Free Audio Transcription — 30 Minutes Free, No Credit Card
VexaScribe includes 30 minutes of free transcription on signup — no credit card required. Upload any audio or video file, or paste a YouTube URL. You get speaker labels, timestamps, and full export options (TXT, DOCX, SRT) — the same output as the paid plan, just limited to 30 minutes total.
Accepted formats:
What's Included in the Free 30 Minutes
No feature restrictions on the free tier. You get identical output to paid plans.
How Free Tiers Compare
| Tool | Free amount | Resets? | File upload | Languages | Export formats | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VexaScribe | 30 min total | No | Yes (5 GB) | 99 | TXT, DOCX, SRT | One-time trial (doesn't renew) |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/mo | Monthly | Meeting bot only | 5 | TXT, DOCX | 30 min/conversation cap; meeting bot required |
| TurboScribe | 3 files/day (~90 min) | Daily | Yes | 98 | TXT, SRT | Daily limit; lower accuracy tier on free |
| Riverside | “Unlimited” | N/A | Yes | Limited | Watermarked exports | Exports have Riverside watermark on free |
| Local Whisper | Unlimited | N/A | Yes | 99 | Any | Requires Python + GPU; technical setup |
Prices and tier limits verified July 2026. Free tiers change frequently — check each provider's pricing page for current terms.
How to Transcribe Audio Free — 3 Steps
Sign Up and Upload
Create a free account (no credit card). Upload your audio or video file — MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, and more, up to 5 GB. Or paste a YouTube URL.
AI Transcribes in Minutes
Whisper Large-v3 processes your file, detects speakers automatically, and generates a timestamped transcript. A 30-minute file takes 3–6 minutes.
Export Your Transcript
Download as TXT (plain text), DOCX (Word with speaker labels and timestamps), or SRT (subtitle file). All three formats are available on the free tier.
What 30 Minutes Covers
One interview
A 20–30 minute research or journalism interview fits entirely in the free balance. Export as DOCX with speaker labels for easy quotation.
A lecture segment
Transcribe a 30-minute lecture recording for study notes. Get timestamps so you can jump back to specific concepts.
Several voice memos
A series of short field recordings or meeting notes — 5–10 minutes each — all fit within 30 minutes.
A short podcast episode
Episodes under 30 minutes transcribe completely free. Longer episodes use the free balance for the first 30 minutes.
After Your Free 30 Minutes
When your free balance is used, you can add transcription minutes from $2/month:
- ›Starter: $2/mo — 200 minutes (~6 interviews or 3–4 podcast episodes)
- ›Basic: $5/mo — 1,000 minutes (~33 interviews)
- ›Pro: $10/mo — 2,500 minutes
- ›Studio: $20/mo — 6,000 minutes
That works out to $0.30–0.60 per hour of audio depending on plan. There's no subscription required — you can add a one-time credit top-up if you only need occasional transcription.
See full pricing details →Frequently Asked Questions About Free Transcription
How many minutes of audio can I transcribe for free?
VexaScribe includes 30 minutes free when you sign up — no credit card required. That covers one 30-minute interview, a typical lecture segment, or several short voice memos. The 30-minute balance never expires; you can use it across multiple files over time.
Is there a free transcription tool with no time limit?
Truly unlimited free transcription requires self-hosting — OpenAI's Whisper Large-v3 is MIT-licensed and free to run locally, but requires Python, a GPU (or slow CPU processing), and technical setup. For web tools: Otter.ai offers 300 minutes/month free (capped at 30 minutes per conversation); TurboScribe offers 3 free transcriptions per day (roughly 30 minutes each). VexaScribe gives 30 minutes total on signup with no ongoing daily reset.
What's the best free transcription software in 2026?
Depends on your use case. For a one-off interview or lecture: VexaScribe's 30-minute free trial covers most single-session needs with speaker labels and DOCX export. For ongoing free use with a Zoom workflow: Otter.ai's 300 min/month free tier. For unlimited free without signup: TurboScribe's 3/day limit. For completely free with no account: local Whisper (requires Python setup).
Does free transcription include speaker labels?
Yes — VexaScribe's free tier includes automatic speaker detection, timestamps, and full export options (TXT, DOCX, SRT). There's no feature downgrade on the free tier; you get the same output as paid plans, just limited to 30 minutes total.
Can I transcribe a 1-hour file for free?
You can upload a 1-hour file, but only the first 30 minutes will be transcribed under the free balance. To transcribe the full hour, you'd need to add credits — the Starter plan is $2/month for 200 minutes, which covers the remaining 30 minutes at about $0.30. Alternatively, split the file and transcribe the first 30 minutes free to test accuracy before committing.
What's the difference between VexaScribe free and Otter.ai free?
Otter.ai free: 300 minutes/month, but capped at 30 minutes per conversation, meeting-bot focused, 5 languages. VexaScribe free: 30 minutes total (not per month), file upload focused (not meeting bot), 99 languages, full export options including SRT. Otter's free tier renews monthly making it better for regular short meetings; VexaScribe's 30-minute trial is better for evaluating accuracy on your own files.
Does free transcription work for non-English audio?
Yes. VexaScribe uses Whisper Large-v3, which supports 99 languages. Language is auto-detected from the audio — you don't need to specify it. The free 30-minute balance works the same across all languages.
What file formats are supported for free transcription?
All formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AAC (audio) and MP4, MOV, WEBM, AVI, MKV (video). Files up to 5 GB. You can also paste a YouTube URL. No format restrictions on the free tier.
Start Transcribing Free
30 minutes free. No credit card. No time limit on when you use it.
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