Legal transcription software costs a law firm between roughly 10 USD and 50 USD per user per month for AI tools, 10 USD per audio hour for pay as you go AI, and about 1.99 USD per minute (119 USD per audio hour) when a human checks the transcript. For a firm that records 10 hours of client calls and interviews a month, an AI subscription is typically under a tenth of the cost of human transcription. Prices below were read from vendor pages in October 2026 and change often, so confirm before you buy.
Legal transcription pricing at a glance
| Option | How it is priced | Price read from vendor page | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stenograph Pro | Flat per user, 900 minutes included | 49 USD per month billed yearly, 99 monthly | Attorneys who record calls and also dictate drafts |
| Stenograph Team | Flat, up to five people, shared dictionary | 149 USD per month billed yearly, 299 monthly | Small firms |
| Otter Business | Per user | 19.99 USD per user per month billed yearly | Meeting notes with a bot |
| Sonix pay as you go | Per audio hour | 10 USD per hour | Occasional recordings |
| Rev AI | Per plan | Essentials 29.99 USD per month | Light AI use |
| Rev human transcription | Per minute | 1.99 USD per minute | Transcripts someone else has checked |
| Court reporter | Per page or per day | Quote from the reporter | Depositions and hearings |
Stenograph is our product. We list the others as we found them and are not affiliated with them.
What actually changes the price of legal transcription
Three things move the bill more than the headline number.
- Per minute versus per seat. A per minute service costs nothing in a quiet month and a lot in a busy one. A flat seat plan costs the same whether you transcribe two hours or twenty.
- Human review. Adding a person who checks the transcript multiplies the cost by ten or more. Many firms reserve it for the few recordings that will be filed or quoted.
- Cleanup time. A cheap transcript that mangles party names costs paid hours to fix. A firm dictionary that learns your client and court names cuts that.
What a small firm pays in a month
Take a three attorney firm that records about 10 hours of client calls, intake interviews and file notes a month.
- Human transcription at 1.99 USD per minute: 600 minutes comes to 1,194 USD.
- Pay as you go AI at 10 USD per audio hour: about 100 USD.
- Stenograph Team at 149 USD per month billed yearly: 149 USD, with dictation for all three attorneys included and the transcripts covered by the plan's transcription minutes.
The AI options cost a fraction of human transcription, and the flat plan becomes the better deal as soon as attorneys also dictate letters and emails instead of typing them.
Where AI transcription is not enough
Use a certified court reporter for depositions, hearings and sworn statements. Use a human reviewed service when a transcript will be filed, quoted to a court or sent to the other side. Use AI for client calls, intake interviews, internal meetings, recorded dictation and anything you will summarize yourself. Always review an AI transcript before you rely on it.
How to pick without overpaying
Count your hours
Add up the recorded hours in a typical month, not a busy one.
Decide who drafts
If attorneys write their own letters and notes, a plan that includes dictation saves more than any per minute discount.
Check confidentiality terms
Ask where audio goes and whether it trains models. Stenograph deletes audio after processing and never trains on your content, but does not sign a business associate agreement.
Run one week
Test on real calls with consent from everyone on them where state law requires it.
For a full ranked comparison see best legal transcription software. If you mostly want to draft by voice, dictation software for solo attorneys shows what a small practice gets. The plans are on the pricing page. Firms that also draft pleadings often pair a transcript with AI software for legal research and drafting as the next step.
Legal transcription software pricing questions
How much does legal transcription software cost?
AI legal transcription software runs from about 8 to 50 USD per user per month, or around 10 USD per audio hour pay as you go. Human reviewed transcripts cost about 1.99 USD per minute. Flat plans like Stenograph start at 24 USD per month billed yearly.
How much does legal transcription cost per minute?
AI transcription is a few cents per minute at most. Human transcription is about 1.99 USD per minute on Rev, and certified legal transcription by a court reporter is quoted per page or per day.
Is AI transcription accurate enough for lawyers?
For client calls, interviews and internal recordings, AI is accurate enough when the audio is clear and you review the result. For filings, depositions and anything official, use a certified reporter or human review.
Is there a flat rate legal transcription plan?
Yes. Stenograph Pro includes 900 transcription minutes a month for 49 USD billed yearly, and Team covers up to five people for 149 USD billed yearly.