Best Speech to Text Apps 2024

Did you know that the average person speaks at a rate of 120 - 160 words per minute—but only types at an average of 40 words per minute? If you’re looking for efficiency, one thing’s for certain: speaking is better than typing.

This is where speech-to-text apps come in.

These applications transform spoken words into written text, bridging the gap between verbal communication and digital documentation. From dictating emails to transcribing meetings, speech-to-text technology enhances productivity, fosters accessibility, and opens up new avenues for creativity. 

This article delves into the top contenders in this field, highlighting their features, capabilities, and unique advantages. 

Otter.ai revolutionizes the process of converting speech to text. This AI-powered tool offers automated transcription services, creating summaries, highlights, and full audio transcripts with remarkable efficiency. It's designed to save time and money, allowing users to convert hours of audio and video recordings into text in minutes. 

Key Features

• Automated Speech to Text: Converts audio and video to text rapidly.
• AI-Powered Summaries: Generates summaries and highlights from transcripts.
• Cost-Effective: Offers a more affordable alternative to traditional transcription services.
• Time Efficient: Quickly transcribes lengthy recordings.
• Searchable Transcripts: Easily locate quotes or keywords within transcripts.
• 300 Free Minutes Monthly: Generous free usage allotment each month.
• Interactive Transcripts: Creates editable and engaging transcript formats.
• User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the transcription process for all users.

What's Missing?

• Limited Free Tier: After 300 minutes, users must upgrade for more transcription time.
• Integration with External Apps: Potential limitations in integration capabilities with other productivity or media apps.

Microsoft Azure Speech to Text is a state-of-the-art AI tool designed to convert spoken audio into text with high accuracy and flexibility. It's ideal for a variety of applications, from creating searchable databases of audio files to enhancing user interaction in apps with voice recognition features. With its advanced speech recognition technology, it supports more than 100 languages and variants, making it a global solution for speech-to-text needs​​.

Key Features

• High-Quality Transcription: Offers accurate audio to text transcriptions utilizing Microsoft's advanced speech recognition technology​​.
• Customizable Models: Allows the addition of specific words to the base vocabulary or the creation of tailored speech-to-text models​​.
• Flexible Deployment: Can be run in the cloud or at the edge in containers, offering versatility in deployment options​​.
• Production-Ready: Leverages robust technology used across various Microsoft products, ensuring reliability and consistency​​.
• Diverse Source Compatibility: Capable of converting audio to text from various sources, including microphones, audio files, and blob storage​​.
• Custom Speech Models: Tailored to understand organization- and industry-specific terminology and overcome barriers like background noise and accents​​.
• Deployment Flexibility: Can be used wherever data is processed, both in robust cloud environments and on-premises​​.
• Comprehensive Privacy and Security: Ensures data privacy and security, meeting standards like SOC, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITECH, and ISO​​.

What's Missing?

• Limited Voice Recognition Features: It focuses primarily on speech-to-text and might not offer additional voice recognition features like voice biometrics.
• Developer-Friendly, Not User Friendly: More geared towards developers than end-users. 

Siri, Apple's digital personal assistant, integrates seamlessly across its device ecosystem, offering a robust speech-to-text functionality. Primarily designed for Apple devices, Siri's voice-to-text feature is incredibly versatile, catering to various tasks like sending messages, composing emails, or taking notes. This tool is particularly useful for hands-free operations, allowing users to dictate text effortlessly across different applications.

Key Features

• Multi-Device Compatibility: Works across various Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, HomePods, and Apple Watches.
• Hands-Free Text Dictation: Allows users to dictate text hands-free, ideal for messaging, emailing, and note-taking.
• Voice Command Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Siri's voice commands for efficient operation.
• Text Editing via Dictation: Supports voice typing for composing longer messages and creating lists in apps like Notes or Reminders.
• Extensive App Support: Compatible with many default and third-party apps that use a keyboard.
• Easy Activation: Can be enabled in the iPhone settings and used by tapping the microphone icon in any app with a keyboard.

What's Missing?

• No Voice Command for Deletion: Siri lacks a voice command for deleting mistakes; corrections need manual intervention.
• Limited Voice Command Customization: The range of voice commands, especially for editing and formatting, is somewhat limited.
• Dependence on Internet Connection: Requires an active internet connection for processing voice-to-text commands​

Verbit is an innovative speech-to-text software that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence to deliver accurate and efficient transcription services. It's built on adaptive algorithms that allow it to produce detailed speech-to-text files with over 99% accuracy, at a speed that sets industry benchmarks. 

