Whether you're conducting interviews, recording podcasts, documenting meetings, or recording lectures: At some point, you'll have to convert what you've said into text. And this is exactly where a good transcription software helps you. It saves time, makes post-processing easier, and makes your content more usable.
But which programs are really good? And what should you pay attention to? This article gives you a simple but well-founded overview.
What is Transcribing Software?
In short, it helps you convert speech to text. There are three types:
Automatic Software
You upload a recording, and the software automatically writes everything down, often using AI.
Manual Software
You listen to the recording and type yourself. The software helps you with playback controls, timestamps, and more.
Combining Software
First, the AI creates a raw text, then you manually correct it.
Which variant is right for you depends on how good the recording is and how precisely you need to work.
The Best Software to Transcribe 2025
7th Place: Amberscript — Versatile Transcription Software Particularly for the European Region
Amberscript offers both automated transcription and professional manual services. You can choose whether you just need the raw text or a finished version checked by real people. Data protection is a top priority (servers in Europe).
Who Amberscribe is for: Media, research, authorities
Pro:
- GDPR-compliant
- Good editor for post-processing
- Subtitles are also possible
Contra:
- User interface a bit technical
- Manual services cost extra
6th Place: Express Scribe — Transcription Software For Manual Transcription
Express Scribe has been popular with journalists, researchers, and transcribers for years. You listen to the recording and type yourself. The program makes the process easier for you: automatic stop while typing, foot pedal control, variable speed.
Who Express Scribe is for: Professionals who value accuracy
Pro:
- Very accurate results
- Free to use (basic version)
- Supports many formats
Contra:
- No automatic text
- Service looks a bit old-fashioned
5th Place: Notta — Transcribe With Notta Software
Notta is an online tool that automatically transcribes recordings — or follows meetings live. It recognizes over 50 languages and even offers translations. Ideal if you work with teams from different countries or need content in multiple languages.
Who Notta is for: International teams, online courses, individuals
Pro:
- Easy to understand
- Live and upload function
- Good translation feature
Contra:
- Only limited free access
- Data protection depends on server location
4th Place: Otter.ai — The US Classic for Automatic Transcription
Otter is known primarily in English-speaking countries. It works great for meetings, interviews, and lectures — especially in English. You can invite the tool directly to an online meeting or upload a file.
Who Otter is for: Education, media
Pro:
- Intelligent voice recognition
- Task and highlight function
- Integration with Zoom & Google Meet
Contra:
- Non-English weaknesses
- Only limited free
3rd Place: Fireflies — Transcribe With Analysis
Fireflies goes one step further: In addition to the transcript, you also automatically receive tasks, questions, objections, and summaries. The software recognizes what the conversation is about — and presents it clearly. You can invite the bot to Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet meetings, or upload recordings.
Who Fireflies is for: Project teams, sales, agencies
Pro:
- AI analysis included
- Very good searchability
- Lots of integrations (Slack, Asana, Notion, and more)
Contra:
- A bit more complex to set up
- Check data protection (server location USA)
2nd Place: Happy Scribe — Automatic or Manual, You Decide
Happy Scribe is from Europe and offers a very wide language coverage. You can have it transcribed automatically — or hire human transcribers for important content. Everything can be edited in a well-arranged editor. Also very popular for subtitles.
Who Happy Scribe is for: Media, research, education
Pro:
- 100+ languages
- GDPR-compliant
- Very high quality standard
Contra:
- Prices vary by service
- No bot for meetings — only uploads
1st Place: Sally — The Business Software for Transcription and More
Sally is more than just transcription. It is an intelligent meeting assistant: You invite it via calendar invitation — it automatically joins the meeting, transcribes live, creates summaries, recognizes tasks, and provides you with a structured protocol.
Who Sally is for: Companies, consultancies, teams with many meetings, sales
Pro:
- Fully automated with meeting integration
- GDPR-compliant (servers in Europe)
- Tasks, speaking time, highlights included
Contra:
- Focus on meetings — not ideal for podcasts or individual files
- Not all features are free
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What You Should Consider When Choosing a Transcription Software
To help you find the right software, you should ask yourself a few questions in advance:
1. What Would You Like to Transcribe?
- Meetings: Then you need a tool with calendar integration (e.g. Sally, Fireflies)
- Interviews or Podcasts: You can upload recordings (e.g. Happy Scribe, Sally, Notta)
- Research or Media Relations: Pay attention to accuracy and correction options
2. How Important Is Data Protection to You?
If you work with sensitive data (e.g. research, medicine, government agencies), choose providers with servers in Europe. GDPR compliance is mandatory. Sally, for example, is well placed here.
3. How Good Is Your Recording Quality?
Automatic transcription works best for:
- Clear language
- Low background noise
- Not too many speakers at the same time
The better the contrasts, the better the transcription. But it is only really relevant if a high-quality transcript is required. The content is understood this way and that.
4. Which Export Formats Do You Need?
Most programs offer DOCX, TXT, or PDF. Some also include SRT (for subtitles) or JSON (for developers). Pay attention to what you want to process further.
Note: Sally can do that export and forward to over 5000 tools.
Transcription Software: A Practical Tip
Many users start with an automatic transcript and then add or correct manually. This saves time and you still get a very accurate result. Happy Scribe and Amberscript in particular offer good editors for this.
For meetings, a solution like Sally is worthwhile: The tool does everything for you from notes to summaries to complete transcriptions.
Conclusion: Finding the Right Transcription Software Is Easy If You Know What You Need
Today, you don't have to write down for hours on end. Transcription software does the work for you. Automatically, reliably, and often even free of charge.
It is important that you choose the right program for your purpose:
- For companies: Sally (also GDPR-compliant) or Fireflies
- For media and research: Happy Scribe or Amberscript
- For manual work: Express Scribe
Try 1–2 tools, see what works for you. Feel free to start with Sally and try it free for 4 weeks.
And then it's time to save time!
Test Meeting Transcription now!
We'll help you set everything up - just contact us via the form.
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