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Best Voice-to-Text Apps

Dragon Anywhere wins as a premium tool with 99% accuracy

By Stacey Nguyen Stacey Nguyen Stacey has worn many hats throughout her writing career, working in content marketing, nonprofit communications, and journalism at different points in her life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 20, 2022 We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Tweet Share Email Software Apps Voice-to-text apps can be very useful for busy professionals. If you’re always on the go or you think faster than you can write, these special programs can increase efficiency and store your recordings safe and sound via the cloud. Factors that you should consider when looking at voice-to-text apps include accuracy, shortcuts, and available languages. Whether you want to take notes, send quick messages or translate on the fly, the apps below are ready to help.

Best Overall Dragon Anywhere

Dragon Anywhere Price: $15 per month or $150 per yearFree Trial: One weekAccuracy Rate: 99% Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

We chose Dragon Anywhere because it is 99% accurate and provides voice editing and formatting options. Get a free USB headset when you purchase Dragon Home or Dragon Professional Individual and right now, you can get Dragon Anywhere App for no additional cost (worth $150). Use code USB2022 at checkout.

Pros & Cons

Pros No word limits 99% accuracy Multiple ways to share documents Cons Cost May take time to learn the built-in commands

Overview

Available for Android and iOS devices, Dragon Anywhere is a premium professional tool that’s a big deal in the world of dictation apps. It’s 99% accurate and comes with voice editing and formatting. You can use the app for as long as you need — there are no word limits. Dragon Anywhere allows you to customize industry lingo for even more accuracy. After transcription, share your notes by email, Dropbox, Evernote, and more. For supported versions, you can synchronize Dragon Anywhere with your desktop and do voice work on your computer as well. However, to do this, you will need to purchase a desktop version of Dragon as well. Its accuracy and rich features come with a cost, of course. But the bill could be a worthy business investment if you often think of ideas on the fly or need to record meeting minutes. The application costs $15 per month and $150 per year.

Best Assistant Google Assistant

Google Assistant Price: FreeFree Trial: N/AAccuracy Rate: Not disclosed Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

We chose Google Assistant because it can help you accomplish a variety of tasks.

Pros & Cons

Pros Integrated into services you already use, such as email and messaging Free to use Cons Not specifically designed for note-taking Must use applets to boost note-taking abilities

Overview

Google Assistant does a lot, including playing music and opening maps. One of its best features? Voice recognition. Yes, you can use voice command to look up information and tell Google Assistant to do certain things. But the app can also convert speech to text. It sends messages, drafts emails, manages tasks, and adds events to your calendar. While it’s not a speech to text app in the purest sense, it will still help organize your ideas and notes with voice recognition. Use IFTTT (If This Then That) to maximize your Google Assistant note-taking abilities. In one applet, Google Assistant can log all of your notes into a spreadsheet. You can also search IFTTT for other productivity-boosting applets or create your own as you see fit.

Best for Transcription Transcribe - Speech to Text

Transcribe - Speech to Text Price: $5 per hour of transcription, subscription options also availableFree Trial: 15 minutes of transcriptionAccuracy Rate: Not disclosed Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

Transcribe - Speech to Text offers you the opportunity to transcribe any voice or video file using the help of artificial intelligence.

Pros & Cons

Pros Transcription available for over 120 languages and dialects Easy to use software Cons Pricey Only available for Apple products

Overview

Journalists or secretaries who have a lot of conversations to track may find this app useful. Using A.I., Transcribe can turn any voice or video memo into a transcription in over 120 different languages and dialects. After recording, you can drop your file in this app and export your raw text into another app such as DropBox. Keep in mind that Transcribe is only available for Apple products with Voice Memo and video since there’s no direct in-app dictation. Transcribe can also get pricey. Users receive a free trial for 15 minutes of transcription. For every hour extra, you pay $5. For ten hours, you can pay $30. There are also subscriptions available as well.

Best for Long Recordings Speechnotes - Speech to Text

Speechnotes - Speech to Text Price: FreeFree Trial: N/AAccuracy Rate: 90% or better Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

We chose Speechnotes because it allows for extremely long recordings.

Pros & Cons

Pros Long recordings allowed Can add in punctuation where needed Free app Cons In-app advertisements as a free app Only available in browser and on Android

Overview

Writers who think faster than they can type will appreciate this app. Speechnotes is excellent for organizing long notes thanks to two special features. First of all, it doesn't stop recording — even if you pause to think or breathe, so you can keep the recording open for as long as needed. Second, you can tap a button or use a verbal command to insert punctuation marks into your work so they won't become too unwieldy. The free app has a small ad banner, but you can upgrade to a premium version to get rid of it. Other perks: It won't clog up your phone space at 4 MB, plus it saves all your recordings as TXT files. Plus, you won’t need to open the app to use it either; you can tap on a widget to access Speechnotes. Keep in mind that Speechnotes is only available on your browser and Android.

Best for Notes Voice Notes

Voice Notes Price: FreeFree Trial: N/AAccuracy Rate: Not disclosed Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

We chose Voice Notes for its efficient layout to help you store notes.

Pros & Cons

Pros Recognizes 120 languages Free app Cons Only available on Android phones

Overview

If you have an idea, but no pen or paper on hand, you can always use your voice. Voice Notes has speech recognition that allows you to create notes efficiently. You can then organize your notes into categories and create reminders by customizing alerts synced with your phone calendar. The interface is intuitive and easy to use; you press the microphone button and speak to record. You’ll even be able to make your notes with the phone screen turned off. The app can recognize up to 120 languages, just in case you need to record notes in something other than English. The app is free, though you can subscribe to a premium plan to support the developer. Of course, there are a few caveats. Voice Notes is a popular app, but the one major limitation is that it's only available on Android phones. Plus, you need to have Google voice search installed to use it.

