Free Transcription Software
Download ScribeForge and start transcribing audio and video to text today — free, offline, no credit card required.
What's actually free
ScribeForge's free tier lets you download the desktop app and transcribe audio and video locally with Whisper AI — no signup friction, no watermark, no forced trial period. Specifically: files up to 15 minutes long, up to 5 hours of transcription per month, using the tiny, base and small Whisper models, with TXT and SRT export. It's a genuine way to test real transcription quality on your own files before paying anything.
Upgrading to a paid plan removes both caps entirely and unlocks the full toolkit — every Whisper model (including large), batch processing, live microphone transcription, URL/YouTube downloading, speaker diarization, cloud transcription (BYOK), every export format (VTT, DOCX, PDF, CSV, JSON, timestamped Markdown), translation, and the 80+ AI analysis prompts. See the pricing page for current plan pricing.
Sound familiar?
Most "free" transcription tools cap you fast
A few free minutes or one free file is common before a paywall appears.
Free cloud tools still require an account and an upload
You often have to sign up and send your recording to a server just to try it.
Paid subscriptions add up for occasional use
Monthly transcription subscriptions charge the same whether you use them once or every day.
From file to finished transcript
Download ScribeForge free
No credit card required to install and try it.
Transcribe locally with Whisper AI
Drop in a file and get a real transcript — the same local engine used by paid plans.
Upgrade only if you need more
Unlimited transcriptions, batch processing and the full AI toolkit are one click away when you're ready.
What you get
No credit card to start
Download and transcribe without entering payment details first.
Offline by default
The free tier runs the same local, private Whisper engine as every paid plan.
No watermarks
Transcripts you produce on the free tier are yours, unmarked, to use however you need.
Upgrade anytime
Move to unlimited use and the full AI toolkit whenever it makes sense — see /pricing for current plans.
Common questions
Is ScribeForge really free?
Yes — you can download ScribeForge and transcribe audio and video locally on the free tier, with no credit card required to start.
What's the difference between the free and paid version?
The free plan transcribes files up to 15 minutes long, up to 5 hours per month, with the tiny/base/small Whisper models and TXT/SRT export. Paid plans remove both caps, unlock every model, and add batch processing, live microphone transcription, URL/YouTube downloading, speaker diarization, every export format, and the AI toolkit.
Do I need a credit card to download the free version?
No — downloading and trying ScribeForge's free tier doesn't require entering payment details.
Is the free version also offline?
Yes. Every tier of ScribeForge, including free, runs transcription locally with no audio uploaded to a server.
Can I upgrade later without losing my transcripts?
Yes — transcripts are saved locally on your computer regardless of plan, so upgrading doesn't affect anything you've already transcribed.
Is there a time limit on the free version?
It's not a countdown trial — the free plan works indefinitely, capped at 15-minute files and 5 hours of transcription per month rather than a limited number of days.
Related resources
Start transcribing today
Download ScribeForge free and transcribe your first file locally — no account, no upload, no subscription.