Speech-to-text software plays a crucial role in creating engaging, accessible content. While many competitors may overlook the value of subtitles and captions, investing in transcription tools can be a major upgrade, significantly broadening your digital audience with minimal effort.
While the recent adoption of AI in the transcription industry has resulted in products capable of precision unimaginable a decade ago, there are still tools that will be more appropriate to your use case than others.
This article focuses on the best speech-to-text software available, focusing on those that offer high accuracy, user-friendly interfaces, good collaboration tools, helpful support, and versatile functionality.
Speech-to-text software, also referred to as ASR or automatic speech recognition, is a technology that converts spoken words into written text. This software is a vital tool for companies that want to generate subtitles and captions for their content.
The software utilizes a combination of phonetic transcription techniques and deep learning models trained on vast datasets of spoken language to recognize words and phrases accurately.
There are various use cases of speech-to-text software that warrant its effectiveness in a professional workspace. Doctors use transcription software to dictate clinical notes. Lawyers and paralegals use these tools to convert court proceedings into documents. The education industry uses speech-to-text programs to turn lectures into usable notes. Companies use transcription software to generate meeting minutes in real time.
Here’s a brief glance at the ten best pieces of speech-to-text software you can get right now.
Sonix is the most accurate, secure, and fast AI transcription tool in the market.
Sonix uses a combination of AI and machine learning to generate transcripts and translate content with an impressive 99% accuracy, surpassing every other software on this list. If your business demands near-perfect transcripts with minimal human intervention, Sonix should be your primary choice.
A commendable feature of Sonix is its versatility. Sonix is prominent in the transcription industry as it has been specifically engineered to meet the diverse transcription needs of individuals across various sectors.
Here are just some of the key features and benefits that users of Sonix gain access to.
Due to its AI-driven machine learning capabilities and speech recognition, Sonix is capable of producing transcripts with accuracy rates exceeding 99%, making it an industry leader in precise speech-to-text conversion.
Sonix is widely recognized as the most secure transcription platform in the industry. It offers an impressive list of security features, ensuring that your sensitive data remains protected on our servers. Here are a few of the core security measures integrated into Sonix.
| Features | Description |
| SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance | Sonix’s adherence to stringent industry standards reflects our commitment to your security and trust. |
| Data Transfer Encryption | Sonix safeguards the integrity of your data during transmission with cutting-edge, bank-grade encryption methods. |
| Data Storage Encryption | Your data on Sonix servers is encrypted to ensure the security of your sensitive information. |
| Network Protection | Sonix implements powerful cyber defense strategies to protect your digital interactions, significantly enhancing your online security. |
| Secure Data Centers | Our data center infrastructure is constructed like a fortress, rigorously defended against both physical and digital intrusions. |
| Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) | Sonix boosts security by adding a secondary authentication step, greatly increasing account safety. |
| Security Monitoring | We conduct thorough server monitoring to proactively detect and mitigate potential security threats, preserving data integrity. |
| AI Training Data Privacy | We guarantee the confidentiality of your data, ensuring that it is not used for AI model training. |
| Regular Penetration Testing | Sonix continuously strengthens its security protocols, ensuring ongoing defense against cyber threats. |
To enhance the effectiveness of your transcripts, Sonix not only generates subtitles and captions but also embeds them directly into your videos. This feature ensures flawless synchronization of the transcript with your file, drastically reducing editing time by eliminating the need for manual synchronization.
In addition to creating transcripts, Sonix leverages AI analysis tools to extract further informational value from your audio and video files.
Sentiment analysis in Sonix can detect the tone and sentiments of speakers in your content, providing insights into emotional responses. Thematic analysis offers a quick overview of the main themes, enhancing content comprehension. Additionally, AI-generated summaries create concise versions of your transcripts, making the content more skimmable and accessible for future reference.
Sonix is equipped with advanced integration capabilities that allow it to seamlessly become a part of your existing editing processes.
Sonix is compatible with Zapier, Dropbox, Salesforce, OneDrive, and video editing software like Premiere Pro, Final Cut, Adobe Audition, and more.
Apart from its excellent accuracy and remarkable speed, the flexible tiers make Sonix a reliable option for both individuals and enterprises.
