Is Descript or oTranscribe better for AI meeting notes?

It depends on your workflow. Descript is strong for editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript, while oTranscribe is strong for journalists typing up recorded interviews for articles. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.

How do Descript and oTranscribe compare on price?

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

Can I use both Descript and oTranscribe?

Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.

Home/Descript vs oTranscribe

Descript vs oTranscribe

Descript: Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording oTranscribe: A free, open-source web app that eases manual transcription of recorded interviews by integrating media playback controls beside a text editor. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.

How Hosiqo compares and tests tools

Final recommendation

Shortlist Descript when editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript matters most, and oTranscribe when academic and qualitative researchers transcribing fieldwork or oral-history recordings matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.

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

oTranscribe

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

A free, open-source web app that eases manual transcription of recorded interviews by integrating media playback controls beside a text editor.

Automatic saving to browser local storage with transcript history backups

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 oTranscribe

oTranscribe is a free, open-source (MIT license) web app, created by Elliot Bentley and maintained by the MuckRock Foundation, that takes the pain out of transcribing recorded interviews. It runs in the browser on desktop computers and places an integrated audio or video player alongside a text editor, so you can pause, rewind, and fast-forward your recording using keyboard shortcuts without taking your hands off the keys or switching between apps. It is built for journalists, researchers, oral historians, and students who type up interviews and recordings themselves. Rather than using automatic speech recognition, oTranscribe assists manual transcription: you listen and type, inserting interactive timestamps (Ctrl+J) that you can click to jump back to that moment in the media. Your transcript autosaves to the browser's local storage, and audio files never leave your computer, keeping work private. Finished transcripts can be exported to Markdown, plain text, or oTranscribe's own .otr format, or sent to Google Drive. Rich-text formatting and adjustable playback speed are supported.

Best suited for

Journalists typing up recorded interviews for articles
Academic and qualitative researchers transcribing fieldwork or oral-history recordings
Students transcribing lectures or focus-group sessions

Feature	Descript	oTranscribe
Core capability	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Integrated audio/video player next to the transcript editor
Standout feature	Text-based editing where editing the transcript edits the media	Keyboard shortcuts to pause, rewind, fast-forward, and adjust playback speed without leaving the keyboard
Team usage	One-click caption and subtitle generation	Clickable interactive timestamps that jump to the matching point in the media
Integrations	Multitrack audio and video editing	Automatic saving to browser local storage with transcript history backups
Languages & capture	Screen and audio recording built in	Export to Markdown, plain text, .otr format, or send to Google Drive
Best-fit workflow	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Local, private processing - audio and transcript never leave the user's computer

Descript vs oTranscribe

About Descript

About oTranscribe

Pricing comparison

Feature table

Best for

Pros & cons

FAQ

Is Descript or oTranscribe better for AI meeting notes?

How do Descript and oTranscribe compare on price?

Can I use both Descript and oTranscribe?

Related comparisons