Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Voice messages are transcribed by several Telegram bots: the Potok bot (potok.now) @potok_now_bot gives 60 minutes free per month, recognizes Russian speech and sends ready text with speaker markup; SaluteSpeech Bot is free with no stated limit; Voicy on the Wit.ai engine takes recordings up to 50 seconds. The choice depends on the language of the recording and the format you need: the comparison is below.
A voice message can be transcribed not by one bot but by several at once: they differ in the recognition language, the free limit and what they send in reply.
What stands behind the table rows
Behind a short name in the table there are different conditions:
- The Potok bot: 60 minutes of transcription per month free, recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically) and sends text with speaker markup Speaker 1, Speaker 2.
- Otter.ai is not a bot but a web service, and it officially does not recognize Russian as a transcription language; besides, invoices are issued in dollars, and cards issued in Russia and Belarus are often declined by international payment processors.
- Transkriptor is also a web service, not a bot; it recognizes Russian speech, and its Russian site transkriptor.ru accepts payment by Mir cards and through the SBP (the Russian Faster Payments System) with no commission.
- SaluteSpeech Bot (Sber) is free, works right in Telegram and recognizes Russian and English.
- In Voicy the recognition engine can be chosen yourself with the /language command: Wit.ai, Yandex SpeechKit or Google Speech.
- Voicee states support for 55 languages and translation into Russian, and charges per hour of recording.
- KolerskyAI Whisper Bot gives only the first 5 minutes for free, then paid packs of minutes.
- Transkribator (@gotranscribeai_bot) works both in Telegram and in the Max messenger, free for 3 transcripts per month.
- Voix (@RecogMyAudioBot) states 7 languages and accepts voice messages up to 15 minutes and videos up to 6 minutes for free.
| Service | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Potok bot and web version | 60 minutes per month | 7 days: 249 ₽, 30 days: 449 ₽, one year: 2 890 ₽; included in the Potok app subscription |
| Tactiq | 10 meeting transcriptions per month | $12/mo (Pro, monthly) |
| Video summary in Yandex Browser | free | — |
| Fireflies.ai | limited storage and AI credits | — |
| Transkribator (@gotranscribeai_bot) | 3 transcriptions per month | — |
| Speech2Text.ru | 3 hours on sign-up | — |
| Happy Scribe | 10 minutes of AI transcription | $17/mo (Basic, monthly, 120 minutes); $29/mo (Pro, monthly, 600 minutes) |
Which of these bots is best for transcribing voice messages
First, the language of the recording: for Russian speech from this list, the Potok bot and SaluteSpeech Bot fit, and among web services Transkriptor, while Otter.ai is not suitable for it. Then, what you need as output: if speaker markup and proofread text without cuts matter, look at this separately for each bot, and not only at the minute limit. If you have few recordings and only once, the free limit is enough; for regular transcription compare the limit and the format of the reply, not only the price per minute. The difference between transcribing a finished recording and ordinary dictation by voice is explained in the article transcription and voice input: what is the difference, and the broader comparison of transcription services adds apps to the bots.
When the bot will not suit
The Potok bot will not suit if the recording is not in Russian: it has no translation and no recognition of other languages. Do not count on speaker names in the reply: only the numbers Speaker 1, Speaker 2. Transcription right during a call is also unavailable: the bot accepts an already finished recording and does not join the conversation itself. The bot accepts links to Instagram (Reels and posts with video) and TikTok, as well as YouTube, VK Video and RuTube. And the bot does not work without the internet: it is a cloud one, recognition runs on Potok servers in Russia.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, several: the Potok bot @potok_now_bot gives 60 minutes per month for free, SaluteSpeech Bot (Sber) is free with no stated limit, and KolerskyAI Whisper Bot and Transkribator give only the first minutes for free, then it is paid.
Best bots for transcribing voice messages. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Best bots for transcribing voice messages you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Best bots for transcribing voice messages. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Best bots for transcribing voice messages you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Best bots for transcribing voice messages. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Best bots for transcribing voice messages you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Best bots for transcribing voice messages. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Best bots for transcribing voice messages you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Recording to text
Send a recording to Potok's Telegram bot or upload a file of up to 2 GB in the bot's mini app. The first 60 minutes of every month are free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: core.telegram.org · www.ixbt.com · developers.sber.ru · t.me
Transcribe a recording in Telegram
Voice messages, video notes, audio and video are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message from any chat, or send a file or a YouTube, VK Video, RuTube, Instagram or TikTok link. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file; timestamps and speaker labels can be turned on. The buttons give a short summary, tasks and deadlines, an answer to a question about the recording and export to TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. Large files, up to 2 GB, are easier to upload in the bot's mini app, via the Upload button next to the input field. The bot recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically); 60 minutes per month are free.