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Head-to-head · Podcast Transcription Software

Transcribe.so vs Swell AI

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Transcribe.so #6 in Podcast Transcription Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Transcribe.so
Swell AI #7 in Podcast Transcription Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Swell AI

Transcribe.so leads on 1 check, Swell AI on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreTranscribe.so · 8.8/10
  • Lowest starting priceTranscribe.so · $9/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresTranscribe.so · 3 of 4

Transcribe.so scores higher on our rubric for podcast transcription software: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #7.

Transcribe.so is cheaper to start at $9/mo against $17/mo.

Transcribe.so is the better fit for budget users needing URL transcription and Q&A. Swell AI is the better fit for podcasters repurposing episodes into content.

  • Transcribe.so fits best

    Budget users needing URL transcription and Q&A

  • Swell AI fits best

    Podcasters repurposing episodes into content

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Transcribe.so 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Swell AI 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #6 in Podcast Transcription Software #7 in Podcast Transcription Software
Best for Budget users needing URL transcription and Q&A Podcasters repurposing episodes into content
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $9/mo (best) $17/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Compliance GDPR SSO/SAML
Integrations 5 integrations 10 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Transcribe.so 3/4 · Swell AI 2/4
Speaker labels ✓ ✓
Transcript editor Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Caption export ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Searchable library ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Monthly transcription Not checked yet 3 hours
Transcription languages 52 languages Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Transcribes uploads and URLs with speaker labels and word-level timestamps
  • Includes searchable transcripts, chapters, summaries, captions, and cited Q&A
  • Offers HTTP API, MCP server, CLI, and integrations with ChatGPT and Zapier
  • Imports catalogs from RSS feeds and Apple Podcasts
  • Speaker-labeled transcripts with editing, highlighting, and clipping
  • Generates show notes, articles, summaries, and social content
Cons
  • Paid transcription is unlimited under fair-use guidelines
  • Business provides 15 parallel API jobs; higher capacity requires Enterprise
  • Enterprise uses custom contracts rather than a published monthly price
  • Hobby allows only 1 upload per month
  • Starter includes 3 hours of usage per month
  • Caption export is not a stated capability
Our verdict

Transcribe.so converts uploaded or URL-based audio and video into searchable transcripts for podcasters, creators, students, professionals, and teams. Its feature set covers speaker labels, word-level timestamps, summaries, automatic…

Read the review →

Swell AI is a web and API-based tool for podcast producers, agencies, and networks that want to turn audio or video episodes into transcripts and reusable content. Its workflow combines AI transcription, automatic speaker identification,…

Read the review →
  1. Transcribe.soPodcast Transcription Software 8.8Free plan
  2. Swell AIPodcast Transcription Software 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Transcribe.so — where it wins

    • Transcribes uploads and URLs with speaker labels and word-level timestamps
    • Includes searchable transcripts, chapters, summaries, captions, and cited Q&A
    • Offers HTTP API, MCP server, CLI, and integrations with ChatGPT and Zapier

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid transcription is unlimited under fair-use guidelines
    • Business provides 15 parallel API jobs; higher capacity requires Enterprise
    • Enterprise uses custom contracts rather than a published monthly price

  • Swell AI — where it wins

    • Imports catalogs from RSS feeds and Apple Podcasts
    • Speaker-labeled transcripts with editing, highlighting, and clipping
    • Generates show notes, articles, summaries, and social content

    Where it doesn't

    • Hobby allows only 1 upload per month
    • Starter includes 3 hours of usage per month
    • Caption export is not a stated capability

More comparisons

All podcast transcription software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update