment. This makes it ideal for anyone looking to adapt content for global audiences without wrestling with multiple, disconnected applications.
What truly sets it apart is its capacity to manage lengthy files, supporting videos up to 4.5 hours or 5GB. This is a significant advantage for podcasters, educators, and documentarians. Its generous free tier and transparent credit-based system allow users to start immediately without a credit card, offering watermark-free exports in multiple formats (SRT, VTT, TXT, ASS), which is a rare and valuable feature for a free service.
Getting Started: A Mini-Guide
The platform follows a simple step-by-step workflow. To start, you simply create a New Task by either uploading a file (drag and drop or press F) or pasting a link from platforms like YouTube, X (Twitter), TikTok, or Instagram. You then define the Source Language, select your Target Language, and choose a service: Transcription, Translation, or AI Dubbing. Once processed, you enter the powerful Studio Editor.
Here, you can fine-tune every aspect of your subtitles. The editor is split into three zones: a special video player for accurate previews, a subtitle editor for text and timing, and a sidebar for styling. The subtitle editor features a visual audio waveform, allowing for precise timing adjustments—you can drag the start and end points of each caption to perfectly align with the spoken words. For a deeper dive, the platform offers a complete guide on how to get the most out of a free audio to text converter.
Notable Strengths & Use Cases
- Extensive Language Support: With subtitles available in over 100 languages and AI dubbing in 29, it covers a massive global audience. This is perfect for YouTubers expanding their reach or for marketing teams entering new regions.
- Advanced Customization: The Style tab lets you control everything from fonts and colours to karaoke-style animations where words are highlighted as they are spoken. You can also add a custom brand logo directly onto the video frame.
- Publish-Ready Exports: You can either download subtitle files (like SRT or VTT) for use in other video editors or "burn-in" the styled captions and logo directly into a new video file, ready for social media.
- Collaboration & Safety: Teams can suggest edits, and all work is auto-saved to the cloud with version history. You can restore a previous version of subtitles at any time.
Pricing and Limitations
TranslateMom operates on a credit system, where 1 credit equals one minute of transcription or translation. The free plan provides a monthly credit allowance, while paid plans like the Starter ($4.50/mo, billed annually) offer more credits and features. A Lifetime Plan ($299 one-time) is also available for power users, providing 2000 monthly credits and Pro features.
The primary limitation is the cost of AI dubbing, which consumes 35 credits per minute and is a premium feature. While the AI translations are highly accurate according to user reviews, spot-checking for nuance in technical or sensitive content is always recommended.
- Website: https://translate.mom
2. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a widely recognized name in automated transcription, positioning itself as an AI meeting assistant more than just a simple converter. It excels at transcribing both live conversations and uploaded audio/video files, making it a powerful tool for students, journalists, and professionals who need to capture discussions accurately. Its standout feature is its impressive speaker identification, which automatically labels different voices in a conversation, saving significant editing time.
The platform offers a clean web interface and robust mobile apps, allowing you to record on the go and have the text sync across devices. The free tier is functional but has firm limitations. Users get a set number of free transcription minutes per month and are limited to importing only three audio or video files in total for the lifetime of the account. This makes the free version best suited for live recordings rather than processing a backlog of existing files. For those comparing different services, Otter.ai is often considered one of the best transcription tools for its accuracy in clear, multi-speaker English conversations.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Live meeting notes, interviews, and lectures where speaker separation is critical.
- Free Plan Limits: 300 monthly transcription minutes (30 minutes per conversation); lifetime limit of 3 audio/video file uploads.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, automatically detects and labels different speakers.
- Export Formats: The free plan is limited to TXT export. Paid plans unlock formats like DOCX, SRT, and PDF.
- Unique Offering: Integrates with meeting platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to provide real-time captions and generate meeting summaries.
