The AI transcription tools market has exploded. Dozens of options compete for your attention, each promising the best accuracy, the lowest price, and the most advanced features. But not all deliver on their promises, and what a student needs is not the same as what an enterprise team needs.
We've analyzed the 7 most relevant tools on the market in 2026, testing them with the same audio in Spanish and English. In this comparison you'll find real pricing, measured accuracy, advantages, disadvantages and who each one is best for.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluated each tool across 6 key dimensions:
- Accuracy: Hit rate with clean audio in Spanish and English
- Price: Real cost per hour of transcribed audio
- Speed: Processing time per hour of audio
- Spanish: Specific transcription quality in Spanish (accents, slang, punctuation)
- Extra features: AI analysis, summaries, integrations, export
- Ease of use: Learning curve and interface
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Price/hour | Accuracy | Spanish | AI Analysis | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOCAP | From 0.50 EUR | 95-98% | Excellent | Complete | General use, meetings |
| Otter.ai | ~1.50 EUR | 90-95% | Limited | Basic | English meetings |
| Descript | ~2 EUR | 93-96% | Good | No | Video editing |
| Whisper (local) | Free* | 95-98% | Excellent | No | Technical users, bulk |
| Rev | ~1.50 EUR | 90-99%** | Good | Basic | Maximum accuracy |
| Trint | ~3 EUR | 90-95% | Acceptable | Basic | Press teams |
| Sonix | ~1.50 EUR | 88-94% | Good | No | Massive multilingual |
*Requires hardware with GPU. **99% with human review (+cost).
1. VOCAP - Best Value for Money
VOCAP
Whisper transcription + intelligent analysis with Claude AI
VOCAP combines OpenAI Whisper transcription (the most accurate model available) with intelligent analysis from Anthropic Claude. It doesn't just transcribe: it generates executive summaries, extracts decisions, identifies tasks and analyzes the conversation tone.
Its strong point is native Spanish support (developed in Spain) and Zoom integration for automatic meeting transcription. The pricing model is transparent: credits from 1 EUR/hour or subscriptions from 7.99 EUR/month with 5 hours included.
Pros
- Best market price per hour
- AI analysis included (summary, tasks, decisions)
- Excellent in Spanish (all accents)
- Automatic Zoom integration
- 30 minutes free to try
- Simple interface, no learning curve
Cons
- No native mobile app (web only)
- No real-time transcription
- No automatic speaker identification
2. Otter.ai - Best for English Meetings
Otter.ai
Real-time transcription focused on meetings
Otter.ai is one of the best-known tools, especially in the English-speaking market. Its main differentiator is real-time transcription during Zoom, Teams and Meet meetings. It identifies speakers automatically and generates meeting notes.
Pros
- Real-time transcription
- Speaker identification
- Native Zoom/Teams/Meet integration
- Full mobile app
Cons
- Limited Spanish support
- Higher price than VOCAP
- Basic AI analysis vs. VOCAP
- Very limited free plan (300 min/month)
3. Descript - Best for Video Editing
Descript
Text-based video/audio editor
Descript is not just a transcription tool: it's an audio and video editor where you edit by deleting text. It transcribes the content and then you can remove parts of the video simply by deleting the corresponding text. Ideal for podcasters and YouTubers who need to edit content.
Pros
- Text-based video editing
- Automatic filler word removal
- Social media clip generation
- Speaker identification
Cons
- Expensive for transcription only
- Steep learning curve
- No AI content analysis
- Requires desktop app installation
Try VOCAP free: 30 minutes of transcription with AI analysis included.
Try Free4. Whisper (Local) - Best Free Option
OpenAI Whisper (Self-hosted)
Open-source model run locally
Whisper is OpenAI's transcription model, open-source and free. You can run it on your own computer without sending data to any server. The same technology VOCAP uses, but without a web interface or AI analysis.
