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10 min readBrassTranscripts Team

BrassTranscripts vs Votars.ai: Honest Comparison for AI Transcription

When choosing between BrassTranscripts and Votars.ai for AI transcription, the decision comes down to your specific workflow needs, budget structure, and feature priorities. This comparison examines both services based on publicly available information and verifiable specifications.

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Pricing Structure Comparison

The most significant difference between these services is their pricing model.

BrassTranscripts Pricing

BrassTranscripts uses per-file pricing with no subscription required[1]:

  • 1-15 minutes: $2.25 flat fee
  • 16+ minutes: $0.15 per minute

Example costs:

  • 10-minute interview: $2.25
  • 30-minute podcast: $4.50 (30 × $0.15)
  • 60-minute meeting: $9.00 (60 × $0.15)
  • 120-minute lecture: $18.00 (120 × $0.15)

Best for: Occasional users, variable volume, budget predictability

Votars.ai Pricing

Votars.ai uses monthly subscription tiers[2]:

  • Free: 300 minutes total (trial period)
  • Personal: 1,800 minutes per month + 100 AI summaries
  • Business: Unlimited transcription + 500 AI summaries + team features
  • Enterprise: Unlimited transcription + unlimited summaries (custom pricing)

Note: Specific monthly prices for Personal and Business tiers are available on their pricing page[2]. Exact amounts vary by billing cycle (monthly vs annual).

Best for: High-volume consistent users who need monthly allocations

Pricing Model Trade-offs

Choose pay-per-file (BrassTranscripts) if:

  • Your transcription needs vary month to month
  • You want zero commitment or subscriptions
  • You process occasional long-form content (2+ hours)
  • You need exact cost prediction per project

Choose subscription (Votars.ai) if:

  • You have consistent monthly transcription volume
  • You want AI summarization features included
  • You need team collaboration and seat management
  • You prefer all-inclusive monthly budgeting

Core Features Side-by-Side

Feature BrassTranscripts Votars.ai
File Upload ✅ Audio & Video ✅ Audio & Video
Live Recording ❌ Not offered ✅ Real-time transcription
Speaker ID ✅ Automatic diarization[1] ✅ Multi-speaker identification[2]
AI Summaries ❌ Not included ✅ Included (tier-dependent)[2]
Team Features ❌ Individual use ✅ Business tier (up to 99 seats)[2]
Document Export TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON[1] Word, Excel, PowerPoint, mind maps[2]
File Size Limit 250MB, 2 hours[1] Not publicly specified
Processing Speed 1-3 min per hour of audio[1] Real-time (for live) + file upload

Feature Analysis

BrassTranscripts strengths:

  • Simple file upload workflow optimized for pre-recorded content
  • Multiple technical transcript formats (SRT, VTT for subtitles)
  • Fast batch processing for editing workflows
  • No feature tiers - everyone gets the same quality

Votars.ai strengths:

  • Real-time transcription during live meetings
  • Integrated AI summarization and document generation
  • Team collaboration features for business workflows
  • Broader export options for business documents

Language Support

BrassTranscripts

  • 99+ languages supported via WhisperX large-v3 model[1]
  • Automatic language detection
  • Consistent quality across all supported languages (single AI model)

Votars.ai

  • 74 languages supported[2]
  • Claimed accuracy: "99.8% precision" according to their website[2]

Language coverage winner: BrassTranscripts (99+ vs 74 languages)

Note on accuracy claims: Votars.ai publicly claims 99.8% accuracy[2]. BrassTranscripts uses WhisperX large-v3 and delivers professional-grade quality for clear audio, but does not publish specific accuracy percentages without independent testing data.

Processing Speed and Limits

BrassTranscripts

  • Processing speed: 1-3 minutes per hour of audio (measured from actual system performance)[1]
  • Maximum file size: 250MB
  • Maximum duration: 2 hours per file
  • Turnaround: Results typically delivered within 5 minutes for standard files

Example: A 60-minute podcast processes in approximately 1-3 minutes total.