Website: https://otter.ai
3. Notta
Notta positions itself as a fast and highly accessible audio to text converter free online, designed for both live recordings and file uploads. It stands out with its modern, clean interface and broad multilingual support, making it an excellent choice for users working with content from around the globe. The platform effectively balances simplicity for quick tasks with powerful features like AI-powered summaries, which are useful for digesting long recordings.
Unlike some competitors that have strict lifetime limits on file uploads, Notta’s free plan operates on a monthly minute-based allowance that refreshes. This model is ideal for users with ongoing, albeit infrequent, transcription needs. You can process a few files each month without hitting a permanent paywall. While its free tier is generous for casual use, advanced functionalities like real-time translation and extensive team collaboration are reserved for its paid plans. Its quick processing time and straightforward editor make it a dependable tool for getting a first draft transcript without a steep learning curve.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Transcribing pre-recorded interviews, academic research, and multilingual content where monthly usage is preferred over a one-time limit.
- Free Plan Limits: 120 monthly transcription minutes (5 minutes per recording/upload); no file upload limit beyond the minute allowance.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, it can distinguish between different speakers in a recording.
- Export Formats: The free plan allows exporting to TXT, DOCX, SRT, and PDF formats.
- Unique Offering: Extensive support for over 100 languages for transcription and an AI summary feature that provides a concise overview of the transcribed content.
Website: https://www.notta.ai
4. Descript
Descript approaches audio-to-text conversion from a unique angle, functioning as an all-in-one audio and video editor powered by transcription. Instead of simply providing a transcript, it treats text as the primary medium for editing media files. This means you can edit your audio or video by simply deleting words or rearranging sentences in the transcript, making it a powerful tool for podcasters, video creators, and anyone who needs to refine their recordings alongside transcribing them.
The platform is more complex than a basic audio to text converter free online tool, presenting a steeper learning curve for new users. However, its free plan is genuinely useful, offering a set number of transcription hours per month without requiring a credit card to sign up. Descript also excels at speaker detection and supports transcription in multiple languages. The cloud-based project system allows for easy collaboration, but be mindful that your free monthly minutes can be consumed quickly with longer files. For creators who need to produce polished final products, the ability to generate captions and directly edit media makes it an exceptional choice.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Podcasters and video editors who need to edit audio/video content directly from a transcript.
- Free Plan Limits: 1 hour of transcription per month; limited to 720p video export with a Descript watermark.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, it automatically detects and labels different speakers.
- Export Formats: TXT, DOCX, SRT, and VTT for transcripts; MP3, WAV, and MP4 for media.
- Unique Offering: Text-based editing allows you to cut, copy, paste, and delete parts of your audio or video by manipulating the transcribed text.
Website: https://www.descript.com
5. Riverside (Speech-to-Text tool)
Known primarily for its high-quality remote recording studio, Riverside also offers a powerful and free browser-based speech-to-text tool. It is designed for creators who need quick, no-fuss transcriptions without account sign-ups or software downloads. The tool is particularly useful for podcasters, video editors, and journalists who want to generate accurate text from their audio or video files, supporting an impressive range of over 100 languages.
The user experience is straightforward: simply drag and drop your file, and the transcription begins. The final output is clean, with timestamps and speaker labels that make it easy to follow conversations. While it is an excellent standalone audio to text converter free online, it also serves as a gateway to Riverside’s broader ecosystem. The free tool provides a taste of the transcription quality available within their main recording and editing platform, encouraging users with heavier workloads to explore their paid plans for a more integrated workflow.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Generating quick captions (SRT) or plain text transcripts (TXT) for podcasts, interviews, and video clips.
- Free Plan Limits: No explicit minute limits are stated for the free tool, but it's designed for individual file processing, not bulk transcription.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, it automatically identifies and separates different speakers in the transcript.
- Export Formats: Free and direct export to TXT and SRT formats, which is great for subtitle creation.
- Unique Offering: Its seamless connection to the Riverside recording platform, which captures separate, high-fidelity audio and video tracks for each participant remotely.
