AI · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Purku
Fast, friendly, cost-effective, automated transcription
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Purku launched in 2020; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
- 1
Harku▲3Hi HN! I'm the founder of Harku (https://harku.io ), a video/audio transcription tool I've been working on for the past few months. The backstory: I was frustrated with existing transcription services - they either required expensive subscriptions upfront, had poor accuracy for non-English content, or forced you to create accounts just to try them. As someone who frequently works with meeting recordings and content in multiple languages, I needed something better. Technical approach: - Built on OpenAI's Whisper V3 (latest model) for 98.5% accuracy - GPU-optimized processing…
Feb 2026 · harku.io · its alternatives →
- 2

Super-fast transcription for 10 cents a minute
2019 · cheaptranscription.io · its alternatives →
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WhisperAPI▲77$0.15/hr audio transcription API powered by OpenAI Whisper
2022 · whisperapi.com · its alternatives →
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Audiosonic▲425Generate Text & Convert it into Human-like Speech instantly
2023 · writesonic.com · its alternatives →
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Schibsted created a transcription service for our journalists to transcribe audio interviews and podcasts really quick.
2023 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 7

Get your podcast transcription for free, in browser
2021 · its alternatives →
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Free AI transcription: convert video and audio to text, translate into 120 languages, download SRT, VTT, ASS or TXT, or export the video with subtitles on it.
2022 · freesubtitles.ai · its alternatives →
- 9PA
2018 · podscripter.co · its alternatives →
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Create AI-generated transcripts in minutes.
2021 · transcribeninja.com · its alternatives →
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Local transcripts with speaker labels, timestamps, + export
Dec 2025 · whispersnapper.com · its alternatives →
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Echosnap Ai▲62Hi everyone, I’m a solo developer and I’ve been working on a small tool called Echosnap AI. I built it because I often get ideas while I’m walking or doing something else, and speaking always felt like the fastest way to capture them. Echosnap lets you record a note and instantly get a clean transcript. It can also translate your recordings and help you stay organized with tags and folders. I tried to keep the app as simple and minimal as possible. This is my first time sharing something on HN, so any feedback or suggestions would mean a lot. Thanks for taking a moment to check it out.
Nov 2025 · useechosnap.com · its alternatives →
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TurboScribe▲105Convert audio and video to accurate text in seconds with AI
2024 · turboscribe.ai · its alternatives →
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Transcripto▲66Cheap and minimalistic speech to text transcriber.
2020 · transcripto.io · its alternatives →
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- 20CT
2019 · cheaptranscription.io · its alternatives →
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Podse.io▲73Boost your podcast by automating transcripts and annotations
2021 · podse.io · its alternatives →
- 2201
Hey HN! I've been working on a side project to create an audio transcription API based on the OpenAI whisper model. Sign up link: https://whisperapi.com I tried to make the API really easy to use and get setup with. Also, because the Whisper model is so good, turns out I can offer the service for about 75% cheaper than what seems like the industry average. I'm always looking to make improvements, so would appreciate any feedback anyone has!
2022 · whisperapi.com · its alternatives →
- 23

I built Whispering because I believe transcription is too fundamental a tool to be locked behind paywalls. It's a cross-platform desktop and web transcription app that turns speech into text with a keyboard shortcut, among other things. The app lets you bring your own API key (OpenAI, Groq, etc.) and make direct calls. If you want complete privacy, it also supports local transcription. Either way, your audio never goes through any middleman servers. It's super lightweight (~22MB), built with Svelte 5 and Tauri, and works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. I've been using it daily for the past few…
2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 24

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →