Listening to someone talk and typing it all down is hard work. It takes a long time. You might miss important words. Good transcription software for Mac helps by turning talking into writing for you. It saves you lots of time. Maybe you are a doctor writing notes, a lawyer with case files, or a boss in a meeting. The right app can make your job much easier.
This guide will help you find the best app for your Mac. We looked at the best ones and will tell you what we found. We will show you how each app works with real talking. You will see how they handle different voices, noise, and special words for your job.
In this guide, you will find:
- Reviews of 12 top apps that turn talk into text.
- Pictures to show you what each app looks like.
- Good and bad things about each one.
- How much each app costs.
- Links to try them for yourself.
Our goal is to help you pick the best transcription software for Mac. Then you can stop typing so much and do more important things.
1. WriteVoice
WriteVoice is a great choice for turning your voice into text as you speak. It's like a super-fast helper that types for you on your Mac. You don't record anything first. You just talk, and your words show up in any app you are using. This is great for people who need to write emails, reports, or fill out forms fast.
Think about talking to your computer, and your words pop up in a message or a document, all with the right punctuation. WriteVoice gets it right almost all the time and learns your voice to get even better. It can understand special work words, like for doctors or lawyers. It's a top transcription software for mac because it types what you say, right when you say it.
Key Strengths & Use Cases
What makes WriteVoice special is that it keeps your words private and works inside your other apps. It never saves what you say. This is super important for people who work with secret information, like doctors or lawyers. You don't have to copy and paste words from one box to another.
- For Doctors: Talk and have your patient notes appear right in your health records app.
- For Lawyers: Write emails to clients or notes about a case just by talking.
- For Office Workers: Update tasks or leave comments for your team by speaking.
Pro Tip: Teach it your special words right away. If you add company names or job words, it will understand you better from the start.
Website: https://www.writevoice.io
2. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a top choice if you want to write down what people say in meetings. It can listen to your Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls and type it all out as it happens. This makes it a great transcription software for Mac for anyone who has a lot of online meetings.
Its "OtterPilot" can join your meetings for you, record them, and then send you a short summary of the important parts. This means you don't have to take notes. The free plan is good, but it has some limits. Paid plans let you do more.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: Teams, students, and people who need notes from their live meetings.
- Pricing: Has a free plan. Paid plans start at about $10 for each person per month.
- Limitation: It is made for meetings, so it's not the best for turning lots of old recordings into text. Your words are also saved on their computers, which might be a problem if you need to keep things private. You can judge speech-to-text accuracy to see if it's good enough for you.
Website: https://otter.ai
3. Descript
Descript is more than just an app that writes down words. It lets you edit your audio or video by editing the text. After you put a file in, it turns the sound into words. If you want to cut out a part of the audio, you just delete the words. This makes it an amazing transcription software for Mac for people who make podcasts or videos.
It has cool tools. "Studio Sound" can remove background noise with one click. "Overdub" lets you make a computer version of your voice to fix mistakes. These tools are great for creators. But if you just want plain text, Descript might have too many extra things.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: People who make podcasts or videos and want to edit them easily.
- Pricing: Has a free plan. Paid plans start at about $12 for each person per month.
- Limitation: It can be confusing if you only need a simple written copy of your audio. It also works online, so your files are not kept private on your own computer.
Website: https://www.descript.com
4. Rev
Rev is a great choice when your written words must be perfect. It gives you two options: a computer can write down the words fast, or a real person can do it for you, which is much more accurate. This makes it a helpful transcription software for Mac for many different jobs. You just put your audio or video file on their website.
Rev is known for doing great work, like adding words at the bottom of videos. They also keep your information safe, which is important for doctors and lawyers. The human service costs more, but they promise it will be almost perfect. This is great for work where mistakes are a big problem.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: People who need their written words to be almost perfect, like for court, school, or videos.
- Pricing: A person writing down your audio costs about $1.50 for each minute. The computer version is cheaper.
- Limitation: Paying a person to write down long recordings can get expensive. The computer version is only good if your audio is very clear.
Website: https://www.rev.com
5. Sonix
Sonix is a helpful online tool for people who work in media or law and need correct text. It uses a computer to turn talking into words and has a great editor on its website to help you fix mistakes. Because it's a website, this transcription software for Mac works on any computer.
The tool is made for teams. Many people can look at and edit the text at the same time. It also knows when a new person starts talking and adds time marks for you. You can even teach it special words for your job so it gets them right. This makes it a good choice for work that needs to be just right.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: Media and law teams who need to work together and use special words.
- Pricing: You can try it for 30 minutes for free. After that, you can pay for each hour or buy a plan.
- Limitation: The price can be a little confusing. It might cost more if you don't need to write down audio very often. Learning how to use voice to text tools well can help you save money.
