The pay-as-you-go Sonix alternative
Accurate, speaker-labeled transcripts with AI built in – without a subscription. Pay once for the minutes you use, and your credits never expire.
60 min free · no card required · we never train on your audio
Is Pepys a good Sonix alternative?
Pepys is a pay-as-you-go alternative to Sonix: you buy credits once and they never expire, so you only pay for the minutes you transcribe, no monthly plan. AI summaries, chapters, and chat come standard on every transcript, no plan required. Your first 60 minutes are free, no card.
Sonix bills two ways: Pay As You Go at $10/hr, or a subscription (Core at $25/mo, Advanced at $50/mo, Pro at $80/mo) with a monthly bucket of included hours and $10/hr overage. Its AI analysis tools live inside that subscription workspace. If your work is bursty (a batch of interviews, then quiet), a monthly plan means paying for hours you don't always use.
Pepys keeps one model: buy credits once, spend them whenever, and they never expire. From about $1/hr (down to $0.85/hr at volume), you get speaker labels, timestamps, and 99+ auto-detected languages. Every transcript also carries an AI summary, chapters, and chat, built in at no extra cost. We never train on your audio or text. Start with 60 minutes free, no card.
Pepys vs Sonix, side by side
Sonix vs Pepys, head to head
Public, verifiable facts only. Where something isn't publicly stated, we leave it blank rather than guess.
| Feature | Pepys | Sonix |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go – buy credits once, no subscription | Pay As You Go at $10/hr, or a monthly/yearly subscription |
| Pay-as-you-go rate | About $1/hr, from $0.85/hr at volume | $10/hr |
| Subscription tiers | None – no monthly plan at all | Core $25/mo (5 hrs), Advanced $50/mo (20 hrs), Pro $80/mo (40 hrs); $10/hr overage |
| Do credits / minutes expire? | Never – credits don't expire | – |
| Free tier | 60 minutes free, no card | 30 minutes free, no card |
| Built-in AI summaries, chapters & chat | Yes – standard on every transcript, no subscription | – |
| Speaker labels & timestamps | Yes – on every transcript | – |
| Languages | 99+, auto-detected | Over 53 for transcription; translation to 55+ |
| Paste a link to transcribe | Yes – YouTube, podcasts, social | – |
| Exports | TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT, JSON | DOCX, TXT, PDF, SRT, VTT (JSON via API/CLI) |
| Trains AI on your data? | Never – we don't train on your audio or text | – |
| Compliance certifications | – | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA (BAA), GDPR (DPA/SCC) |
Why people switch to Pepys
No subscription to manage – pay once for the minutes you use, at about $1/hr instead of Sonix's $10/hr pay-as-you-go rate.
Credits never expire, so a quiet month costs nothing and your balance is always there when you come back.
Every transcript includes AI summaries, chapters, and chat with the transcript, built in with no subscription required.
We never train AI on your audio or text, and you can auto-delete source audio after processing.
Any language – 99+ detected automatically
- English
- 中文
- Español
- العربية
- हिन्दी
- Français
- 日本語
- Português
- Русский
- Deutsch
- 한국어
- Italiano
- বাংলা
- Türkçe
- فارسی
- Tiếng Việt
- தமிழ்
- Polski
- ไทย
- Українська
- Nederlands
- עברית
- Ελληνικά
- తెలుగు
- Bahasa Indonesia
- اردو
- Svenska
- मराठी
- Română
- Magyar
- Čeština
- ગુજરાતી
- Kiswahili
- ქართული
- Tagalog
- አማርኛ
Common questions about Sonix and Pepys
Is Pepys better than Sonix?
For bursty or occasional work, yes – Pepys is pay-as-you-go at about $1/hr, credits never expire, and every transcript ships with AI summaries and chat built in. Sonix genuinely wins on compliance: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA BAAs, and GDPR agreements regulated teams need, which Pepys doesn't advertise.
Is Pepys cheaper than Sonix?
For most people, yes. Sonix charges $10/hr on Pay As You Go, or a monthly subscription with included hours. Pepys is pay-as-you-go at about $1/hr, from $0.85/hr at volume, and credits never expire. If you transcribe heavily every month, Sonix's subscription bundles may fit, but for bursty or occasional work Pepys usually costs less.
Do I need a subscription to get AI features on Pepys?
No. There's no subscription at all. Every Pepys transcript carries AI summaries, chapters, and chat with the transcript, alongside speaker labels, timestamps, and 99+ language detection. On Sonix, those AI analysis tools live inside its subscription workspace rather than the pay-as-you-go option.
What happens to my credits if I don't use Pepys for a while?
Nothing – credits never expire. Your balance stays exactly where you left it until you come back, with no recurring charge in the meantime. You buy minutes once and spend them whenever your work comes in.
Does Pepys train AI on my data?
No. Pepys never trains on your audio or text, and you can auto-delete source audio after processing, so your recordings stay out of our training entirely. We can't speak for Sonix's policy, so check its current data-processing terms if model training is a factor for you.
Is it free to try?
Yes. Your first 60 minutes are free with no card required, so you can compare transcript quality against Sonix before you ever pay. Sonix offers 30 minutes free, also with no card, if you want to test both side by side.
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Try Pepys free – no card
Pay as you go – credits never expire, nothing to cancel. Compare the transcript against Sonix with 60 free minutes.