SpiikiPhone transcription apps at a glance
| App | Platforms | Free tier | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiik | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Unlimited recording, first 60 seconds of each recording transcribed | $49.99 a year or $9.99 a month | Meetings, lectures and interviews in 100+ languages |
| Apple Voice Memos | Built into iPhone, transcripts on iPhone 12 or later | Free | Free | Quick memos in 10 languages |
| Otter | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web | 300 minutes a month, 30 per conversation | $8.33 a month billed yearly | Team meetings |
| Notta | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, web | 120 minutes a month, 3 per conversation | $97.99 a year | Recordings up to 5 hours |
| Whisper Transcription | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Free download | In-app purchases from $6.99 | On-device transcription |
| Just Press Record | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch | None, paid app | $6.99 once | One-tap recording |
| Rev | iPhone, web | 45 AI minutes a month, English only | $25.49 a seat a month billed yearly | Human-checked transcripts |
| AudioPen | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, web | Recordings up to 3 minutes | $99 a year | Polished text from voice notes |
2
Apple Voice Memos
Voice Memos transcribes while you record or afterward, and highlights the current word as you go. Apple lists transcription on iPhone 12 or later in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and not in every country or region. You can view and copy the text. Apple's guide doesn't mention speaker labels, summaries or subtitle export.
3
Otter
The free plan includes 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation and 3 file imports in total. Pro raises that to 1,200 minutes a month, 90 minutes per conversation and 10 imports a month. Otter joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, runs on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, and transcribes six languages. It has 4.8 stars from about 88,000 US App Store ratings.
4
Notta
Up to 5 hours per recording and 58 languages, on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and the web. Pro includes 1,800 minutes, 100 file uploads and 100 AI summaries a month. The free plan has 120 minutes a month, but stops each conversation at 3 minutes.
5
Whisper Transcription
Made by Jordi Bruin, the developer of MacWhisper. Share audio from Voice Memos, WhatsApp or Messages, or record in the app, and it transcribes in about 100 languages. A downloadable on-device model works offline on iPhone 13 or newer, and cloud transcription comes with its Assistant subscription, listed at $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year. It requires iOS 18 or later.
6
Just Press Record
Start recording from the Lock Screen, Control Center, the Action Button, Siri or Apple Watch, with unlimited recording time and iCloud sync to iPad and Mac. It transcribes in more than 30 languages, highlights the text during playback, and lets you edit both the audio and the transcript. It requires iOS 18.6 or later.
7
Rev
Rev's iPhone app records interviews and dictation, then sends them for AI or human transcription. AI plans start at $25.49 a seat a month billed yearly, or $29.99 monthly, with 5,000 minutes a month. The free plan is English only.
8
AudioPen
AudioPen rewrites what you say in a style you choose instead of giving you a word-for-word transcript. Prime allows recordings up to 15 minutes, audio file uploads and unlimited voice typing. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, with an iPhone keyboard for talking into any app.
How we chose
We looked for apps that transcribe on the iPhone itself, either by recording or by taking a file you already have, and compared what you notice after a month of use:
- What's free, and what the free tier stops you from doing.
- Limits, both minutes per month and length per recording, since these are often separate.
- Languages, from 6 for Otter to more than 100 for Spiik and Whisper Transcription.
- Getting audio in and text out: importing voice memos and files, and exporting text or subtitles.
- Total price for a year, including one-time purchases.
Facts come from each vendor's pricing page or App Store listing, read on November 7, 2026. We make Spiik, so we put it first, and we've tried to describe every other app fairly, including who should pick it instead. We didn't rank on accuracy, because we know of no independent test covering all of these apps. The best check is your own: try a real recording in two apps, in your language, with your background noise.
If you mostly upload long files from a computer, a browser-based service like TurboScribe is also worth a look. See our TurboScribe review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best transcription app for iPhone?
We recommend Spiik, which we make. It transcribes recordings and imported files in more than 100 languages with speaker labels, with no monthly minute cap on Pro at $49.99 a year. For free transcripts in a common language, Apple's Voice Memos works on iPhone 12 or later, and Otter suits teams that need shared meeting notes.
Is there a free transcription app for iPhone?
Yes. Voice Memos transcribes for free on iPhone 12 or later in 10 languages. Otter's free plan has 300 minutes a month with a 30-minute limit per conversation. Spiik's free version records without limits and transcribes the first 60 seconds of each recording, and its yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
Can an iPhone transcribe audio offline?
Whisper Transcription offers a downloadable on-device model on iPhone 13 or newer. Spiik records without a connection, but on iPhone and iPad it uploads the audio for the final transcript. On a Mac with Apple silicon, Spiik Pro can transcribe fully offline with no duration limit.
How do I transcribe a voice memo or WhatsApp voice message on iPhone?
Share it to a transcription app. In Voice Memos or WhatsApp, use the Share option and choose Spiik, then pick the language. See our guides for voice memos and WhatsApp voice messages.
Which iPhone transcription app supports the most languages?
Spiik lists more than 100 languages and Whisper Transcription about 100. Notta lists 58, Just Press Record more than 30, Voice Memos 10 and Otter six.
Sources
Competitor facts come from the public pages below, checked on November 7, 2026. Prices are US prices, change often and can vary by country and offer. We compare price, limits, features and platforms rather than accuracy percentages, because we know of no independent test that covers these apps side by side. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will fix it.