Beste AI-transcriptietools 2026: volledige vergelijking
AI transcription tools have improved dramatically since early 2025. New models like Mistral’s Voxtral Transcribe 2 and OpenAI’s GPT-4o Transcribe have pushed word error rates below 4%, while prices dropped to fractions of a cent per minute. For anyone recording meetings, interviews, lectures, or podcasts, picking the right tool in 2026 means choosing between raw accuracy, workflow features, and pricing.
According to VentureBeat, 2026 is shaping up to be “the year of note-taking,” with AI transcription at the center. We compared eight transcription tools across pricing, accuracy, features, and ease of use to help you find the right fit.
Related guides: Best free audio to text converters, Best video transcription software, Live transcription apps
Quick Picks
- ScreenApp. Best all-in-one workflow. Record, transcribe, summarize, and search. Free tier available, $19/mo for full features.
- Otter.ai. Best for meeting-focused teams. Strong Zoom integration. Free / $8.33/mo.
- Voxtral Transcribe 2. Best for developers and privacy. On-device, open-source. $0.003/min API.
Pricing Comparison
Pricing is the fastest-changing aspect of AI transcription. Here is what each tool charges as of February 2026.
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Plan | Per-Minute Cost | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScreenApp | Yes (limited) | $19/mo | Included | Web app |
| Otter.ai | 300 min/mo | $8.33/mo (annual) | Included | Web + mobile |
| Fireflies.ai | Limited | $10/mo | Included | Web + bot |
| Voxtral Transcribe 2 | Open-source model | API only | $0.003/min | API / self-hosted |
| OpenAI Whisper | Open-source model | API only | $0.006/min | API / self-hosted |
| Deepgram | $200 credit | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0043/min | API |
| AssemblyAI | 100 hrs free | Pay-as-you-go | $0.00249/min | API |
| Rev | No | $29.99/mo | $0.25/min (human) | Web + human |
Two categories emerge. Consumer tools (ScreenApp, Otter.ai, Fireflies, Rev) charge monthly subscriptions with minutes included. Developer APIs (Voxtral, Whisper, Deepgram, AssemblyAI) charge per minute of audio processed. The right choice depends on whether you want a ready-to-use product or are building transcription into your own application.
Feature Comparison
Beyond pricing, the features that matter most are accuracy, speaker diarization, real-time transcription, and what you can do with the transcript after it is generated.
| Tool | Diarization | Real-Time | Summaries | Recording | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScreenApp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50+ |
| Otter.ai | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 3 |
| Fireflies.ai | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 60+ |
| Voxtral | Yes | Yes | No | No | 13 |
| Whisper | No | No | No | No | 97 |
| Deepgram | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 36 |
| AssemblyAI | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 17 |
| Rev | Yes | No | Yes | No | 17 |
ScreenApp is the only tool in this comparison that handles the entire workflow from recording to searchable, summarized transcripts. The others either focus purely on transcription (Voxtral, Whisper) or on meeting-specific use cases (Otter.ai, Fireflies).
Now let us look at each tool in detail.
1. ScreenApp - Full Workflow
ScreenApp combines screen recording, audio recording, transcription, AI summarization, and search into a single platform. Unlike meeting-only tools, it works with any audio or video source.
Type: Web app | Price: Free / $19/mo | Languages: 50+
Upload any audio or video file, paste a URL, or record directly from your browser. ScreenApp generates a transcript with speaker diarization, then lets you run an AI summary to extract key points, action items, or study notes. Every transcript is searchable, so you can find specific moments across hundreds of recordings.
The live transcription feature captures audio in real time, making it useful for lectures and webinars. The Chrome extension adds transcription to any browser tab.
Pros: All-in-one workflow, no software to install, works with any audio source, AI summaries, searchable archive, 50+ languages
Cons: Cloud-based (no on-device option), advanced features require paid plan
2. Otter.ai - Meeting Focus
Otter.ai specializes in meeting transcription with strong Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams integrations. It joins your meetings automatically and generates transcripts with speaker labels.
Type: Web + mobile | Price: Free (300 min/mo) / $8.33/mo (annual) / $20/mo (Business annual) | Languages: English, Spanish, French
Otter’s OtterPilot joins meetings on your behalf, transcribes the conversation, and generates summaries with action items. The collaborative workspace lets team members highlight, comment, and share specific sections. Real-time transcription works during meetings, showing text as people speak.
Pros: Excellent meeting integrations, collaborative features, mobile app, OtterPilot auto-join
Cons: Limited to 3 languages, no recording of non-meeting audio, no screen recording, free tier limited to 300 minutes
3. Fireflies.ai - CRM Integration
Fireflies.ai focuses on meeting intelligence with strong CRM and project management integrations. It auto-joins meetings, transcribes them, and pushes summaries to tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack.
