8 Best Phone Call Transcription Software Tools in 2026

A customer mentions a deadline halfway through a call. Ten minutes later, you remember the conversation but can’t recall the date. Phone call transcription software gives you a searchable record of what was said, so you can check the detail before sending a follow-up or updating a deal.

The tools below take different routes to that transcript. Some transcribe calls through a business phone system, some work with a phone service you already use, and one is built into supported iPhones. We compared eight options based on how they capture calls, when the transcript becomes available, and what you can do with it afterward.

The 8 Best Phone Call Transcription Tools at a Glance

How We Chose These Phone Call Transcription Tools

A tool made this list only if it can produce a transcript of a phone call. Transcribing a Zoom meeting or an uploaded voice memo alone wasn’t enough.

We then looked at the details that change how useful that transcript is:

✅ How it gets the audio: Does the tool handle the call itself, connect to an existing phone system, or use a phone’s built-in recording feature?

✅ When you get the text: Can you read it while someone is speaking, or only after the call ends?

✅ What you can do next: Can you find a specific detail, share the conversation, or use it to prepare a follow-up?

✅ What it actually costs: Which plan includes call transcription, and does it require an add-on or a separate phone service?

That’s why the list includes business phone systems, a CRM, an integration-based transcription tool, and an iPhone option. They solve the same problem for people who make calls in different ways.

1. folk CRM

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Sales teams that want call transcripts alongside their contacts and deals.

A prospect changes the delivery date during a call. Two weeks later, someone else on your team needs to pick up the conversation. With folk, they can read the transcript in the CRM instead of relying on a hurried note or asking you what happened.

To use the feature, verify your phone number and place the call from folk’s mobile app. The call is recorded, transcribed, and available to share with teammates. folk is available on iOS and Android.

Pros

• Make calls using your verified phone number.
• Keep transcripts within your CRM workflow.
• Share conversations with teammates before a handoff or follow-up.

Cons

• Calls must be made through the folk mobile app to use this workflow.
• Transcripts are available after the call, not live.

Pricing

• Standard: $24/member/month, billed annually
• Premium: $48/member/month, billed annually
• Custom: From $80/member/month, billed annually
• Free trial: 14 days, with no credit card required.

2. Dialpad

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Teams that want to read what was said while the call is still happening.

Dialpad transcribes calls made through its business phone system in real time. That can help when a caller gives a long reference number, spells out a name, or lists several requirements at once. You can check the text while the conversation is underway instead of waiting until afterward.

Dialpad is a stronger fit if you also need a business calling platform. If your team already has a phone system it wants to keep, moving calls to Dialpad may be more change than transcription alone warrants.

Pros

• Live transcription during calls.
• Business calling and transcripts in the same tool.
• Useful when details need to be checked before the call ends.

Cons

• Requires your calls to go through Dialpad.
• Transcripts can still mishear names, figures, or technical terms, so check important details against the audio.

Pricing

• Connect Standard: $15/user/month, billed annually, or $27 billed monthly.
• Connect Pro: $25/user/month, billed annually, or $35 billed monthly.
• Connect Enterprise: Custom pricing.

3. Quo

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Small businesses where several people handle calls from the same number.

Quo, formerly OpenPhone, gives a team a shared place to call and message customers. On its Business plan, recorded calls can also receive a transcript and an AI summary. If one person answers a customer on Monday and another follows up on Thursday, the second person can read the conversation before calling back.

One distinction matters when comparing plans: Quo’s Starter plan transcribes voicemails, but transcripts of full phone calls begin on Business.

Pros

• Call transcripts sit alongside the team’s business conversations.
• Business includes summaries as well as transcripts.
• Shared numbers help teammates pick up ongoing customer conversations.

Cons

• Full call transcripts are unavailable on Starter.
• You need to use Quo for the calls you want transcribed.

Pricing

• Starter: $15/user/month, billed annually, or $19 billed monthly. Includes voicemail transcription, but not full call transcripts.
• Business: $23/user/month, billed annually, or $33 billed monthly. Includes call transcripts and summaries.
• Scale: $35/user/month, billed annually, or $47 billed monthly. Includes Business features and AI call tags.