Website: https://riverside.com/tools/speech-to-text
6. Kapwing
Kapwing is primarily known as an online video editor, but it includes a powerful and user-friendly auto-subtitle generator that makes it an excellent audio to text converter. It is designed for content creators who need to quickly add captions to social media clips, promotional videos, or short tutorials. The platform allows you to upload an audio or video file, and its AI will automatically generate a timestamped transcript that you can edit directly on the timeline.
The strength of Kapwing lies in its integrated editing suite. After generating the transcript, you can easily correct words, adjust timings, and style the subtitles' appearance. This makes it a great choice for producing a final, polished video with burned-in captions. While the free plan is very capable for quick tasks, it’s important to note that it includes a watermark on exported videos. Free users also receive a limited amount of AI credits for transcription, which may be a constraint for those with many files to process.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Social media creators and marketers who need to generate and edit subtitles for short videos.
- Free Plan Limits: Exports include a watermark; limited free transcription credits. Projects are limited in duration and resolution.
- Speaker Recognition: No, it does not automatically differentiate between speakers.
- Export Formats: You can export the final video with burned-in subtitles or download the transcript separately as SRT, VTT, or TXT.
- Unique Offering: A complete online video editing environment where transcription is just one part of the creative workflow.
Website: https://www.kapwing.com
7. Flixier
Flixier is primarily a cloud-based video editor that integrates a powerful automatic transcription and subtitling engine. This makes it an excellent choice for creators who need to convert audio to text as part of a larger video editing workflow. Instead of transcribing in one tool and editing in another, Flixier combines these steps, allowing you to generate subtitles, style them, translate them, and burn them into your video all within a single interface.
The platform is built for speed, with fast cloud rendering that takes the processing load off your computer. Its simple UI is approachable for beginners who may find professional editing software intimidating. The free plan is quite functional, offering a set number of minutes for subtitling and transcription exports, but it comes with limitations. Projects exported on the free tier will have a Flixier watermark, and the storage and export quotas are relatively low. This positions the free version as a great entry point for short social media clips rather than for professional, long-form content.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Social media creators and video editors needing a fast, all-in-one tool for transcription, subtitling, and basic video editing.
- Free Plan Limits: 10 minutes of published video per month (with watermark), 5 minutes of transcription/subtitle generation per month, and 2GB of cloud storage.
- Speaker Recognition: No, it does not automatically differentiate between speakers.
- Export Formats: You can export the final video (MP4) or download subtitles separately in formats including SRT, VTT, and TXT.
- Unique Offering: A full-featured, browser-based video editor is connected to its transcription service, including subtitle translation and styling options.
Website: https://flixier.com
8. Media.io (Wondershare)
Part of the expansive Wondershare creative suite, Media.io offers a straightforward and accessible audio to text converter free online. It is designed for creators who need quick transcriptions or subtitles without downloading any software. The platform accepts both audio and video files and functions as an auto-subtitle generator, making it particularly useful for preparing content for social media or video platforms. Its strength lies in its integration within a broader ecosystem of online video and audio editing tools.
The user experience is clean and web-based, guiding you from upload to export in a few simple steps. However, the free tier is quite restrictive, offering only a small number of minutes, which reset on a monthly basis. This makes it ideal for very short clips like social media stories or single interview answers but less practical for longer-form content like lectures or podcasts. The interface frequently presents prompts to upgrade, which can be a distraction for users sticking to the free plan. Its multi-language support is a notable feature for creators targeting a global audience.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Generating subtitles for short video clips or transcribing brief audio segments for social media.
- Free Plan Limits: 10 minutes of transcription per month (video length up to 30 mins, max file size 250MB). Exports may include a watermark.
- Speaker Recognition: No, it does not separate different speakers in the transcript.
- Export Formats: TXT and SRT are available on the free plan.
- Unique Offering: Functions as one tool within a larger online suite that includes a video editor, meme generator, and audio cutter, allowing for a seamless creative workflow.
Website: https://www.media.io
9. Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe serves a dual market by offering both a powerful AI-driven transcription service and a professional human-powered one. This makes it a versatile choice for users ranging from podcasters needing quick, accurate drafts to legal and medical professionals requiring certified accuracy. The platform is well-regarded for its clean in-browser editor, which allows for easy correction, speaker labelling, and fine-tuning of timestamps before exporting.
While not a permanently free audio to text converter online, Happy Scribe provides a short trial for new users to test its AI capabilities, typically around 10 minutes of credit. Its strength lies in its wide language support and robust export options, making it easy to integrate transcripts into various workflows. For businesses handling sensitive information, the platform's clear commitment to GDPR and SOC 2 Type II compliance is a significant advantage, ensuring data is processed securely.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Content creators needing both subtitles and transcripts, or businesses requiring high accuracy with an option for human review.
- Free Plan Limits: A one-time free trial of approximately 10 minutes. Continued use is based on pay-as-you-go credits or subscriptions.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, its AI can detect and label different speakers in the transcript.
- Export Formats: Extensive options including TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, and VTT are available without a paid subscription.
- Unique Offering: A hybrid model that combines fast AI transcription with an on-demand human transcription service for projects demanding near-perfect accuracy.
10. Sonix
Sonix positions itself as a premium, high-speed transcription service designed for professionals who require fast and accurate results. It processes both audio and video files with impressive speed, generating transcripts that include speaker labels and precise timestamps. Its main appeal lies in its clean, browser-based editor, which allows for easy correction and refinement of the AI-generated text, making it a strong choice for journalists, researchers, and video production teams.
While not a permanently free audio to text converter online, Sonix offers a free trial that grants users 30 minutes of transcription to test its full capabilities. This trial is sufficient to experience its professional-grade workflow, from upload to final export. The platform supports over 38 languages and provides robust export options, including formats for subtitles like SRT. The sign-up process sometimes requires a credit card to activate the trial, which is an important consideration for users strictly looking for no-strings-attached free tools.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Professional projects like video production, academic research, and journalism where accuracy and a polished editor are priorities.
- Free Plan Limits: 30 minutes of free transcription credit as a one-time trial. Ongoing use requires a subscription.
- Speaker Recognition: Yes, it automatically identifies and labels different speakers in the transcript.
- Export Formats: The trial allows access to multiple formats, including DOCX, TXT, PDF, and SRT.
- Unique Offering: In-browser editor with powerful features for collaboration, plus the ability to translate transcripts into dozens of different languages.
Website: https://sonix.ai
11. oTranscribe
oTranscribe takes a fundamentally different approach compared to the other automated tools on this list. It is not an AI-powered audio to text converter; instead, it's a free, open-source web application designed to make the process of manual transcription faster and less frustrating. The entire tool runs in your browser, and your audio or video files never leave your computer, offering absolute privacy. This makes it an exceptional choice for sensitive content or for manually correcting the output from an AI service.
The interface integrates a text editor and an audio/video player into a single window. You can control media playback with keyboard shortcuts without ever taking your hands off the keyboard to pause, rewind, or slow down the audio. It also features interactive timestamps, allowing you to easily navigate your transcript by clicking on the corresponding timestamp. Since all work is saved automatically to your browser's local storage, you can close the tab and resume your work later without losing progress. It is completely free with no limits.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Manually transcribing sensitive audio, correcting AI-generated transcripts, or for transcribers who prefer a hands-on approach.
- Free Plan Limits: 100% free and unlimited. No file size, length, or usage restrictions.
- Speaker Recognition: No, as it is a manual tool. You must label speakers yourself.
- Export Formats: Plain text (TXT), Markdown (.md), and a native oTranscribe format (.otr).
- Unique Offering: A privacy-first design where no audio is ever uploaded to a server, combined with an efficient keyboard-centric workflow for manual transcription.
