16 Best Transcription Software for Qualitative Research

Looking for the best transcription software for your qualitative research? Explore the best 16 transcription software for qualitative research to help you automate your interview transcription and make data analysis easier.

“When we do a lot of user research, it’s easy to feel confident…But if you do user research well, you will always find something that is surprising.”  – Teresa Torres, Founder of Producttalk.org

Conducting insightful interviews requires attention to detail, good preparation, and strong listening skills.

But no matter how much you prepare beforehand, conducting thoughtful and in-depth research can be rather challenging, especially when you need to quote your interviews.

Qualitative research requires comprehensive transcription for each interview. However, manual transcriptions can take forever and waste valuable time.

Automating your interview transcription process can significantly boost your productivity when it comes to qualitative data analysis.

Here’s where transcription software comes in. These help you accurately transcript your interviews, allowing you to quote and summarize key points of the interview.

In this post, we’ll explore the 16 best transcription software for qualitative research to help you transcribe interviews like a pro.

Importance of quality transcription software

Higher research efficiency

Quality transcription software is essential for ensuring efficiency. Quality transcription software speeds up the process of transcribing audio of interviews, focus groups, lectures, and other qualitative data.

It also ensures the accuracy of the transcription. Transcription software comes with cutting-edge speech recognition technology that can transcribe incredibly accurately. They also mitigate any possible human errors.

Improved research documentation

Advanced transcription software greatly improves data documentation. Once transcribed, the data becomes searchable. This enables researchers to find specific information quickly and easily reference quotes, enhancing the research process and insights presentation.

It also improves qualitative data analysis, enabling in-depth exploration of research data.

Advanced transcription software often includes features for tagging and categorizing, enhancing documentation and analysis.

Enhanced collaboration

The collaboration feature is crucial for qualitative research. Most transcription software offers a collaborative feature that enables you to work with your team. It allows multiple users to access, comment, and edit transcripts, offering enhanced collaboration.

16 Best transcription software for qualitative research

Whether you’re trying to make your transcription process more efficient and quick or trying to automate transcription for qualitative research, you need good transcription software. We have conducted thorough research to find the best 16 transcription software for your qualitative research.

1. UXtweak

2. Notta

3. Otter.ai

4. Rev.com

5. Happy Scribe

6. MeetGeek

7. Descript

8. Reduct

9. TranscribeMe

10. Scribie

11. Beey.io

12. Transkriptor

13. Trint

14. WeScribeIt

15. Sonix

16. NVivo

To get a better overview, scroll down and see the table below.

1. UXtweak

UXtweak is an all-in-one UX research tool but also a feature-packed transcription solution that will supercharge your qualitative research.

Features

• Live interviews with users (w/ transcriptions)
• Moderated research
• Website Usability Testing Tool
• Card Sorting Tool
• Session Recording with Website Heatmaps (Click, Scroll, Move, Tap)
• Mobile App Usability Testing
• Prototype Testing (Figma, Invision, Axure)
• Tree Testing Tool
• Preference Tests
• 5 Second Test
• First Click Test
• Online surveys
• Competitive Usability Testing

Pros

• Forever free plan

• Intuitive UI and easy to use

• High-quality transcription

• Transcripts in more than 20 languages

• Speaker tags

• Time-stamped notes

• Add images and comments to the interview transcript

Cons

• Complex audio can be a bit challenging

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.8/5

Ease of Use – 4.7/5

Quality of Support – 5/5

Pricing & Plans

UXtweak offers a free plan with unlimited access to all its tools for small-scale projects. Its paid plan starts at $52 per month.

2. Notta

Notta is a Chrome extension that takes care of your transcription process. While it’s not the most advanced tool in the market, it has its basics down to a tee, making it great for qualitative research. You can convert any speech or interview into text with just a few clicks directly in your browser.

Features

• Supports 58 languages for transcriptions

• Automated AI summaries

• Syncs transcriptions across devices

• Team workspace for collaboration

Pros

• Automated summaries

• Fast transcriptions

• Enhances efficiency

• Incredible accuracy

Cons

• Occasional errors with complex sentences

• Needs stable internet connection

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.5/5

Ease of Use – 4.0/5

Quality of Support – 3.7/5

Pricing & Plans

Notta offers a free plan with most of the necessary features. It also offers a paid plan for $9 per month for additional features.

3. Otter.ai

Otter is transcription software that uses AI to detect and adapt to different vocabularies to transcribe any recording accurately. It also allows recording in person, virtual meetings, and even mobile, making it great for interviews or lecture transcriptions.

We have analyzed what our fellow UX researchers think about otter.ai. While many love the tool, some researchers have security concerns. If privacy and information safety are a priority for you (as they rightfully should be!) you might want to check UXtweak Live Interviews or other tools we mention instead.

Feature

• Collaboration with teams

• Speaker identification

• Multiple exports

Pros

• Real-time transcriptions

• Flexible pricing plans

• Versatile transcription options

Cons

• Has some security concerns

• Struggles with background noise and accents

• Requires constant internet connection

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.5/5

Ease of Use – 4.6/5

Quality of Support – 4.1/5

Pricing & Plans

Otter offers a free plan. Its paid plan starts at $13 per month.

4. Rev.com

Rev.com is a robust audio and video transcription tool. This uses advanced AI coupled with skilled freelancers to deliver transcripts with an impressive accuracy rate of 99%. It’s a popular tool for qualitative research.

Features

• Automated transcriptions

• Support for multiple file formats

• Translation services

Pros

• Fast turnaround times

• High accuracy rate

• Can handle massive volumes of work

Cons

• Accuracy may drop for complex recordings

• Specialized requests are relatively pricey

• Lacks a free plan

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.7/5

Ease of Use – 4.7/5

Quality of Support – 4.6/5

Pricing & Plans

Rev lacks any free plan. They charge $1.5 per minute of audio.

5. Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe is one of the best transcription software for qualitative research. Its collaborative feature makes it great for research teams. It uses both AI and human-made transcriptions. AI enables you to transcribe your recordings in minutes. But human transcriptions offer higher precision.

Features

• Privacy protection on transcripts

• Al powered transcription

• Wide range of integration support

Pros

• High-level accuracy

• Support for over 120 languages and dialects

• Collaboration with team

• Incredible customer support

Cons

• Lack of accuracy in noisy environments

• Limited options on the free version

• Speaker identification issues

• Faces issues identifying accents

• The steep learning curve for beginners

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.7/5

Ease of Use – 4.8/5

Quality of Support – 4.4/5

Pricing & Plans

Happy Scribe offers a free plan. The premium plan is a one-time payment of €0.20.

6. MeetGeek

MeetGeek is an incredible qualitative research transcription tool that allows you to automatically record any session and transcribe it with high accuracy. This also summarizes key insights that help you understand the core idea at a glance.

Feature

• Generates a summary of key ideas

• Automated transcription with the help of AI

• Team collaboration

• Stores and categorizes all your transcriptions

• Keyword search

Pros

• Provides transcripts with over 90% accuracy

• The free plan offers a good starting point

• Ease of use

Cons

• Lacks seamless integration

• Limited features on the free plan

• Occasional bugs

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.0/5

Ease of Use – 4.4/5

Quality of Support – 4.2/5

Pricing & Plans

MeetGeek offers a free plan with limited features. The paid plan starts at $19 per month.

7. Descript

Dsecript is a great transcription software for qualitative research. It supports 22 languages, allowing you to transcribe in your preferred language. Its AI capabilities allow it to transcribe recordings quickly, making it great for research.

Feature

• Supports 22 languages for transcription

• Insert word in the transcript

Pros

• Automatically transcribes video and audio files

• Cloud-based collaboration

Cons

• Transcription isn’t always accurate

• Limited features in the free version

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.8/5

Ease of Use – 4.6/5

Quality of Support – 4.4/5

Pricing & Plans

Descript offers a free plan with limited features. The paid plan starts at $15 per month.

8. Reduct

Transcription can be incredibly valuable in qualitative research, especially during interviews or lectures. Reduct transcribes recordings and generates subtitles effortlessly. It’s a great addition to qualitative research.

Features

• AI summaries

• Powerful search

• Context highlighting

• It supports over 90 languages

Pros

• Real-time collaboration

• Competitive Pricing

• Tag management

Cons

• The steep learning curve for beginners

• Requires stable internet connection

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.0/5

Ease of Use – 4.0 /5

Quality of Support – 4.1/5

Pricing & Plans

Reduct lacks any free plan. The paid plan starts at $30 per month.

9. TranscribeMe

TranscribeMe offers incredible research transcription services that combine advanced AI and human transcribers. This tool offers a variety of options and budgets for qualitative researchers.

Features

• High-quality transcription

• Specialized services for various fields

• Flexible turnaround times

Pros

• Easy file uploading

• Fast transcription times

• Global accessibility

Cons

• Long response time

• Steep learning curve

• Occasional glitches

• Unresponsive customer service

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.7 /5

Ease of Use – 4.8 /5

Quality of Support – 4.2/5

Pricing & Plans

TranscribeMe lacks any free plan, but it’s a one-time purchase at $0.07.

10. Scribie

Scribe offers one of the best transcription services for qualitative research. This offers an impressive accuracy rate of 99%. This can save you valuable time and boost your productivity.

