Two Plans, One App
12scribe offers two subscription plans: Free and Pro. Both plans include unlimited recording time, unlimited markers, full playback functionality, and local storage on your device. The differences lie in transcription volume, AI analysis depth, cloud storage, multi-device access, and sharing capabilities.
The Free plan is generous enough for casual users and students who record a few lectures per week. You get 150 minutes of transcription each month — enough for about two to three hour-long lectures. All core features work, and your recordings are stored locally with no expiration.
The Pro plan is built for power users who rely on transcription daily — journalists transcribing multiple interviews, researchers processing hours of audio, team leads who need every meeting documented, and students with heavy lecture schedules across multiple courses. It multiplies your transcription capacity by ten and unlocks premium features that make heavy usage practical.
Quick Comparison
Here is what each plan includes side by side:
Free Plan:
- 150 transcription minutes per month — roughly 2.5 hours of audio
- Basic AI Smart Notes generation
- 1 device only — your recordings stay on one iPhone or iPad
- Local storage only — no cloud backup for audio files
- Standard sharing with 7-day link expiration
- Metadata sync (project names, markers) to the cloud
Pro Plan:
- 1,500 transcription minutes per month — roughly 25 hours of audio
- Full AI Smart Notes with all content block types including tables, logic chains, and emphasis blocks
- Up to 3 devices with full cloud sync
- Cloud audio backup — your recordings are safe even if you lose your device
- Extended sharing with 30-day links and optional password protection
- Priority transcription processing — faster turnaround during peak hours
Quotas Explained
Understanding how quotas work helps you plan your usage and avoid running out at the wrong moment:
- Transcription minutes are counted based on audio duration, not processing time. A 45-minute recording uses exactly 45 minutes of your quota, regardless of whether the transcription takes 2 minutes or 5 minutes to process on the server.
- Monthly reset — your quota resets on the first day of each calendar month. Unused minutes do not roll over to the next month. On January 1, your counter goes back to zero whether you used 10 minutes or 140.
- Device limit — the Free plan allows one device. Pro allows up to three. You can view and manage your devices from the Profile tab. Adding a fourth device on Pro requires removing one of the existing three.
- Cloud storage — Pro users can back up full audio files to the cloud, protecting against device loss or damage. Metadata (project names, markers, transcriptions) syncs on both plans, so your organizational structure is always backed up.
- Sharing quota — both plans allow creating shared links. The difference is in expiration (7 vs 30 days) and the ability to add password protection on Pro for sensitive content like confidential meetings.
You can monitor your current usage anytime from the Profile tab, which shows a clear breakdown of minutes used, minutes remaining, current billing period, and the exact date your quota resets.
When to Upgrade
Consider upgrading to Pro if any of these situations describe your usage pattern:
- You regularly hit the 150-minute monthly transcription limit before the month ends
- You need to access your recordings on multiple devices — for example, recording on iPhone during lectures and reviewing on iPad at home
- You want cloud backup to protect months of recordings against device loss, theft, or damage
- You share recordings with colleagues or classmates and need longer link expiration or password protection
- You want the full range of AI content block types in Smart Notes, including tables, logic chains, and emphasis blocks that provide deeper analytical structure
You can upgrade anytime from the Profile tab. The change takes effect immediately — your quota resets to the Pro level and all Pro features unlock instantly. There is no waiting period. If you decide to cancel later, your current billing period remains active until it expires, and you keep all your recordings and transcriptions. Learn more about what transcription features look like in practice in How Transcription Works.