10 Best Transcription Software for Mac [2026]

I compared 10 transcription software for Mac: Jamie, Notta, Descript, Rev, Simon Says, MacWhisper, Happy Scribe, Otter.ai, Sonix and Trint.

And I compared these transcription software apps for Mac to see whether they are native transcription Mac apps, support online and in-person use, transcribe audio files through system audio, whether they support real-time transcription, whether they can detect multiple speakers, transcribe in multiple languages, how good their data security is, and how affordable their price is.

Whether you are transcribing an interview, a lecture or a client call, the question remains the same: what is the best transcription software for Mac? In this article, we are going to show you 10 of them.

‍

TL;DR

1. Jamie: Best Overall Transcription Software for Mac With No Meeting Bot
2. Notta: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Multilingual Teams
3. Descript: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Video Editing
4. Rev: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Legal Work
5. Simon Says: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Final Cut Pro
6. MacWhisper: Best Transcription Software for Mac Used Offline
7. Happy Scribe: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Subtitles
8. Otter.ai: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Live Meetings
9. Sonix: Best Transcription Software for Mac Paid by the Hour
10. Trint: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Newsrooms

‍‍

What Are the Best Transcription Software for Mac?

The 10 best transcription software for Mac are Jamie, Notta, Rev, Happy Scribe, Sonix, Trint, Descript, Simon Says, MacWhisper and Otter.ai. All ten turn a recording into a transcript you can read, search and export on your Mac.

To help compare them, I made a comparison table. There are 23 rows of information ranging from what they record to how much they cost. Each row can expand for additional detail.

‍

1. Jamie

Best for: Jamie is the best transcription software for Mac for teams who record client calls and in-person meetings, meaning nothing joins the call and the audio stays in Europe.

Similar to: Otter.ai, Notta, Fireflies.ai.

Jamie is a transcription software for Mac-based meetings with no intrusive meeting bots. Jamie uses your Mac to record the meeting, generate a transcript and a summary, without ever sending a bot to join the meeting you are in.

We developed Jamie for those conversations you do not want to place a strange bot or a third participant in. All data recorded during meetings are stored and processed in Europe. After Jamie completes the transcription process, the audio of the meeting is permanently deleted.

Jamie records the audio on the Mac and deletes that recording once the transcript exists

Jamie will record meetings from your computer. Once Jamie has completed creating the transcript and summary, the recording will be permanently deleted.

And if your client calls are covered by a confidentiality agreement, you will want to know about Jamie's recorder, what happens to the audio afterwards, whether we train our models with your data, and methods we have provided to gain consent from your attendees/clients:

Recorder

You will obtain audio of the meeting directly from your Mac using either macOS or Windows. There is nothing that joins the meeting as a bot or a third participant. No one who attends the meeting will see an extra name in the attendee list. And there will be no lobby to allow anyone to enter the meeting that was established by you.

Permanent audio deletion

The recording of your meeting will be automatically deleted once Jamie creates the transcript. Client communications should not live longer than the transaction they relate to.

No model training

Meeting data collected using Jamie will never be used to develop models. On our security page we state it clearly: neither we nor any of the model providers will use the meeting data collected using Jamie to create models. This is something your legal reviewer will want to hear.

Recording consent

You can verbally confirm permission from clients prior to making a recording, which is verbal consent. You can also elect to enable the optional Automated Recording Notice email that is sent to clients prior to each meeting. Additionally, if you desire, you can enable the meeting chat notice that advises attendees the meeting will be recorded. Each option is available to you.

Jamie runs as a real app on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, with every meeting in one account

Jamie is installed natively on your Mac, and therefore you can use Jamie as a standalone application. When you establish a connection with a third-party conference system such as Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, Jamie identifies this activity.

All you have to do is click "Start Jamie" to transcribe your meeting. Your Jamie account carries over to your iPhone and Android. You can access your recordings from anywhere, whether you take notes at your home office or while traveling to meet with a client.

And if your week runs from your own desk to a client's office, you will want to know if Jamie has a desktop app, how it records on your mobile phone, check if Jamie can also capture in-person meetings, if you can start transcribing your meeting without opening the full application, and if you can auto-start and auto-stop.

Desktop app

Jamie can operate on both macOS and Windows. Jamie captures audio from your Mac. Therefore, regardless of the video conferencing service you are using, Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, Jamie can record audio from the meetings taking place on that service.

Mobile app

You will receive the same recorder experience across iOS and Android. Using the same account across multiple devices allows you to access recordings made in various locations, including someone else's office building.

In person meetings

You can record conversations occurring in person, with no device present on the client side, on all plans including the free plan.

Menu bar

You can initiate a recording session from the menu bar on your Mac without launching the full application.

AutoStop

AutoStop and the start reminder allow you to configure Jamie to automatically stop and start recording based on meeting events. This feature will save you time when you have consecutive meetings throughout the day.

Jamie stores and processes all meeting data in Europe, GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified

Jamie stores and processes all meeting data in Europe. Rather than having to provide certifications upon request, we post them on our own security page.

A legal or IT reviewer can quickly reference them to answer residency questions. Before your legal team signs a transcription app off for a client call, you will want to know if we are GDPR compliant, if we hold ISO 27001 certification, if your meeting data stays in Europe, and if we are DORA-ready:

GDPR

You are subject to and comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, known as GDPR. Jamie is GDPR compliant.