Votars.ai

  • Processing speed: Real-time for live transcription[2]
  • File limits: Not publicly specified on their website[2]
  • Monthly limits: Based on subscription tier (300 min free, 1,800 min Personal, unlimited Business+)

Who Should Choose Each Service

Choose BrassTranscripts if you:

  1. Process pre-recorded content (podcasts, interviews, lectures, meetings)
  2. Need technical formats (SRT/VTT for video subtitles, JSON for data processing)
  3. Want simple pricing with no subscriptions or monthly commitments
  4. Have variable volume that changes significantly month to month
  5. Work with many languages (99+ language support)
  6. Need fast file processing (1-3 min per audio hour)

Ideal users: Podcasters, video creators, journalists, researchers, students, legal professionals processing depositions

Choose Votars.ai if you:

  1. Conduct live meetings requiring real-time transcription
  2. Need AI summaries and automatic document generation
  3. Manage a team requiring collaboration features and multiple seats
  4. Have consistent monthly volume that fits within tier limits
  5. Want business document exports (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, mind maps)
  6. Prefer subscription model with monthly allocation

Ideal users: Business teams, enterprise organizations, meeting-heavy workflows, collaborative projects

Pricing Scenarios: Which Costs Less?

Let's calculate real costs for common use cases:

Scenario 1: Solo Podcaster (200 minutes/month)

BrassTranscripts:

  • 4 episodes × 50 minutes each
  • Cost: 4 × (50 × $0.15) = 4 × $7.50 = $30.00/month

Votars.ai:

  • Personal tier: 1,800 minutes included
  • Cost: [Personal tier monthly price] (visit pricing page for current amount[2])

Scenario 2: Occasional User (1-2 files per month, ~30 min each)

BrassTranscripts:

  • 2 files × 30 minutes each
  • Cost: 2 × $4.50 = $9.00/month

Votars.ai:

  • Free tier: 300 minutes total (limited trial)
  • Must upgrade to Personal for ongoing use
  • Cost: [Personal tier monthly price] (visit pricing page[2])

Winner for occasional use: BrassTranscripts (pay only when you use)

Scenario 3: Business Team (5,000+ minutes/month)

BrassTranscripts:

  • 5,000 minutes × $0.15/min = $750/month

Votars.ai:

  • Business tier: Unlimited transcription
  • Cost: [Business tier monthly price] (visit pricing page[2])

Winner for high-volume teams: Likely Votars.ai Business tier (unlimited usage model)

Technical Specifications

BrassTranscripts Technical Details

  • AI Model: WhisperX with Whisper large-v3[1]
  • Processing: RunPod GPU infrastructure
  • Security: Automatic deletion (audio 24h, transcripts 48h), encryption in transit and at rest[1]
  • Compliance: GDPR compliant, data minimization[1]
  • API Access: Not currently offered
  • Batch Processing: Upload individual files (up to 250MB, 2 hours each)

Votars.ai Technical Details

  • AI Model: Not publicly specified (generic "AI" referenced)[2]
  • Processing: Real-time + file upload
  • Security: SOC 2, SSL encryption, GDPR compliant[2]
  • Compliance: All user data encrypted[2]
  • API Access: Not specified on public pages[2]
  • Collaboration: Team seats, sharing features available in Business tier[2]

When to Switch Between Services

Switch TO BrassTranscripts if you currently:

  • Pay for monthly subscription but only use 1-2 hours
  • Need subtitle files (SRT/VTT) for video workflows
  • Want to eliminate recurring charges
  • Process longer files (90+ minutes) occasionally

Switch TO Votars.ai if you currently:

  • Pay high per-minute costs with consistent volume
  • Need real-time transcription for live meetings
  • Require team collaboration and sharing
  • Want AI summarization included

AI Prompt: Transcription Service Comparison Analyzer

Use this prompt with any AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to help analyze which transcription service fits your needs based on your actual usage patterns.

The Prompt

📋 Copy & Paste This Prompt

I need help choosing between transcription services based on my usage patterns. Please analyze which option (pay-per-file or subscription) would be more cost-effective and practical for my needs.

