Express Scribe vs. Microsoft 365

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Express Scribe
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Express Scribe Professional is a foot pedal controlled audio player software specifically designed for typists and transcription work. Featuring foot pedal control, variable speed, speech to text engine integration and support for a wide variety of audio formats including .dss, .dct, .wav, .mp3, and .wma. Audio recordings can be loaded automatically from CD, email, LAN, FTP, local hard drive and Express Delegate. Traditional hand held dictation recorders can also be docked and the audio…
$39.95
per user
Microsoft 365
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a Microsoft Cloud subscription service that includes Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access). The software can be installed across multiple devices and ensures that users always have the most up-to-date version of the included Office applications.
$5
Per User Per Month
Pricing
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Editions & Modules
Basic
$39.95
per user
Professional
$49.99
per user
Business Basic
$5.00
Per User Per Month
Individual
$5.84
*Per Month
Business - Apps
$8.25
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - F3
$10.00
Per User Per Month
Business Standard
$12.50
Per User Per Month
Business Premium
$20.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E3
$32.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E5
$57.00
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsLifetime license*When billed annually.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Best Alternatives
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Small Businesses
Zoom Workplace
Zoom Workplace
Score 8.4 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Dovetail
Dovetail
Score 8.7 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Verint Speech and Text Analytics
Verint Speech and Text Analytics
Score 8.4 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
7.0
(1 ratings)
8.8
(259 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.7
(29 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(54 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Express ScribeMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
NCH Software
It has a free trial, which is very nice if someone just needs temporary access to use, and it's not an expensive program overall. It may not be the most robust program available, but it gets the job done at a good price point. It might not be the best if you need something that allows transcriptionists to collaborate (i.e., working on the same file at the same time).
Read full review
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 would be well suited for medium to large enterprises. This is where there are several hundreds or thousands of people. Since most everyone has used one of the applications the learning curve would be reduced. Another reason would be the ability to implement security measures to prevent access to sensitive data. This could justify the cost of an Enterprise license.
Read full review
Pros
NCH Software
  • Cost efficient - This is a fairly low-cost transcription software that can be downloaded quickly via web
  • Easy to use - New users can get the hang of this software pretty quickly
  • Customizable - Foot pedal controls and other preferences can be set based on what feels intuitive to the user
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Chat with teams and the integrations with the other apps, and many more smaller ones, like to-dos, news, and the recent Outlook integration.
  • Easy embedding on SharePoint to broadcast all the content created in the different tools.
  • The office package is still robust with the good things from the past and new additions.
Read full review
Cons
NCH Software
  • Interface - The look and feel of the software is quite dated and could use a refresh
  • Enhancing audio - When we need to manipulate an audio file to try to enhance it (amplifying, for example), we have to use another program to do so
  • Hotkeys - Setting up hotkeys may not be as intuitive for new users as would be ideal
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Slack is 1000x better than teams. Why put a 250 limit on a chat? Our company hasn't moved fully to channels and it's making us lose transparency. Plus, the teams channels we do have nobody is going to. 90% loss in visibility and engagement.
  • Teams for web meetings. I think the UI/UX should match Zoom which is the standard for all our customers. They don't like it when we use Teams.
  • Chats and Channels need to somehow be on one screen automatically without having to choose that view because majority of our company hasn't opened Teams Channels and only stays in chats.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
NCH Software
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
There are many features of Office that we cannot replicate in any other tool. Plus people know it already. It's not going away anytime soon.
Read full review
Usability
NCH Software
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 is the gold standard for performing project tasks in a professional environment, enabling the quick transfer and exchange of files and ideas for team members who work locally and remotely. Its suite of tools is familiar and has evolved to being cloud based, allowing for files to be updated in real time from near and far.
Read full review
Support Rating
NCH Software
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Over the past 8 years of using Microsoft 365, I have noticed that they change vendors often. This always leads to a poor experience in the beginning, then levels out after some time for the company to get things worked out. As a customer, it is really frustrating because I don't have time when something isn't working to have them "look into my issue" and get back with me. They have even closed a ticket I specifically told them to keep open. Your applications are only as good as the support.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
NCH Software
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Everything works and I use it all the time.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
NCH Software
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Its very user-friendly, collaborative and efficient that boosts productivity using cloud tools. their security is strong and it provides data protection. There are regular updates that shields us from attackers too. It offers a wealth of learning resources, including tutorials, help articles and video guide to help users make the most of the application and personally upgrade their skills.
Read full review
Return on Investment
NCH Software
  • Very few 'inaudibles' (spots where we're unable to decipher what was said)
  • Transcribing allows analysts to read scripts rather than listen to audio files, which saves time and money
  • Low cost of software
Read full review
Microsoft
  • We have a lot of nonprofit users, so they have a good ROI.
  • I like the constant updates without having to purchase the software repeatedly.
  • I used to purchase each Office (insert year here) often, so the software was up to date and had the newest options and connectors. I think my return on investment would have been much better if Microsoft had updated those versions to keep them current; after all, we did pay for them.
  • Microsoft 365's offering a monthly fee or a discount for a year helps, and you can look at it as a free backup if you have everything set to back up to One Drive. (Cloud-based document filing you can access anywhere ( with an internet connection)—you Can't beat that!)
Read full review
ScreenShots

Express Scribe Screenshots

Screenshot of Load DictationsScreenshot of Playback OptionsScreenshot of Optional Foot Pedal or HotKey ControlScreenshot of Express Scribe Mini Control