There are dozens of transcription tools out there, but most are either expensive, inaccurate, or frustratingly limited on their free plans. In this guide, we break down the best free transcription software in 2026 — what each one is good at, where it falls short, and who it's best for.
Quick summary
- Best for social media videos (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) → Dokitscript
- Best for long meetings & calls → Otter.ai
- Best for human-quality accuracy → Rev (paid)
- Best open-source / self-hosted → OpenAI Whisper CLI
- Best all-in-one for teams → Happy Scribe (paid)
1. Dokitscript — Best for Social Media & Audio Files
Dokitscript is built specifically for transcribing social media videos and audio files. Paste a TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube URL — or upload an MP3, WAV, or video file — and get an accurate transcript in seconds. Powered by OpenAI Whisper.
- URL paste for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
- Audio & video file upload (MP3, MP4, WAV…)
- OpenAI Whisper accuracy
- 90+ languages, auto-detected
- Free plan, no credit card
- Transcript history & sharing
- 10 transcriptions/month on free plan
- File duration limited (5 min free, 25 min Pro)
- No speaker diarization
- No live transcription
2. Otter.ai — Best for Meetings & Calls
Otter.ai is designed for meeting transcription — it integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, transcribes in real time, and identifies speakers. The free plan is generous at 300 minutes/month.
- Real-time transcription
- Speaker identification
- Zoom / Meet / Teams integration
- 300 min/month free
- Collaboration features
- English-focused (limited languages)
- No TikTok / Instagram / YouTube URL
- Free plan has recording limits
- Can feel complex for simple use cases
3. Rev — Best Accuracy (Human Transcription)
Rev offers both AI and human transcription services. Their human transcription is the gold standard for accuracy — used by broadcasters and legal professionals. AI transcription starts at $0.25/min.
- Human transcription available
- Highest accuracy for complex audio
- Captions, subtitles, translation
- Professional-grade output
- No free plan
- Pay-per-minute pricing adds up
- No social media URL support
- Human transcription takes hours
4. Happy Scribe — Best All-in-One
Happy Scribe combines AI transcription with subtitle editing, translation, and team collaboration. It's popular with video producers and media companies. Limited free trial only.
- Built-in subtitle editor
- Translation to 60+ languages
- Team workspace
- High accuracy AI
- Expensive for individuals
- Free trial is very limited
- No social media URL support
- Complex interface for simple tasks
5. OpenAI Whisper (CLI) — Best Free Unlimited Option
OpenAI Whisper is the open-source model that powers tools like Dokitscript. If you're comfortable with the command line and Python, you can run it locally for free — no limits, no account needed.
- Completely free, no limits
- Runs locally — private
- 99 languages supported
- Best-in-class accuracy
- Requires Python setup
- Slow without a GPU
- No web interface
- Not beginner-friendly
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tool | Free plan | Social media URLs | File upload | Languages | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dokitscript | 10/month | TikTok, IG, YT | MP3, MP4, WAV… | 90+ | Social media, audio |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/mo | No | Audio only | ~5 | Meetings, calls |
| Rev | No | No | Yes | Limited | Professional accuracy |
| Happy Scribe | Trial only | No | Yes | 60+ | Video production teams |
| Whisper CLI | Unlimited | No | Yes | 99 | Developers, power users |
How to Choose the Right Tool
- You want to transcribe TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube videos → Use Dokitscript. Nothing else supports URL paste for all three platforms.
- You record a lot of meetings and calls → Otter.ai is built for this with speaker identification and real-time transcription.
- You need absolute accuracy for legal, medical, or broadcast work → Rev's human transcription is worth the price.
- You're a developer and want no limits → Run OpenAI Whisper locally.
- You produce video content professionally → Happy Scribe's subtitle editor justifies the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try Dokitscript Free
10 transcriptions per month — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and audio files. No credit card required.
Get Started Free →Related: TikTok to Text Guide · MP3 to Text Guide · Podcast Transcription