Website: https://sonix.ai
6. Trint
Trint is made for people who write the news or make videos. It does more than just turn talk into text. It helps you tell a story. This makes it a strong transcription software for Mac for people who work in media. You can highlight good quotes and put them together to make a story right in the app.
This online tool is great for teams. Many people can work on the same text, leave notes, and check the words. It can also change the text into more than 50 other languages. It's really made for big teams, not so much for one person working alone.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: News companies, reporters, and marketing teams who work together to tell stories.
- Pricing: Starts at $60 for each person per month. Special plans for big teams are also offered.
- Limitation: It costs a lot and is built for big teams, so it's not the best for one person with simple needs. Its best parts are for editing and storytelling, not just getting the plain text.
Website: https://www.trint.com
7. Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe gives you the best of both worlds: a fast computer or a careful person can write down your words. This makes it a useful transcription software for Mac for people who need choices. It works on a website. You can put your files there or connect it to your meetings to get text and video captions.
What makes it different is that you can pick between a fast computer text or a perfect one made by a person. You can also teach it special names or work words so the computer learns. When you are done, you can save your work in many different ways, like for a video editing app.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: People who make content and need both computer and human help to write things down.
- Pricing: Has a free trial. Paid plans are based on hours. Human help costs a lot more for each minute.
- Limitation: The cost can be high if you use the human service a lot. The price is in a different money (EUR), so what you pay might change.
Website: https://www.happyscribe.com
8. Notta
Notta is a good choice if you need a tool that does a little bit of everything. It can write down what is said in live meetings and can also work with sound files you already have. This makes it a handy transcription software for Mac for many users. It also has apps for your phone, so you can record and get text anywhere.
The app gives you a short summary of long talks so you can quickly learn the main ideas. Notta can also change the text into other languages, which is great for teams around the world. It is easy to use and not too expensive for people who need to use it a lot.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: Workers, students, and teams who want a good deal with lots of features like changing languages.
- Pricing: A free plan is offered. The Pro plan is about $8.25 a month and gives you lots of time.
- Limitation: It is mostly for meetings. If you need to do a lot of offline editing, other apps might be better for you.
Website: https://www.notta.ai
9. MacWhisper
MacWhisper is the best choice if you need to keep your audio files private or if you don't have internet. Unlike other tools that use the internet, this app works right on your computer. This means your files never leave your Mac. It is the top transcription software for Mac for anyone with secret information, like lawyers, doctors, or reporters.
The app uses a very smart technology from a company called OpenAI. You just drag your audio or video file into the app, and it writes down the words. A big plus is that you only have to buy it one time. You don't have to pay every month.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: Lawyers, doctors, and reporters who must keep their work private and offline.
- Pricing: Has a free version. The Pro version costs about $29 one time and gives you better tools.
- Limitation: The best version can make your Mac work very hard and use a lot of power. The version in the App Store is not as good as the one you get from their website. You can find out more about using speech-to-text on macOS here.
Website: https://www.macwhisper.com
10. Express Scribe by NCH
Express Scribe is an older tool made for people who type for a living. It doesn't use a computer to write down words for you. Instead, it's a special audio player that helps you type faster and with fewer mistakes. This makes it a great transcription software for Mac for people who like to type things out themselves to make sure they are perfect.
The app has cool tricks, like letting you slow down the talking without making the voice sound funny. It also works with special foot pedals. This lets you play and pause the audio with your feet, so your hands can keep typing. There is a free version, but the Pro version lets you use more types of audio files.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: People who type for work, like in hospitals or law offices.
- Pricing: Has a free version. The Pro version costs about $70 one time.
- Limitation: This is not a magic tool that does the work for you. It's a helper for people who type. It also looks a bit old, but it works very well.
Website: https://www.nchsoftware.com/scribe
11. Temi
Temi is a great choice if you only need to turn talk into text once in a while. You don't need to pay every month. It's a simple website where you pay for each minute of audio you give it. This makes it a cheap transcription software for Mac for people who don't need it often.
The steps are easy. You put your file on the website, and a computer quickly sends you the text. Then you can use a simple online editor to fix any mistakes and mark who is talking. It doesn't have fancy team tools, but it's perfect for a quick job.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: People who need fast, cheap text for a single project and don't want to pay every month.
- Pricing: It costs 25 cents for each minute of audio. There are no other fees.
- Limitation: The text is only good if your audio is very clear. It is mostly for English and doesn't have the safety features of bigger tools for companies.
Website: https://www.temi.com
12. Mac App Store
The Mac App Store is Apple's own store for computer programs. It's a good place to start because it has many different apps in one place. You can find tools like 'Transcribe – Speech to Text' there. This makes it a safe and easy way to find transcription software for Mac because Apple checks all the apps.
Shopping in the App Store is simple. You can look at different apps, read what other people say about them, and see if they will work on your Mac. Everything you buy is linked to your Apple account, and the apps update by themselves. It is the safest place to get new software for your computer.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best For: Mac users who want a safe place to find and buy different apps that turn talk into text.