4. Aircall

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Teams that need phone call transcripts within a shared calling system.

Aircall handles business calls, routing, recording, and transcription in one platform. A support agent can return to a customer’s exact description of a problem; a sales rep can check the terms discussed before sending a proposal. Transcripts are available after the call.

The choice between plans comes down to what you need beyond the text. Essentials includes call transcripts. Professional adds AI summaries and conversation insights, including topics and sentiment.

Pros

• Call recording and transcription are included in Essentials.
• Works for both inbound support and outbound sales calls.
• Connects with CRMs and help desks.

Cons

• Requires at least three licenses on Essentials and Professional.
• AI summaries and deeper conversation insights require Professional or an eligible add-on.

Pricing

• Essentials: $30/license/month, billed annually. Includes call recording and transcripts; three-license minimum.
• Professional: $50/license/month, billed annually. Adds AI summaries and conversation insights; three-license minimum.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing; 25-license minimum.

5. JustCall

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Sales teams making frequent calls and reviewing conversations afterward.

JustCall combines a business phone system with sales calling features. It transcribes calls made through the platform, letting reps check what a prospect said about budget, timing, or objections before the next touchpoint. The Team plan includes AI transcription; Pro adds a power dialer for teams that need to work through a calling list.

Check the plan before paying for extra AI features. Transcription is included in Team, while AI Review Assist is a separate add-on on Team and Pro.

Pros

• AI call transcription is included in Team.
• Pro combines transcripts with a power dialer.
• Integrates with CRMs used by sales teams.

Cons

• Two-license minimum.
• AI Review Assist costs extra on Team and Pro.
• Calling allowances and transcription terms can vary by region.

Pricing

• Team: $29/user/month, billed annually. Includes AI transcription; two-license minimum.
• Pro: $49/user/month, billed annually. Adds a power dialer; two-license minimum.
• Pro Plus: $89/user/month, billed annually. Includes AI Review Assist; two-license minimum.
• Business: Custom pricing.

6. CloudTalk

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Sales and support teams that need to find details across a large number of phone conversations.

CloudTalk transcribes calls after they end. With its AI Conversation Intelligence add-on, teams can search transcripts and review summaries, topics, and other call insights. That helps when a manager needs to find every conversation about a recurring objection, or an agent needs to check what a customer was promised last week.

Transcription requires two settings: call recording must be enabled for the relevant numbers, and AI Conversation Intelligence must be active. CloudTalk does not provide a live transcript during the call.

Pros

• Searchable transcripts make past conversations easier to revisit.
• The add-on also includes summaries and conversation insights.
• Can be added to a CloudTalk phone plan without moving to its highest tier.

Cons

• Transcription costs extra on top of the phone plan.
• Transcripts are generated after the call.
• Recording must be enabled for the calls you want transcribed.

Pricing

• Lite: From $19/user/month, billed annually, where available.
• Starter: From $25/user/month, billed annually.
• Essential: From $29/user/month, billed annually.
• Expert: From $49/user/month, billed annually.
• Custom: Quote-based pricing.
• AI Conversation Intelligence: Add $9/user/month, billed annually, to an eligible phone plan for call transcription and analysis.

7. Fireflies.ai

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: Teams that want call transcripts without replacing their current dialer.

Fireflies.ai connects with supported phone services, including Aircall and RingCentral. Once the integration is set up, calls from that service can appear in Fireflies with a transcript and notes. Your team can search past conversations in one place while continuing to make calls through its existing provider.

Check that your particular dialer is supported before signing up. Fireflies does not give you a business phone number or place ordinary phone calls on its own.

Pros

• Works with supported dialers you may already use.
• Brings call transcripts into a searchable workspace.
• Offers a free plan for trying the transcription workflow.

Cons

• Requires a separate phone service to capture calls.
• Integration setup and available features depend on the dialer.
• Storage and dialer transcription limits vary by plan.

