AI · head to head
Play.ht vs Rev
Rev
AI
Human and AI transcription, captions and subtitles priced per minute
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Play.ht the vendor's own pricing FAQ as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 January 2022 states words do not roll over between subscription cycles and reset each renewal, that payments already made are non-refundable, and that running out of words requires a separate one-time purchase; no dollar figures appear in this capture but the mechanism is stated plainly by the vendor; Rev human transcription at 1.99 US dollars a minute means roughly 120 dollars an hour of audio, so a long-form interview series costs more in transcription than most teams assume before they run the arithmetic.
- They diverge on capability: Play.ht covers 900+ voices, Rev covers Human transcription.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Play.ht and Rev actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Play.ht
- 900+ voices
- 142 languages
- Voice cloning
- Real-time streaming
- API access
- WordPress plugin
- Podcast hosting
- Web support
Only in Rev
- Human transcription
- AI transcription
- Captions and subtitles
- Legal transcripts
- File analysis
- Clio integration
- Rev API
- Speaker identification
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Play.ht
- ai tools managementnot Rev
- Workflow automationnot Rev
- Reportingnot Rev
Rev
- A law firm that needs a deposition transcript in a court-acceptable page format with a fixed turnaround and a published per-page price it can bill to a matter.not Play.ht
- A documentary or podcast producer costing a project in advance, because human transcription at a published per-minute rate makes the transcription line item a known number.not Play.ht
- A broadcaster needing compliant human captions rather than machine captions, where accuracy is a regulatory requirement and not a convenience.not Play.ht
- A team with high AI volume and occasional high-stakes files, using the subscription for the bulk and paying the discounted human rate only where accuracy matters.not Play.ht
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Play.ht
- The vendor's own pricing FAQ as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 January 2022 states words do not roll over between subscription cycles and reset each renewal, that payments already made are non-refundable, and that running out of words requires a separate one-time purchase; no dollar figures appear in this capture but the mechanism is stated plainly by the vendor
Rev
- Human transcription at 1.99 US dollars a minute means roughly 120 dollars an hour of audio, so a long-form interview series costs more in transcription than most teams assume before they run the arithmetic.
- AI minutes are allocated per seat per month and do not roll over, so bursty workloads, which is how most media production actually behaves, waste allowance in quiet months and run out in busy ones.
- The product direction has moved towards legal and investigative use, so a newsroom or media buyer is choosing a tool whose roadmap priority sits elsewhere.
- Foreign-language subtitles are priced from 6.49 to 15.99 US dollars per minute, an order of magnitude above transcription, which makes multi-language localisation of any volume of video expensive enough to change the plan.
- Human turnaround is stated in hours rather than guaranteed contractually on the published plans, so a hard broadcast or filing deadline needs an agreement beyond the standard terms.
Pricing, plan by plan
Play.ht
Free- FreeFree
- 2,500 words/month
- Standard voices
- Creator$31/month
- Unlimited words
- Voice cloning
- Pro$99/month
- Commercial license
- API access
Rev
Free- FreeFree
- 45 AI transcription and caption minutes per month
- Up to 5 files analysed
- No human transcription included
- Essentials$25.49/month
- 5,000 AI minutes per seat per month
- Up to 3 seats
- 10 per cent discount on human transcription, captions and subtitles
- Pro$47.99/month
- 10,000 AI minutes per seat per month
- Up to 5 seats
- 15 per cent discount on human work
- Unlimited$undefined/month
- Unlimited AI minutes
- Up to 500 files analysed at once
- Dedicated account specialist
Which should you pick?
Choose Play.ht if
- You need 900+ voices.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want 142 languages.
Choose Rev if
- You need human transcription.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- You also want ai transcription.
Questions people ask
- Is Play.ht or Rev better?
- Neither clearly leads. Play.ht starts at Free and Rev at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Play.ht or Rev?
- Play.ht starts at Free and Rev at Free.
- Does Play.ht or Rev run on more platforms?
- Play.ht runs on Web, Api. Rev runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- Can I use Play.ht for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Play.ht best used for?
- Play.ht is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what Rev is typically brought in for.
- What can Play.ht do that Rev cannot?
- Play.ht covers 900+ voices, 142 languages, Voice cloning, Real-time streaming. Rev covers Human transcription, AI transcription, Captions and subtitles, Legal transcripts.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Rev: How much is human transcription?
1.99 US dollars per minute with a stated accuracy target above 99 per cent, typically returned within 12 hours. Subscribers get 10 to 15 per cent off.
Rev: Is there a free tier?
Yes, 45 AI minutes per month and up to 5 files analysed, with no human transcription included.
Rev: Do unused AI minutes roll over?
No. The allowance is per seat per month and resets, which penalises irregular workloads.
Rev: Can it do subtitles in other languages?
Yes, across seventeen languages, priced from 6.49 to 15.99 US dollars per minute, considerably more than transcription.
Rev: Is Rev still a good choice for newsrooms?
It works, but the subscription tiers are now positioned around legal and investigative workflows, so a newsroom should compare it against a tool built specifically for journalism.
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