20+ Best Speech-to-Text Software in 2024

Looking for voice-to-text software? Here you'll discover:

  • Free & paid software

  • Online services & mobile apps


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Edited by Ben Jacklin
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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.

Quick summary

  1. Best for voice commands in Microsoft 365 on desktop: Microsoft Dictate

  2. Best for hands-free typing of various documents in your browser: SpeechTexter

  3. Best for AI implementation: Podcastle.ai

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Speech-to-text software: Free options

Program

OS

Best for

Price

Windows 10

Voice commands and dictating documents

Free

Web

AI implementation

Free

Windows 7, 8.1, 10

Those who need an accurate speech-to-text for PC

$200

Google Chrome browser

Quickly jotting down voice memos

Free / $9

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

Best for: Voice commands and dictating documents
  • OS

    Windows 10

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Works in any text input field

  • Honors voice commands

  • Comes preinstalled on Windows 10 computers or tablets

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.

Windows 10 Speech Recognition support page

Pros

  • Able to transcribe in several languages

  • Suitable for beginners

Cons

  • Limited functionality

  • Requires “training” the software to improve accuracy

Podcastle.ai

Best for: AI implementation

  • OS

    Web

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Cloud-based software

  • Powered by AI technology

  • Offers text-to-speech functionality

Podcastle.ai is an online software that allows you to transcribe your recordings quickly and efficiently. You can use it anywhere you are, as long as you have an internet connection. The best part of Podcastle is that it’s very user-friendly and intuitive. It takes only a couple of clicks to get your transcript ready! 

Other than the speech to text functionality, Podcastle also offers a wide range of other AI-powered audio creation tools. You can use the same tool vice versa, converting your text into speech, using one of their many human-like AI voice skins. Podcastle also offers audio recording, editing and enhancement tools like background noise remover, remote interview recorder, intuitive audio editor, and even a hosting hub for podcasters. 

For more information check out their official website.

Pros:

  • Beginner-friendly and intuitive

  • Multiple AI voice skins

Cons:

  • Only functions in English 

  • Doesn’t support voice commands

Apple Dictation

Best for: Controlling your Mac and transcribing text using speech
  • OS

    iOS, macOS

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Supports controlling functions

  • Involves grid numbering of desktop layout

  • Is based on the technology behind Siri

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.

Apple Dictation support page

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

Best for: Transcribing multiple voices
  • OS

    Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox

  • Price

    Free

  • G2 rating

Features

  • Is powered by a constantly learning AI

  • Integrates with Zoom to transcribe video meetings

Otter offers a real-time transcription service that uses AI to create accurate transcriptions of meetings or interviews quickly. Otter automatically ignores filler words such as "um," "hm," and "uh."[1] 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.

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

Best for: Hands-free computer use
  • OS

    Windows 10

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Complete hands-off mouse control

  • One-step commands

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.

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

Best for: Voice commands in Microsoft 365
  • OS

    Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Pre-defined commands

  • Auto and manual punctuation

  • Real-time translation

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).

Microsoft Dictate support page

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

Best for: People who need a full-featured speech-to-text app for PC
  • OS

    Windows 7, 8.1, 10

  • Price

    $200

Features

  • Custom phrases programming for often-used commands

  • Playback feature to review dictated text

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. One of the most visible differences between the Home and Professional versions of the software is the lack of transcriptions from recordings in Dragon Home.[2]

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

Best for: High volume, single voice transcriptions

Features

  • Cloud-based software

  • Deployable from anywhere

  • Understands colloquial speech and more

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.

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

Best for: Multi-language support with a guarantee of accuracy
  • OS

    Windows XP to 10, the app works on Android and iOS

  • Price

    Free / $79 per year

  • TechRadar rating

Features

  • Multi-purpose tool for computer control

  • Very accurate voice recognition

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.

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

Best for: Journalists, lawyers, or podcasters
  • OS

    Google Chrome on Windows, macOS, and Linux

  • Price

    Free trial / $20 per year

  • TechRadar rating

Features

  • Accessible for all computers

  • Able to transcribe recordings

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.

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

Best for: Developers who need to add speech-to-text to their apps
  • OS

    Meant for developers using AWS

  • Price

    Free trial / $0.0240 per second

  • G2 rating

Features

  • Recognizes multiple voices

  • Includes time stamps on recording texts

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.

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

Best for: Highly accurate transcriptions, but not immediately

Features

  • Very high level of accuracy

  • Real-time transcription

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.

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

Best for: Businesses requiring transcription services

Features

  • Understands numerous English dialects and accents

  • Enterprise-ready

Speechmatics is a video and speech to text software 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.

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

Best for: Integration with users’ business applications
  • OS

    Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

  • Price

    Free trial version / $5.99 per hour / $12.99 per month (fair usage of 3 hours)

Features

  • Sentiment analysis of the text

  • Summary generation

  • Multiple speakers detection

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.

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

Best for: Business-related operations
  • OS

    Windows

  • Price

    Free version / customizable pricing options

Features

  • Can be integrated within any software

  • Automatic punctuation

  • High-quality transcription

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.

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

Best for: Quickly jotting down voice memos

Features

  • Browser-based, requiring no installation

  • Very user-friendly

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.

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

Best for: Creating text documents (essays or blog posts) using voice
  • OS

    Google Chrome browser

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Works well with distinguishing voices from background noise

  • Allows users to create long text documents without using the keyboard

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.

Pros

  • Accurate and fast typing-to-audio speed

Cons

  • Only available in Chrome Browsers

  • Requires editing to add punctuation and formatting

SpeechTexter

Best for: Hands-free typing of various documents

Features

  • Supports 60 languages

  • Very high accuracy for American English

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.

Pros

  • Simple interface for easy operation

  • Quick and fairly accurate recognition

Cons

  • Only works in Chrome browsers

  • Punctuation will need editing

Temi

Best for: American users who don’t need an accurate transcription
  • OS

    Chrome, Safari

  • Price

    Free trial / $0.25 per minute

  • TechRadar rating

Features

  • Has a mobile app for audio transcription on the go

  • Works with pre-recorded audio

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.

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

Best for: Transcribing industry-specific texts
  • OS

    Web

  • Price

    Free trial / premium plans start at $10

Features

  • Supports a total of 30 languages and accents

  • Multiple speakers recognition

  • Proofreading tools

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.

Pros

  • Export in any format

  • Domain-specific models

Cons

  • No desktop or mobile app

Speech to Text

Best for: Transcribing videos
  • OS

    Google Chrome browser

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Audio and video recording

  • Export in TXT and DOC

  • Command recognition

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.

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

Best for: Making quick notes on the go

Features

  • Easily writes dictated texts and short messages

  • Includes a translate function

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.

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

Best for: iPhone users seeking a simple recorder

Features

  • Works with Apple Watch

  • Can edit audio-to-text results in the app

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.

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

Best for: Fans of the desktop version who need a mobile solution

Features

  • Uses Google’s voice-to-text engine

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.

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

Best for: Making short notes on the go

Features

  • Intuitive interface

  • Reminder options

  • Sharing notes via social media

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.

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

Best for: Quick notes and to-do lists

Features

  • Password protection

  • Color-coding notes for better navigation

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.

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

Best for: Dictating on Android devices
  • OS

    Android

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • One-tap recording

  • Both voice and text input

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.

Pros

  • Works with any app installed on your device

  • Instant voice conversion

Cons

  • Supports only English

  • Contains ads

Voice Texting Pro

Best for: Dictating messages on iOS
  • OS

    iOS

  • Price

    Free

Features

  • Is compatible with WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, messages and emails

  • Speech recognition in real time

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.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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