Pricing

• Free: $0, with limited storage.
• Pro: $10/seat/month, billed annually.
• Business: $19/seat/month, billed annually.
• Enterprise: $39/seat/month, billed annually.
• Phone service: Priced separately. Check dialer transcription limits before choosing a Fireflies plan.

8. Apple Phone & Notes

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐(G2)

Best for: iPhone users who occasionally need a written record of a personal call.

On a compatible iPhone, you can start recording during a call in the Phone app. Apple saves the recording in Notes, where you can view the transcript once it has been processed. There’s no separate transcription subscription or business phone system to configure.

This is a useful option for checking an appointment time or an address after a call. It has a different purpose from the team tools above: it doesn’t organize transcripts around shared customer records or sales follow-ups. Recording and transcription availability also depend on your device, language, and region.

Pros

• Built into supported iPhones.
• Keeps the recording and transcript together in Notes.
• No additional app subscription.

Cons

• Unavailable on some devices, in some languages, and in some regions.
• Transcripts may take time to appear and should be checked for errors.
• No shared CRM workflow for a sales or support team.

Pricing

• Apple Phone & Notes: Included with a compatible iPhone. No separate subscription is required for call recording and transcription.
• Availability: Check your iPhone model, iOS version, language, and region before relying on the feature.

How To Choose Phone Call Transcription Software

Start with the calls you already make. A transcription tool is only useful if it can capture them without forcing your team into an awkward new routine.

→ If you call from your own number, check whether the app supports it and how calls must be initiated. folk lets you verify your number and place calls through its mobile app. Other tools provide a separate business number and require calls to go through their phone system.

→ If your team already has a dialer, look at integrations before changing providers. Fireflies.ai can transcribe calls from supported services. Confirm that your provider is on its integration list and that your plan covers your expected call volume.

→ If you need the text during a conversation, choose a live transcription tool such as Dialpad. Post-call transcription works well for reviewing details and preparing follow-ups, but it cannot help you check a name while the caller is still on the line.

Finally, compare the cost of the working setup, not just the lowest advertised plan. Quo’s Starter plan transcribes voicemails, while full call transcripts require Business. CloudTalk charges for AI Conversation Intelligence on top of a phone plan. Aircall and JustCall also have minimum license requirements. These differences can matter more to your budget than a few dollars in the headline price.

Which Phone Call Transcription Software Should You Choose?

Choose based on where the call happens and who needs the transcript afterward. Dialpad suits teams that need to read text during a call. Quo, Aircall, JustCall, and CloudTalk pair transcription with business telephony. Fireflies.ai is worth considering if you want to keep a supported dialer, while Apple Phone & Notes covers occasional personal calls on compatible iPhones.

For sales teams, folk CRM makes the strongest case when a call leads to more work. You can call from the mobile app using your verified number, then keep the transcript where your team manages the relationship. The next person to contact the prospect can see what was discussed before they pick up the phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can phone calls be transcribed automatically?

Yes. Some business phone tools transcribe calls once recording is enabled; others require an integration or a paid transcription add-on. Check how calls must be placed and whether transcripts are generated automatically on your chosen plan.

What’s the difference between call recording and call transcription?

A recording saves the audio. A transcription turns speech into text you can read and, depending on the tool, search or share. A plan that includes recording does not necessarily include transcription.

Can I transcribe incoming and outgoing calls?

Many business phone systems can transcribe both, provided those calls go through the system and recording is enabled. Check the provider’s settings and plan terms for each call type.

Can I transcribe a phone call on iPhone or Android?

Yes, but the method depends on the device and app. Compatible iPhones can save recordings and transcripts in Notes where the feature is available. On Android, availability varies by phone and region; a compatible business calling app is another option on either platform.

How accurate are phone call transcripts?

They can miss words when speakers interrupt each other, use unfamiliar names, or call from a noisy place. Replay the relevant part of the recording before relying on a transcript for a price, date, or commitment.

Do I need consent to record and transcribe a phone call?

Recording rules vary by location. Before enabling transcription, check the rules that apply to everyone on the call and make sure participants receive any required notice or give any required consent.