Type: Web + bot | Price: Free (limited) / $10/mo (Pro) / $19/mo (Business) | Languages: 60+
The standout feature is Fireflies’ integration ecosystem. Meeting notes flow directly into your CRM, project management tool, or communication platform. The AI generates smart summaries with topics, action items, and sentiment analysis.
Pros: Deep CRM integrations, 60+ languages, AI-powered topic detection, sentiment analysis, affordable Pro plan
Cons: Meeting bot can feel intrusive to participants, AI credits limited on lower plans, no screen recording
4. Voxtral Transcribe 2 - Developer API
Voxtral Transcribe 2 from Mistral AI is the newest entrant, launched February 5, 2026. It offers two models: a batch transcription model with diarization and a real-time streaming model with sub-200ms latency.
Type: API / self-hosted | Price: $0.003/min (API) / Free (self-hosted) | Languages: 13
Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2 achieves approximately 4% word error rate on FLEURS at the lowest price of any transcription API. Voxtral Realtime is open-weights under Apache 2.0, meaning you can deploy it on your own hardware for free. The 4B parameter model runs on a single GPU or modern laptop.
Pros: Lowest API price, open-source Realtime model, on-device capability, native diarization, context biasing for technical terms
Cons: Developer-only (no UI), requires technical setup for self-hosting, 13 languages only, no summaries or workflow features
5. OpenAI Whisper - Open Source
OpenAI Whisper remains the most widely used open-source transcription model. Available both as an API and as downloadable model weights, it supports 97 languages and has a massive ecosystem of tools built on top of it.
Type: API / self-hosted | Price: $0.006/min (API) / Free (self-hosted) | Languages: 97
Whisper’s main advantage is ecosystem breadth. Hundreds of apps and services use Whisper under the hood. The model is well-tested across languages and accents. The API is simple: send audio, get text.
Pros: 97 languages, massive ecosystem, well-tested, simple API, can self-host for free
Cons: No native diarization, no real-time streaming, higher API cost than Voxtral, accuracy slightly behind newer models
6. Deepgram - Enterprise API
Deepgram targets enterprise customers with its Nova speech-to-text models. It offers both real-time and batch transcription with features like topic detection, summarization, and intent recognition built into the API.
Type: API | Price: $0.0043/min (Nova-2) / Pay-as-you-go | Languages: 36
Deepgram’s strength is in enterprise features: custom model training, on-premise deployment options, and an SLA-backed service. The Nova-2 model performs well on business audio (meetings, calls) and includes diarization and punctuation.
Pros: Enterprise-grade reliability, custom model training, on-premise option, good business audio accuracy, $200 free credit to start
Cons: More expensive than Voxtral and Whisper, enterprise focus means less individual-friendly, no consumer UI
7. AssemblyAI - Developer-Friendly
AssemblyAI provides a developer-friendly transcription API with built-in audio intelligence features like sentiment analysis, topic detection, PII redaction, and content moderation.
Type: API | Price: $0.00249/min (Universal) / Pay-as-you-go | Languages: 17
AssemblyAI’s Universal model offers strong accuracy with the added benefit of audio intelligence features accessible through a single API call. The documentation is among the best in the industry, and the 100-hour free tier is generous for testing.
Pros: Cheapest per-minute API, excellent documentation, PII redaction, sentiment analysis, 100 hours free
Cons: API only (no consumer product), 17 languages, less known than Whisper, fewer community resources
8. Rev - Human + AI Hybrid
Rev offers both AI transcription and human transcription services, making it the go-to choice when accuracy is non-negotiable. Human transcriptionists review and correct AI-generated transcripts.
Type: Web + human | Price: $29.99/mo (AI) / $0.25/min (human-assisted) | Languages: 17
Rev’s AI transcription is competitive with other tools, but the human option is where it stands apart. For legal depositions, medical records, and published media, human review catches errors that AI misses. Turnaround for human transcription is typically 12-24 hours.
Pros: Human-reviewed option for highest accuracy, established brand, good for legal and medical, API available
Cons: Most expensive option, human transcription is slow, AI-only plan is pricey at $29.99/mo, no real-time option
Which Tool Should You Use?
The choice depends on your use case.
For meetings and team collaboration: ScreenApp or Otter.ai. Both provide transcription with summaries and searchable archives. ScreenApp adds screen recording and works with any audio source, not just meetings. Otter.ai has stronger calendar integrations.
