The pay-as-you-go Transkriptor alternative
Speaker labels and 99+ languages, auto-detected, without the monthly plan, the per-seat fees, or minutes that expire each cycle. Buy credits once, spend them whenever, and they never expire.
60 min free · no card required · we never train on your audio
Is Pepys a good Transkriptor alternative?
Pepys is a pay-as-you-go alternative to Transkriptor: instead of a monthly subscription whose minutes expire each cycle, you buy credits once and they never expire. You still get speaker labels, timestamps, 99+ languages, and built-in AI summaries. Your first 60 minutes are free, no card required.
Transkriptor sells transcription by the month: Lite, Pro, and Team plans, each with a fixed pool of minutes, plus AI summary, AI chat, and a meeting recorder that auto-joins your Zoom and Teams calls. It works well if you transcribe a steady amount every month. But unused minutes expire when the cycle renews, and the Team plan is billed per seat.
Pepys works the other way. You buy credits once, spend them whenever, and they never expire: no seats, no monthly reset. You get speaker labels, timestamps, and 99+ languages, auto-detected, with AI summaries, chapters, and chat built into every transcript instead of gated behind the Pro plan. Start with 60 minutes free, no card.
Pepys vs Transkriptor, side by side
Transkriptor vs Pepys, head to head
Public, verifiable facts only. Where something isn't publicly stated, we leave it blank rather than guess.
| Feature | Pepys | Transkriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go – buy credits once, no subscription | Monthly subscription: Lite $9.99, Pro $19.99, Team $30/seat per month (less billed annually) |
| Do credits / minutes expire? | Never – credits don't expire | Unused minutes expire after one month |
| Monthly minute cap | No cap – buy the minutes you need | Capped per plan: 300 (Lite), 2,400 (Pro), 3,000/seat (Team) per month |
| Team pricing | No seats – one credit balance, no per-user fees | Billed per seat: $30/seat monthly, $20/seat billed annually |
| Languages | 99+, auto-detected | 100+ |
| Speaker labels & timestamps | Yes – on every transcript | Yes |
| Built-in AI summary & chat | Included with every transcript – summary, chapters, chat | Pro and Team only (Lite has no AI summary or chat) |
| Exports | TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT, JSON | TXT, DOCX, SRT, PDF |
| Paste a link to transcribe | Yes – YouTube, podcasts, social links | Yes – URL / YouTube, plus Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive import |
| Live meeting recorder / bot | No – not a live meeting bot | Yes – auto-joins Zoom, Teams, Google Meet via calendar |
| Native mobile apps & integrations | Web app – works on any device, no install | Native iOS & Android apps, Zapier, Chrome extension |
| Trains AI on your data? | Never – we don't train on your audio or text | Not on Pro & Team (Lite unstated) |
Why people switch to Pepys
No subscription and no per-seat fees – you buy credits once and only pay for the minutes you actually transcribe.
Credits never expire, so a quiet month costs nothing, and your balance never resets the way a monthly minute pool does.
AI summaries, chapters, and chat come with every transcript, not locked behind the Pro or Team plan.
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 Transkriptor and Pepys
Is Pepys better than Transkriptor?
For bursty or occasional transcription, yes – Pepys is pay-as-you-go, credits never expire, and AI summaries come with every transcript instead of only the Pro plan. But if you need a bot that auto-joins Zoom and Teams meetings, or native iOS and Android apps, Transkriptor covers those today.
Is Pepys cheaper than Transkriptor?
It depends on your volume. Transkriptor charges a monthly subscription (Lite $9.99, Pro $19.99, Team $30 per seat) with a fixed minute pool, and unused minutes expire after a month. Pepys is pay-as-you-go at about $1 per hour, from $0.85 at volume, and credits never expire – usually a better fit for bursty or occasional transcription.
Do my minutes expire like they do on Transkriptor?
No. On Transkriptor's plans, unused minutes expire after a month. Pepys credits never expire. One credit equals one minute, and your balance stays exactly where you left it until you come back, with no monthly reset and no recurring charge in between.
Do I need the higher plan to get AI summaries?
No. On Transkriptor, AI summary and AI chat unlock on the Pro plan and above, while Lite has no AI summary or chat. With Pepys, AI summaries, chapters, and chat come with every transcript you make. There's no tier to upgrade to for the AI layer.
Does Pepys have a meeting recorder like Transkriptor?
No. Transkriptor offers a bot that auto-joins Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet through your calendar. Pepys isn't a live meeting notetaker – you upload a file or paste a link (YouTube, podcast, or social) and get a transcript back. If a meeting bot is essential, Transkriptor has one and Pepys doesn't.
Is it free to try?
Yes. Your first 60 minutes are free with no card required, so you can compare the transcript quality against Transkriptor before you pay. After that, you buy credits once at about $1 per hour, from $0.85 at volume, and they never expire.
Compare more alternatives
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Try Pepys free – no card
Pay as you go – credits never expire, nothing to cancel. Compare the transcript against Transkriptor with 60 free minutes.