ISO 27001

Your reviewer can view our certificate on our own security page. Jamie holds that certificate as a company, not through our hosting provider. Jamie is GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified, the world standard for keeping data safe.

European data residency

Jamie meets the storage and processing requirements for meeting data in Europe. Where the data is stored is worth asking of any transcription tool before you upload a client recording.

DORA

Jamie is DORA-ready. This means banks or funds regulated under the Digital Operational Resilience Act can use Jamie for recording purposes. It becomes particularly important when it is your counterpart who is performing the review.

Jamie identifies each speaker by name and matches the same voice in your later meetings

Jamie names each speaker in the transcript. Once you confirm who is who, Jamie will match that voice again later, and if the same client returns next month, their name is already remembered.

When four people talk across each other in a management presentation, you will want to know if Jamie identifies each speaker by name, if Jamie has speaker memory for your next call with the same client, and if you can read a live transcript while the meeting runs:

Speaker identification

You will receive names in the transcript for speakers instead of "Speaker 1" and "Speaker 2". Names carry over to Summary and Action Items as well.

Speaker Memory

Speaker Memory (meaning Jamie retains a voice after you've confirmed whose voice it is) then matches the same voice in subsequent meetings. This is the difference between identifying four new people each week versus identifying them only once.

Live Transcript

Live Transcript (meaning you read the words on screen while the meeting continues). The Scratchpad sits alongside Live Transcript for your personal notes. Both are contained within Sidekick.

Jamie runs ten meetings a month with unlimited Ask AI on our free plan

Our free plan includes a method of capturing real meetings versus trials that expire. With this plan, you may capture up to ten meetings a month for up to 30 minutes each.

Unlimited Ask AI sessions exist across all plans, even the free one. If you want to try a transcription app on your own Mac before anybody pays for it, you will want to know if the free plan records real meetings, how much Ask AI you get on it, if you can apply your own templates, and how long one meeting can run:

Free plan

The free plan provides 10 meetings a month. Each meeting can be recorded for up to 30 minutes. Transcripts, summaries and action items appear on each.

Ask AI

Ask AI (meaning you can inquire about your meetings and obtain a response similar to asking a colleague). There is no limit to the number of questions you may ask. No credit or daily limits apply on any plan (including the free one).

Templates

30 or more pre-built templates exist in each plan (and are included) in addition to one custom template on Free, three on Plus and unlimited on Pro, Team and Enterprise. Shared workspace templates exist on Team and Enterprise. Your team members will find the sections they produce each week already inside the note template.

Meeting length

Up to 30 minutes of audio may be captured in a single meeting session on Free. Up to 2 hours of audio may be captured in a single meeting session on Plus. On Pro, Team and Enterprise, a total of 5 hours of audio may be captured in a single meeting session. Therefore, a three hour investment committee fits inside one recording.

Jamie asks for one microphone permission on your Mac and publishes the ports your IT team needs

Jamie requires permission to access the microphone on macOS but requires absolutely nothing more unusual than that. Our recorder guide covers the microphone permission on your Mac, in its troubleshooting section. For a managed fleet, we publish the firewall ports the desktop app has to reach. We also publish an Intune MSI deployment guide for the Windows app.

Your Mac may be managed, and someone else may grant permissions on it. Now, if your Mac is managed by somebody else, you will want to know if Jamie needs anything beyond microphone permission, how your IT team opens the firewall ports we publish, if we provide Intune deployment instructions, and if you get SSO, SCIM and audit logs:

Microphone permission

You grant Jamie permission to access your microphone in System Settings. Jamie never participates as part of the call itself. Therefore your IT department has no need to admit or block a bot. Instead, you provide the necessary disclosures yourself. You can use verbal consent, the optional Automated Recording Notice email, or the meeting chat notice.

Firewall ports

Instead of having to discover the required ports manually during a rollout, your IT department can review those ports themselves from our documentation pages.

Intune deployment

Some organisations manage both the PCs and the Macs with Intune. Your admin may use our published MSI guide for deploying the Windows app.

SSO, SCIM and audit logs

You may log in via single sign on, meaning your team uses their existing company login credentials. Directory sync maintains synchronization of your roster with your internal system. Audit logs provide your administrator a record of activity performed by your staff. Single sign on, directory sync and audit logs are available on Enterprise.

Jamie never appears in your client's attendee list, and the disclosure comes from you

Jamie records without joining the meeting as a participant, and nothing changes on the other side of the call for your client, your LP or the founder. There will not be any bots or third participants that join the meeting on your behalf, like a stranger that makes others feel awkward and that hosts have to let in.

None of the attendees or hosts will have an Admit button they need to press to let a guest into the meeting. Microsoft provides Teams administrators with a meeting policy called ExternalBotAccessMode. This policy sends any external meeting bot detected by Teams to the meeting lobby, where someone must approve it before it can join.

Microsoft was right to build it, because an external bot can otherwise be admitted to a meeting by mistake. Once you are a guest in your client's own meeting, you will want to know how you obtain verbal consent in your own words, if our Automated Recording Notice email is optional, and if we post a notice in the meeting chat for your attendees:

Verbal consent

At the beginning of the call, you obtain verbal consent in your own words. Our recording consent page states that informing every participant is your responsibility.