Best for Messages SpeechTexter - Speech to Text

SpeechTexter - Speech to Text Price: FreeFree Trial: N/AAccuracy Rate: 90% or better Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

SpeechTexter is a useful tool to help you draft texts, tweets, emails, and more with your voice.

Pros & Cons

Pros Desktop and android versions available Over 70 languages supported Customizable commands Cons Offline mode is less accurate

Overview

Need to send a quick message but find your hands occupied with other tasks? Here’s a quick solution. Using Google’s backend, SpeechTexter allows you to create SMS messages, text notes, emails, and tweets with your own voice. The easy-to-use app supports over 70 languages and has a 90% or better accuracy rate. You can customize your own commands for punctuation as well. It's possible to use the app when you're not connected to the Internet, though keep in mind that the accuracy lowers in offline mode and the recognition speed depends on your Internet connectivity. To use the app offline, make sure that you install language packs of your preference. Keep in mind that this option is limited when it comes to languages, as you’ll only be able to choose from a dozen major tongues as opposed to over 70.

Best for Translation iTranslate Converse

iTranslate Converse Price: $5 per month or $40 per yearFree Trial: YesAccuracy Rate: Not disclosed Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

We chose iTranslate Converse because it is designed to help you translate languages on the go in noisy environments.

Pros & Cons

Pros Works well in noisy environments Enables real-time communication with someone in another language 38 languages recognized Cons Subscription fee Unknown accuracy rate

Overview

Brought to you by the same developers behind the popular iTranslate app, iTranslate Converse is as close to real-time translation as you’ll get, which is convenient if you need to communicate with clients who don’t speak the same language as you or if you’re traveling abroad. All you have to do is set the two languages. Then tap, hold, and speak into your phone. The app will pick up on the language that you’re speaking, then issue out a translation — yes, even in noisy environments. The app is capable of recognizing 38 languages. After your conversation is done, you can download full transcriptions. It’s not always perfect, of course, but it’s faster than going through a personal assistant app to look up translations for you. While it has a subscription fee, iTranslate won't stretch your budget significantly. When you download it, you'll receive a free trial. After that runs out, you'll be upgraded to the pro version for $5 per month or $40 per year. You must cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the trial to avoid being put on a paid membership.

Best for Niche Industry Terms Braina

Braina Price: $19.99Free Trial: NoAccuracy Rate: Not disclosed Sign Up Now

Why We Chose It

Briana can help you utilize voice-to-text in a jargon-filled industry.

Pros & Cons

Pros Personal A.I. builds to recognize your industry jargon Over 100 languages recognized Cons Must pay a significant price to download app without trying first May take some time to customize

Overview

Braina is a personal A.I. that you can use to communicate with your computer through your Android or IOS device. The program can convert your voice into text for any website or software program, including word processing ones. It recognizes most medical, legal, and scientific terms, which makes it ideal if you work in a niche industry with technical jargon. You can also teach Braina uncommon names and vocabulary with ease. Other than learning niche industry terms, Braina also has other helpful voice recognition features. For example, it can recognize over 100 different languages so that it can serve non-English users just as well. The program also includes convenient dictation commands for deleting, tabbing, and casing. The app costs $19.99 to download.

Final Verdict

Voice-to-text tools can simplify your life. Although there are many options out there, Dragon Anywhere stands apart from the crowd. The streamlined tools will not disappoint you for whatever your voice-to-text needs are.

Compare the Best Voice to Text Apps

App Price Free Trial Accuracy Rate Platform DragonAnywhere
Best Overall $15 per month or $150 per year One week 99% iOS and Android Google Assistant
Best Assistant Free N/A Not disclosed iOS, Android, Browser Transcribe - Speech to Text
Best for Transcription $5 per hour of transcription or subscription options 15 minutes of transcription Not disclosed iOS Speechnotes - Speech to Text
Best for Long Recordings Free N/A 90% or better Android and Desktop Voice Notes
Best for Notes Free N/A Not disclosed Android SpechTexter- Speech to Text
Best for Messages Free N/A 90% or better Desktop or Android iTranslate Converse
Best for Translation $5 per month or $40 per year 7 days Not disclosed iOS Braina
Best for Niche Industry Terms $19.99 No Not disclosed iOS and Android

Methodology

To find the best voice-to-text apps we compiled a list of the most popular options available. Next, we took a closer look at several factors, including the price, free trial options, accuracy rates, and more. Finally, we decided which providers were best suited for what our readers need. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The 8 Best Speech to Text Software of 2022 The 8 Best Microsoft Office Alternatives of 2022 The 7 Best Ecommerce Platforms of 2022 The 6 Best Free Language Learning Apps of 2022 The 8 Best Online Grocery Shopping Sites in 2022 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad and iPad Pro in 2022 The 8 Best Cell Phone Plans of 2022 Best Visual Voicemail Apps of 2022 The 10 Best Parental Control Apps and Services of 2022 How to Use Google's Text-to-Speech Feature on Android The 8 Best Offline Translators of 2022 The 8 Best Podcast Apps for iPhone (2022) How to Change the Google Maps Navigation Voice How to Dictate in Word The Best Brainstorming Tools for 2022 The 10 Best Writing Apps of 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies