Sonix vs Notta (2026): pay-as-you-go transcription or a cheap subscription for meetings?
Sonix is the file-based transcription workhorse: upload audio or video and get an editable, timestamped transcript in 53-plus languages, with pay-as-you-go pricing at $10 an audio hour and a 30-minute free trial. Notta is the meeting transcription tool: a bot joins Zoom, Teams, Meet or Webex, transcribes live in 58-plus languages, with a free plan of 120 minutes a month and Pro from $8.17 a month billed annually.
| Sonix | Notta | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | No free plan — a 30-minute free trial with no credit card required | Free plan with 120 transcription minutes a month, capped at 3 minutes per recording |
| Paid tier | Pay-as-you-go $10 per audio hour, prorated to the second; Core $25 a month for 5 hours; Advanced $50 for 20 hours; Pro $80 for 40 hours | Pro from $8.17 a month billed annually (1,800 minutes a month); Business $16.67 a month billed annually with unlimited transcription |
| Best for | Journalists, researchers and podcasters transcribing files in bursts | People who take a lot of meetings and want live notes in many languages on a budget |
| Standout strength | The most honest accuracy in the category (85–98% stated on its own pricing page), a custom dictionary, speaker voiceprints and a medical vocabulary model | Bilingual transcription and real-time translation in 80 languages, plus the cheapest unlimited team transcription at $16.67 a month |
| Watch out for | No live meeting bot and no real-time transcription yet — it is a file tool, and $10 an hour adds up fast at volume | The free tier is nearly unusable for real work with its 3-minute recording cap, and translation add-ons cost extra even on paid plans |
Sonix wins when the transcript is the work product: an interview to quote, a podcast to edit, a recording where names and jargon must be right. Its pay-as-you-go model is the honest choice for irregular volume — transcribe a 30-minute interview for about $5 and walk away — and its custom dictionary and speaker voiceprints are built for that job. Notta wins when meetings are the work: a bot that joins the call, live transcription, summaries and action items, in 58-plus languages, for $8.17 a month.
At regular volume the maths is stark: 10 hours a month costs $100 on Sonix pay-as-you-go but $8.17 on Notta Pro, which allows 1,800 minutes. Sonix only wins on price at very low, irregular volume. Pick Notta if you transcribe meetings every week. Pick Sonix if you transcribe files in bursts and need the transcript to be quotable.
Sources: official pricing pages and 2026 comparison coverage. Sonix listing · Notta listing