Similar articles
27 Best Speech-to-Text Software for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
With the best voice-to-text software, you can make a voice record of a meeting and then create text notes. This means no more missing information because you couldn’t write it all down. We’ve gathered some of the best speech-to-text software on the market for you to compare. If you need an app to record audio, use a screen recorder from Movavi.
At Movavi, we’re committed to providing you with verified information only. Here’s what we do to ensure this:
When selecting products to include in our reviews, we research both demand and popularity.
All products mentioned in this article have been tested by Movavi Content Team.
When testing, we aim to highlight the best features of a product and what it’s best suited for.
We study user reviews from popular review platforms and make use of this information when writing our product reviews.
We collect feedback from our users and analyze their opinions of Movavi software as well as products from other companies.
Speech-to-text software: Free options
You shouldn’t have to pay for convenience. That’s why developers have created speech-to-text software for free so these programs are accessible to anyone. You will still want to make sure to choose the best option that will meet your needs in dictatings and automatically transcribing your audio.
Here is some free talk-to-text software for your consideration.
Windows 10 Speech Recognition
OS: Windows 10
Price: Free
Best for: Controlling your Windows computer with voice commands and dictating documents
Windows 10 Speech Recognition makes it easy to use voice-to-text in Windows 10 and works anywhere as long as there is a text input field. In addition to converting spoken words to written words, the software can also control various functions. For example, you can use a voice command to control the cursor within a document and select a particular word or phrase.
Microsoft makes it easy to get started with your audio recording and text documentation, as they have a useful tutorial page on their website, making this program suitable for beginners. Being built into the Windows 10 software, this is a great option when you can’t or don’t want to type.
Features
Works in any text input field
Honors voice commands
Comes preinstalled on Windows 10 computers or tablets
Pros
Able to transcribe in several languages
Suitable for beginners
Cons
Limited functionality
Requires “training” the software to improve accuracy
Apple Dictation
OS: iOS, macOS
Price: Free
Best for: Controlling your Mac computer and transcribing short text using speech
For Mac users looking for a way to control their computer with voice commands rather than needing to use a mouse or keyboard, Apple Dictation is the way to go. It is built into the OS, making it easy to get started. This Apple software tends to be reasonably accurate and is based on the same technology powering Siri, Apple’s voice-controlled digital assistant. Meant more for controlling functions and taking short notes. It isn’t capable of capturing longer dictation tasks as an entire document.
Features
Supports controlling functions
Involves grid numbering of desktop layout
Is based on the technology behind Siri
Pros
Built into Apple’s OS ready for immediate use
Available customizable vocabulary and commands to allow the program to understand what you’re saying and asking it to do
Cons
Doesn’t handle longer dictation
Available for U.S. English only
Otter.ai
OS: Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox
Price: Free
Best for: Transcribing multiple voices
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5
Otter offers a real-time transcription service that uses AI to create accurate transcriptions of meetings or interviews quickly. It can recognize different voices, which is useful when recording a session. The company aims to be an enterprise-ready solution, and while it’s a decent option, the limitations make it better suited to non-critical tasks. The company offers both free and paid plans, with the free version being limited to 600 minutes of transcription time per month.
Features
Is powered by a constantly learning AI
Integrates with Zoom to transcribe video meetings
Pros
Recognizes multiple speakers
High accuracy levels
Real-time transcriptions
Cons
Takes some time for the final text from audio recording to be completed
Time limitations for monthly usage (maximum 600 minutes of audio recording)
Voice Finger
OS: Windows 10
Price: Free
Best for: Hands-free computer use
Voice Finger allows you to control your computer without touching the keyboard or mouse at all. This makes it a great solution for people with injuries or disabilities. This hands-free approach also makes it ideal for gamers who want to control their computer for a task but need their hands to control the game. The voice-activated mouse controls include controlling left, middle, and right mouse buttons. Although it excels at managing the computer through voice commands, this isn’t a transcription service, so you’ll need to find additional software to avoid typing documents like essays, school assignments, meeting minutes, and more.
