Pepys review
A podcast-focused transcription tool with a free tier and flexible one-time credit packs.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pepys is a web-based transcription tool designed for podcasters, journalists, researchers, creators, and legal teams. It accepts uploaded audio or video and links from podcast and social platforms, then produces timestamped transcripts with optional speaker diarization. The product also covers transcript editing, searchable transcript pages, AI-generated summaries, chapters, show notes, pull-quotes, translation, audio-synced playback, and caption exports. Its permanent free tier makes it a practical starting point for occasional transcription or evaluating the workflow before buying credits.
Pricing is built around one-time, pay-as-you-go packs rather than a monthly subscription. The Forever Free plan includes transcription in 99+ languages, AI summaries, chapters, and chat, translation, audio-synced playback, and TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT, and JSON exports. Paid packs begin at $12.50 for 10 hours, followed by $20 for 20 hours, $30 for 30 hours, $50 for 50 hours, $75 for 75 hours, $85 for 100 hours, and $170 for 200 hours. Paid credits never expire and add speaker labels, batch processing, word-level timestamp exports, and premium exports. This structure suits irregular workloads, while teams seeking recurring monthly allocation may prefer a subscription-based alternative.
Pepys fits podcast production particularly well because it combines transcript work with show notes, chapters, pull-quotes, searchable pages, and caption formats. Google Drive, OneDrive, Zoom, Dropbox, Box, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts are listed integrations, while web, a Chrome extension, an API, MCP, and webhooks support different workflows. Choose Pepys for flexible volume, podcast-oriented outputs, and broad export needs. Consider another option if your organization specifically requires native platform access or recurring monthly billing.
Pepys pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Permanent free tier with transcription in 99+ languages
- Speaker labels, batch processing, editing, and searchable transcripts
- Broad exports, podcast integrations, API, MCP, and webhooks
- Where it doesn't
- Paid credits require one-time purchases rather than monthly billing
- The listed access points are web, Chrome extension, and API
- Advanced speaker labels and premium exports start on paid packs
Pepys fact sheet, pricing and score →
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