Automated Recording Notice

You may choose to send the optional Automated Recording Notice email to all invitees, four hours prior to the scheduled start time by default. This allows everyone who received the invitation to know about the upcoming recording. You can also adjust the amount of time from ten minutes prior through forty eight hours before the meeting. Nothing is sent until you switch it on.

Meeting chat notice

You can switch on the meeting chat notice within each video conference platform, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom. Once enabled, this notice appears for all invitees during the call. The notice states the following: I'm using Jamie (meetjamie.ai) for automatic transcription and note-taking.

Jamie records to the end of a ninety-minute lecture or a three hour investment committee

Jamie records all of a meeting in one recording and therefore does not have to break it down into metered minutes. Your plan sets a meeting length instead of specifying how many minutes per month you may use, which means a meeting that runs longer than expected is one file and one summary, and not three.

Whenever a diligence call runs over by an hour, you will want to know how long one meeting can run on your plan, if we cap how many meetings you record on a paid plan, and if the executive summary still covers the whole call:

Meeting length

On Pro, Team and Enterprise you may record up to 5 hours in a single meeting. On Plus it is 2 hours, and on Free it is 30 minutes. If your weekly calendar includes three hour meetings, an investment committee would be one recording and one summary, as opposed to three files to stitch together.

Unlimited meetings on paid plans

You can have all of the meetings in your week once you are on a paid plan, and none of that money pays for transcription minutes.

Executive summary

You can send a write-up (the Executive summary) without having to edit it before sending. The write-up will include a summary of the meeting, the main topics discussed, the key quotes from those discussions and the action items with owners and due dates assigned. A template is applied, on every plan including the free plan.

Jamie generates the notes in the language people actually spoke, across more than 100 languages

Jamie generates transcripts and summaries of meetings in over 100 different languages. You will provide no information to Jamie regarding what language the meeting was conducted in because Jamie can detect on its own what language the meeting was spoken in.

As such, you may choose which language you want the summary to come back in, via your summary settings. For calls that run in German, or in German and English together, you will want to know if Jamie transcribes in your language, how you pick the language your summary comes back in, and if Ask AI answers you in that language too:

Language support

In addition to transcriptions and summaries in over 100 languages, you will also receive support for additional languages. However, the quality of those additional languages may vary.

Summary language

Additionally, you can select the language the summary comes back in. Therefore, if you had a call with a German speaker and an English-speaking member of the investment committee, you could still select English as the language of the summary.

Ask AI

Ask AI answers questions pertaining to a meeting in any language, regardless of where the meeting took place. This means you can ask questions pertaining to any past meeting at any time. You can also use Ask AI to translate the meeting context to any preferred language.

Jamie logs the notes into DealCloud, Affinity, HubSpot and Dynamics 365 after the meeting

Jamie sends your meeting notes into the tools that your team already uses. Once you enable the sync, then after each meeting, Jamie will add those notes to the record. This is how you prevent someone from having to type in the same calls again.

After the call, you will want to know about Plug and Play Integrations, if we support MCP, how Jamie's agents act on your notes, if Workflows run without you starting them, and if Briefings arrive before your next meeting:

Plug and Play Integrations

Plug and Play Integrations: a single time you have to turn on the sync, then your meeting notes appear automatically. Your meeting notes can be logged into DealCloud, Affinity, HubSpot and Dynamics 365. They also can be attached to a Salesforce opportunity, account, or contact, and sent to Attio, Asana, Notion, Google Docs or OneNote.

MCP

You also have access to an MCP server. If you need to connect Jamie to something we do not currently have listed, you need your developers to know how to write to that item. We have both webhooks and APIs available.

Agentic Intelligence

Jamie acts as an agent on your notes. In other words, instead of handing the notes over and stopping, Jamie will act on them. When you create one single, clear instruction in your own words, all of Jamie's agents will do what you told them to do. And since we have Agent Connectors available, you can add those connectors to the tools you use now.

Today we support Agent Connectors with the following tools: Notion, Linear, Attio, Affinity, Carta, OneDrive, Salesforce, Slack and GitHub. Jamie never sees your password.

Workflows

"Workflows" is a feature that takes in a set of instructions in your own words inside Jamie that will run on its own after your meetings. Let's say, for example, "Please take notes from

"Friday Meetings with Fruits and Beverages.Co and send them over to Attio, send both summary and action iteams to its corresponding places".

Workflows are being rolled out workspace by workspace, but that does mean it may not be turned on for your workspace at this time.

Briefings

Briefings, and your meetings are summarized into one document. It is a meeting summary that will come to you without you needing to open up anything. It comes with a short summary of the company you are about to meet.

