Roundup
Best Speech to Text Tools 2026
A 2026 roundup of speech to text options, with MAI Transcribe 2 as the new Microsoft model to try online.
The 2026 speech to text list is no longer “just Whisper.” Teams now compare hosted models on speed, whether they catch the words on a noisy call, how many languages they handle, and whether speaker labels come with the transcript.
What to score
- Accuracy on noisy calls
- Languages and switching mid-sentence
- Speaker labels and timestamps
- Whether you can try it in a browser
Where MAI Transcribe 2 sits
MAI Transcribe 2 is Microsoft AI’s latest transcription model, with 60 languages and built-in speaker labels. Try it on the MAI Transcribe 2 homepage, then read the vs Whisper page before you rebuild a workflow.
Whisper is still in the mix
Whisper remains the local default when audio must stay on your machine. Use this article as a map; use the tool pages when you are ready to run a file.