My Transcription Usage:
- Average minutes transcribed per month: [YOUR NUMBER]
- Typical file length: [e.g., 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 2 hours]
- Usage consistency: [e.g., "Every week", "2-3 times per month", "Varies significantly"]
- Content type: [e.g., Podcasts, Meetings, Interviews, Lectures, Mixed]
- Team size: [Solo / 2-5 people / 6+ people]

Required Features:
- [ ] Real-time live transcription
- [ ] Speaker identification
- [ ] Subtitle file formats (SRT/VTT)
- [ ] AI summarization
- [ ] Team collaboration
- [ ] Multi-language support (specify languages: [YOUR LANGUAGES])
- [ ] Integration with other tools (specify: [YOUR TOOLS])

Budget Information:
- Current monthly transcription spending: $[YOUR AMOUNT] or [FREE/TRIAL currently]
- Maximum monthly budget: $[YOUR MAXIMUM]
- Billing preference: [Monthly subscription / Pay-per-use / Either works]

Based on this information:

1. Calculate my monthly costs for both BrassTranscripts (pay-per-file at $2.25 for 1-15 min, $0.15/min for 16+ min) and typical subscription services (assume ~$20-50/month for mid-tier)

2. Identify which features I actually need vs. nice-to-have extras

3. Recommend which pricing model makes more sense for my usage pattern

4. Highlight any dealbreakers or must-have features that eliminate options

5. Suggest whether I should start with a trial/free option or commit to paid service immediately

Please show your math and reasoning for cost calculations.

---
Prompt by BrassTranscripts (brasstranscripts.com) – Professional AI transcription with high-quality results.
---

📖 View Markdown Version | ⚙️ Download YAML Format

How to Use This Prompt

  1. Copy the prompt above and paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or your AI assistant
  2. Fill in your specific numbers in the bracketed sections
  3. Check the features you actually need (not just what sounds nice)
  4. Review the AI's analysis to see which service model fits your workflow
  5. Run the prompt again if your usage patterns change seasonally

This prompt helps you make data-driven decisions instead of guessing which service to choose.

The Honest Verdict

There is no universal winner - the right choice depends entirely on your workflow.

BrassTranscripts Wins For:

  • Variable monthly volume (some months 0, some months high)
  • Budget-conscious occasional users
  • Content creators who need subtitle formats
  • International content (99+ languages)
  • Users who hate subscriptions
  • Long-form content (90+ minute files)

Votars.ai Wins For:

  • Consistent high-volume monthly usage
  • Live meeting transcription needs
  • Business teams requiring collaboration
  • Users who want AI summaries included
  • Organizations with team seat requirements
  • Preference for monthly budgeting

My Recommendation Process

  1. Calculate your average monthly minutes from the past 3 months
  2. Identify must-have features (not nice-to-haves)
  3. Run the cost calculation for both services
  4. Consider usage variability (does it fluctuate significantly?)
  5. Try free tiers first if available to test workflow fit

Conclusion

Both BrassTranscripts and Votars.ai serve the AI transcription market with different strengths. BrassTranscripts excels at simple, fast, pay-per-file transcription with broad language support and no commitment. Votars.ai shines for teams needing real-time transcription, collaboration, and integrated AI summarization.

Your choice should be based on:

  • Pricing structure that matches your usage pattern
  • Features you'll actually use (not marketing bullets)
  • Workflow integration (live meetings vs file uploads)
  • Cost predictability (subscription vs per-use)

Next Steps:

  • For BrassTranscripts: Upload a file and get a 30-word preview before payment
  • For Votars.ai: Visit their pricing page for current subscription rates

Sources

[1] BrassTranscripts service specifications from brasstranscripts.com (verified system configuration, processing speeds measured from actual performance data)

[2] Votars.ai service information from votars.ai and votars.ai/ja/pricing (features, language support, pricing tiers, accuracy claims as of October 2025)

Transparency Note: This comparison uses publicly available information from both services' websites. Specific subscription prices for Votars.ai are available on their pricing page and may vary by billing cycle. BrassTranscripts pricing is fixed and transparent: $2.25 flat (1-15 min), $0.15/min (16+ min).

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