Convert Speech to Text for Free with AI: 10 Tools

You can convert speech to text for free using various AI online tools such as ElevenLabs, Whisper, or Google Cloud. With the help of AI technology and automatic speech recognition (ASR), it is possible to convert audio files or spoken language into text such as subtitles or transcripts.

A speech-to-text (STT) tool is a software program for fast transcription that generates accurate text or subtitles from speech. STT tools are suitable for recording meetings, calls, videos, podcasts, interviews, or webinars, allowing you to focus on speaking rather than transcribing.

Converting AI speech to text makes content more inclusive, increases productivity, and saves time, especially when following up on phone calls and meetings. At fonio, we offer our customers an AI-supported phone assistant that not only makes calls, but also transcribes them using AI and makes them available for permanent viewing.

Below, we present 10 helpful tools that allow you to convert speech to text using AI free of charge.

1. ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs has its own speech-to-text product called Scribe. Scribe focuses on high ASR accuracy and recognizes multiple speakers, marks important events, and sets timestamps. The STT tool Scribe captures non-verbal elements such as laughter as well as applause and labels them accordingly.

The finished transcript can be downloaded from Scribe as a PDF, DOCX, HTML, SRT, VTT, or JSON file. When uploading files, the STT tool supports formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, and M4A in 99 languages. Scribe can be linked to Zoom, YouTube, Google Meet, Apple Podcast, and other platforms to generate transcripts.

You can either try Scribe right away or register for advanced features on the ElevenLabs platform. Up to 20 minutes of audio files per month are free with ElevenLabs. Up to 60 minutes of speech-to-text costs $5 per month with ElevenLabs, and up to 200 minutes costs $11 (as of November 2025).

2. Whisper

Whisper is an open-source ASR model from OpenAI that creates transcripts of audio files in more than 50 languages. Whisper recognizes accents as well as technical language and filters out background noise. The Whisper STT tool sets appropriate timestamps and offers speech recognition as well as translations if desired.

With Whisper, the finished transcripts can be downloaded in file formats such as JSON, TXT, SRT, and VTT. Audio files can be uploaded to Whisper in formats such as MP3, MP4, or M4A. Whisper is free to use, with different model sizes available that offer varying speeds and levels of accuracy. Via the OpenAI API, it costs $0.006 per minute (as of November 2025).

3. Google Cloud

Google Cloud Speech-to-Text is a cloud service for ASR with many models. With Google Cloud's STT tool, you can generate text asynchronously for post-processing or synchronously for real-time generation. Google's STT tool allows you to use direct voice commands or upload audio files.

The STT tool from Google Cloud easily recognizes accents in voice recordings and supports short and long audio files as well as streamed audio. Speech-to-Text from Google Cloud is able to filter out noise in audio files and create transcripts and subtitles for videos in over 85 languages.

Google's STT tool can be tested free of charge after registration, with up to 60 minutes of Speech-to-Text V1 API usage per month. The paid version of Google Cloud for the Speech-to-Text V1 API costs $0.016 per minute for 60 minutes per month (as of November 2025). New Google Cloud customers receive a new customer bonus of $300.

4. RecCloud

RecCloud is an all-in-one cloud tool for transcription, subtitling, translation, summarization, and various video functions. RecCloud is available as a web version or as an app for smartphones and supports 99 languages. RecCloud's STT tool converts the speech in audio and video files into text.

Transcriptions and summaries of less than 1 minute of audio and a maximum of 5 files are free with RecCloud. 3000 credits per year cost $4 per month if you pay annually, with 1 credit charged per minute of transcript (as of November 2025). Registration with RecCloud is required to use the STT tool.

5. Notta

Notta is an online transcription tool that creates real-time transcriptions and summaries. Notta's STT tool allows you to convert audio and video into text and subtitles, add notes to the text, and edit the generated text. Notta stands out especially for its speed.

Notta creates transcripts in PDF, TXT, DOCX, and SRT formats. The STT tool supports various audio formats (e.g. MP3, CAF, and WAV) and video formats (e.g. MOV, MP4, and WMV). No additional software needs to be installed to use the AI tool.

With Notta's STT tool, you can transcribe YouTube videos using their URL and create transcripts of meetings on Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and other platforms. Transcriptions can be created in 58 languages using the Notta tool. Notta Pro offers a 3-day free trial, or individuals can use the free license, which includes 120 minutes of transcription and 50 file uploads per month. Starting at $13.99 per month, Notta offers 1800 minutes of transcription time and 100 file uploads (as of November 2025).

6. CapCut

CapCut offers an AI speech-to-text tool that is built into the program. CapCut promotes automatic speech recognition for multiple languages and allows you to generate transcripts and subtitles from them. CapCut's STT tool provides visual design elements for the generated texts.

