Nowadays, a variety of software is offered for converting speech to text. However, many of them cost money. So if you’re running a startup or a small company, it might be too high a price to pay. In the face of this, we have prepared a short review of the best free speech-to-text software solutions.. There is a lot of demand but very few apps can accomplish this both with accuracy and not having to spend a small fortune to do so.
In this article, I will be discussing five types of speech to text software free download that is cheap, accurate and accurate.
Speechmatics
Speechmatics is an automatic speech recognition and speech to text software with the “flexibility to be deployed anywhere”. This means that it is suitable for on-premise use if you are concerned about the security of your files, or, you can also use Speechmatics software as a service solution (SaaS). It has a wide variety of applications including transcription of media broadcast and use in call centers.
Speechmatics works on live audio and video as well as with existing files.
Key features include:
- Automatic speech recognition
- High accuracy recordings and transcriptions regardless of accent
- Use of Keyword triggers
- Speaker identification
- Generate transcripts that are searchable and editable
- Adjustable timestamps
- You can highlight or add comments
- Custom dictionary
- Transcription lead time in minutes
- Covers multiple languages
Pricing: Contact the team
Narrator’s Voice – Android
The Narrator’s Voice is not just a typical text-to-speech app. Along with the usual features like turning text to voice, you can also add custom effects like echo, gargle, chorus, and reverb. Most of these effects can also be used offline.
The app comes equipped with various built-in voices. You can convert text to audio MP3 or MP4 files.
With Narrator’s Voice, users can record themselves and add effects to their voice. It also provides editing tools to adjust pitch, speed, and volume. The various features make this one of the best text-to-speech app to create Youtube videos and podcasts. It can be installed and used for free. There is a premium version (with no ads) for $15.
App Store: Playstore | Costs: Free. In-app purchases. | Rating: 4.8 ★★★★★
Windows 10 Speech Recognition (WSR)
Image Source (Windows Central)
This is a speech recognition software that is fully integrated into Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS. If you are already using Windows on your desktop, then WSR will come at no extra cost
The one downside of Windows speech recognition is that it doesn’t measure up to the accuracy levels experienced on most other apps. However, if you aren’t pressed for time, and intend to use the software more frequently, you can give train it by giving it access to your files or read more text to it.
Unlike Cortana (Windows voice assistant), windows speech recognition has many more capabilities including:
- Executing commands via voice on text, emails, forms and desktop user interface
- Dictation
- Custom dictionary, including custom language models
To use windows speech recognition, you have to turn it on in the control panel and go through a few steps to set it up.
CaptiVoice – iOS, Chrome
CaptiVoice is a great project to use text-to-speech technology in the education sector. It’s an excellent tool to listen to your class reading materials and anything else you want to read. Suitable for learners and teachers who wish to personalize their studying and work process and overcome language barriers.
CaptiVoice is available both online and offline and you can read ebooks and web pages with it. Several schools, colleges, and professionals from around the world are using Capti Voice. It can also be integrated with cloud storage, popular LMS, and content sources.
For personal use, CaptiVoice offers a free version with various features. You get the high-end voice sample and features with the Pro version. On Android, you can access this text-to-speech app via a Chrome extension and through the web on other browsers.
App Store: iOS | Chrome Extension | Costs: In-app offers. | Review: 4.0 ★★★★☆
Dragon Anywhere: Dictate Now
A perfect app for those who want to save their time and make their working process (and living in general) easier and more productive. This is not the cheapest app ever (though the trial period is free), but you will see how it’s worth its price.
When you need to write something down just pull out this app and dictate the text. The recognition accuracy is 99 percent. Or, for example, you need to fill some forms on the road. No problem, just create form-based templates using Dragon Anywhere’s auto-texts feature.
There are lots of templates, like client in-take forms. Fill them out by using your voice. Besides, there are lots of possibilities for editing or correction. For that, you can choose words and sentences – as you wish. That can be done by using your voice as well. Apart from that, the app is synchronized with Dropbox and Evernote.
Bear File Converter
Price: Free
Bear File Converter is a comprehensive tool that offers a variety of services, including the speech to text converter. It is available online for free use. You can upload audio files that are no more than 3 megabytes in size and click on convert. The audio file formats supported by this speech to text software are MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA, and many more. You can also add audio files URL. Just click convert to start the process. The files are saved to the device in a word file.
Natural Reader App – iOS, Android
Natural Readers by NaturalSoft Ltd is available as an online application, chrome extension, and as an app on both Playstore and App store. It’s one of the most popular and best text-to-speech apps for both personal and professional use. Especially for students, it works as a study aid, so they cover more reading material in less time!
It’s an excellent tool with various features, including natural-sounding voices, a web reader (allows your website to talk), and OCR technology (read text from images). It can also be installed as a toolbar into MS Office to read a document. Users can also download MP3 files and listen to past uploads.
Natural Readers is one of those cloud-based text-to-speech apps you can access from anywhere through a smartphone or laptop. You can also upload documents to Natural Reader cloud storage apps like Google Drive, One Drive, and Dropbox.
It offers over 170 voices and 27 languages, but the numbers vary with the subscription plan. Pricing plans start from $9.99/month. A free tier is available with limited functionality.
App Store: iOS, Android | Review: 4.6 ★★★★★
Cost: Free plan. Premium 9.99/month. $60/year. | Plus 19/month. $110/year.
Speechify Text Reader – iOS, Android
Speechify is the beta version of a text-to-speech app. It can read up to 600 words per minute and users can also read while listening. The app is designed to help people with ADD, dyslexia, second language learners, and auditory learners.
It’s an excellent tool to cover your readings and becoming more productive. iOS users can download and use Speechify. It’s available as a Chrome extension. Right now, Speechify is available as a beta version, which means there are a lot of bugs to fix.
Store: iOS, Android, Chrome | Costs: Free. In-app offers | Rating: 4.7 ★★★★★
Reading tip: Voice to text apps and speed reading apps are greater tools to expand the power of your smartphone further and increase productivity and learning performance.
Transcribe – Speech to Text
The name of this app couldn’t say it more obvious. This is a universal tool for transcribing any kind of voice into the text. The distinctive feature of this app is that it doesn’t just transcribe the voice when you are saying something in real-time, but it allows you to choose a record from your library and can convert even that!
Apart from that, the app supports more than 120 languages and dialects. It means that you won’t have to adjust to a voice transcribing app anymore. What is more, it is completely ad-free. After your transcribing is done, you can save the file in TXT, PDF, DOCX, SRT formats.
Braina
Best for dictating text using the human language interface on any website or software.
Braina is a popular speech recognition software that allows dictation in over 90 languages with high accuracy. You can control apps and transcribe text on any application and website using the dictation software.
Features:
- Dictation software
- 99 percent accuracy
- AI-based voice recognition
- Personal virtual assistant
- Compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android devices
Verdict: Braina is by far the best dictation software available due to the precise voice recognition and AI-based learning. The price of the lifetime version is also affordable for not just large organizations, but individuals as well.
Price: Braina dictation software is available in three versions. The free version has basic features such as voice commands in English, text to speech, play search voice and videos, and search online information.
Braina Pro costs $49 per year and comes with additional features such as dictate to any software of a website in 90 languages, custom voice commands, voice music player control, AI-based voice recognition, teaching custom replies, and mathematics function. Braina Pro has all the features of the Pro, but you can purchase a lifetime license.
Website: Braina