The best Transkriptor alternatives will ultimately depend on what you need from the service. For example, some are more focused on live transcription generation, whereas others function as web browser plugins.

To help you understand the market in more clarity, here are 9 Transkriptor alternatives in 2022.

How to Choose a Transcription Service?

Choosing a transcription service depends on several factors. These include:

• Ease of use – do you want to do much editing or adding of timestamps and speakers?
• Turnaround – how quickly do you need the transcription?
• Automatic or manual – is there a benefit to getting a person to transcribe?
• Live or pre-recorded file – do you need a plugin option to run during a meeting or will you just record the meeting and upload the file later?
• Context – do you need meeting notes, a lecture transcription, video subtitles, or another form of transcription?

Consider these factors as you read through the Transkriptor alternatives below. You should be able to make an informed decision based on these factors.

What are the Alternatives to Transkriptor?

1. Otter.ai

Otter.ai is a transcription plugin for video conferencing platforms. It has iOS, Android, and web browser versions and functions with popular platforms such as Zoom and Google Meets.

You can also import pre-recorded meetings to create transcriptions and generate live captions for meetings. It uses AI for contextual analysis and word selection, and you can then search transcriptions by keywords, speakers, and dates. 

Although Otter is a useful tool for anyone using video conferencing platforms, it’s most useful for students and small businesses. This is because it only accepts files that are shorter than 90 minutes.

Pros

• Integrates with popular video conferencing platforms
• Allows you to search transcriptions for keywords and speakers

Cons

• The tool for assigning speakers isn’t always accurate
• Only supports 1 language (English)
• Doesn’t accept files that are longer than 90 minutes.

2. Sonix

Sonix creates transcriptions from pre-recorded meetings. While this is another step compared to Otter.ai, it isn’t a difficult extra step. After all, many users have already recorded their video meetings.

One area where it excels is that it can transcribe in more than 35 languages. However, the audio still needs to be recorded in that language; it doesn’t translate as part of its transcription process. Even so, this is a useful feature because many Transkriptor alternatives only focus on a single language.

Once the transcription file has been generated, a range of editing tools is available. For example, you can see a timestamp for every word in the transcription rather than just for the start of each speech block. You can also add notes and comments to the transcript, which get saved as part of the file so other readers can see them.

The major downside of Sonix is its price. It starts at $10 an hour, although premium levels have a cheaper hourly rate ($5) plus a monthly subscription. As such, it may not be as accessible to students or small businesses that can’t justify the price.

Pros

• Transcription in more than 35 languages
• Extensive editing tools
• Custom dictionaries

Cons

• More expensive than other Speech to Text tools

3. Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe works based on simplicity rather than extensive features. You upload your video or audio file and then use the interactive editor within the app to adjust the transcription file as needed.

Happy Scribe supports 62 languages, although to different levels of accuracy. Its most popular languages (English, French, etc.) are the most accurate. Less common languages, such as Zulu and Mongolian, require more extensive editing once the transcription has been generated.

There are options for automatic or manual transcription, which vary in price. The manual transcription is done by a team member and guarantees 99% accuracy, whereas the automatic transcription has a maximum accuracy of 85%. So, while it’s cheaper, it requires more work.

However, its pricing is fairly low. The automatic method starts at $0.23 a minute, and the manual is around $2.30 a minute. There are discounts for more than 25 hours of transcription, and Happy Scribes offers a 25% discount for students.

Pros

• Has options for automatic and man-made transcriptions
• Up to 99% accuracy
• Options for meeting transcriptions or subtitles

Cons

• Automatic transcription accuracy is lower than some other services

4. Amberscript

You can upload your pre-recorded audio or video files for automatic transcription or send them directly to the service for manual transcription. You can pre-pay an hourly or monthly subscription for automatic services. The subscription includes 5 hours of audio or video a month.

The pricing makes it suitable for students, academics, and businesses. Although its editing services aren’t as extensive as other platforms, you can still do enough to get an accurate transcript.

Pros

• Automatic and man-made transcriptions
• Pre-paid or subscription options
• Suitable for all kinds of industries

Cons

• Doesn’t include extensive editing options

5. Temi

Temi claims to create automatic transcriptions in as little as 5 minutes. However, the platform makes it known that it struggles with heavy background noise and strong accents. This implies that its AI might not be as complex as other platforms.

Temi has a rolling price scale that costs $0.25 per minute. There’s only an automatic option, but this is fine for files like podcasts. However, the platform may struggle with video meetings due to background noise or poorer quality microphones.

Although its accuracy may be lacking compared to other Transkriptor alternatives, its editing tools are very easy to use. You can edit incorrect words and speakers, but that’s as far as the options go. However, it’s enough to generate a readable and accurate transcript.

You use a web dashboard to edit the transcription files. The dashboard lists all the transcriptions you’ve created with the service, which helps search for them in the future. However, this is the extent of what it offers. Providing you only need basic transcription of a meeting or audio file, it does enough.