Start transcribing speech-to-text effortlessly with Sonix today! Sign up for a 30-minute free trial—no credit card required.
Riverside is a competent transcription tool due to its various studio features that make it an impressive option for video production, remote collaborations, podcasting, and media creation in general.
Riverside is also applauded for its accuracy, with remarkable percentages going well above 90%. Another notable aspect of Riverside is its wide language support that offers transcriptions in over 100+ languages with various accents and dialects.
However, it’s noteworthy that Riverside is not primarily a transcription service. The platform targets video editing in general so the tool might not receive frequent updates to the underlying algorithm like some competitors such as Sonix.
While Riverside’s pricing is not expensive, they aren’t a suitable fit for individuals primarily signing up for transcription services. If you want access to their transcription platform, you’ll need to get the Pro package.
If you need a HIPAA-compliant transcription solution, consider Dragon Professional for medical use cases. This platform is also ideal for detail-oriented fields such as legal and educational sectors, where high accuracy is crucial.
It’s a commendable tool for professionals who need to take accurate notes, record interviews, AND transcribe meetings.
One unique aspect of this software is its pricing, which works differently as compared to the tools on this list.
Unlike other tools, Dragon Professional does not have a monthly subscription system. Instead, it features a one-time fee of $699 for lifetime access. If you frequently require transcription and will continue to do so for the next few years, Dragon Professional is a great option.
However, the lack of flexibility in the pricing also presents a disadvantage for users with short-term transcription needs.
If your primary use case is to transcribe meetings in real-time, Otter is one of the finest investments you can make for your business. It’s a note-taking tool for classes, conferences, and meetings.
It’s a highly useful tool for large-scale organizations that want textual notes of their meeting to make it accessible for future reference. While Otter’s usefulness for note-taking is impeccable, its core functionality is limited to this specific use case. Otter is unable to process pre-recorded files and is not flexible enough to support most transcription use cases.
Otter AI can integrate with your Google Calendar and automatically join your meetings. Once the meeting is over, it notes down the transcripts and emails them to all participating individuals.
However, there are two major disadvantages of Otter. First off, for most professional organizations, the accuracy of this platform is not up to the mark. While an accuracy of 85% is fairly competent, there are tools like Sonix that surpass this number by a great margin.
Secondly, Otter AI is limited to just English. If you’re working in any other language, Otter will not be able to transcribe that meeting.
Otter.ai has a fair pricing model. However, a common complaint among Otter users is the unwarranted, sudden increase in pricing without prior notice. While that increase might not be more than a couple of dollars, it’s still a questionable business decision to increase prices without notifying customers.
If ease of use is a necessary factor for you, Speechnotes is definitely worth looking into. It’s one of the simplest and most user-friendly dictation apps out there. It’s an extremely simple web-based note-taking app that has remarkable functionality at its core.
The tool is designed to record your voice and create documents out of it, just like the dictation or voice-to-text feature of any basic word-processing program. It automatically creates punctuation, which is helpful as well.
The pricing structure of Speechnotes is the most cost-effective option on our list.
Trint is a renowned AI transcription platform that is fairly popular in the journalism industry. This product is specifically engineered to meet the requirements of journalists and media organizations that frequently distribute news to a global audience.
Trint is a commendable platform especially due to its support for 40+ languages with an accuracy of over 90%.
With its advanced collaboration tools, various integrations, and extensive suite of editing tools, Trint is a suitable platform for any journalist looking for automated transcription services.
Trint offers three different pricing tiers.
Braina Pro is an AI assistant designed primarily for dictation on Windows, facilitating text entry across various platforms. While it may lack the extensive suite of AI tools found in competing software, its core functionality supports over 100 languages with exceptional accuracy.
Additionally, its capability to comprehend natural language commands stands out as one of the best in the industry.
Braina’s free plan does not support dictation. The pain plans come with its full set of features with a 1-year subscription as part of the pro package and 2 years for the pro plus.
Happy Scribe is a renowned competitor in the transcription industry, mainly due to its vast language support that’s capable of transcribing content in more than 100 languages.
Happy Scribe is more than just an AI transcription tool; its primary service is highly accurate, albeit pricey, human transcription. The platform features a vast network of transcribers who deliver some of the most precise transcriptions in the industry. However, it’s worth noting that Happy Scribe’s emphasis on human transcription diverts focus from their AI software, which has not seen frequent updates in recent years.
