Last updated: 2026-10-04
TurboScribe transcribes audio and video in 98+ languages using OpenAI's open-source Whisper model, which the vendor says it runs on GPU servers it owns or controls rather than through a third-party speech API. The browser-only service adds three speed modes, speaker labels, bulk export and translation, with no per-minute metering.
About TurboScribe
TurboScribe is a browser-based speech-to-text service run by Leif Erikson Ventures, LLC. Leif Foged announced it in August 2023 as an unlimited, flat-rate alternative to per-minute transcription. On HokAI it sits in the voice dictation and transcription category, beside tools that do different jobs, such as Otter.ai for meetings and Wispr Flow for typing by voice.
Under the hood it runs the open-source Whisper model released by OpenAI. The vendor says it operates its own GPU servers instead of calling a third-party speech API, and the upload form offers three engine modes named Cheetah, Dolphin and Whale. You upload recordings in a browser, receive a timestamped transcript with optional speaker labels, then export or translate it.
The tradeoff is reach. TurboScribe has no API and no meeting bot, so it suits recorded interviews, lectures and podcast episodes better than live calls. Developers who need transcription inside their own product want an API, and AssemblyAI sells one billed per hour of audio. The enterprise route runs through Rev AI, covered on its HokAI page. People who cut media by editing words get more from Descript. Its speed and accuracy claims come from the vendor rather than an independent benchmark, so run a few of your own recordings through the free plan before paying.
Pricing
Free plan with 3 files a day, up to 30 minutes each. The paid plan, Unlimited, costs $10 a month on yearly billing ($120 charged up front) or $20 on monthly billing, with no minute counter. ai](/hub/tools/otterai) sells minute bundles and Rev AI sells seat plans with minute allowances.
A June 2024 vendor post describes per-seat Teams billing, but the current pricing page lists only two plans.
| Tier | Monthly price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 3 transcripts a day, files up to 30 minutes, one upload at a time, lower processing priority |
| Unlimited (yearly) | $10/mo | Unlimited transcription for one person, files up to 10 hours or 5 GB, 50 uploads at a time, translation to 134+ languages, bulk exports, all transcription modes, unlimited storage, highest priority. |
| Unlimited (monthly) | $20/mo | Same features as the yearly plan, billed monthly |
Key Features
- Whisper transcription in 98+ languages: Converts speech to text in 98+ languages on OpenAI's open-source Whisper model, and the vendor says all transcription runs on machines it owns or controls.
- Three engine modes: The upload form labels Cheetah as Fastest, Dolphin as Balanced and Whale as Most Accurate, so you trade speed against accuracy per file.
- Large batch uploads: Accepts files up to ten hours long or 5 GB each and 50 files per batch, and lists YouTube among the supported sources.
- Speaker labels and audio restoration: Recognize Speakers labels who is talking and adds a minute or two per hour of audio, while Restore Audio cleans noisy files and adds 2 to 3 minutes per hour.
- Translation and English output: Translates transcripts and subtitles into 134+ languages from a Translate button, and can transcribe speech in any language straight into English.
- Exports and bulk actions: Downloads as PDF, DOCX, SRT, VTT, CSV or TXT, and bulk export handles whole folders of up to 1,000 transcripts at a time.
- Encryption and no-training statement: The vendor states that transcripts and media are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and that it does not train AI models on customer files.
- TurboScribe GPT: A custom GPT inside ChatGPT, announced in May 2024, lets users summarize and chat with their transcripts.
Pros
- The free plan needs no credit card, so the whole workflow can be tested on real recordings before any payment.
- Trustpilot reviewers most often praise speed and a clean interface, and the mode picker lets you choose speed or accuracy per file instead of fixing one engine.
- Deleting a file or the whole account makes the data inaccessible straight away, a useful control for client-confidential interviews.
Cons
- No API or automated access: the vendor's support page says every file goes through the web interface, so scripts, pipelines and call-recording hooks are out.
- The Unlimited label has a design ceiling: the vendor says its systems are built to handle at least 720 hours a month per user, and a G2 reviewer named the plan's lack of transparency as its biggest issue.
- The advertised 99.8% accuracy is not tied to a named test set on the pages reviewed, and a G2 reviewer reported name and speaker-identification errors, so verify results on your own audio.
- Deleted data can sit in backups for up to 90 days under a privacy policy last updated in 2022, and the pages reviewed name no SOC 2, HIPAA or GDPR attestation, so regulated work needs a direct answer from the vendor.
Data Handling
- Training-data policy
- The vendor states it does not train AI or machine learning models on customer media files or transcripts (security and privacy FAQ, March 2025).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are TurboScribe's pricing plans in 2026?
TurboScribe sells one paid plan, Unlimited, at $10 a month if you pay $120 for the year or $20 a month if you pay monthly, so yearly billing halves the rate. Both options carry identical limits and features, and nothing is metered per minute. You cancel from Account Settings.
Does TurboScribe have a free plan?
Yes. It allows 3 transcripts a day, each file up to 30 minutes, uploaded one at a time, and no credit card is needed. Free files queue behind paid ones, and a G2 reviewer said the limits are not spelled out at upload time. The pricing page lists translation to 134+ languages, bulk exports and unlimited storage under the paid plan only.
What are TurboScribe's closest competitors?
Live meetings are the meeting assistants' territory: Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai and Fathom join and capture the call themselves. Products that embed speech-to-text lean on an API, which TurboScribe does not offer, so the closer fits are AssemblyAI, Deepgram and Speechmatics. Descript fits people who edit media by editing the transcript, and Wispr Flow fits typing by voice into any app.
What separates TurboScribe from Otter.ai?
TurboScribe is built for uploaded files with no minute meter, while Otter.ai is a meeting assistant whose paid plans carry minute allowances: HokAI's Otter.ai page lists 1,200 minutes a month on Pro and 6,000 on Business. Pick TurboScribe for batches of recordings, and Otter.ai when capturing live meetings matters more.
How do you get started with TurboScribe?
Sign up with an email address, drop a file on the uploader at turboscribe.ai, pick the audio language and a mode, then press Transcribe. Turn on Recognize Speakers for interviews, and use Restore Audio only as a last resort for noisy files because it adds 2 to 3 minutes per hour. Download from the transcript page as PDF, DOCX, SRT, VTT, CSV or TXT.
Top Alternatives
- Otter.ai: Pick Otter.ai if the source is live meetings; pick TurboScribe for recorded files in bulk with no minute meter.
- Rev AI: Pick Rev AI if you need an API or HIPAA-compliant enterprise processing; pick TurboScribe for manual flat-rate uploads.
- AssemblyAI: Pick AssemblyAI if you are building speech-to-text into a product and want per-hour API billing; pick TurboScribe if the web uploader is enough.
- Descript: Pick Descript if you also edit the audio or video through its text; pick TurboScribe if you only need the transcript and do not want monthly media-hour limits.