Pros
- Completely free
- Maximum privacy (all local)
- Excellent accuracy (95-98%)
- No usage limits
Cons
- Requires NVIDIA GPU (4GB+ VRAM)
- Technical installation (Python, CUDA)
- No graphical interface
- No AI analysis, summaries or extra features
- Slow processing without powerful GPU
5. Rev - Best for Human Transcription
Rev
AI transcription + human review option
Rev offers two services: AI transcription (fast and affordable) and human transcription (slower and more expensive, but with 99% accuracy guaranteed). It's a good option when you need absolute accuracy for legal or medical documents.
Pros
- Human review option (99% accuracy)
- Video subtitles
- Good market reputation
- API available for developers
Cons
- Human transcription very expensive (5-6 EUR/hour)
- Own AI less accurate than Whisper
- No intelligent content analysis
- Focused on English-speaking market
6. Trint - Best for Press Teams
Trint
Transcription platform for media and journalism
Trint is designed for editorial and press teams. It offers collaboration tools, an integrated transcription editor, and specific features for journalistic quote verification. It's expensive, but popular among outlets like the BBC and The Washington Post.
Pros
- Team collaboration tools
- Integrated transcription editor
- Used by recognized media outlets
- Search across transcription archive
Cons
- High price (minimum plan ~48 EUR/month)
- Spanish support acceptable, not excellent
- No AI content analysis
- Focused on press, not general use
7. Sonix - Best for Massive Multilingual
Sonix
Automatic transcription and translation in 40+ languages
Sonix stands out for its support of 40+ languages with automatic translation. You can transcribe in one language and get the translation in another automatically. Useful for international companies or multilingual content creators.
Pros
- 40+ languages supported
- Automatic translation included
- Export in multiple formats
- Integrated subtitle editor
Cons
- Lower accuracy than Whisper in Spanish
- No AI content analysis
- No Zoom integration
- Less intuitive interface
Verdict: Which to Choose Based on Your Case
General rule: If you work primarily in Spanish and need more than just text (summaries, tasks, decisions), VOCAP offers the best combination of price, accuracy and features. If your work is exclusively in English and you need real-time transcription, Otter.ai is a solid alternative.
Choose based on your profile:
- Professional transcribing meetings: VOCAP (AI analysis + Zoom) or Otter.ai (if you work in English)
- Student on a budget: VOCAP (30 min free + 1 EUR/hour) or local Whisper (if you have a GPU)
- Content creator / YouTuber: VOCAP (transcription + derivative content) or Descript (if you need video editing)
- Journalist / media outlet: VOCAP or Trint (if you need team collaboration)
- Company with multilingual content: Sonix (40+ languages with translation) or VOCAP (50+ languages with Whisper)
- Need 99% guaranteed accuracy: Rev with human review (more expensive but guaranteed)
- Developer / technical user: Local Whisper (free, maximum control, no interface)
Try VOCAP free and compare for yourself
30 minutes of free transcription with full AI analysis. No credit card. Decide later.
Whisper Transcription + Claude AI Analysis ยท From 1 EUR/hour
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest transcription tool?
VOCAP offers the best price per hour of transcription on the market: from 1 EUR/hour with credits or less than 0.50 EUR/hour with a subscription. Local Whisper is free but requires hardware with a GPU and technical knowledge to set up.
Which has the best accuracy?
Whisper-based tools (VOCAP and local Whisper) offer the best accuracy: 95-98% on clean audio. Rev with human review reaches 99% but at a significantly higher cost. YouTube auto-captions are the least accurate (70-85%).
Which tool is best for Spanish?
VOCAP is developed in Spain and optimized for Spanish (all Latin American accents included). It uses Whisper, which handles Spanish perfectly. Otter.ai is focused on English and its Spanish support is limited. Trint and Sonix offer acceptable support.
Can I use Whisper for free?
Yes. Whisper is open-source and can be run locally at no cost. You need Python, an NVIDIA GPU with at least 4GB VRAM, and basic technical knowledge. It doesn't include a web interface, AI analysis or additional features. VOCAP uses Whisper as its engine but adds the entire product layer on top.