Do you get tired of typing? You can talk, and a computer will type for you! This guide will show you the best tools that turn your speech into text. We will help you pick the right one.
You will learn:
- What each tool is good for and what it's not so good for.
- How to get started using them.
- Where to find pictures and links to try them out.
We will keep it simple. You will see what makes each tool special so you can choose fast. Some tools are used for important jobs, like when police need to write down what their body cameras recorded. You can learn about special tools like AI for transcribing police bodycam footage.
This list is great for:
- People at work who need to write a lot.
- Teams that use tools like Jira and Slack to talk about projects.
- Bosses and lawyers who talk about private things.
- People who work from home or in a busy office and need to be quiet.
Let's find the best talking-to-typing tool for you!
1. WriteVoice
WriteVoice is a top choice for busy people who need a fast, correct, and private way to type with their voice. It's special because it works right inside the apps you already use, like Slack, Gmail, or Jira. You can just talk, and your words show up in an email or a message. This can be four times faster than typing!
This tool is very good at understanding what you say. It even has a Whisper Mode. This lets you talk very quietly, like you're whispering to your computer. It’s perfect if you are in a library or a shared office and don't want to bother anyone. Even when you whisper, it still writes down your words correctly.
What it's Good For
- Helps You Finish Work Faster: People like doctors and project managers use WriteVoice to do their paperwork quickly. It helps you save hours, so you can go home and relax.
- Keeps Your Words Private: If you talk about secret things, like a doctor talking about a patient, WriteVoice is safe. It does not save what you say. It follows important privacy rules.
- Easy to Try: You can try WriteVoice for free to see if you like it. If you do, there are plans that don't cost too much for you or your team.
For the Whisper Mode to work its best, it helps to use a good microphone in a place that isn't too loud.
Website: https://www.writevoice.io
2. Nuance Dragon
For a long time, Nuance Dragon has been a top choice for people who do a lot of talking for their job. It is one of the top speech to text software tools for jobs that have special words. It is great at turning your talking into typing, even if you talk fast. This makes it perfect for lawyers, doctors, or writers.
Dragon learns your voice and the special words you use, so it gets better the more you use it. You can even make your own voice commands. For example, you can say "sign my name" and it will type your full name and title. This saves a lot of time. Another cool thing is that you can talk into one window while you work in another. This is great for people who do many things at once. For more on how it helps in jobs like medicine, you can learn more about its role in healthcare.
- Best For: Lawyers, doctors, and students who need a tool that understands special words.
- Pricing: You have to pay a lot of money one time to buy it for your computer. For example, one version costs about $500.
- Something to Know: The version for Mac computers is no longer made, so it works best on Windows computers.
- Website: https://shop.nuance.com/en-us/home-professional-and-consumer
3. Otter.ai
Otter.ai is one of the top speech to text software choices for people who go to a lot of meetings. It's like having a helper that takes notes for you during calls on Zoom or Google Meet. It doesn't just type what people say. It also knows who is talking and keeps their words separate. This makes it easy to remember who said what.
The best part is what it does after the meeting. Otter gives you a short summary of the meeting and a list of things to do. You can even search for a word to find the exact moment it was said. This is a huge help for teams. While Otter is great for meetings, there are other tools for different jobs. You can read more about top speech to text software to see them. With Otter, you can also mark important parts and share notes with your team.
- Best For: Students, reporters, and teams who need a tool to take notes in meetings.
- Pricing: It has a free plan that lets you do a certain amount each month. Paid plans cost about $10 a month if you pay for a whole year.
- Something to Know: It is made mostly for meetings, so it might have too many features if you just want to type up a recording.
- Website: https://otter.ai
4. Rev
Rev gives you two choices. You can use a computer to quickly turn your talking into typing, or you can have a real person do it to make sure it's perfect. This makes it some of the top speech to text software when you need no mistakes. It is great for important things like court papers or words for a video that many people will see.
A cool thing about Rev is that it is very safe and follows important rules. This is a big deal for businesses like hospitals or banks. For your everyday meetings, it also has a computer helper that can join your calls and write down notes. Having a real person type for you costs more and takes more time, but you know it will be right. If you work on a team, you can get a discount.
- Best For: People who make podcasts or videos and businesses that need perfect typing.
- Pricing: The computer helper costs $0.25 for each minute. The real person costs $1.50 for each minute.
- Something to Know: Using the real person can get expensive if you have a lot of talking to type up.
- Website: https://www.rev.com
5. Descript
Descript changes how you work with recordings. It makes them feel like a text document. This is why it is some of the top speech to text software for people who create things like podcasts or videos. Instead of just giving you typed words, it lets you edit your video or sound by just editing the text. If you delete a word from the text, Descript cuts it from the recording. This is an amazing way to clean up mistakes.
The tool knows who is talking and can type in many languages. Its computer helpers are very strong. With one click, you can get rid of filler words like "um" and "uh." You can also make the sound quality better. It is easy for teams to work together on projects. It does a lot, so it might be too much for people who just want simple typed words.
- Best For: People who make podcasts and videos and need to edit them easily.