Pros

• Inexpensive compared to other Transkriptor alternatives
• Fast transcription
• Easy to edit files

Cons

• Platform’s AI isn’t as accurate as other services

6. Express Scribe

Express Scribe is a downloadable program, unlike other Transkriptor alternatives, which are apps, web pages, or plugins. There are free and pro versions. The free version has reduced functionality, although it’s still enough to create accurate transcriptions.

The pro version, which costs $49.99, includes extra hardware features. For example, you can use a foot pedal to control playback. While this isn’t something amateur transcribers will use, it’s helpful for professionals who need greater functionality for ease of use.

It’s most helpful for verbatim transcriptions, as the platform works with speech recognition tools. This means you can include non-verbal cues and filler words without the platform getting confused. However, the editor allows you to take these out, but it can be a lot of work.

One of its most useful features is that it can be integrated with Windows word processors. It runs in the background while you type, which is where the foot pedal comes in handy. You can pause the transcription with the foot pedal and use keyboard hotkeys to rewind and slow down the audio.

Pros

• Suitable for professional typists and transcribers
• Integrates hardware and word processors
• Free and pro options are available

Cons

• Not designed for amateur transcribers or small business users
• You must download a program

7. Inqscribe

Inqscribe is similar to Express Scribe in that it’s designed for professional typists and transcribers. However, you can run the audio and transcription services in the same window. While this isn’t vastly different to other Transkriptor alternatives, it does make it easy to use.

You have to manually add timestamps and speakers to your transcription. But the benefit of having the file and typing screen in the same window is that you can see them without switching. This helps to save time, particularly if there are numerous speakers in a file.

Inqscribe has a free 14-day trial, and a full license is $99. It’s expensive compared to other Transkriptor alternatives, but this is because it’s designed for professionals. Businesses that need to create meeting notes would be better with an automatic service, such as those described above.

The platform integrates mouse hotkeys and foot pedals for easier control over the audio. Once you’re done transcribing, you can download the file in various formats or simply copy and paste it into a word processor document. This means there are plenty of options for sharing and uploading, depending on what you need to do with the transcription.

Pros

• Suitable for professional transcribers and typists
• 14-day free trial
• Audio and transcription files run in the same window.

Cons

• The full license is expensive

8. GoTranscript

GoTranscript is solely a human-based transcription service. While this means you can guarantee higher levels of accuracy, this is reflected in the price. Specifically, the cheapest option for transcription services is around $0.75 a minute.

But its pricing structure is slightly more complicated than that. You select your turnaround time (several hours to several days), which impacts your final price. The platform also offers services for captions, translation, and foreign subtitles, which get gradually more expensive.

Compared to automatic Transkriptor alternatives, GoTranscript is useful for those with complicated audio files. For example, if you have a podcast where one speaker has a strong accent, it would be suitable. Similarly, if you wanted to generate accurate foreign subtitles for a video or audio file, GoTranscript would be a suitable option for that, too.

A benefit of using a human-based transcription service is that there theoretically won’t be anything for you to do with the file. Providing it’s transcribed accurately, you should only give it a quick read to check this. Considering some automatic Transkriptor alternatives offer up to 85% accuracy, and you need to add your speakers and timestamps, it saves a lot of work.

Pros

• Lots of services available
• Suitable for complicated or niche transcriptions
• Fast turnaround available

Cons

• The pricing structure is complicated

9. Rev

Like GoTranscript, Rev is a human-based transcription service. Its main draw is that it offers its services at a low cost, and its pricing structure is much easier to understand. Transcription starts at $1.50 a minute. While this is more expensive than GoTranscript, there are fewer bolt-on services, and turnaround is typically much quicker.

You can also get on-screen subtitles translated, and all services advise a flat 99% accuracy. However, it only translates subtitles into English rather than translating between other languages. 

The turnaround time is one of the service’s main draws. It claims it can create a human-made transcription in minutes, significantly faster than other manual Transkriptor alternatives. Longer files have greater turnaround times, but you’re still only looking at hours rather than days. For example, Rev advises a standard turnaround time of 12 hours.

Rev isn’t necessarily a suitable service for all industries, though. It would be best for video and podcast creators specifically. Although there are potential applications in the legal sector (such as transcribing depositions), these might be better done at a slower transcription service.

Pros

• Fast turnaround times
• Advised 99% accuracy on all transcriptions
• Clear pricing structure

Cons

• Only transcribes in English

Comparisons with Other Alternatives

GMR Transcription vs. Transkriptor

Transcribe Wreally vs Transkriptor

Inqscribe vs Transkriptor

Express Scribe vs Transkriptor

Descript vs Transkriptor

oTranscribe vs Transkriptor

Maestra vs Transkriptor

Sonix vs Transkriptor

GoTransrcript vs Transkriptor

Happyscribe vs Transkriptor

Temi vs Transkriptor

Frequently Asked Questions about Transkriptor Alternatives