The pricing structure of Happy Scribe is very diverse, with options suitable for most.
Pros
Apple Dictation offers straightforward speech-to-text functionalities, making it one of the simplest options on our list. Its prominent feature is ease of use, as it’s readily accessible across all Apple devices.
While it may not match the advanced capabilities of more dedicated speech-to-text tools, it serves as a reliable option for on-the-go dictation needs. Apple Dictation is free, supports over 60 languages, and integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem.
However, it may not be suitable for professional use.
Included for free with all macOS and iOS devices.
Rev or Rev.ai has dictation and speech-to-text capabilities for real-time and pre-recorded situations.
Rev.ai excels in transcribing broadcasts, events, meetings, and lectures in real-time, as well as generating transcripts from recorded audio and video. Leveraging various AI systems, it achieves accuracy rates exceeding 90%.
Rev also supports the creation of custom vocabularies, enhancing overall accuracy. It features an advanced API for seamless integration across different systems and platforms. Notably, Rev offers a combination of AI and human-powered services. While AI services typically meet most needs with high accuracy, human-generated content, though more costly, achieves even greater precision.
As you’ll see below, Rev.ai features a very versatile pricing structure depending on the user’s exact needs.
When selecting the best speech-to-text software of 2024, there are several important factors to consider.
Accuracy is paramount when evaluating speech-to-text software. High-quality programs should offer the ability to create custom vocabularies, feature advanced speech and speaker recognition capabilities, and incorporate machine learning to adapt to new scenarios continuously.
Additionally, they should effectively manage heavy background noise and thick accents that might otherwise impede comprehension. Among the top contenders, Sonix distinguishes itself with an accuracy rate exceeding 99%, making it a standout choice in the field.
A simple interface, a clean layout, and features with a simple learning curve are a huge advantage to have. While there are some functionalities, like integrating APIs, that are bound to be complicated, the basic functionalities of your preferred software should be simple and easy to use.
Finding the right balance between features and cost is crucial when choosing speech-to-text software. For individuals, monthly subscriptions can offer effective small-scale solutions. Enterprises, however, may require more scalable options.
Ensure the software you choose provides pricing plans that are well-optimized to meet your specific needs. Additionally, you should also consider monthly and annual subscriptions, one-time fees, and pay-as-you-go models to determine the most cost-effective approach for your circumstances.
| Software | Ease of Use | Who Uses It | Pricing |
| Sonix | Very user-friendly | Journalists, Podcasters, Academics | Subscription-based; starts from $10/hour |
| Riverside | Intuitive for creators | Podcasters, Video Creators | Starts at $19/month |
| Dragon Professional | Steep learning curve | Professionals, Heavy dictation users | One-time purchase; $699 per license |
| Otter.ai | Straightforward | Students, Business Professionals | Free tier; Pro starts at $16.99/month |
| Speechnotes Pro | Simple and efficient | Writers, Students | $0.1 per minute |
| Trint | Fairly simple | Journalists, news agencies, media outlets | Starts at $80 per month |
| Braina Pro | Moderately easy | Individuals, Office use | $99 per year |
| Happy Scribe | User-friendly | Journalists, Researchers, Podcasters | Starting at $17 |
| Apple Dictation | Integrated and easy to use | Mac & iOS users | Free |
| Rev | Easy to use | Legal, Academic, Media professionals | Pay-per-use; $0.25 per minute |
Due to its exceptional accuracy, robust security features akin to those of banks, advanced collaborative options, and an extensive list of integrations, Sonix is the premier speech-to-text software in the industry.
Furthermore, Sonix offers support for over 39 languages for both translation and transcription, providing fast and reliable service at cost-effective pricing tiers.
Collectively, these attributes position Sonix as one of the most sophisticated transcription tools available in the market.
Experience the best in transcription technology and try Sonix today with a 30-minute free trial—no credit card required!
Regarding accuracy rates, costs, and reliability, Sonix is the best speech-to-text converter.
Some of the best apps for voice typing include Sonix, Apple Dictation, and Gboard.
Yes, all of the pieces of software discussed today, such as Sonix, are able to convert speech into text.
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