- Pricing: It has a free plan with some limits. Paid plans depend on how many hours you need to type up.
- Something to Know: The price can be a little confusing, and it might be too powerful if you just need typed text.
- Website: https://www.descript.com
6. Trint
Trint is made for newsrooms and big teams, making it some of the top speech to text software for working together on stories. It turns recordings into text so that a whole team can work on it at the same time. This is great for reporters who need to find important quotes from an interview and write a story fast.
The tool can type up what is being said live in over 40 languages and knows who is talking. It has special features for making stories, like letting you mark important parts or add notes. Trint is also very safe, which is a big deal for large companies. It's more than just a typing tool; it's a place for teams to turn talking into a finished story.
- Best For: Reporters, people who make shows, and big teams that need a safe way to work together.
- Pricing: You have to talk to their sales team to get a price for your team.
- Something to Know: It is a very powerful tool, but it might be too much for one person who just needs a recording typed up.
- Website: https://trint.com
7. Sonix
Sonix is a smart and easy way to turn your sound and video files into text. It is one of the top speech to text software choices for people who want correct typed words without a lot of work. It's made for reporters, students, and people who make shows. You just put your file in, and Sonix quickly gives you typed words that you can fix right on the website.
The tool is great because it automatically knows who is talking and puts a time next to the words. This saves a lot of time. It also works in over 40 languages, so it is good for people all over the world. A really neat part is the editor. You can click on a word and hear how it sounded in the recording. Sonix's pricing is clear. You only pay for what you use, which is nice.
- Best For: Reporters, people with podcasts, and students who need a fast tool with an easy editor.
- Pricing: You can pay as you go for $10 an hour. Or, you can pay $22 a month and then $5 an hour.
- Something to Know: It is all done by a computer, so there is no choice to have a real person check it for you.
- Website: https://sonix.ai/pricing
8. Speechmatics
For businesses that want to put talking-to-typing right into their own apps, Speechmatics offers some of the top speech to text software. It isn't a program you just open and use. Instead, it gives smart building blocks to people who make software. This is great for companies that want to check customer calls, add words to videos, or make voice controls in their own products. It works in over 55 languages.
Speechmatics is made to be very correct and to handle a lot of work at once. It can even tell different people apart when they are talking. Because it's a special tool for builders, you need someone who knows computers to set it up. But this means you can make it do exactly what you want. You can even run it on your own computers to keep everything extra safe.
- Best For: Software makers and businesses that need to add talking-to-typing into their own tools.
- Pricing: You pay for how much you use it. There is a free part each month to try it out.
- Something to Know: It is not a simple app for everyone. You need a computer expert to make it work.
- Website: https://www.speechmatics.com/pricing
9. Microsoft Azure AI Speech (Speech to Text)
Microsoft's talking helper is a very strong tool for businesses that want to use the top speech to text software in their own programs. It is not a simple app you download. It is the engine that makes other programs understand talking. It’s great for companies that need to write down customer service calls or create buttons you can control with your voice.
The tool is very good at knowing who is talking in a recording. This is helpful for meeting notes. You can also teach it special words for your job to make it even smarter. It's not for everyday users, but its "pay for what you use" price and free trial make it easy for software makers to start. To see how it stacks up against other tools, you can explore more about voice to text software options.
- Best For: Computer experts and businesses who want to add good talking-to-typing into their own tools.
- Pricing: You pay for what you use after a free amount each month. The price list can be a bit confusing.
- Something to Know: You need a computer expert to set it up. It is a tool for building, not a ready-to-use app.
- Website: https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/details/cognitive-services/speech-services/
10. Google Cloud Speech-to-Text (v2)
For businesses and builders who need a strong engine for their own tools, Google has some of the top speech to text software. It is not an app you can use right away. It is a service that you can add to other things, like a tool that types up meetings or a helper for customer service. It is very good at understanding all kinds of talking, from clear recordings to phone calls.
Google's system is known for being a good value and working well, especially if you have a lot of talking to type up. It has different models for different jobs, like one for doctors, to make sure the words are right. Because it's a tool for builders, it works well with many other computer systems and has good help, making it a top choice for making your own voice-powered tools.
- Best For: Computer builders and businesses that want to add talking-to-typing into their own apps.
- Pricing: You pay for each minute of talking that it processes. You get a discount if you use it a lot.
- Something to Know: It is a tool for builders, not for everyone. You need to know about computers to use it.
- Website: https://cloud.google.com/speech-to-text/pricing
11. Amazon Transcribe (AWS)
Amazon Transcribe is a great tool for computer experts who need to add talking-to-typing into their apps. It is some of the top speech to text software for builders. It's not a ready-to-use program. It's a building block for other software. It's perfect for turning call center recordings into text, typing up meetings, or making words for videos. It is built to handle a lot of talking quickly and correctly.
A cool part is that it can tell who is talking and separate their voices. It can also automatically hide private information like names or numbers, which is very important for businesses like hospitals or banks. You can teach it special words, like your company's name, to make it even better. You need a computer expert to set it up, but it can grow with your business.
- Best For: Computer builders and businesses who want to put talking-to-typing into their own tools.
- Pricing: You pay for each second of talking it types up. There is a free trial for new users.
- Something to Know: It is a tool for builders, not a simple app for everyone. You need computer skills to use it.
- Website: https://aws.amazon.com/transcribe/pricing/
12. IBM Watson Speech to Text (IBM Cloud)
IBM Watson Speech to Text is a strong tool for businesses that need very safe and correct typing. It is some of the top speech to text software for big companies. It is made for big jobs, like turning customer service calls into text to study them. Watson is special because a company can use it on IBM's computers or on its own computers for total control of its information.
The tool knows over 38 languages and can be changed to understand special words from any job, like banking or health care. It can also tell who is talking in a recording. The price can be a little hard to understand, and it's mostly for big businesses. But its free trial is a great way for small teams to see how strong it is.
- Best For: Call centers, businesses that handle secret information, and builders who need a safe tool.
- Pricing: It has a free plan with a certain amount of minutes each month. Paid plans are based on how much you use it.
- Something to Know: The prices can be tricky, and it works best for very big companies.
- Website: https://www.ibm.com/products/speech-to-text
Top 12 Talking-to-Typing Tools Side-by-Side
Tool Name | What It Does Best | How It Works & How Good It Is | What Makes It Special | Who It's For | Price & How Good a Deal It Is |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WriteVoice | Types as you talk, works in other apps | Very correct, has a whisper mode | Saves nothing, safe for private info | Busy people at work, doctors, lawyers | Free trial, plans for you or a team |
Nuance Dragon | Understands special words, good for jobs | Very good at typing fast talking | Lets you work in two windows at once | Lawyers, doctors, people who talk a lot | Costs a lot to buy one time |
Otter.ai | Takes notes in meetings, knows who talks | Easy to start, good for teams | Makes a short summary of meetings | Students, teams, people in meetings | Good free plan, great for teams |
Rev | A computer or a person types for you | Real person makes it perfect | Very safe for important work | People who need perfect typing | Person costs more, good for teams |
Descript | Edits sound by editing text, for creators | Great for fixing podcast mistakes | Takes out "ums," makes sound better | People who make podcasts and videos | Price depends on how much you use it |
Trint | For teams working on stories together | Good for teams, has tools for stories | Very safe for big news companies | Reporters, big teams | Have to ask for a price |
Sonix | Easy way to get typed words from a file | Pay for what you use, easy to use | Can hear the sound for each word | From one person to a big team | Clear price, pay as you go |
Speechmatics | Building blocks for your own apps | Understands many languages well | Can run on your own computer | Computer builders, world companies | Free minutes each month, pay for use |
Microsoft Azure AI Speech | Strong engine for building your own tools | Works well with other Microsoft tools | Good for building and growing | Big companies, people who follow rules | Price can be tricky, need an account |
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text | Another engine for building your own tools | Works great for a lot of typing | Cheaper if you use it a lot | Computer builders, big companies | Pay per minute, cheaper for more use |
Amazon Transcribe (AWS) | Engine to build with, hides private info | Easy to see prices, safe for hospitals | Works great with other Amazon tools | App makers, call centers | Free trial, pay as you go |
IBM Watson Speech to Text | Super safe tool for big companies | Very safe, you control the info | Can run on your own computers | Call centers, companies with secrets | Price is tricky, best for big business |
Which Talking Helper is Right for You?
Choosing the right tool from our list of the top speech to text software is like picking the right helper. We looked at many kinds, from simple ones like WriteVoice to strong ones like Otter.ai, and even building blocks from Google and Amazon. The main thing to remember is that the "best" tool is the one that is perfect for your job.
A builder needs many tools, and a busy person needs the right talking helper. A lawyer who talks about secret things needs a tool that is very safe. A manager who uses Jira and Slack all day needs a tool that works right inside them.
How to Pick Yours
To find the right tool for you, think about what you do every day. Your choice will depend on a few important things.
- What You Will Use It For: Will you be talking to write long papers, typing up interviews, or building an app that listens? For just talking and typing, a simple tool is best. For builders, a strong engine is the right choice.
- How Correct It Needs to Be: Do you work with a lot of special words, like in medicine or law? Find a tool that can learn your words.
- How It Fits with Your Other Tools: Will this tool work well with the apps you already use, like your email or work planners?
- If It Keeps Your Words Safe: If you talk about private things, safety is number one. Make sure you trust how the tool handles your words.
- How Much It Costs: Think about what you can spend now and later. A free tool might be okay for a little while, but a paid one could be better if you use it a lot.
It can also help to know a little bit about how these tools work. The computer brain that understands talking is always getting smarter. If you want to learn more, you can look at some common Artificial Intelligence questions to see what makes them work.
The goal is to find a tool that just works, so you can talk and your words appear without any trouble. Don't be afraid to use the free trials to test a few. The right talking-to-typing tool will feel like it's a part of you, saving you time and helping you get more done.
Ready to work faster with a safe and correct talking helper? WriteVoice is made for people at work who need to get their thoughts down fast, right where they are working. See how easy it is to talk instead of type by trying WriteVoice today.