Features
Complete hands-off mouse control
One-step commands
Pros
Useful for computer control for people with repetitive strain injury sufferers or physical disabilities
Allows shorter and quicker commands than the built-in Windows Speech Recognition controls
Cons
Windows only
Not intended for document transcription services
Microsoft Dictate
OS: Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Price: Free
Best for: Voice commands in Microsoft 365
Microsoft Dictate is a speech-to-text tool that is a part of the Microsoft Office suite. It offers a wide range of features, including the ability to transcribe dictation in real-time, create custom words and phrases, and export transcripts as Word documents.
Beside transcribing your speech, Microsoft Dictate understands commands like “Undo” and “Delete.” It also has flexible settings like profanity filter, auto punctuation, and dictation suggestions. The tool also takes into account language variations (e.g. UK, US, Canadian, and Australian English).
Features
Pre-defined commands
Auto and manual punctuation
Real-time translation
Pros
Integration with Office 365 across different platforms
Support for 6 languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
Cons
Some languages are still under development and can have lower accuracy in transcription
Not available outside of Office 365
Best voice-to-text software: Paid options
With paid voice-to-text apps for PC and other platforms, you can expect more advanced features that enable you to fully control your computer without requiring additional software to be downloaded. You can dictate your long texts, control your mouse and keyboard as well as your computer settings. Paid options are more accessible and convenient. The one thing is that with their cost, you want a high reward.
Here are some program breakdowns so you can judge which paid speech-to-text software is worth the leap:
Dragon Home
OS: Windows 7, 8.1, 10
Price: $200
Best for: People who need a full-featured and accurate speech-to-text app for PC
Dragon Home is, like the name suggests, meant for home users. The company also offers more advanced versions for lawyers, law enforcement, medical professionals, and the financial industry. Users of the home version benefit from the accuracy and reliability of professional-grade software without the higher cost.
Features
Custom phrases programming for often-used commands
Playback feature to review dictated text
Pros
Advanced versions for various professions
“Speed of Thought” transcription with high accuracy
Cons
Resource intensive - not a great option for underpowered computers
Requires practice to adjust to the command functioning and how to operate them
Limited to Windows PCs and tablets
IBM Watson Speech to Text
OS: Requires API
Price: Free / $0.01 per minute
Best for: High volume, single voice transcriptions
G2 rating: 4 out of 5 stars
IBM Watson might be best known as the AI software that once went head-to-head with Jeopardy champions in a battle of trivia. What you may not know is that this software is also very strong for helping people conduct menial tasks, like transcribing your audio and shaping it into text. Using AI and digital learning, this technology applies what it knows about the way people talk to create accurate text transcriptions. If you have hours of speech that need to be formed into text, the IBM Watson may be what you’re looking for. Note, however, that the price reflects the advanced software of this program.
Features
Cloud-based software
Deployable from anywhere
Understands colloquial speech and more
Pros
Fast and very accurate transcription
Can be embedded into other applications through an API
Cons
Pricey when compared to other options
Struggles to distinguish voices or understand controls from multiple voices
Braina
OS: Windows XP to 10, the app works on Android and iOS
Price: Free / $79 per year
Best for: People who need multi-language support with a guarantee of accuracy
TechRadar rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Braina Pro is, like many voice recognition software solutions, powered by AI technology. This means that the software will only get better over time. Upon the first time using this program, you may notice the learning in action element involved in its functioning. However, what may seem to be inaccurate text when first dictating to the Braina Pro is afterwards automatically corrected as the software adjusts to the voice it’s transcribing. The digital brain behind Braina is smart enough to understand accents as well as multiple languages.