Key Features

• Smart AI Integration: Utilizes speech models and neural networks for noise reduction and accent identification.
• High Accuracy Rates: Over 99% accuracy in transcribing speech to text.
• Adaptive Algorithms: Built on advanced algorithms for detailed and accurate transcriptions.
• Speed and Efficiency: Delivers results at record-breaking speeds.
• AI and Human Intelligence Combination: Uses both AI and human review for enhanced accuracy.
• Versatility: Suitable for various applications including ADA and FCC compliant transcriptions.
• User-Friendly Design: Accessible to users of varying technical backgrounds.
• Comprehensive Transcription Services: Offers transcription for both audio and video content.

What's Missing?

• Real-Time Transcription Limitations: While Verbit is efficient, it may not offer real-time transcription in the same capacity as some other speech-to-text apps.
• Specialized Use Focus: The tool is primarily designed for professional transcription and captioning, which might limit its utility for casual or personal use.
• Limited Language Support: The focus on English and common languages might limit its effectiveness for less widely spoken languages or dialects.

Dragon by Nuance is a highly acclaimed speech-to-text application, widely recognized for its exceptional speed, accuracy, and specialized features. Optimized for Windows 11 and backward-compatible with Windows 10, Dragon Professional v16 is designed to boost workplace productivity to new heights. 

Key Features

• Superior Speed and Accuracy: Voice recognition that's three times faster than typing, boasting up to 99% accuracy without the need for voice profile training​​.
• Security: Designed with top-tier security in mind, including solutions empowered by Microsoft Azure and compliance with industry-standard security protocols​​.
• Flexibility: Cloud-hosted solutions that sync customizations across devices, enhancing workflow efficiency and task management​​.
• Compliance and Confidentiality: Supports HIPAA requirements, ensuring secure and confidential handling of Personal Health Information (PHI) in public sector settings​​.
• Specialized Vocabulary and Features: Tailored for various professional fields, providing specialized vocabulary and user-friendly features​​.

What's Missing?

• Cost-Friendly Plans: Dragon by Nuance is one of the more expensive options on this list, making it potentially unsuitable for smaller teams or solopreneurs/freelancers.

Gboard, developed by Google, is a highly-regarded keyboard app with robust speech-to-text capabilities. It is particularly favored among Android users for transforming mobile typing experiences. Utilizing Google's advanced technology, Gboard offers hands-free voice typing and swipe functionality, simplifying text input on mobile devices. 

Key Features

• Voice Typing: Enables hands-free text dictation.
• Emoji and GIFs: Integrated search for enhanced messaging.
• Multilingual Support: Compatible with over 60 languages.
• Gesture Control: Offers a gesture-based cursor control for a unique typing experience.

What's Missing?

• Shortcut Commands: Lacks dedicated shortcut commands for quick operations.
• Occasional Lag: Some users experience delays in audio recording.
• Understanding Slang: May not fully comprehend slang or colloquial language.
• Advanced Editing Features: Limited in terms of in-depth editing capabilities during dictation.
• Limited Customization: Fewer options for personalizing the dictation experience.

Speechnotes is an advanced, AI-powered speech-to-text tool that excels in transcribing speech with speed and accuracy. It's particularly beneficial for quickly capturing thoughts and ideas in an organized manner, making it a great asset for writers, businesses, and anyone involved in extensive note-taking. 

Key Features

• Voice-Typing: Transcribes spoken words into text efficiently.
• Key-Typing: Allows for manual text entry as well.
• Google Drive Exporting: Facilitates easy exporting of documents to Google Drive.
• Smart Capitalization: Automatically adjusts capitalization for proper grammar.
• Spellcheck: Includes a built-in spellchecker to ensure accuracy.
• Auto-Save: Automatically saves work to prevent data loss.
• Platform Availability: Available as a web-based tool and an Android app.

What's Missing?

• Limited Platform Support: Primarily a web-based tool, with an Android app but no native iOS app.
• Basic Interface: While user-friendly, the interface might lack advanced features found in more sophisticated speech-to-text apps.
• Offline Functionality: As a web-based tool, it requires an internet connection to function.
• Limited Language Support: May not support as many languages as some other speech-to-text tools.
• No Advanced Editing Tools: Lacks advanced editing features like voice modulation or integration with professional audio editing software.
• No iOS App: Currently, there is no dedicated app for iOS users, limiting accessibility for Apple device owners

Transcribe is a highly efficient personal assistant app, designed for transcribing videos and voice memos into text. Utilizing advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies, it quickly converts speech into readable, quality transcriptions. Its capabilities extend to transforming speech from multiple sources into plain, readable text, ready to be read, translated, or shared​​.