Website: https://otranscribe.com
12. Adobe Express (Auto-caption tool)
Adobe Express positions its audio-to-text functionality as a beginner-friendly video captioning tool rather than a standalone transcription service. It's integrated directly into the broader Adobe Express design suite, making it an excellent choice for content creators who need to produce social-media-ready videos with styled, accurate captions in one seamless workflow. The process is straightforward: you upload a video, and the platform automatically generates synchronized captions that you can then edit and visually customize.
The primary strength of this free online audio to text converter is its deep integration with a full-featured video editor. You aren’t just getting a text file; you’re building a finished visual product. Users can apply animations, change fonts, and use templates without leaving the application. While the free plan is generous for creating videos, the focus remains on exporting a final video with burned-in captions. If your goal is simply to get a plain text transcript, you can export an SRT file, but other tools may offer a more direct path for that specific need.
Key Features & Limits
- Best Use Case: Social media creators, marketers, and educators who need to quickly add stylish, editable captions directly onto their videos.
- Free Plan Limits: The core auto-captioning feature is free. Limitations apply to certain premium templates, assets, and advanced features within the broader Express suite.
- Speaker Recognition: No, it does not automatically differentiate between speakers.
- Export Formats: Exports final video with burned-in captions (MP4) or a separate subtitle file (SRT).
- Unique Offering: A complete design and video editing environment is included, allowing for branding, animations, and social media template use in the same workspace as the captioning.
Website: https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/video/add-caption
Top 12 Free Audio-to-Text Tools Comparison
| Product | Core features | Quality ★ | Price / Value 💰 | Best for 👥 | Standout ✨🏆 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TranslateMom 🏆 | Subtitles 100+ langs, 29 AI-dub langs, long-form up to 4.5h, watermark-free SRT/VTT/TXT/ASS, smart VAD, GPT‑4o | ★★★★★ | 💰 Starter $4.50/mo → Pro $22/mo; one-time Lifetime $299 (2000 credits/mo); credit-based (1/35 cpm) | 👥 Creators, educators, teams, podcasters, agencies | 🏆 ✨ Broad language reach, natural-sounding dubbing, long-file support, clean exports, millions hrs processed |
| Otter.ai | Auto transcription (live/upload), speaker detection, summaries, integrations | ★★★★☆ | 💰 Free limited; paid plans unlock exports & higher quotas | 👥 Meetings, interviews, students, teams | ✨ Fast, reliable English transcripts; strong mobile/web apps |
| Notta | Uploads + recorder, 100+ languages, AI summaries, team workspaces | ★★★★☆ | 💰 Free monthly minutes; paid for higher quotas | 👥 Multilingual note-takers, travelers, students | ✨ Monthly-refresh free minutes; wide language support |
| Descript | Text-based audio/video editing, speaker detection, caption export, collaboration | ★★★★★ | 💰 Free tier for light use; paid tiers for advanced editing | 👥 Podcasters, video editors, creators who edit via transcript | ✨ Editor-first workflow; transcript-driven media editing |
| Riverside (Speech-to-Text) | Browser uploads, 100+ languages, timestamped transcripts, SRT/TXT export | ★★★★☆ | 💰 No-CC quick transcripts; paid for heavier recording/hosting | 👥 Podcasters, interviewers, remote recorders | ✨ Fast browser transcripts; pairs with Riverside studio |
| Kapwing | Auto-subtitles, timing/text editing, translation, SRT/VTT export | ★★★☆☆ | 💰 Free (watermarked) → paid to remove watermark & higher res | 👥 Social creators, short-form video editors | ✨ Simple subtitle editor for fast social clips |
| Flixier | Cloud video editor, auto-transcription, SRT export, basic styling | ★★★☆☆ | 💰 Free quota (watermark) → paid for full features | 👥 Creators needing quick cloud renders | ✨ Very fast cloud rendering; simple UI |
| Media.io (Wondershare) | Auto subtitle/transcription, ~90+ langs, burn-in options, SRT/TXT | ★★★☆☆ | 💰 Small free minutes; suite upsells to paid plans | 👥 Quick web workflows, Wondershare users | ✨ Integrated media toolkit; easy web workflow |