- Pricing: The price is different for each app. Some are free, some you buy once, and some you pay for every month.
- Limitation: Not every tool is in the store. Sometimes, if you buy an app from the maker's own website, you get a better deal or more features.
Website: https://apps.apple.com
Key Features Comparison of Top 12 Mac Transcription Tools
| Product | Core Features | Accuracy & Quality | Target Audience | Unique Selling Points | Pricing & Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WriteVoice | Voice-to-text in any app, supports 99+ languages, custom vocabulary | 97%+ accuracy, improves with use | Professionals in healthcare, law, business | Privacy-first, no data stored, fast typing up to 4x | Free trial (2,000 words), flexible monthly/yearly plans |
| Otter.ai | Live & recorded meeting transcription, AI summaries, speaker ID | Good accuracy, multi-language (English, French, Spanish) | Teams and meeting users | Meeting focused, strong collaboration | Clear tiered pricing, generous recording minutes |
| Descript | Audio/video editing with AI transcription, voice cloning | Polished transcription with editing features | Creators, podcasters, teams | Text-based editing, Studio Sound cleanup | Subscription-based, Mac native app |
| Rev | Human and AI transcription, captioning, compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA) | Human 99% accuracy, variable AI quality | Enterprises, legal, media | Combo of AI & human, high accuracy | Pay-per-minute, subscription discounts |
| Sonix | AI transcription & translation, in-browser editor, API access | Good accuracy balanced with price | Legal, media professionals | Custom dictionary, collaboration tools | Pay-as-you-go + subscription options |
| Trint | Multi-language transcription, collaborative editing, story building | Strong editorial tools, widely used in media | Newsrooms, production teams | Storytelling focus, broadcast exports | Enterprise plans, less transparent pricing |
| Happy Scribe | AI + human transcription, meeting integrations, many export formats | Balanced auto and human options | Teams needing flexible export | Glossary & style guide support | Annual plans with upfront hours |
| Notta | Real-time transcription, AI summaries, translations, team features | Competitive pricing, simple UI | Education and meeting users | Education discounts, CRM, Zapier integrations | Tiered plans, meeting focused |
| MacWhisper | Offline, on-device transcription using OpenAI Whisper | Privacy-focused, offline accuracy | Privacy-conscious Mac users | One-time purchase, no cloud data | One-time fee, updates included |
| Express Scribe | Manual transcription player, foot pedal support | N/A (manual transcription) | Professional transcribers | Foot pedal support, stable workflow | One-time purchase (Pro), free limited version |
| Temi | Quick, pay-as-you-go automated transcription | Accuracy depends on audio quality | Occasional users | No subscription, simple workflow | Per-minute pricing |
| Mac App Store | Marketplace with multiple transcription apps | Varies by app | All Mac users | Trusted source, easy updates & reviews | Varies by app, may lack free trials |
Picking the Best Transcription Helper for Your Mac
We looked at many tools, from smart computer helpers like Descript to special offline apps like MacWhisper. Finding the perfect transcription software for Mac is not about finding one app that is "best" for everyone. It's about finding the one that is best for you and the work you do.
To pick the right helper, think about your daily work. A lawyer with secret client talks needs something different from a manager recording team ideas. You need to pick one that is accurate, safe, easy to use, and fits your budget.
Your Next Steps: A Simple Checklist
Before you pick one, think about these things. Answering these questions will help you find the right app for your Mac.
- What is my main job for it? Do I need notes from meetings (like Otter.ai)? Do I need words for videos (like Descript)? Or do I need to keep secret talks private on my computer (like MacWhisper)? Your main goal is the most important thing.
- Does it need to be perfect? For a lawyer or doctor, the words must be right. A service like Rev is best for that. For your own notes, a computer helper that is mostly right might be good enough and save you money.
- How much can I spend? Do you need a free app, or can your team pay for one every month? Be honest about what you can pay for. See if paying for a whole year at once saves you money.
- Does it need to work with my other apps? If you use Zoom all day, an app that works with it will save you time. Check if the app can get your recordings for you.
Making the Smart Choice
The best way to know for sure is to try it. Almost every app on this list, from Sonix to Notta, has a free trial or a free plan. You should use it. Put in a real audio file from your work. See how it handles noise, different voices, and special job words.
Also, see how easy it is to fix mistakes. Can you add who is talking and when? A tool that is easy to use in the trial will be one you like using later. By testing a few, you can find the best transcription software for Mac that will really make your job easier.
Ready to experience a tool built for security, accuracy, and simplicity on your Mac? WriteVoice offers a secure, on-device transcription solution that keeps your sensitive data private without sacrificing performance. Try WriteVoice today to see how effortless and safe transcription can be.