Summary
- oTranscribe is an open-source (MIT) browser app for typing transcripts by hand. Audio stays on your computer, and it exports Markdown, plain text and Google Docs.
- Freelancers look for an alternative when they want foot-pedal support, a first draft to correct instead of a blank page, or output formatted to a client's style guide.
- Express Scribe covers foot pedals and dictation formats. VideoText covers drafting, correcting and client formatting. oTranscribe stays a good choice for private, manual work.
oTranscribe describes itself as a web app "to take the pain out of transcribing recorded interviews." It puts the audio player and the text editor in one browser tab, gives keyboard controls for pause, rewind and fast-forward, adds interactive timestamps, and saves to your browser's storage every second. Your audio and transcript never leave your computer. It costs nothing and is open source under the MIT license.
For many freelancers that is enough. This guide is for the moments when it is not.
Why transcriptionists look beyond oTranscribe
| Pain |
What causes it |
| Typing every word from scratch |
oTranscribe is a manual tool. It does not produce a draft. |
| Client rejects a file for formatting |
Speaker labels, tags and verbatim level are applied by hand. |
| Need DOCX or PDF for the client |
oTranscribe exports Markdown, plain text and Google Docs. |
| Foot pedal workflow |
oTranscribe's homepage lists keyboard control, not pedals. |
| Long recordings |
A browser tab with hours of manual typing is slow work. |
Option 1: keep oTranscribe for private, manual jobs
If a client forbids uploading audio to any service, oTranscribe's local-only design is the point. Keep it for those jobs. Nothing below replaces that guarantee, because the other options process files on their own servers or install software on your machine.
Option 2: Express Scribe for foot pedals and dictation files
Express Scribe from NCH is desktop audio-player software for PC and Mac. Its site lists variable-speed playback, hotkeys for typing in Word or other software, support for professional USB foot pedals, encrypted dictation formats, and file loading by FTP, email or a local network. A no-cost version supports common formats such as WAV, MP3, WMA and DCT, and the Pro edition adds proprietary dictation formats.
Choose it if you transcribe legal or medical dictation with a pedal. Like oTranscribe, it does not draft the text for you. We compare it in more detail in our Express Scribe alternative guide.
Option 3: VideoText to draft, correct and format
VideoText changes where you start. Instead of a blank page, you correct a draft and then format it to the client's rules.
- Get a draft. Upload the recording to Video to Transcript. Transcription covers 69 languages. A Free plan account handles files up to 30 minutes, and exports may carry a watermark. Pro handles files up to 4 hours and adds speaker labels.
- Correct it. Fix Transcript lets you edit text, speakers and timestamps without re-transcribing. Suggested fixes for punctuation, capitalization and likely mishearings are shown one by one for you to accept or reject. You can rename or merge speakers, and add elapsed timestamps or SMPTE timecode.
- Format to the client's guide. Guideline Format applies a client's style guide to a transcript. Upload the guide as PDF, DOCX or TXT, or start from an editable preset. The report lists each rule as applied, needs review or not applied, and uncertain edits are flagged for you to accept or reject. Exports include TXT, DOCX, PDF and RTF.
The trade-off is that your audio is uploaded for processing. Check each client's confidentiality terms first.
Side-by-side
|
oTranscribe |
Express Scribe |
VideoText |
| Runs where |
Browser; files stay local |
Desktop (PC, Mac) |
Browser; files are uploaded |
| Produces a first draft |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Foot pedal support |
Not listed |
Yes |
No |
| Keyboard playback control |
Yes |
Yes (hotkeys) |
Editing in the browser |
| Client style guide applied |
No |
No |
Yes, with flagged edits |
| Export formats |
Markdown, plain text, Google Docs |
Works alongside your word processor |
TXT, DOCX, PDF, RTF; SRT/VTT for timed files |
| Cost |
No charge, open source |
Version without charge plus paid Pro |
Free plan (files up to 30 min); Pro $14.99/month |
Which one fits your work
Many freelancers mix them: oTranscribe or Express Scribe for jobs that can't be uploaded, and a draft-and-format workflow for the rest.
FAQ
Is oTranscribe still maintained?
Its homepage presents it as an open-source project under the MIT license. Check the project's repository for recent activity before you rely on it for a long engagement.
Can oTranscribe export to Word?
Its homepage lists Markdown, plain text and Google Docs exports. You can move a Google Doc into Word yourself.
Does VideoText support foot pedals?
No. If a pedal is essential to how you work, Express Scribe lists support for professional USB pedals.
Can I format a transcript I typed in oTranscribe?
Yes. Export plain text and upload it to Guideline Format with the client's guide.
Next step
Take one finished oTranscribe transcript and your client's style guide, and run them through Guideline Format. The rule report shows what you would otherwise have checked by hand.
Sources: oTranscribe homepage, https://otranscribe.com/ (checked October 25, 2026). Express Scribe, https://www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html (checked October 25, 2026). VideoText Fix Transcript, Guideline Format and Pricing pages (checked October 25, 2026).