Amazon Transcribe

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Score6.8

Rank#8 of 43

From$0.01/mo

Free planYes

Runs onAPI, Web

Summary

Amazon Transcribe is a managed speech-recognition service that turns live audio and recorded media into text. It handles live streams for real-time transcription and files in Amazon S3 for batch processing, and supports 113 languages. Transcripts can include punctuation, formatted numbers, word timestamps, speaker and channel identification, and vocabulary filtering. The service can detect the dominant language or multiple languages without a language code; users can also add vocabulary or train language models with domain-specific text. Call Analytics provides sentiment, issue, speech-characteristic, categorization, and call-summary insights. Transcribe Medical supports dictation and conversational medical transcription and is HIPAA eligible. Privacy controls include personal-information redaction and toxic-content detection. Outputs can be encrypted at rest using S3 SSE-S3 or a customer-specified AWS KMS key, with TLS 1.2 in transit. Export formats are JSON, WebVTT, and SRT, and API access is available. Pricing is paid from $0.01, with a free tier of 60 minutes per month for 12 months; unused minutes do not roll over. The AWS CLI does not support streaming transcription.

Who it is for

It suits developers and teams that need transcription for streaming audio or S3-stored recordings, with speaker labels, timestamps, or language customization. Call centers and medical transcription users may also find its specialized analytics and medical capabilities relevant.

What is good

Supports 113 languages.
Handles live streams and S3 batch files.
Includes speaker identification and word timestamps.
Offers JSON, WebVTT, and SRT exports.
Free tier provides 60 minutes monthly for 12 months.

What to know first

AWS CLI does not support streaming transcription.
Free-tier minutes do not roll over.
Paid service; listed pricing starts at $0.01.

Verdict

Amazon Transcribe covers live and recorded speech, with transcript controls, language customization, and specialized call and medical offerings. Check the streaming limitation if you expect to use the AWS CLI.

Amazon Transcribe plans and pricing

All plans

Free tier Free 60 minutes per month for 12 months unused monthly usage does not roll over · restrictions apply aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026

Standard Batch $0.01/mo US East (N. Virginia) pricing example; rates vary by AWS Region and volume tier. Pay-as-you-go batch transcription · Usage billed in one-second increments · No minimum usage aws.amazon.com · 20 Sept 2026

Standard Streaming $0.01/mo US East (N. Virginia) pricing example; rates vary by AWS Region and volume tier. Pay-as-you-go streaming transcription · Usage billed in one-second increments · No minimum usage aws.amazon.com · 20 Sept 2026

Standard pricing Not published monthly based on seconds of audio transcribed one-second increments · no minimum duration · rates vary by AWS Region aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026

Compared on transcription software

Free plan: Noaws.amazon.com
Languages supported: 113 languagesaws.amazon.com
Speaker identification: Yesaws.amazon.com
Timestamp support: Yesaws.amazon.com
Export formats: JSON, WebVTT, SRTaws.amazon.com
API access: Yesaws.amazon.com

Facts

Purpose: Amazon Transcribe is a fully managed automatic speech recognition service that converts streaming and recorded speech to text.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Input modes: The service processes live audio streams for real-time transcription and recorded media files stored in Amazon S3 for batch transcription.docs.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Languages: Amazon Transcribe provides features across 100+ languages.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Transcript features: It supports automatic punctuation, number formatting, word timestamps, speaker identification, channel identification, and vocabulary filtering.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Customization: Users can add custom vocabulary and train custom language models with domain-specific text.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Language identification: Amazon Transcribe can automatically identify the dominant language or multiple languages in audio without a specified language code.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Call analytics: Amazon Transcribe Call Analytics provides sentiment, issue, speech-characteristic, categorization, and generative call-summary insights.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Medical use: Amazon Transcribe Medical supports dictation and conversational medical transcription and is HIPAA eligible.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Integrations: Batch transcription uses Amazon S3, and AWS provides SDKs and CLI access for supported programming languages.docs.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
AWS service integrations: The product page identifies Amazon Connect Contact Lens and AWS HealthScribe as services used with Amazon Transcribe for call analytics and clinical documentation.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Privacy controls: Amazon Transcribe can filter vocabulary, redact personally identifiable information, and detect toxic audio content.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Encryption: Transcription outputs can use Amazon S3 SSE-S3 or customer-specified AWS KMS keys at rest, while TLS 1.2 encrypts data in transit.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Compliance: Amazon Transcribe is covered under AWS HIPAA eligibility and BAA requirements.docs.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026
Usage limit: The AWS CLI does not support streaming transcriptions.docs.aws.amazon.com · 1 Oct 2026