For developers building products: Voxtral Transcribe 2 or AssemblyAI. Voxtral is cheapest and offers on-device deployment. AssemblyAI includes audio intelligence features at a similar price point.
For privacy-sensitive industries: Voxtral Realtime (self-hosted). It is the only production-quality open-source model with real-time capability and diarization, deployable entirely on your own infrastructure.
For CRM and sales teams: Fireflies.ai. Its integration ecosystem pushes meeting intelligence directly into Salesforce, HubSpot, and other business tools.
For maximum language coverage: OpenAI Whisper (97 languages) or Fireflies (60+ languages).
For legal or medical accuracy: Rev’s human-assisted transcription catches errors AI models still make in specialized vocabulary.
Transcribe with ScreenApp
For most individuals and teams, ScreenApp provides the simplest path from recording to actionable notes.
- Record or upload at screenapp.io/features/online-transcript-generator.
- Review your transcript with speaker labels and timestamps.
- Generate an AI summary with the AI summarizer for key points and action items.
No meeting bots, no API keys, no setup. Record anything, transcribe it, and find it later.
After Transcription
- AI Note Taker: Convert transcripts into structured meeting notes
- Voice Test Online: Test your microphone before recording
- Bot-Free Transcription Extension: Transcribe meetings without a bot joining the call
- Audio Summarizer: Get summaries from audio files directly
FAQ
What is the most accurate AI transcription tool in 2026?
Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2 currently achieves the lowest word error rate (approximately 4% on FLEURS) of any transcription API. Among consumer tools, ScreenApp and Otter.ai both deliver strong accuracy for English and major languages.
Which transcription tool is cheapest?
For APIs, AssemblyAI at $0.00249/min and Voxtral at $0.003/min are the cheapest. For consumer tools, Otter.ai’s free tier (300 min/mo) and ScreenApp’s free tier offer no-cost transcription for light usage.
Can I transcribe meetings without a bot joining?
Yes. ScreenApp offers a bot-free transcription Chrome extension that transcribes meetings by capturing audio directly from your browser tab, so no bot needs to join the call.
Is Voxtral better than Whisper?
Voxtral achieves lower word error rates at half the API cost and includes native diarization. Whisper supports 97 languages compared to Voxtral’s 13 and has a larger ecosystem. For English and major languages, Voxtral is technically superior. For less common languages, Whisper has broader coverage.
Do I need a paid plan for transcription?
Most tools offer free tiers. ScreenApp, Otter.ai (300 min/mo), and Fireflies all have free plans. For heavy usage or team features, paid plans range from $8.33/mo (Otter.ai annual) to $29.99/mo (Rev).
What is the best transcription tool for students?
ScreenApp is well-suited for students because it combines recording, transcription, and AI summarization. Record a lecture, get a transcript, then generate study notes automatically. The AI note taker extracts key concepts and creates structured notes.
Can I run transcription on my own computer?
Yes. Both Voxtral Realtime and OpenAI Whisper are open-source and can run locally. Voxtral Realtime requires a GPU for real-time performance. Whisper can run on CPU but is slower. For most users, cloud-based tools like ScreenApp are more convenient.
FAQ
Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2 currently achieves the lowest word error rate (approximately 4% on FLEURS) of any transcription API. Among consumer tools, ScreenApp and Otter.ai both deliver strong accuracy for English and major languages.
For APIs, AssemblyAI at $0.00249/min and Voxtral at $0.003/min are the cheapest. For consumer tools, Otter.ai's free tier (300 min/mo) and ScreenApp's free tier offer no-cost transcription for light usage.
Yes. ScreenApp offers a bot-free transcription Chrome extension that transcribes meetings by capturing audio directly from your browser tab, so no bot needs to join the call.
Voxtral achieves lower word error rates at half the API cost and includes native diarization. Whisper supports 97 languages compared to Voxtral's 13 and has a larger ecosystem. For English and major languages, Voxtral is technically superior. For less common languages, Whisper has broader coverage.
Most tools offer free tiers. ScreenApp, Otter.ai (300 min/mo), and Fireflies all have free plans. For heavy usage or team features, paid plans range from $8.33/mo (Otter.ai annual) to $29.99/mo (Rev).
ScreenApp is well-suited for students because it combines recording, transcription, and AI summarization. Record a lecture, get a transcript, then generate study notes automatically. The AI note taker extracts key concepts and creates structured notes.
Yes. Both Voxtral Realtime and OpenAI Whisper are open-source and can run locally. Voxtral Realtime requires a GPU for real-time performance. Whisper can run on CPU but is slower. For most users, cloud-based tools like ScreenApp are more convenient.