Features

• Includes timestamps

• Data security

• High-quality audio transcription

Pros

• Fast turnaround times

• High accuracy rate

• Competitive Pricing

Cons

• Poor-quality audio takes longer to transcribe and may even have some errors

• Accessing advanced features may become rather costly

• Inconsistent results

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.9 /5

Ease of Use – 4.9 /5

Quality of Support – 4.9/5

Pricing & Plans

Scribie offers a free plan. The paid plan starts at $29 per month.

11. Beey.io

One of the best interview transcription software is Beey.io. It offers a quick and easy solution for transcribing your audio files. Its impressive precision makes it a great transcription software for qualitative research.

Features

• Speaker identification

• Timecode management

• Team collaboration

• API integration

• Translation

Pros

• Fast turnaround times

• User-friendly interface

• AI-powered transcription

Cons

• Occasional errors with complex audio files

• Requires constant internet access

• Occasional inaccuracies

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.9 /5

Ease of Use – 5 /5

Quality of Support – 5/5

Pricing & Plans

Beey.io lacks any free plan. The premium plan pricing is available upon request.

12. Transkriptor

Transkriptor is a hassle-free solution to all your transcription needs. It supports over 40 languages, ensuring precise transcription no matter what language your research audio is in. It supports almost all audio files, eliminating the hassle of format conversion. Its collaborative feature also makes it a great option for qualitative research.

Features

• AI-powered transcription

• Simultaneous collaboration

• Speaker recognition

• One-click translation

• Format converter

• Support for over 40 languages

Pros

• Intuitive UI

• Fast turnaround times

• Support for a wide range of file formats

Cons

• Inconsistent transcription quality

• Only limited to transcription to English

• Lagre projects can get expensive

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.7 /5

Ease of Use – 4.8 /5

Quality of Support – 4.6/5

Pricing & Plans

Transkriptor lacks any free plans. The paid premium starts at $9.99 per month.

13. Trint

Trint is AI powered free transcription software. It’s a featured-packed tool geared towards qualitative research. It offers features like searching, team collaboration, and highlighting key points.

Features

• Integrates with 3rd party apps

• Generate closed captions

• Highly secure

• Built-in search

Pros

• Automated transcription

• Support for a wide range of file formats\

• Intuitive UI

Cons

• Inconsistent accuracy

• Requires constant internet connection

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 3.9 /5

Ease of Use – 4.3 /5

Quality of Support – 4.0/5

Pricing & Plans

Trint offers a free plan with limited features. The paid premium starts at $15 per month.

14. WeScribeIt

WeScriblet offers audio transcription and dictation support with incredible accuracy. Its efficiency and quality make it perfect for qualitative research. You get results within just 6 hours.

Features

• Dictation services

• Specialized transcription services

Pros

• User-friendly UI

• Audio, video, and specialized transcription services

• Rigorous quality control

Cons

• Can be expensive for some users

• Limited to English transcription

• Delays during peak hours

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.2 /5

Ease of Use – 4.0 /5

Quality of Support – 4.0/5

Pricing & Plans

It lacks any free plans. It charges $1.50 per minute.

15. Sonix

Sonix is a popular choice among qualitative researchers thanks to its affordable, fast, and accurate transcription services. Its advanced AI helps it deliver precise transcriptions with quick turnarounds.

Features

• AI-powered transcriptions

• AI analysis

• Support for over 49 languages

Pros

• Fast, accurate transcriptions

• Ease of use

• Great customer service

Cons

• Pricing schemes can get confusing

• Occasional bugs

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.8 /5

Ease of Use – 4.9 /5

Quality of Support – 4.9/5

Pricing & Plans

Sonix offers a free plan with basic features. The paid premium starts at $22 per month.

16. NVivo

NVivo is an incredible transcription tool that uses a combination of AI technology and human intellect. It’s accuracy and wide range of features make it great for qualitative research.

Features

• High accuracy

• Dashboards scorecards

• Multiple platform support

Pros

• Incredible speech recognition

• Can decipher complex accents and terms

• Ease of use

Cons

• Steep learning curve

• Taxing on your machine

• Not-so-friendly UI

• Rater expensive

Reviews

The ratings below are solely based on the tool’s reviews from Capterra:

Overall – 4.0 /5

Ease of Use – 3.8 /5

Quality of Support – 2.9/5

Pricing & Plans

NVivo lacks any free plans. The paid plan is $1249.

Haven’t made up your mind? Try UXtweak today!

Transcription software is an incredible tool in your arsenal that can skyrocket the productivity of your qualitative research. It saves you a lot of time and effort and lets you invest your time in your research.

If you asked for our recommendation, then we’d tell you to check out UXtweak for all your qualitative research and transcription needs. That’s the only tool you’ll need to recruit, schedule, conduct, and analyze user interviews or any other moderated studies directly in one platform, with accurate, and reliable transcriptions.