The CapCut STT tool stands out thanks to its user-friendly interface and numerous features. CapCut's speech-to-text conversion is particularly suitable for content creators who want to transcribe or subtitle short clips on social media. CapCut allows you to edit and customize transcriptions at a later stage. The speech-to-text option for videos is available free of charge in the online version or in the CapCut app. The paid version of CapCut allows for faster speech processing and higher export quality, for example, and costs $9.99 per month or $89.99 per year (as of November 2025).

7. RecapAI

RecapAI is an app that can be downloaded to your smartphone and generates automatic transcripts and summaries of spoken language. RecapAI is based on OpenAI's Whisper technology and supports audio files in over 100 languages. 

RecapAI focuses on recordings made in the app or uploaded directly from your cell phone, which are transcribed and summarized on request. RecapAI recognizes different speakers, who can be named retrospectively. Once the text has been generated, you can download the transcript from RecapAI as a TXT or JSON file.

RecapAI can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, with basic functions such as recordings and short transcripts available free of charge. For longer transcripts and text export from the app, in-app purchases between $9.99 and $71.99 are required, depending on the desired package (as of November 2025).

8. Maestra AI

Maestra AI is a platform for transcriptions, live subtitling, and translations. With Maestra AI, text is generated live during speech input, or you can upload audio files, which are then generated as transcripts or subtitles. Maestra AI is available as an extension for Google Chrome.

The STT tool from Maestra AI can be connected to YouTube, TikTok, and Zoom, among others, so that text is generated in real time. The generated text can be downloaded as a text or Word file, but it can also be edited as desired. Maestra AI supports audio in more than 125 languages.

After registering with Maestra, you can use Maestra Pro for 10 minutes in a trial version. As an alternative to the premium trial version, you can use Maestra AI continuously free of charge, but without speaker recognition, recording storage, or translations. A paid basic version of Maestra AI includes real-time translations and 360 minutes of transcriptions per month. The paid version of Maestra AI is available from $39 per month if you opt for the annual subscription (as of November 2025).

9. Forbizz

Fobizz is an educational platform with several AI tools for teachers and educators. Among other things, Fobizz offers an “AI for Language” tool that creates transcripts for teaching purposes. With “AI for Language,” video and audio recordings from lessons are easily transcribed into text formats.

To generate transcripts, simply upload audio files to the fobizz application or enter URLs from YouTube or Vimeo videos. The generated texts can be optimized for teaching purposes via fobizz. “AI for language” can be combined with other fobizz AI tools.

To use the STT tool from fobizz, you need to create a fobizz account. After registering for an account, you can test the fobizz tool free of charge with all your colleagues for 15 days. As an alternative to the 15-day trial version, fobizz offers a free trial month for up to 5 people. The fobizz Tools Pro license includes a training and tools flat rate and costs €239 (approximately $285) per year for individuals. For 5 or more people, the cost is €750 (approximately $893) per year (as of November 2025).

10. Adobe Premiere Pro

Integrated into Adobe Premiere Pro is the “Speech to Text” feature, which enables automatic transcription of video dialogues, generation of subtitles, and creation of translations. Adobe's STT tool recognizes 18 languages in audio recordings, which can be translated into 27 languages.

Transcriptions can be performed in real time in Adobe Premiere Pro if desired. The font, color, and position of the text can be customized for transcriptions generated using “Speech to text.” The Adobe STT tool's features include searching the transcript for keywords, identifying pauses or gaps in the text, and the option to use it in offline mode.

To use Adobe's “Speech to Text” feature, you must be logged in to Premiere Pro. The STT add-on feature is free for anyone with an Adobe Premiere Pro subscription. People who do not have an Adobe Premiere Pro subscription can use Adobe Premiere Pro free of charge for 7 days, after which it costs $22.99 per month for an annual subscription (as of November 2025).

KI Speech to Text at fonio

With fonio, you can convert speech to text using the AI Phone Assistant. The fonio AI Phone Assistant automatically creates transcripts of the phone calls it makes and sends them to you by email on request. The AI Phone Assistant is ideal as an STT tool for call follow-up.

In addition to pure transcriptions, the intelligent assistant is able to generate summaries from the conversations on the phone. A summary from the AI Phone Assistant is particularly helpful for support or lead calls, as it provides a structured overview of what has been said.

If you want the AI Phone Assistant to extract important information such as structured data from phone calls, fonio offers a special feature called precise information processing. With precise information processing, you can instruct the virtual assistant to pay particular attention to certain types of information, such as phone numbers or email addresses.

With fonio, you can use AI to convert speech to text, making the AI Phone Assistant an optimal and powerful STT solution.