| Happy Scribe | AI transcription & subtitling, 70+ langs, many export formats, human service | ★★★★☆ | 💰 Small free trial; pay-as-you-go or subs; human option costs extra | 👥 Teams needing compliance & human review | ✨ Human transcription option; GDPR/SOC2 compliance |
| Sonix | Rapid AI transcripts, speaker labels, translation, robust exports | ★★★★★ | 💰 Trial then paid (premium/pro workflows) | 👥 Professionals, agencies, media teams | ✨ Fast, accurate pro-grade editor & exports |
| oTranscribe | Manual in-browser transcription, hotkeys, local autosave, exports | ★★★★☆ | 💰 Free, open-source (files stay local) | 👥 Privacy-conscious users, manual transcribers | ✨ 100% local; ideal for correcting tough audio or private files |
| Adobe Express (Auto-caption) | Auto-captioning with styling, templates, export SRT or captioned video | ★★★☆☆ | 💰 Free basics; Premium for advanced features | 👥 Beginners, social/video creators wanting design assets | ✨ Beginner-friendly caption styling + design templates |
Choosing the Right Free Tool for Your Needs
Navigating the world of free online audio-to-text converters can feel overwhelming, but as we've explored, the variety of tools available means there's a perfect solution for nearly every project. The key is to move beyond simply asking "which tool is best?" and instead ask, "which tool is best for my specific task?". Your choice hinges on a careful balance of accuracy, file limits, required features, and your ultimate end goal.
Our journey through these twelve distinct platforms has revealed clear patterns. For those needing quick, collaborative transcription for meetings or interviews, tools like Otter.ai and Notta stand out with their excellent speaker identification and user-friendly mobile apps. Their free tiers are generous enough for occasional use, providing a seamless way to capture spoken words and turn them into shareable notes. Similarly, if your work is already embedded within an editing ecosystem, the built-in auto-captioning functions of Adobe Express or Kapwing offer a convenient, integrated workflow, saving you the hassle of exporting and importing files.
Aligning Your Project with the Right Platform
The decision-making process becomes much clearer when you define your priorities. Consider these common scenarios and the tools that best address them:
- For Maximum Privacy and Control: If your audio contains sensitive information and you prefer a manual approach, oTranscribe is the undisputed champion. It offers no automation but guarantees that your data never leaves your computer, providing a secure, simple interface for manual transcription.
- For Video-Centric Editing: Content creators who think visually will find Descript's text-based video editor to be a game-changer. The ability to edit a video by simply editing the transcript is a powerful concept, making it ideal for podcasters and YouTubers who want to refine their content efficiently.
- For All-in-One Content Localization: When your needs extend beyond simple transcription into the realm of translation, subtitling, and even AI dubbing, a more specialized tool is required. This is where TranslateMom truly excels. It’s designed not just to convert audio to text, but to be a complete studio for preparing video content for a global audience. Its ability to handle long files, provide watermark-free exports on its free plan, and offer deep customization for subtitle styling makes it the go-to choice for serious creators aiming for professional-quality output.
Final Considerations Before You Start
Before you commit to a tool, remember the fundamentals of achieving high accuracy. The quality of your source audio is paramount. A clear recording with minimal background noise and distinct speakers will yield dramatically better results from any automated audio to text converter free online. Take the time to apply the optimization tips discussed earlier, such as using a good microphone and speaking clearly, to get the most out of these powerful free services. The best strategy is to experiment. Test your typical audio file on two or three of the top contenders from this list to see which one delivers the most accurate transcript and offers a workflow that feels intuitive to you.
Ready to move beyond basic transcription and create professionally styled, multilingual video content? TranslateMom provides a complete studio environment to transcribe, translate, and burn in high-quality subtitles, all from your browser. Try it for free and see how easily you can take your content global.
