Is Descript or OpenTranscribe better for AI meeting notes?

It depends on your workflow. Descript is strong for editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript, while OpenTranscribe is strong for teams self-hosting a searchable archive of transcribed meeting and media recordings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.

How do Descript and OpenTranscribe compare on price?

Descript is a free tier with paid upgrades and OpenTranscribe is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.

Can I use both Descript and OpenTranscribe?

Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.

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Descript vs OpenTranscribe

Descript: Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording OpenTranscribe: Self-hosted, containerized web app for transcribing and analyzing audio/video with WhisperX, speaker diarization, search, and collaboration. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.

How Hosiqo compares and tests tools

Final recommendation

Shortlist Descript when editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript matters most, and OpenTranscribe when collaborative review of transcripts with time-stamped annotations matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.

Descript

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording

Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and videoMultitrack audio and video editingOne-click caption and subtitle generation

Details Visit

OpenTranscribe

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

Self-hosted, containerized web app for transcribing and analyzing audio/video with WhisperX, speaker diarization, search, and collaboration.

AI summarization, topic extraction, and content analysis via multiple LLM providers

About Descript

Descript is an audio and video editing platform built around text-based editing, where the spoken content of a recording is automatically transcribed and the resulting transcript becomes the primary way to edit the media. When users import or record audio and video, Descript generates a transcript that they can read, search, and edit, with changes to the text reflected in the underlying recording. The platform also offers one-click caption and subtitle generation so the transcribed words can be displayed on screen and styled to match a project. In addition to transcription and captions, Descript provides features for podcast and video production, including multitrack editing, screen recording, and AI-assisted tools. Because editing the transcript edits the media, it is especially useful for podcasters, video creators, and teams who want to cut filler, rearrange segments, or repurpose content without working frame by frame. Descript is aimed at content creators, marketers, educators, and teams who want transcription, captions, and editing combined in a single workflow. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.

Best suited for

Editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript
Generating captions and subtitles for published content
Producing searchable transcripts from recorded sessions

About OpenTranscribe

OpenTranscribe is a self-hosted, containerized web application for transcribing and analyzing audio and video files using current AI models. It is built with a FastAPI backend, a Svelte/TypeScript progressive web app frontend, and a Docker-based stack that includes PostgreSQL, Redis/Celery task queues, MinIO object storage, and OpenSearch for full-text indexing. Transcription is handled by WhisperX with the large-v3-turbo model and Faster-Whisper, supporting more than 100 languages, while automatic speaker diarization uses PyAnnote v4 with overlap detection. The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is actively maintained, with v0.4.1 released in April 2026. Beyond transcription, OpenTranscribe provides AI-powered summarization (including BLUF-format and custom JSON schemas), topic extraction, and content analysis through multiple LLM providers such as OpenAI, Claude, vLLM, Ollama, and OpenRouter. Collaboration features include time-stamped comments and annotations, and the platform can automatically import media from local folders, S3, and SMB shares. It also supports a set of cloud ASR providers as alternatives to local transcription, giving teams flexibility between fully local processing and managed services while keeping the application running on their own infrastructure. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.

Best suited for

Teams self-hosting a searchable archive of transcribed meeting and media recordings
Collaborative review of transcripts with time-stamped annotations
Importing and transcribing media automatically from S3, SMB, or watched folders

Feature	Descript	OpenTranscribe
Core capability	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	WhisperX transcription with large-v3-turbo and 100+ language support
Standout feature	Text-based editing where editing the transcript edits the media	Automatic speaker diarization via PyAnnote v4 with overlap detection
Team usage	One-click caption and subtitle generation	Full-text search and filtering powered by OpenSearch
Integrations	Multitrack audio and video editing	AI summarization, topic extraction, and content analysis via multiple LLM providers
Languages & capture	Screen and audio recording built in	Time-stamped comments for collaboration and annotation
Best-fit workflow	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Auto-import from local folders, S3, and SMB shares

Descript vs OpenTranscribe

About Descript

About OpenTranscribe

Pricing comparison

Feature table

Best for

Pros & cons

FAQ

Is Descript or OpenTranscribe better for AI meeting notes?

How do Descript and OpenTranscribe compare on price?

Can I use both Descript and OpenTranscribe?

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