TurboScribe Free vs ConvertAudioToText Free
TurboScribe's free tier gives you three files a day, each up to 30 minutes. Ours allows up to 30 files a day, each up to 30 minutes, every one on our premium engine with speaker labels. Your first file can run up to an hour with the 11 AI templates, action items and every export format, and anyone gets a 30-minute preview of up to 3 files a day with no signup.
TurboScribe wins on free-tier hours. We win on output: every free file runs on our premium engine with speaker labels, your first file also comes back with an AI summary, the 11 templates, action items, decisions and a ready-to-send email draft, and every file gets the full editor with comments and version history. Pick the one that matches the work, not the headline number.
No credit card • Cancel anytime • Same AI accuracy underneath
TurboScribe free wins when
- Most of your audio files are under 30 minutes (clips, voice memos, short interviews).
- You transcribe daily, not in bursts. Daily-reset volume rewards constant use.
- You mainly need raw text + SRT/VTT, not structured AI output.
- You can split longer audio into ~30-min chunks without it being a workflow tax.
ConvertAudioToText free wins when
- ConvertAudioToText: up to 30 free files a day, each up to 30 minutes, all on our premium engine with speaker labels and a free TXT download. Your first file can run up to an hour, and there is a 30-minute preview of up to 3 files a day with no signup.
- You want the work that comes after the transcript: an AI summary, action items and an email draft, included on your first file and on every file with the Weekly Pass or Pro.
- You edit, comment, and version transcripts collaboratively. TurboScribe is read-only.
- You'll likely move to paid for volume: $14.99/mo unlocks unlimited transcription of full-length files, so a 3-hour file is one upload.
Free-tier feature-by-feature
| Feature | TurboScribe Free | CATT Free |
|---|---|---|
| Free volume | ~45 hr/mo (3 × 30 min/day) | Up to 30 files a day, 30 min each |
| Per-file cap | 30 minutes (free tier) | 30-min preview, no signup, 3 files a day (free account: up to 30 files a day, 30 min each) |
| Quota structure | Resets each day, 3 files/day max | Up to 30 files a day; files up to 30 min each |
| Account required | Yes | Yes |
| Output: transcript | Yes | Yes |
| Output: AI summary | Single generic summary | Your first file, then the Weekly Pass or Pro |
| Output: action items / decisions / email draft | Not offered | 11 templates on your first file and on paid plans |
| Multi-speaker labels | Available | Available |
| Editor with comments + version history | Read-only | Full editor |
| Subtitle export (SRT / VTT) | Yes | First file, Weekly Pass & paid plans |
| API access | No | Developer plan ($19.99/mo) and Business |
Common themes from reviews
Patterns we've seen reading public reviews of TurboScribe on Trustpilot, Reddit and Product Hunt. Themes, not quotes.
TurboScribe: recurring feedback
- Free-tier volume is repeatedly called out as the most generous in the AI transcription space.
- The 30-minute-per-file cap is a common friction point for users transcribing podcasts and lectures.
- The free product is widely described as a transcript-only tool; structured output is not the value prop.
- Daily-reset structure works well for users with steady cadence, less well for occasional bursts.
Frequently asked questions
Is TurboScribe's free tier really 45 hours a month?
Effectively, yes. 3 files per day at 30 minutes each, every day, equals about 90 minutes/day or roughly 45 hours over a 30-day month. The catch is the shape: it's 30-min-per-file, 3-files-per-day, with daily resets. You cannot transcribe a 60-minute lecture or a 90-minute podcast in one go on the free tier; you'd have to split the file first.
Why are ConvertAudioToText's free files capped at 30 minutes?
Both. TurboScribe's free tier gives three files a day, each up to 30 minutes, with no speaker labels. ConvertAudioToText gives up to 30 free files a day, each up to 30 minutes, and runs every one on our premium engine with speaker labels. Your first file can run up to an hour with an AI summary. Action items, decisions, the email draft and the 11 templates come with that first file, the Weekly Pass and paid plans.
Which free tier should I pick?
Pick TurboScribe free if 3 files a day is enough and you mainly need the raw transcript. Pick ConvertAudioToText if you want more free files (up to 30 a day, each up to 30 minutes, all on our premium engine with speaker labels) and the structured output: an AI summary, action items and an email draft on your first file, then with the Weekly Pass or Pro. Pro is $14.99/mo for full-length files. The right tool depends on the shape of your audio, not the headline hours.
What if I outgrow both free tiers?
TurboScribe's next step is $10/mo (annual) for unlimited transcription. Ours is $14.99/mo for unlimited transcription plus everything the premium first file showed you: the 11 templates, action items, every export format and the full editor. The paid pricing is roughly the same; the value difference is the same as the free-tier difference, just at scale.
Bottom line
If you only need the words, TurboScribe's 45-hour free tier is hard to beat. If you need what the words become (meeting recap, podcast show notes, interview pull-quotes, research codes), ConvertAudioToText's premium first file is a true taste of the work-product, and $14.99/mo removes the 30-minute limit. The cleanest test: how often do you copy the transcript into another tool to do something with it? If "every time," you're probably better here.