Jamie's pricing

• Free: €0 per month
• Plus: €25 per month
• Pro: €47 per month
• Team & Enterprise: Custom pricing

What Jamie users love

A bot free note taker with no awkward bot on the call

"I like Jamie because it's a bot-free AI note-taker that can take notes without an awkward bot on the call." Verified User in Design, G2

Accurate transcription and well organised AI summaries

"The transcription is also usually very accurate. I also like the AI summaries it generates after the call - they're well laid out and organized, especially compared to other AI note-takers." Verified User in Design, G2

Multilingual meetings, including Hebrew, online and in person

"Finally an app that... Understands Hebrew. Jaime is also a life saver for: Multi lingual conversations [and] Offline and online meetings." Rachel C., Marketing Leader, G2

What Jamie users flag

The free plan stops a meeting at thirty minutes

"The 30min meeting limit, but I understand that's the business model ;)" Charlotte Z., Founder, G2

Audio quality in the room changes what the notes come back like

"Jamies features are outstanding, sometimes I had the feeling that my audio quality heavily impacts the outcomes, which I need to adapt from my side." Verified User in Computer Software, G2

One reviewer is waiting on a ClickUp integration

"I feel Jamie could improve by offering more integrations with other software. I'm mainly missing a ClickUp integration." Alberto A., Program Manager, G2

Speaker identification is not infallible, and a good microphone helps

"The speaker identification feature of Jamie, though very useful, isn't entirely reliable or infallible. In our experience, to get the most effective results from Jamie, it was necessary to invest in a good quality microphone." Tom W., G2

‍

2. Notta: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Multilingual Teams

Best for: Notta is the best transcription software for Mac for teams who transcribe in many languages and need the translation in the same tool.

Similar to: Otter.ai, Happy Scribe, Sonix.

Source: Notta

Notta has made a stand-alone recorder for the Mac called Notta Desktop. It records calls using a computer, without a bot in the call. In addition to not having a bot join a user's call, Notta Desktop also does not display an additional entry in the participants listing similar to Jamie.

When someone connects to an online meeting via applications such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack or Webex, Notta Desktop detects this connection. Notta Desktop transcribes what users say into text while they are speaking, in 58 different languages. The application is currently available in beta.

Notta's key features

• 58 transcription languages: Notta transcribes in 58 languages, including most European ones.
• Translation after transcription: Notta translates a finished transcript into 42 languages.
• Bot free Notta Desktop: Notta records on Mac with no bot joining, in beta.
• Speaker identification: Notta labels each speaker, and you can edit the name.
• CRM integrations: Notta sends transcripts to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Notion and Slack.

Notta's pricing

• Free: 0 dollars per month
• Pro: 13.49 dollars per month
• Business: 27.99 dollars per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

What Notta users love

Naming a voice once carries that name through the whole transcript

"The ability to add a name once to a voice and have it filter down to all the voices." Verified User in Financial Services, G2

Note taking time saved on meetings and recordings

"Notta is easy to use and helps me save time when taking notes. The transcription feature is accurate and useful for meetings and recordings." Verified User, G2

What Notta users flag

One reviewer found the transcription missed the correct speaker

"Their transcription was a good to have feature but worked poorly, and was unable to pick even the correct speaker." Sudhanshu, Co-Founder, G2

The iPhone app was unstable for one reviewer's in person sessions

"Now the app is unstable on iPhone" Verified User in Information Technology and Services, G2

‍

3. Descript: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Video Editing

Best for: Descript is the best transcription software for Mac for people who edit video files.

Similar to: Simon Says, Happy Scribe, Trint.

Source: Descript

Descript does both video editing and transcription across multiple platforms including Mac. You delete a word in the transcript and the corresponding clip is removed at the same time. Descript also deletes filler words on its own. Users can generate AI voiceover and translation options. All features exist within a single application: transcription, screen capture and timeline based video editing.

Descript's key features

• AI Editing: The Underlord AI assistant speeds up edits like cutting, rewriting and exporting.
• Eye Contact Correction: Keeps your eyes on the camera while you read a script.
• Automatic Transcription: Transcribes your audio and video recordings into text for editing.
• Studio Sound: Improves audio by removing noise and enhancing voices.
• Filler Word Removal: Instantly deletes ums, uhs and other fillers from your audio.

Descript's pricing

• Free: $0 per month
• Hobbyist: $24 per month
• Creator: $35 per month
• Business: $65 per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

What Descript users love

Working on the script and the audio at the same time

"I like how easy it is to work with both the script and the audio at the same time, then easily export the timeline to a DAW for the proper editing." Tiegan P., Science Communication Fellow, G2

Easy to learn for a new video editor

"UI/UX Intuitive, Very fast for the amature editor learner. AI intelligence gives you easy to follow instructions for edits to make your video more marketable." Jacky P., G2

What Descript users flag

The cutting tool is not accurate for one reviewer

"The cutting tool or blade in this case is not very accurate; it annoys me, but it's fine. I also don't like that there's no real way to smooth cuts better using Underlord." Verified User, G2

One reviewer found the AI Avatar and Underlord features unreliable

"The AI Avatar/Underlord features are unreliable" Cathy P., Professional Declutterer and Organiser, G2

‍

4. Rev: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Legal Work

Best for: Rev is the best transcription software for Mac for legal and investigative teams who need a human-checked transcript.

Similar to: Sonix, Happy Scribe, Trint.

Source: Rev

Rev is available for use directly through your web browser on a Mac. Rev sells a paid subscription, alongside the option of buying individual transcription files from a human transcriber. Rev headlines their plans for legal and investigative work, which means that is the audience they now build for.

Rev's key features

• English and Spanish transcription: Rev adds Spanish from the Essentials plan upwards.
• 37 or more languages: Rev covers 37 or more languages on Pro.
• Bulk file analysis: Rev analyses 5 files free, 10 on Essentials, 50 on Pro.
• Human verified services: Rev sells human transcription per file beside the subscription.
• CJIS and HIPAA compliance: Rev offers both on the Unlimited plan only.

Rev's pricing

• Free: 0 dollars per month
• Essentials: 25.49 dollars per seat per month
• Pro: 47.99 dollars per seat per month
• Unlimited: Custom pricing

What Rev users love

Transcripts more accurate than other tools this office tried

"The transcripts are more accurate than other AI we have tried for transcribing. It is also quick and easy to use, very intuitive!" Katie K., Office Manager, G2

One library holds every transcript without saving files by hand

"I like how quick Rev is. It's pretty low maintenance, and everything kind of gets stored in this one big library, which makes it easy for me to find transcripts I've made." Jodie N., G2

What Rev users flag

One reviewer found moving recordings between folders cumbersome

"i dont find the interface very good to interact with, how its organised and how to move recordings in folders, it seems cumbersome for me." Verified User in Hospital, G2

Background noise still needs a few manual corrections

"The transcript quality is generally good, but when audio contains background noise or unclear speech, a few manual corrections may still be needed." Ishan S., Manager and Dietician, G2

‍

5. Simon Says: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Final Cut Pro

Best for: Simon Says is the best transcription software for Mac for video editors, meaning the subtitles land straight in Final Cut Pro, Premiere or DaVinci Resolve.

Source: Simon Says

With Simon Says the audio and video from a project can be turned into text, subtitles and translated captions. The system works with many of the editors that Mac users are familiar with, such as Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid.

Simon Says's key features

• Transcription and Translation: Converts media into text and subtitles in over 100 languages.
• Visual Subtitle Editor: Adjust subtitles, timings and formatting before you export them.
• Editing Software Integrations: Export directly to FCP, Premiere, Avid, Resolve and more.
• On Premise Option: Simon Says installs locally for high security environments.
• Speaker Identification: Separates transcripts by speaker and supports channel level identification.

Simon Says's pricing

• Pay As You Go: Free to start; $15/hour or $0.25/minute of media
• Starter: $15 per user/month billed annually ($20 monthly)
• Pro: $33 per user/month billed annually ($40 monthly)
• Pro+: $125 per user/month billed annually ($150 monthly)

What Simon Says users love

Built so people working in many languages can use it easily

"The design made according to the right audience ex: many language users can use this application easily. You can select multiple videos at a time." Verified User in Information Technology, G2

Clips can be cobbled together before they go for transcription

"What I also like is that they allow you to cobble together different video clips, rather than just uploading one single video file. The ability to edit videos like that on the website before sending them off to transcription is really neat." Verified User in Accounting, G2

What Simon Says users flag

One reviewer asked for more user support

"I didn't find any disadvantages for this tool. Please provide more user support. It would be a great help." Verified User in Information Technology, G2

How Simon Says compares with the other tools on this page

Simon Says has only three reviews on G2, and no ratings section on their Mac App Store listing. There is no fourth reviewer to quote. Measured against the other tools here, Simon Says charges by the duration of the audio rather than offering a free plan. Notta, Rev, Happy Scribe and Otter each publish one.

6. MacWhisper: Best Transcription Software for Mac Used Offline

Best for: MacWhisper is the best transcription software for Mac for people who want the audio to stay on their own machine, and one payment rather than a subscription.

Similar to: Aiko, Superwhisper, Sonix.

Source: MacWhisper

MacWhisper is a transcription app for Mac that uses OpenAI's Whisper model and Nvidia's Parakeet model to turn spoken word into written word. Therefore, whenever you run MacWhisper on your Mac, all of the processing occurs locally and nothing leaves your computer. Shorter recordings, such as a voice memo or a shared clip, can be processed rapidly on an iPhone or iPad running MacWhisper. MacWhisper Pro is sold as a one time purchase.

MacWhisper's key features

• Local Transcription: Process audio on your device, on M series Macs or iPhone 15.
• Cloud Transcription: Transcribe faster via Groq servers, with a 25MB file limit.
• Recording and Import: Record or import audio from Zoom, Voice Memos and WhatsApp.
• Export Options: Save transcripts as .srt, .vtt, .docx, .pdf and markdown.
• AI Summaries: MacWhisper generates summaries and answers questions about your transcripts.

MacWhisper's pricing

• MacWhisper Free: €0 (Native macOS app to use Whisper for transcriptions)
• MacWhisper Pro: €59 (1 Pro license for personal use)
• 5 licenses (Pro): €249 (€49 per license)
• 10 licenses (Pro): €450 (€45 per license)
• 20 licenses (Pro): €799 (€39 per license)
• 50 licenses (Pro): €1,899 (€38 per license)

What MacWhisper users love

Files processed on the Mac without sending audio to the cloud

"The ability to process files locally on my Mac without sending sensitive audio to the cloud is a huge advantage for privacy and security." A Guy on the edge, 16 December 2025, Mac App Store

Subtitle files come back in SRT and VTT

"This app allows you to download different size language models depending on what you need. Instead of good i got GREAT transcriptions immediately available in subtitle (SRT or VTT) format." Bluedlove, 18 June 2023, Mac App Store

What MacWhisper users flag

Speaker identification put the wrong name on words for one reviewer

"found speaker identification needs a lot of improvement (it frequently associates one word in a sentence to another/wrong speaker or the last/first word of a sentence from the previous/next speaker)" my_whatchamacallit, 19 April 2025, Mac App Store

One reviewer spends a long time cleaning up the speakers afterwards

"I spend a lot of time cleaning transcriptions up--mostly re-identifying speakers and combining or breaking segments up for coherence." seabright8, 11 August 2025, Mac App Store

MacWhisper has a G2 page with no reviews on it. These quotes come from their Mac App Store listing, published as Whisper Transcription, which carries 1.2 thousand ratings at 4.3 out of 5. The App Store publishes no link to a single review. Of 225 links on the page, none carries a review id, and the page code holds none either. The reviewer name and the date are how you find each one.

‍

7. Happy Scribe: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Subtitles

Best for: Happy Scribe is the best transcription software for Mac for teams who turn recordings into subtitles and translated files.

Similar to: Sonix, Trint, Rev.

Source: HappyScribe

Happy Scribe has a browser based version of its service for use with a Mac, and sells both AI generated transcripts and human-reviewed versions of those same transcripts. Happy Scribe publishes 150 or more languages for automatic transcription. Their free plan lists 60 or more languages and dialects.

Happy Scribe's key features

• AI speech to text: Happy Scribe lists 150 or more languages across their site.
• Automatic speaker detection: Happy Scribe labels each speaker in the transcript automatically.
• Meeting recording: Happy Scribe records Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams calls.
• Subtitle export: Happy Scribe exports DOCX, TXT, SRT and MP4, plus VTT from Pro.
• Human proofreading: Happy Scribe sells human proofreading beside the AI transcript.

Happy Scribe's pricing

• Free: 0 dollars per month
• Basic: 17 dollars per month
• Pro: 29 dollars per month
• Business: 89 dollars per month

What Happy Scribe users love

The most accurate option this reviewer found for video transcripts

"I love HappyScribe’s accuracy. I primarily use HappyScribe for YouTube and other video transcripts, and it’s consistently the most accurate option I’ve found compared to AI LLMs." Tre’ H., Owner and CEO, G2

A custom glossary handles oddly spelled names

"I’ve been using HappyScribe for three years, and I still prefer it over any other A.I. transcription service or notetaker I’ve tried. I set up a custom glossary for oddly spelled names and words." Laura Z., Owner, G2

What Happy Scribe users flag

One reviewer could not get the audio turned into text

“AI did not successfully translate audio into writing.” Verified User in Construction, G2

One reviewer sees no real return without paying for a higher plan

“It might be difficult for us to see significant ROI without investing in a higher subscription.” Verified User in Research, G2

‍

8. Otter.ai: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Live Meetings

Best for: Otter.ai is the best transcription software for Mac for live meetings, meaning it joins the call and writes while people are still talking.

Similar to: Jamie, Notta, Fireflies.ai.

Source: Otter.ai

Otter.ai is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and provides summaries of meetings, and creates action item tracking. Otter.ai connects directly into your calls through platforms including Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. This means you can add Otter.ai as a participant to a call. It also keeps a searchable repository of past conversations. Otter.ai answers questions about what was discussed during a call, and can be integrated with Salesforce, HubSpot and Slack.

Otter.ai's key features

• AI Meeting Agent: Joins virtual meetings to record, transcribe and summarise them.
• Action Item Tracking: Detects and assigns tasks during meetings with context.
• Otter AI Chat: Ask questions about meeting content or draft follow up emails.
• Live Transcription: Otter shows real time captions on web, iOS and Android.
• AI Channels: Combines live meeting discussions with asynchronous updates for ongoing projects.

Otter.ai's pricing

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $16.99 USD per user/month
• Business: $30 USD per user/month
• Enterprise: Contact sales

What Otter.ai users love

Discovery calls run without scrambling to write things down

"AI Meeting Notes has changed the way I run discovery calls because I can stay focused on how the prospect answers, instead of scrambling to capture budget, competitors, dates, technical concerns, and names." Rostyslav M., Software Developer, G2

Talks, video conferences and webinars are easy to find again

"The utility and ease of use allow for the simple recovery and review of talks, videoconferences, webinars, etc. By connecting with Gmail and Zoom, it allows you to use this tool across platforms." Verified User in Hospital, G2

What Otter.ai users flag

Accuracy drops on industry terms and strong non native accents

"What I dislike most about Otter.ai is that its transcription accuracy drops considerably when handling specialized industry terminology or strong non-native accents, requiring extra post-meeting editing." Saleh H., Water Resources Specialist, G2

One reviewer found it works almost only in English

"I find Otter.ai has limitations with language support, as it operates almost exclusively in English, which makes it struggle with non-English conversations, code-switching, or multilingual team meetings." Khalid s., IT Manager, G2

‍

9. Sonix: Best Transcription Software for Mac Paid by the Hour

Best for: Sonix is the best transcription software for Mac for people who transcribe now and then and do not want a subscription.

Similar to: Happy Scribe, Trint, Rev.

Source: Sonix

The browser based version of Sonix is compatible with your Mac, and they sell transcription services either on an hourly basis or monthly. All Sonix plans include the transcript editor, 54 or more languages, and their stated accuracy claim.

Sonix's key features

• Pay as you go: Sonix charges 10 dollars an hour with no subscription.
• 54 or more languages: Sonix transcribes and translates in 54 or more languages.
• Hours included monthly: Sonix gives 5 hours on Core and 40 on Pro.
• AI workspace usage: Sonix includes workspace hours on the paid plans only.
• Storage and seats: Sonix gives 25GB on Core, extra seats cost 25 dollars.

Sonix's pricing

• Pay as you go: 10 dollars per hour
• Core: 25 dollars per month
• Advanced: 50 dollars per month
• Pro: 80 dollars per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

What Sonix users love

English and Hebrew both transcribed correctly

"It understands and properly transcribes both English and Hebrew" Rachel C., Marketing Leader, G2

Work voice messages transcribed and kept organised

"It's a fantastic tool for transcribing work voice messages on the go and keeping them organized." Jason D., MD, Financial Services, G2

What Sonix users flag

Minor mistakes needed editing before a quote could be used

"The transcription wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. I needed to edit the transcription if I wanted to pull out a consumer quote for the report because there were often some minor mistakes." Verified User in Market Research, G2

One reviewer wants more integrations

"Would appreciate more integration options to be more useful for our business" Verified User in Consumer Services, G2

10. Trint: Best Transcription Software for Mac for Newsrooms

Best for: Trint is the best transcription software for Mac for newsrooms and teams who edit a transcript together in real time.

Similar to: Happy Scribe, Sonix, Rev.

Source: Trint

Trint has browser-based software for use with your Mac, and also mobile and desktop applications for real-time transcription. Trint lists no price information on their primary website, which means the pricing sits within their application instead.

Trint's key features

• Unlimited transcriptions: Trint transcribes unlimited audio and video in 50 or more languages.
• Translations: Trint translates a finished transcript into 70 or more languages.
• Live transcription: Trint includes one hour monthly from the mobile and desktop apps.
• Caption Editor: Trint creates video subtitles in a click with Caption Editor.
• Shared Drives: Trint lets five team members edit a transcript together on Team.

Trint's pricing

• Pro: 100 dollars per seat per month
• Team: 90 dollars per seat per month
• Business: Custom pricing

What Trint users love

Used on every project involving a customer interview

"The transcription process is very robust. Customer support is fantastic, and I use Trint with every project involving a customer interview." Verified User in Computer Software, G2

International accents understood after four years of interviews

"I've been using Trint for about 4 years. Often, the individuals I interview have international accents -- not your typical Midwestern drawl. But Trint often understands words that I wasn't able to." Gina K., Senior Manager of Marketing Content, G2

What Trint users flag

One reviewer waits a while for a transcript to come back

"The biggest one we really dislike about it is the speed. It literally takes awhile before transcribing something." Jd A., G2

One reviewer finds the price tag high

"The price tag is really high like all SaaS tools" Verified User in Consulting, G2

Final Verdict on What's the Best 10 Transcription Software for Mac?

Jamie is the best transcription software for Mac if you record client meetings: nothing joins the call, the transcription results come back in 100+ languages along with each speaker's name, and all of your meeting data is stored and handled in Europe under GDPR.

You can also pick a different tool when the job is different:

1. Choose Notta when your call runs across several languages.
2. Choose Descript when the transcript is really a video edit.
3. Choose Rev when a human has to check the transcript.
4. Choose Simon Says when subtitles go into Final Cut Pro.
5. Choose MacWhisper when you want one payment and no cloud.
6. Choose Happy Scribe when you need subtitles in many languages.
7. Choose Otter.ai when you want action items tracked live.
8. Choose Sonix when you would rather pay by the hour.
9. Choose Trint when five people edit one transcript at once.

Our Picks for the Best Transcription Software for Mac users

• Jamie, the meeting intelligence platform: you will record and transcribe your meetings right off your Mac, with consent first and no bot joining. In addition, you get Executive Level AI Notes, Conversational Intelligence, and an agent that acts within your tools. Your meeting data will also be stored in Europe under GDPR.
• Descript, the video and podcast editor: if you delete a single word in the transcript, that exact moment of video automatically goes with it. Likewise, if you move a sentence, it takes the corresponding footage with it. Editing a podcast in Descript feels like working in a document.
• Sonix, the file transcription service: you can upload one audio file and receive the transcription results in any of 54+ languages. Additionally, each plan includes its own editor, and you can pay 10 dollars an hour rather than a monthly plan.

‍

Read More

• Check out the 10 best speech-to-text software for easy and accurate voice-to-text conversion.
• Look at the best meeting transcription software that helps you record and summarise your calls.
• Find out about interview transcription software that makes media and research work easier.
• See the top call transcription software for clear and searchable call records.
• Learn how meeting minutes software can help you take notes automatically.
• Read our detailed Otter.ai review to compare its features and prices.
• Compare Fireflies.ai features for meeting transcription and teamwork.
• Find the best alternatives to Descript for editing audio and video.
• Understand Descript pricing plans to choose the right one for your team.