Features
Multi-purpose tool for computer control
Very accurate voice recognition
Pros
Flexible and very accurate
Budget-friendly
Cons
Primarily task-oriented rather than a “chat-bot” used for finding quick answers or simple computer controls
Limited to Windows PCs and tablets
Transcribe
OS: Google Chrome on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Free trial / $20 per year
Best for: Professional users, such as journalists, lawyers, or podcasters
TechRadar rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Transcribe by Wreally is a web-based service, which means you don’t need to download or install any software onto your computer. However, it also means you need an internet connection to use it. While the interface and design layout are quite simplistic, Transcribe earns kudos from people who can rely on it even when they have a poor internet connection. The software offers the ability to transcribe existing recordings and live dictation. This means you can upload a recording you made in the past, which helps for attending meetings, lectures, interviews, or important speeches where you can’t also bring your computer.
Features
Accessible for all computers
Able to transcribe recordings
Pros
Easy to use
Highly accurate software
Good multi-language support
Cons
Requires annual subscription or advanced subscriptions, which include annual plus hourly costs
Requires an internet connection to use
Amazon Transcribe
OS: Meant for developers using AWS
Price: Free trial / $0.0240 per second
Best for: Developers who need to add speech-to-text to their apps
G2 rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Amazon Transcribe was made for app developers who wanted to incorporate the best speech-to-text software capabilities into their products. Amazon claims their transcription service is ideal for writing customer phone calls, creating automatic subtitles, and other uses that require turning spoken words into text. The service offers real-time transcription as well as the ability to transcribe pre-recorded audio.
Features
Recognizes multiple voices
Includes time stamps on recording texts
Pros
API means it can be integrated with custom apps
Ideal for writing down customer phone calls
Cons
Adding industry or task-related vocabulary is tedious
Requires careful proofreading after dictations
Verbit
OS: Requires API
Price: Upon request
Best for: People who need highly accurate transcriptions in professional or learning environments, but not immediately
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Verbit claims a more than 99% accuracy rate, making it ideal for those times when accuracy is critical or when you don’t want to comb through the text to fix mistakes after it’s been created. Real-time transcription services are available, along with proofing and editing options, although it will take a few hours for the final version to be delivered. The service is used by court-reporting agencies, which by necessity must be very accurate, meaning it will also be sufficient for plenty of other uses.
Features
Very high level of accuracy
Real-time transcription
Pros
Easy to operate
Cost-effective compared to other solutions
Good customer service
Cons
Delays in receiving final transcribed text with proofing
Proofing is not automated, which leaves room for human error and possible delays in delivery
Speechmatics
OS: Windows
Price: Upon request
Best for: Businesses requiring transcription services
Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5
Speechmatics is able to transcribe real-time or prerecorded audio and video files. It takes into account dialect and punctuation when transcribing and can handle multiple speakers and languages. The software was trained using speech from 40 countries. After processing tens of billions of words spoken in English from around the world, it is able to understand multiple accents. This makes it especially useful for international companies who need to transcribe meetings and have found other software unable to deal with the various accents.
Features
Understands numerous English dialects and accents
Enterprise-ready
Pros
Accuracy has been deemed among the best among the long line of voice-to-text products
Cons
Document outputs to a pdf, which can be difficult to edit or manage
Has trouble with mumbled speech, making this less effective for users with speech impediments
Converse Smartly
OS: Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Price: Free trial version / $5.99 per hour / $12.99 per month (fair usage of 3 hours)
Best for: Integration with users’ business applications
Converse Smartly is yet another speech-to-text software that is available for Windows, iOS, and Android devices. The app is designed to transcribe your speech in real time, so you can easily record lectures, meetings, or interviews. Alternatively, you can upload an existing audio file and get the transcription within minutes.
The app recognizes multiple speakers and understands three languages – English, Spanish, and German. Thanks to Google Speech and IBM Watson technologies, Converse Smartly is able to generate word clouds, perform sentiment analysis, and identify keywords.
Features
Sentiment analysis of the text
Summary generation
Multiple speakers detection
Pros
Fully customizable and can be integrated with other applications
You can dictate in real time or upload a recording
Cons
Only 3 languages are supported
Requires constant Internet connection
Microsoft Azure Speech to Text
OS: Windows
Price: Free version / customizable pricing options
Best for: Business-related operations
Microsoft Azure Speech to Text is a voice-to-text service that’s available through the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. It’s a part of the Speech Studio that automates speech-related tasks. With support for more than 100 languages and variants, it's easy to get the transcriptions you need in the language you want. If you need even more accuracy, you can customize models to enhance specific terminology related to your field.
The service also offers a number of handy features, such as the ability to automatically transcribe your speech into text. This can be a great time-saver if you're transcribing long passages of speech.
Features
Can be integrated within any software
Automatic punctuation
High-quality transcription
Pros
Recognizes domain-specific terminology
Works across all Microsoft products
Flexible pricing
Cons
Complicated to set up
Best online voice-to-text Windows 10 apps
Over 1 billion users rely on Windows 10 software on over 1 billion devices. With a high majority of computer users being registered with Windows, it’s important for these users to find the best audio-to-text programs that will help them control their computer functioning, use windows apps, and transcribe emails, documents, presentations, and more. These apps are useful for anyone. People with strains or disabilities, or who are often on the go, or regularly recording important sessions, meetings, and interviews rely heavily on these audio documentation programs on their Windows PCs and tablets. That’s why quality matters when finding programs with voice-to-text for PCs.
Here are the top online voice-to-text Windows 10 applications:
Speechnotes
OS: Google Chrome browser
Price: Free / $9
Best for: Quickly jotting down voice memos
G2 rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Speechnotes is a browser-based app that works somewhat like a notepad. You just click the microphone icon, start talking, and your words appear as text in the browser window. It’s fairly accurate when you speak clearly at a moderate pace. Fast talkers will find it more error-prone, so speaking at a slower pace is best for this program to catch everything being said. This is a free, web-based tool ready to help you jot down your thoughts.
Features
Browser-based, requiring no installation
Very user-friendly
Pros
Easy to operate
Works well enough for home or casual usage
Cons
Functioning tends to be delayed and less helpful for fast-talkers
Requires an internet connection for use
Google Docs Voice Typing
OS: Google Chrome browser
Price: Free
Best for: Creating text documents, like essays or blog posts, using your voice
Google Docs Voice Typing is a function within Google Docs, as opposed to being a standalone app. As such, it requires a Chrome browser on your Windows PC to be uploaded. The Google Docs Voice Typing works well and has the ability to decipher speech correctly when background noise is loud enough to require slightly raised voices. For slow typers who need to write an essay or web post, this service has the potential to be a real time-saver.
Features
Works well with distinguishing voices from background noise
Allows users to create long text documents without using the keyboard
Pros
Accurate and fast typing-to-audio speed
Cons
Only available in Chrome Browsers
Requires editing to add punctuation and formatting
SpeechTexter
OS: Google Chrome browser
Price: Free
Best for: Hands-free typing of various documents
Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
SpeechTexter is targeted at people who need to create documents but aren’t able to type or want to write texts without the delays or physical strains of excessive typing. This makes it ideal for people with hand trauma or those with dyslexia and other impairments that make typing difficult. Accuracy levels are claimed to be between 90 and 95% for American English users. The software also supports more than 60 other languages for recording and typing along to. Note that this is a browser-based program.
Features
Supports 60 languages
Very high accuracy for American English
Pros
Simple interface for easy operation
Quick and fairly accurate recognition
Cons
Only works in Chrome browsers
Punctuation will need editing
Temi
OS: Chrome, Safari
Price: Free trial / $0.25 per minute
Best for: American English users who don’t need a highly accurate transcription
TechRadar rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Temi works well when used in an environment free of background noise, and the person speaking has an American Accent. In other instances, such as noisy places with non-native English speakers, you may experience some roadblocks with the app. Designed for use with pre-recorded audio, the interface is easy to use if you have a meeting that you recorded and need transcribed, or a long interview that needs to be documented. Simply upload a file, check a few boxes about audio quality, and that’s it.
