A free alternative to WhatsApp transcription bots
Updated
If you use WhatsApp Web on a computer, Prontei transcribes voice messages right in the chat, free and with no usage limits, so there’s nothing to forward to a bot. On your phone, WhatsApp’s own transcription is an option where it’s available.
Why Prontei exists
I used ViraTexto every day. When it started charging for transcriptions, I built my own: an extension that transcribes WhatsApp Web voice messages on your own computer, free and with no usage limits. That’s how Prontei started.
ViraTexto is a Brazilian transcription bot: you forward a voice message to its number and get the text back. In October 2026, Blip, the company that runs it, announced it had become paid: R$4.90 (Brazilian reais) for 50 transcriptions, up to 4 minutes each, with no subscription. Other bots work the same way. If you only get a few voice messages on your phone, a bot can still be handy. If you spend the day in WhatsApp Web, there’s another way.
How the options compare
Comparison by the Prontei team on November 1, 2026, based on each service’s public pages. Prices and terms change: check the source before you decide.
| Option | Cost | Where the audio is processed | Account | Limits | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwarding to a bot (e.g. ViraTexto) | ViraTexto: R$4.90 for 50 transcriptions | On the service’s servers: you forward the audio to the bot’s number | You chat with the bot from your WhatsApp | ViraTexto: up to 4 minutes per message | Phone and computer |
| Cloud transcription extension | Varies: free quota, paid plan or your own API key | On the extension’s or an AI provider’s servers | Varies | Varies by service | Computer, in the browser |
| WhatsApp’s built-in transcripts | Free | On the phone itself, according to WhatsApp | Just your WhatsApp account | Supported languages and devices vary | Documented for phones (Android and iPhone) |
| Prontei | Free, no usage limits | On your computer | No sign-up | Up to 15 minutes per message | Computer: Chrome 120+ or Firefox 153+ |
Forwarding to a bot
It works on any device, because all you do is forward the message. The trade-off: the audio leaves the original chat and goes to another service. For ViraTexto, the terms of use (version of October 2, 2026, section “Armazenamento e expurgo de dados”) allow the content of messages sent to it to be kept for five years. That doesn’t mean every voice message is kept; it means the terms allow it.
Extensions that transcribe in the cloud
They also live in WhatsApp Web, but they send the audio to a server. Policies differ: SozAI says audio goes to its servers and transcripts are kept until you delete them; Kaption says it discards the audio once the transcript is returned. Read each one’s policy before installing.
WhatsApp’s own transcription
WhatsApp offers voice message transcripts on phones and says they are generated on your device. It’s a good option when your phone is in your hand. WhatsApp’s help center notes that the feature has only rolled out on some devices and may not be available to you yet.
Prontei, on your computer
WhatsApp transcribes on your phone; Prontei brings local transcription to WhatsApp Web on your computer. Click the hummingbird next to a voice message and the text appears right below it, ready to copy. No forwarding audio to a bot, no uploading it to a transcription service: Prontei doesn’t receive your audio or transcripts. It recognizes 25 languages, with a dedicated transcriber for Brazilian Portuguese.
The limits matter too: it works on a computer only, each voice message can be up to 15 minutes, and the model needs about 1 GB of free space and downloads once, with your permission.