I’ve used Expresscribe for years to transcribe audios that some of my clients have sent me. I love Expresscribe, but the one thing I don’t like about it is that you have to pay to be able to use a foot pedal if you have one – you can only use hot keys if you’re using the free version of Express Scribe. That’s why when I found out about InqScribe, a java-based transcription program from Apple, I decided to check it out. In this post I’ll discuss my first impressions of Inqscribe.
Being able to use a foot pedal in the free version is great, but having to transcribe in their software is not – There’s a trade off for being able to use a foot pedal – you have to transcribe in their software. If you try to use a program like Microsoft Word, which is what I usually use to type up my documents, the foot pedal won’t work. I looked up information on this, and according to Inqscribe’s website they tried to release a version where you could use the software in the background while typing in another program, but it had bugs. So what I’ve started doing is typing as much as I can in Inqscribe, then copying and pasting it into Word and making my changes there.
Not being able to save your work in the evaluation version of InqScribe is not great – If you’re willing to pay $99 for a single user license of InqScribe, you’ll be able to save your work, and you’ll also be able to do other things, such as export data, and also you’ll have to put up with the annoying dialog that comes up each time you open up the free version of InqScribe.
Those are really the only two observations I have about InqScribe so far – I actually like InqScribe pretty well, except for not being able to save my work in the free version. I’ve been able to work around the limitations, as I stated above, and when I finish the transcript I’m currently working on, I’ll probably just go back and listen to it in Expresscribe so I can add my timestamps.
If you do transcription and you’re interested in checking out either of these two programs, you can check out Expresscribe here and Inqscribe here.
Alex Underwood says
Thanks for your honest comparison, Erica. InqScribe is actually designed by a small software company called Inquirium (not Apple), and so we appreciate you spreading the word about our product. You could say we also “work from home.” 🙂
I wanted to point out that you can insert clickable time codes within InqScribe via handy keyboard shortcuts (or via foot pedal, if you customize your shortcuts). Although, as you mentioned, you cannot use InqScribe in the background while you type in Word. Also, we do offer a free, fully-featured 14-day free trial for new users to try out our software with all of its features enabled (this is different from the restricted, “unlicensed” mode you mentioned above).
Anyway, just wanted to send you a quick thanks for the review. We hope you continue to enjoy InqScribe. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions at support@inqscribe.com.
-Alex Underwood
Community Manager, InqScribe
Erica Martin says
Thanks for the comment Alex, I don’t k now what made me think that InqScribe was made by Apple..LOL. And I did figure how to insert timecodes, and will be trying it next time I transcribe something. I plan to publish more about my experiences with InqScribe, so please be sure to check back for updates.
Keyur aghera says
hii brother, i have read your whole article but I don’t understand which software is best? Inqscribe or expressribe ? i want to know which software more accuracy for transcript? Plz bro reply as soon as possible and good article.
Erica Martin says
It’s been a while since I’ve done transcription, but it really depends on your preference and whether you’re willing to pay/how much you’re willing to pay.