Features
Has a mobile app for audio transcription on the go
Works with pre-recorded audio
Pros
Inexpensive
Accepts multiple file types for uploading pre-recordings
Cons
Doesn’t work well with non-American English accents
Struggles to distinguish voices from background noise
SpeechText.AI
OS: Web
Price: Free trial / premium plans start at $10
Best for: Transcribing industry-specific texts
SpeechText.AI is a speech-to-text tool that supports 10 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Chinese. Because of the cutting-edge deep neural network algorithms, this program can turn sound to text with almost human accuracy.
With SpeechText.AI, you can modify and verify audio transcriptions and export your content in any format. You can also choose a domain and audio type, and it will help with the recognition of words that are specific to that domain. The app is able to recognize multiple speakers, so it won’t be a problem to record a multi-participant conversation.
Features
Supports a total of 30 languages and accents
Multiple speakers recognition
Proofreading tools
Pros
Export in any format
Domain-specific models
Cons
No desktop or mobile app
Speech to Text
OS: Google Chrome browser
Price: Free
Best for: Transcribing videos
Speech to Text is a handy online tool that provides a clear transcript of whatever you say, making it perfect for professionals, teachers, and students alike. With multi-language support, you can use this tool anywhere in the world. And because it recognizes key voice commands, you can easily insert punctuation as you dictate.
This app records both video and audio, and you can easily save, copy, print, or send the dictated text. It’s very easy to use – just click on the icon, select the language, and start speaking. The app will automatically transcribe your speech and show it in real time.
Features
Audio and video recording
Export in TXT and DOC
Command recognition
Pros
Supports 125 languages and variants
Available on desktop, tablets, and mobile devices
Cons
Doesn’t work with browsers other than Google Chrome
Signup is required for using the service
Talk-to-text apps for smartphones
Gboard
OS: Android
Price: Free
Best for: Making quick notes on the go
Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Gboard is a keyboard app for Android users that offers increased functionality when compared to a mobile device’s built-in touchscreen keyboard. Voice typing, as Google calls it, allows you to compose hands-free text messages or notes. The app also adds swipe functionality to the keyboard for ease of typing.
Features
Easily writes dictated texts and short messages
Includes a translate function
Pros
Allows convenient texting and note-taking without requiring touchscreen keyboard tapping, which can often be challenging for typing
Cons
Does not fully understand slang language or colloquialisms, which are often included in text messaging
Commonly experiences delays or lags in recording audio and writing the text
Just Press Record
OS: iOS
Price: Free
Best for: iPhone users seeking a simple recorder
Apple App Store rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This is a simple app that uses your phone’s built-in microphone to record audio. As the name says, it is easy to use as it just includes a record button that you tap to capture speech. The app then creates a text transcription of the dictation. The app also backs up files in iCloud.
Features
Works with Apple Watch
Can edit audio-to-text results in the app
Pros
Simple to operate
Creates iCloud backups
Cons
Not 100% accurate when recording audio and turning to text
Punctuation needs to be dictated, which adds more time to the process
SpeechTexter
OS: Android
Price: Free
Best for: Fans of the desktop version who need a mobile solution
Google Play rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
Like the desktop version, the app is simple and easy to use. It tends to be fairly accurate, but the lack of punctuation means you’ll have to edit the transcribed text to make it grammatically correct. There may still be some flaws in the system, as users have reported a tendency for the app to crash and delete their files. When it works, however, it can help with accurately transcribing speech.
Features
Uses Google’s voice-to-text engine
Pros
Good for quick notes to yourself
Simple to use
Cons
Tends to crash or delete files occasionally
Advertisements on the program can be intrusive
Voice notes
OS: Android
Price: Free
Best for: Making short notes on the go
Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Voice Notes is meant for short recordings and is ideal for capturing ideas on the go. This makes it a good option for creatives who need to record thoughts on the go with their voice quickly but need the idea written down as well. The app also includes an option to set reminders, making it operate similarly to an alarm clock for meeting or event reminders. The app also has an option to share notes with people through social networks or email.
