# PlainScribe

Last updated: 2026-08-19

> https://www.plainscribe.com

## Overview

PlainScribe is an AI-powered transcription, translation, and summarization web application with pay-as-you-go pricing. Unlike subscription-based competitors like Otter.ai ($16.99/month) or Descript ($24/month), PlainScribe charges $4 per audio hour, about $0.067 per minute, with no monthly commitments, no per-seat fees, and no feature gating. New users get 30 free minutes with no credit card required. PlainScribe is used by students, researchers, journalists, podcasters, content creators, business professionals, and legal teams worldwide.

## Privacy

- Every transcript automatically deletes after 30 days — nothing is stored on PlainScribe's servers indefinitely
- Raw audio is removed automatically once transcription completes
- An included offline desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) transcribes 100% on your own machine — files never leave your device, with no cloud upload
- No subscription and no account lock-in: credits are prepaid, pay-as-you-go, and stay valid for a full year from purchase

## Key Features

- AI-powered transcription with up to 99% accuracy on clear audio
- Support for 47 languages with automatic language detection
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: $4 per audio hour, about $0.067 per minute (no subscriptions)
- 30 free minutes for new users (no credit card required)
- Speaker diarization (automatic speaker identification)
- AI-powered summarization and smart notes
- YouTube link transcription: paste a supported YouTube URL, then search, summarize, translate, annotate, or export the transcript
- SRT and VTT subtitle generation with automatic timestamps
- Translation across 47 languages with automatic source-language detection (translate between supported languages, not only to English)
- Dialect and accent recognition
- Code-switching support (Spanglish, Hinglish, Taglish)
- Built-in transcript editor with formatting
- Export formats: TXT, CSV, SRT, VTT, JSON
- Public API for uploaded audio/video and YouTube URL transcription
- Supported input formats: 3GP, AAC, AVI, FLAC, FLV, M4A, MKV, MOV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, OGG, OPUS, WAV, WEBM, WMA, WMV
- 1GB maximum file size per web upload
- Processing speed: 60-minute files ready in 10-20 minutes
- Secure processing: files deleted after completion

## Pricing

- Pay-as-you-go: $4 per audio hour, about $0.067 per minute of audio/video
- No monthly fees, no subscriptions, no per-seat charges
- Free trial: 30 minutes included for every new account
- Minimum purchase: $10 credit bundle
- Paid credits expire one year after purchase
- A 60-minute audio file costs $4

## Comparison with Alternatives

- vs Otter.ai: PlainScribe is pay-as-you-go ($4/hour) vs Otter's $16.99-$30/month subscription. PlainScribe supports 47 transcription languages vs Otter's English-focused positioning. No per-seat charges.
- vs Rev: PlainScribe AI transcription costs about $0.067/min vs Rev's $0.25/min (AI) or $1.50/min (human). 73% cheaper for comparable AI accuracy.
- vs Sonix: PlainScribe is $4/hour vs Sonix's $0.10/min ($6/hour). Lower effective hourly cost with no subscription lock-in.
- vs Descript: PlainScribe offers standalone transcription at $4/hour without requiring a full editing suite ($24-$33/month).
- vs TurboScribe: PlainScribe has no monthly fee ($4/hour) vs TurboScribe's $10/month unlimited plan. Better for users who transcribe less than 150 minutes/month.
- vs HappyScribe: PlainScribe offers transparent pay-as-you-go pricing vs HappyScribe's freemium model with feature limitations.

## Who Uses PlainScribe

- Students: Transcribe lectures and study materials at $4/hour (90-min lecture costs ~$6)
- Researchers: Interview transcription for qualitative research with verbatim accuracy
- Journalists: Rapid interview and press conference transcription
- Podcasters: Episode transcription for show notes, SEO, and accessibility
- Content Creators: Generate SRT/VTT subtitles for YouTube, TikTok, and social media
- Business Professionals: Meeting transcription and AI-powered summaries
- Legal Professionals: Deposition and hearing transcription

## Free Tools (No Account Required)

- Transcription Cost Calculator: Compare transcription costs across 7+ services — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/transcription-cost-calculator
- Audio Length Calculator: Convert between duration, file size, and bitrate — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/audio-length-calculator
- Audio Converter: Convert audio files to MP3 in the browser — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/audio-converter
- Video to Audio Extractor: Extract audio tracks from video files — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/video-to-audio
- Subtitle Converter: Convert between SRT and VTT subtitle formats — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/subtitle-converter
- Subtitle Shifter: Shift SRT/VTT subtitle timing earlier or later — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/subtitle-shifter
- Speaking Time Calculator: Convert between word count and speaking time — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/speaking-time-calculator

## AI Workflows (Account Required)

- YouTube Transcript Generator: Paste a YouTube URL to create a searchable transcript with summaries, notes, translation, and TXT/Markdown/CSV/SRT/VTT exports — https://www.plainscribe.com/tools/youtube-transcript-generator

## Developer API and Agent Access (Account Required)

- Developer documentation: https://www.plainscribe.com/developers
- OpenAPI 3.1 specification: https://www.plainscribe.com/openapi.json
- Agent skill: https://www.plainscribe.com/SKILL.md
- Expanded machine-readable reference: https://www.plainscribe.com/llms-full.txt
- Authentication uses account-wide user API keys created from the PlainScribe profile page; no per-endpoint scopes are required
- API keys are server-side secrets for trusted servers and local agent processes; never embed them in browser or mobile code
- For each intended POST, generate an `Idempotency-Key` once. Reuse that same key with the unchanged body after a timeout or lost response; use a new key for a new operation
- Sources: uploaded audio/video up to 1GB or supported YouTube URLs
- API upload extensions: AAC, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AU, AVI, CAF, FLAC, M4A, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, MPG, OGA, OGG, OPUS, TS, WAV, WAVE, WEBA, and WEBM
- Result formats: JSON, TXT, Markdown, CSV, SRT, and VTT
- Raw uploaded media deletes after processing; unconsumed API uploads expire after 24 hours; transcript artifacts expire after 30 days
- The REST API is the canonical programmatic interface. ChatGPT, Claude, Codex, OpenClaw, CLIs, and future MCP integrations can use it directly or through a thin adapter.

## Key Statistics

- Up to 99% transcription accuracy for clear audio (varies with audio quality)
- 47 languages supported for transcription and translation; translate between supported languages with automatic source-language detection
- 17+ audio and video formats supported
- 1GB maximum file size for web uploads
- Processing time: approximately 10-30% of media duration
- $4 per audio hour, about $0.067 per minute (one of the lowest effective rates in the industry)

## Services

- Audio Transcription: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/audio-transcription
- Transcribe by Format (MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A, MOV, voice memos, Zoom recordings, and more): https://www.plainscribe.com/transcribe
- Video Transcription: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/video-transcription
- AI Translation: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/translation
- Translation Language Pairs (e.g. Spanish to English, English to Japanese — 30+ high-demand pairs; all 47 languages supported in-app): https://www.plainscribe.com/translate
- Subtitles & Captions: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/subtitles
- AI Summarization: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/summarization
- Text-to-Speech: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/text-to-speech
- Meeting Transcription: https://www.plainscribe.com/services/meeting-transcription

## Use Cases

- For Researchers: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/researchers
- For Journalists: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/journalists
- For Students: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/students
- For Podcasters: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/podcasters
- For Content Creators: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/content-creators
- For Business: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/business
- For Legal: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/legal
- For Accessibility & WCAG Compliance: https://www.plainscribe.com/use-cases/accessibility

## Comparisons

- PlainScribe vs Otter.ai: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-otter
- PlainScribe vs Sonix: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-sonix
- PlainScribe vs Rev: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-rev
- PlainScribe vs TurboScribe: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-turboscribe
- PlainScribe vs Descript: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-descript
- PlainScribe vs HappyScribe: https://www.plainscribe.com/compare/plainscribe-vs-happyscribe

## Resources

- Pricing: https://www.plainscribe.com/pricing
- FAQ: https://www.plainscribe.com/faq
- Blog: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog
- Private Transcription for Journalists: https://www.plainscribe.com/private-transcription
- Desktop App: https://www.plainscribe.com/desktop
- Contact: https://www.plainscribe.com/contact
- Language Support (47 languages): https://www.plainscribe.com/languages
- Developer API: https://www.plainscribe.com/developers

## Key Blog Posts

- How to Transcribe Audio to Text: A Practical Guide: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/how-to-transcribe-audio-to-text
- SRT vs VTT: Which Subtitle Format Should You Use?: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/srt-vs-vtt
- Best Transcription Software for Students in 2025: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/best-transcription-software-for-students
- PlainScribe vs Otter: Which Transcription Tool Fits Your Workflow?: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/plainscribe-vs-otter
- PlainScribe vs Rev: Choosing the Right Transcription Approach: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/plainscribe-vs-rev
- PlainScribe vs Descript: File-Based Transcription vs Editor-First Workflows: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/plainscribe-vs-descript
- PlainScribe vs Sonix: Which Transcription Workflow Fits You Best?: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/plainscribe-vs-sonix
- PlainScribe vs Happy Scribe: Choosing the Right Tool for Captions: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/plainscribe-vs-happy-scribe
- Transcription Pricing in 2026: Every Major Service Compared: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/transcription-pricing-comparison-2026
- Pay-As-You-Go vs Subscription Transcription: A Cost Analysis: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/pay-as-you-go-vs-subscription-transcription
- We Tested 5 Transcription Services on 100 Audio Files — Accuracy Results: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/transcription-accuracy-benchmark-2026
- WCAG 2.2 Transcription Compliance Guide: What You Need by April 2026: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/wcag-transcription-compliance-2026
- The Complete Guide to Transcription for Qualitative Research: https://www.plainscribe.com/blog/transcription-qualitative-research-guide

## Contact

- Website: https://www.plainscribe.com
- Contact Form: https://www.plainscribe.com/contact
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/plainscribe
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/plainscribe