‍

FAQs on Transcription Software For Mac

Does a Mac Have a Built-In Tool to Transcribe Audio Recordings to Text?

Yes, macOS gives you three. Notes and Voice Memos transcribe what you record in them, Live Captions captions any audio playing on your Mac, and Dictation types out what you say. Apple requires an M1 Mac or later, and you get ten device languages with no reliable speaker separation, which means you go back and label every voice by hand. Jamie transcribes in 100+ languages and identifies each speaker by name.

Does Transcription Software for Mac Still Work on an Intel Mac?

Yes, the cloud tools still work, because Rev, Happy Scribe, Sonix and Trint all transcribe from their own servers. It is Apple's own route that stops: macOS 27 Golden Gate will not install on an Intel Mac, and MacWhisper's local models then run very slowly, or not at all. Which leaves you uploading to a cloud tool anyway, on the machine you bought so that you would not have to. Jamie records on macOS, Windows, iPhone and Android from one login.

Where Is My Recording Stored When I Use Transcription Software for Mac?

With MacWhisper your recording stays on your own Mac; with the browser based tools it goes up to their servers. Jamie stores and processes all meeting data in Europe, Jamie is GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified, and the audio is deleted once the transcript exists. Your legal team reads that in one line on our security page.

Does Transcription Software for Mac Train AI on My Recordings?

No, Jamie does not train models on your meetings, and neither do our model providers, which you can read on our security page. A tool that transcribes on your own Mac has nothing to train on anyway. And for a cloud tool the answer sits in the data processing agreement rather than the feature list, which is worth ten minutes before you upload anything a client said.

Will a Bot Join My Meeting If I Use Transcription Software for Mac?

Only if you pick a tool that sends one. Otter sends a meeting agent into the call, and Notta Desktop records from the Mac without anything joining, in beta. Jamie records the audio on your own device and never joins as a participant; the disclosure comes from you, with verbal consent in your own words, the optional Automated Recording Notice email, and the meeting chat notice posted inside the call.

Can I Transcribe on a Mac Without an Internet Connection?

Yes, with MacWhisper, and with Apple Notes and Voice Memos on an M1 Mac or later, because all three run the model on the machine itself. Rev, Happy Scribe, Sonix and Trint need a connection. Record on a train and the file waits until you are back online. Jamie captures the audio on your device and transcribes it on our European servers, in 100+ languages.

How Accurate Is Transcription Software for Mac?

Jamie scored 98 out of 100 for speaker identification and 90 for transcription in our own accuracy test. Clean audio is what decides it for every tool here. The measure is word error rate, and a percentage with no test file behind it proves nothing; background noise, people talking over each other and one strong accent will each send you back through the recording by hand.

How Long a Recording Can Transcription Software for Mac Handle?

As long as your plan allows, and every limit here is published. Happy Scribe removes the limit on Pro, Notta gives 5 hours on Pro and 3 minutes free, and Jamie runs 30 minutes free, 2 hours on Plus and 5 hours on Pro, Team and Enterprise. Which means a three hour investment committee is one recording, not three.

Can I Use Transcription Software on Mac to Record Meetings and Add Subtitles?

Yes, and Simon Says sends subtitles straight into Final Cut Pro, Premiere and Avid, while most Mac transcription apps record, transcribe and caption in one pass. Jamie generates the full transcript and the summary, which you export as a document and drop into a video or a deck.

How Does Human Transcription Compare to AI Transcription on Mac Computers?

When people talk over each other in a messy interview, a human is still more accurate than a machine. Rev sells this service per file when you want a person to check the work. When the audio is clearly recorded, that gap has closed. Jamie identifies each speaker by name and matches that voice in your later meetings; that is the part people usually fix by hand.

Can I Adjust Playback Speed When Transcribing Audio Recordings on Mac?

Yes, MacWhisper has playback speed controls, and several other Mac transcription apps do too, which means you can slow down a section to check it. With Jamie you ask Ask AI across all the meetings you have recorded rather than scrubbing the audio, on every plan including the free one.

Which Transcription Software for Mac Supports WAV and Other Common Audio Formats?

MacWhisper opens WAV, MP3 and M4A. Most Mac transcription apps take those same three. With Jamie there is no need to convert any file at all, since Jamie records the meeting itself on macOS, Windows, iPhone and Android.

What Is the Best Transcription Software for Recording and Summarising Interviews on a Mac?

Jamie, if your week is back to back meetings and interviews. You get the meeting summary, the action items and the full transcript, with nothing joining the call to collect them. The notes then post to Notion, Google Docs, OneNote or Asana. Ten meetings a month are free.

How Do I Install Transcription Software Like Jamie on a Mac Computer?

Download Jamie from meetjamie.ai. Run the installer. Follow the prompts. Allow the microphone permission macOS asks for. Our guide to Using the Recorder covers that step in its troubleshooting section. After that Jamie records your meetings on macOS, Windows, iPhone and Android from one account.

Is There Transcription Software That Integrates Easily With Other Productivity Tools?

Yes, Jamie's integrations cover ten tools, six of them CRMs: HubSpot, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Attio, Affinity and DealCloud, plus Notion, Google Docs, OneNote and Asana. You switch the sync on once in Settings and the notes arrive after every meeting.