Features
Intuitive interface
Reminder options
Sharing notes via social media
Pros
Accurate speech recognition
Works well as a quick way to capture ideas and notes
Cons
Stops recording after a short pause in speaking
Can experience delays or lags in registering audio and turning to text
ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes
OS: Android
Price: Free
Best for: Quick notes and to-do lists
Google Play rating: 4.1 out of 5
ListNote, like the name implies, works best for tasks such as list-making and jotting down quick ideas. The interface makes organizing or categorizing notes relatively easy, and notes can be color-coded to easily find them later. Because it’s made as a note-taking app and optimized for shorter text lengths, it’s not a good choice for dictating more extended texts.
Features
Password protection
Color-coding notes for better navigation
Pros
Easy to quickly make notes
Good speech recognition
Cons
Ads on the app can be distracting
Has a tendency to crash
English Voice Typing Keyboard
OS: Android
Price: Free
Best for: Dictating on Android devices
English Voice Typing Keyboard is a speech-to-text app that is available for free on Android. The app uses Google speech recognition to convert speech to text in real time. The app's fast voice recognition and instant conversion capabilities make it easy to get your thoughts down quickly and efficiently.
The keyboard is available in all apps, so you can easily dictate messages, notes, emails, and long texts. It supports autocorrection, which will help you avoid spelling errors and make your communication even clearer. You can also copy and paste the transcription in any other app within one click.
Features
One-tap recording
Both voice and text input
Pros
Works with any app installed on your device
Instant voice conversion
Cons
Supports only English
Contains ads
Voice Texting Pro
OS: iOS
Price: Free
Best for: Dictating messages on iOS
With Voice Texting Pro, you can easily dictate messages and send them directly to your friends and family without ever having to type a word. The app supports a wide range of languages, and with its built-in speech recognition, you can easily dictate text messages, emails, tweets, and even long paragraphs of text.
The app is designed to be used while you're driving, so you can easily record voice messages without taking your hands off the wheel. Voice Texting Pro also includes a handy editor, so you can quickly make changes to your transcriptions before sending them.
Features
Is compatible with WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, messages and emails
Speech recognition in real time
Pros
Recognizes your languages settings
You can copy the text to your clipboard
Cons
Works as a separate app
Conclusion: What to look for in a speech-to-text app
We hope that this review has helped you find whatever fits your needs. In any case, here are some things to look for in a speech transcribing app:
Language support: The program must recognize the language and dialect of speakers to make the recording possible in the first place.
Usability: The app should be simple enough to control it without hindrances to a call or conference you are having.
Features: Check the official app descriptions to see what extra functions it might have if you need any.
User reviews: User reviews may highlight some bugs or issues you might run into.
Support: It is good to be sure that the customer support team can help you. So take a look at what other customers tell about time and quality of responses.
Movavi Screen Recorder
Frequently asked questions
What is the best speech-to-text software?
Here are the top audio-recording transcription and voice control software options for you to consider:
Free options
Windows 10 Speech Recognition
Apple Dictation
Otter.ai
Paid options
Dragon Home
IBM Watson Speech to Text
Braina
Web-based options
Speechnotes
Google Docs Voice Typing
SpeechTexter
Smartphone options
Gboard
Just Press Record
Voice notes
What is the best free speech-to-text software?
These are the top choices for software that won’t cost you a penny:
Windows 10 Speech Recognition
Apple Dictation
Otter.ai
Voice Finger
Does Windows 10 have a speech-to-text feature?
Yes. Windows 10 includes built-in speech recognition software that can be used to convert spoken words into text in any app with a text input field, such as word processing documents, web browsers, email software, and more. It can be used to control various functions, like moving the mouse around a document, or it can be used as a dictation device for writing emails, taking notes, or writing documents.
Sign up for news and special offers