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FOLKER

Free#43 of 46 in Transcription Software

FOLKER: A free desktop editor for cGAT-style transcripts, with EXMARaLDA interoperability. Ranked #43 of 46 in Transcription Software by our editors (4.7/10); pricing: Free plan; best for researchers producing conversation-analytic transcripts.

4.7/10Editor score
Visit FOLKER
FOLKER4.7 Visit FOLKER

At a glance

  • Editor score
    4.7 / 10
  • Pricing
    Free plan
  • Best for
    Researchers producing conversation-analytic transcripts
  • Free plan
    Yes
  • Paid from
    Free
  • Facts checked
    23 Sep 2026
FOLKER screenshot

  • Where it wins

    • Supports cGAT conventions, including minimal and basic transcript styles
    • Interoperates with the EXMARaLDA system
    • Available for Windows, macOS and Linux

  • Where it doesn't

    • Focused on manual conversation-analytic transcription, not automatic speech-to-text
    • Linux releases are distributed through EXMARaLDA
    • The workflow is specialized rather than a general-purpose transcription service

Our verdict on FOLKER

FOLKER is a desktop editor for transcription and annotation work in the FOLK corpus, with a specific focus on conversation-analytic transcripts. Researchers producing conversation-analytic transcripts are its clearest audience, particularly those working with cGAT conventions. It supports minimal and basic transcript styles, and is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. The product is a manual transcription editor, so teams seeking automatic speech-to-text should look elsewhere.

Its fit with the EXMARaLDA system is central to the workflow: FOLKER is interoperable with EXMARaLDA and has been distributed as one of its tools since 2017. Downloads are directed through EXMARaLDA releases; Windows has an installer, macOS has separate disk images, and Linux releases are also available through EXMARaLDA. This makes it relevant for researchers already working in that environment, while its cGAT focus is narrower than a general-purpose transcript editor.

FOLKER is free, and the published product description presents no paid tiers to compare. Its scope should be weighed against that simplicity: it covers conversation-analytic transcription, while orthographic normalization, lemmatization and part-of-speech tagging are associated with the separate OrthoNormal tool, not FOLKER. Choose FOLKER for manual cGAT-style transcript work within an EXMARaLDA-oriented research process. Choose a different tool if you need automatic transcription or those additional language-processing capabilities in the transcription editor itself.

Your product? Our editors can test FOLKER in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

FOLKER pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.
See plans on agd.ids-mannheim.de

FOLKER fact sheet

Free planYes
Paid fromFree
Languages supportedNot verified
Included minutesNot verified
Speaker identificationNot verified
Timestamp supportNot verified
Export formatsNot verified
API accessNot verified
DeploymentDesktop
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
SupportDocs
Built forSolo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate)
Integrations1 integrations: EXMARaLDA
PricingFree plan
Websiteagd.ids-mannheim.de
Facts checked23 Sep 2026

FOLKER integrations

FOLKER lists 1 integrations on its own site.

  • EXMARaLDA

Alternatives to FOLKER

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Featured on iTechGuides

Featured on iTechGuides — FOLKER 4.7/10

FOLKER is listed in our Transcription Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

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