Key Features

• Automatic Transcription: Converts video or voice memos to text automatically.
• Supports Over 120 Languages and Dialects: Wide language support enhances versatility.
• Import Files from Apps and DropBox: Convenient file import options.
• Export Options: Ability to export raw text to text editing apps.
• Ad-Free Experience: Offers a smooth, uninterrupted user experience.

What's Missing?

• Transcribe PRO: The app offers advanced features like exporting to various file formats and synchronizing unlimited files, but these are part of a premium subscription​​.
• Limited Free Features: Some advanced functionalities are locked behind a paywall.
• No Real-Time Transcription: The app focuses on transcribing recorded content, not real-time speech.

SpeechTexter is a free, versatile, and user-friendly speech-to-text application designed to facilitate the transcription of various types of text. It's particularly popular among students, teachers, writers, and bloggers worldwide. The app operates in real-time, converting spoken words into text with impressive accuracy levels, exceeding 90% in optimal conditions. 

Key Features

• Real-Time Continuous Speech Recognition: Transcribes speech as it happens.
• Broad Language Support: Compatible with more than 70 languages.
• Creation of Various Texts: Ideal for notes, emails, blog posts, reports, and more.
• Custom Voice Commands: Allows users to add punctuation, frequently used phrases, and control app actions like undo, redo, and new paragraph creation.
• High Accuracy: Delivers accuracy levels higher than 90%, depending on language and speaker.
• Accessibility Features: Useful for individuals with disabilities that limit the use of conventional input devices.
• Learning Tool: Assists in learning proper pronunciation and developing fluency in foreign languages.
• No Download or Installation Needed: Works directly in the browser, particularly Chrome and some Android browsers​​.

What's Missing?

• Audio File Transcription: SpeechTexter does not currently offer the ability to upload and transcribe audio files​​.
• Limited Browser Support: Optimal functionality is mostly limited to the Chrome browser and some Android OS browsers.
• Real-Time Editing: While it has some voice command features for editing, it might lack more advanced real-time editing capabilities.
• Offline Functionality: The app requires an internet connection, as it does not support offline usage.

IBM Watson Speech to Text is an advanced AI-powered tool designed to transform spoken words into written text. It leverages machine learning to provide a sophisticated speech transcription service suitable for a variety of applications. This service stands out for its ability to accurately transcribe the human voice from many languages, taking into account the nuances of grammar and language structure. It is continuously updated and refined, ensuring high accuracy and adaptability to different voice types and audio signals.

Key Features

• AI-Powered Speech Recognition and Transcription: Converts spoken language into text efficiently using advanced AI algorithms.
• Audio Preprocessing and Noise Removal: Enhances clarity by filtering out background noise.
• Semantic Sentence Conversion: Understands and transcribes the context of sentences.
• Machine Learning Capabilities: Continuously improves its transcription accuracy by learning from data.
• Multiple Speech Recognition Interfaces: Offers various interfaces for diverse transcription needs.
• Support for Multiple Languages: Capable of transcribing voices from a wide range of languages.
• Background Noise Separation: Distinctly separates voice from background sounds.

What's Missing?

• Real-Time Transcription Feedback: May not provide immediate feedback or suggestions during the transcription process.
• Limited Emotional Inflection Recognition: While accurate in transcription, it might not capture the emotional nuances of speech.
• Integration with Certain Third-Party Applications: Compatibility with specific apps or platforms may be limited.
• Speech-to-Text in Niche Dialects: May have limitations in understanding and transcribing very specific dialects or regional accents.
• User-Friendly Interface for Beginners: The interface might be challenging for beginners or those not familiar with AI and machine learning tools.

IBM Watson Speech to Text combines the power of AI with machine learning to offer an efficient and accurate speech-to-text service, catering to a diverse range of applications and languages

Final Thoughts

As we've explored the realm of speech-to-text apps, it's clear that this technology is more than just a convenience—it's a game-changer in the way we interact with digital devices and manage information. Each app we've discussed offers a unique set of features tailored to different needs, whether it's for personal use, professional environments, or specialized applications.

In conclusion, whether you're a professional looking to streamline your workflow, a content creator in need of efficient transcription, or someone who values hands-free technology for accessibility reasons, there's a speech-to-text app out there for you. 

About ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs stands at the forefront of AI voice generation technology. We offer a selection of 120 unique voices in 29 languages. What’s more, our tool's intuitive interface lets you fine-tune your audio, whether you're producing an audiobook or adding flair to video game narration. Trusted by digital creators worldwide, Eleven Labs sets the standard for lifelike, versatile, and secure AI-generated speech.

Ready to get started? Sign up for ElevenLabs today.