Verdict
TurboScribe transcribes three files of up to 30 minutes a day free, and unlimited hours for $20 a month or $120 a year, which reviewers say beats per-minute rivals for interviews, lectures and podcasts. It is a website only with no phone app, and speaker labels slip when people talk over each other. It says it does not train AI on uploaded files, but one user reviews user was refused a refund after an annual plan renewed unnoticed.
Best for
Transcribing recorded interviews, lectures and voice notes on a computer
Skip if
Live meeting notes, or recording and transcribing on a phone
Key facts
- Made by
- Leif Erikson Ventures, LLC
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2023
- Works on
- Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- $20 a month
- Free plan
- 3 files a day, each up to 30 minutes, one upload at a time, lower priority
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| TurboScribe Unlimited (monthly) | $20 | month |
| TurboScribe Unlimited (yearly) | $120 | year |
What it does
- transcribes audio and video files to text
- handles files up to 10 hours long and 50 uploads at a time
- translates transcripts into more than 134 languages
- exports transcripts in bulk
Ratings
What people say
People who transcribe a lot, from podcasters to students, describe it as the cheap default and a lifesaver, and Trustpilot shows 4.4 from 492 reviews (thin). Complaints in 2026 centre on refunds refused after annual renewals and occasional failed or garbled transcripts; competing founders crowd user threads about it, so many comments there are not independent.
“TurboScribe. Mehn, such a lifesaver.”
Post on X, 10 September 2026 · source
“I've been using TurboScribe to transcribe everything → I export a PDF that I can search and/or upload to ChatGPT”
Individual user review, 13 August 2026 · source
“My annual subscription renewed for $120. I contacted TurboScribe almost immediately, cancelled, requested a refund, and did not use the service after renewal. The refund was still refused.”
Individual user review, 5 September 2026 · source
Press reviews
- MakeUseOf 2025-03-17
'The best free transcription service': simple, quick, three free 30-minute files a day with no upselling; the most accurate Whale mode handled 40-50 minute interviews in under ten minutes.
- The FLTMAG 2026-03-26
Highly accurate even with accented speakers and very easy to use for language teachers; speaker recognition was less accurate.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- no; TurboScribe's security FAQ says 'We don't train AI or machine learning models on your media files or transcripts' and transcription runs on machines it owns or controls, not third-party APIs
- Opt-out
- Not needed for training; files and transcripts can be deleted at any time
- Retention
- Content kept while the account is active unless deleted; deleted content and closed accounts are purged from backups within 90 days. Data is stored in the US
- Age limit
- states no minimum age
Official videos
- TurboScribe in 60 Seconds 2024-11-04
FAQ
Is TurboScribe free?
Yes, for three files a day of up to 30 minutes each, with no card needed. Unlimited costs $20 a month or $120 a year.
Is TurboScribe really unlimited?
The company says there is no cap on total hours for one person, with files up to 10 hours each. Accounts cannot be shared.
Does TurboScribe have a phone app?
No. It works in a web browser, where files are uploaded or recorded. It has no App Store or Google Play app.
Is TurboScribe private?
It says files are encrypted, only the account holder can see them, and they are not used to train AI. Data is stored in the US, and deleted files are purged within 90 days.
Can TurboScribe translate?
It can transcribe speech in other languages straight to English, and paid users can translate transcripts into 134+ languages.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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