Cockatoo vs Sonix (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cockatoo and Sonix share a 2.2 GPA, and only Cockatoo has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cockatoo grades higher on ease of use. Sonix grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cockatoo
Upload-based AI transcription with speaker labels and translation
Sonix
Browser-based transcription, translation and meeting recorder
Which one is for you
Pick Cockatoo if
- Fits if you have recordings to upload and want speaker-labelled transcripts
- Works for iPhone users who want voice notes sent to the same account
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, as Pro is $30 against $22.50 on yearly billing, and Max is $100 a month
- Skip it if you want a bot to join your calls, as the pages read describe none
- Watch out: Team starts at three users, and Max is billed monthly only
- Skip it if you use Android or want a desktop app, as only web and iPhone are listed
Pick Sonix if
- Fits if you transcribe recorded interviews or podcasts and need subtitles or translations
- Makes sense if you need a BAA or SOC 2 report from a transcription vendor
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a bot that sits in every call, since the recorder is a side feature
- Tight if you transcribe a lot: 5 hours a month on Core, then $10 an hour
- Pricey if you add seats, at $25 a month each with no extra hours
- Watch out: real-time transcription is only early access, and there are no mobile or desktop apps
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACockatooFair | 2.2GPASonixFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $22.50 a month on yearly billing and $30 monthly, past the dearer quarter ($18) of meeting-note tools but below its dearest tenth. | C$25 a month for 5 hours, or $275 billed yearly. The category's middle sits at $11.99 and the dearer quarter starts at $15, so this is the upper end. Extra hours are $10 each and extra seats $25 a month with no added hours. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan to try transcription, read and edit transcripts and preview translation, no card needed. It is a taste, not a plan to live on. | CNo free plan. There are 30 free minutes of transcription with no card, which is about one short meeting. |
| Features | CUpload or record, two transcription models, translation, exports and a Canvas. The pages describe no bot to join calls. | CTranscripts, translation, subtitles, summaries, a meeting bot and an API. The listing itself says real-time transcription is early access and the recorder is a side feature, so it is a file tool first. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you upload a file or record and get a transcript back with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record. It's a web app where you upload a file, but the meeting recorder needs your calendar and call accounts connected, and the editor has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb and iPhone only, with no integrations or desktop app listed. | BWeb only, with no mobile or desktop apps on the pricing page. It does connect to Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Zapier and Adobe Premiere, and has a REST API. |
| Best for | upload-based AI transcription | transcribing recorded audio and video files in a browser |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cockatoo and Sonix. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cockatoo starts at $22.50 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sonix starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Cockatoo starts $2.50 a month lower. Of the other AI meeting note takers on the chart, 45 score higher than Cockatoo for less, and 47 score higher than Sonix for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Cockatoo also covers dictation and chat assistant.
At a glance
| Cockatoo | Sonix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $22.50 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | $25 per month for 5 hrs, billed monthly ($275 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | Free: try audio and video transcription, read and edit transcripts, file translation previews and Canvas. No credit card required. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30 free minutes of transcription, no card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Cockatoo | Sonix, Inc. |
| Price read from | cockatoo.com | sonix.ai |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cockatoo
- It works from uploaded files and live recording; the pages read do not describe a bot that joins calls.
- Pro needs $30 a month on monthly billing; the $22.50 figure applies to annual billing.
- Team plans start at three users, and Max is billed monthly only.
Sonix
- Pay As You Go is $10 per hour with no subscription; extra hours on any plan are also $10 per hour.
- Extra seats cost $25 a month ($275 a year) each and add no hours; the included hours are shared by the workspace.
- Real-time transcription is listed as early access, and the AI meeting recorder is one feature among a file-based transcription product.
- The pricing page shows no mobile or desktop apps; the editor runs in a browser.
Key features
Cockatoo
- Upload or record
- Drag in MP3, MP4, M4A, MOV, WAV and other formats for a timestamped, speaker-labeled transcript, or record and dictate live on Pro.
- Two transcription models
- V4-Fast is unlimited on paid plans; V4-Pro supports 36 languages and has monthly limits that Max raises to 5x or 10x.
- Canvas
- Summaries, insights, chat and edits over a transcript. Canvas is available to try on the free plan and in full on Pro.
- Translation and exports
- Translate transcripts into 90 languages, and documents such as PDF, Word and PowerPoint. Export as PDF, DOCX, TXT or subtitles.
- Voice Notes for iOS
- A companion iPhone app, Cockatoo AI Voice Notes, handles voice capture and dictation on the go.
Sonix
- Transcription in 54+ languages
- Uploaded audio and video become transcripts with named speakers and word-level timestamps, editable in the browser.
- Translation and subtitles
- Transcripts can be translated into 54+ languages, and subtitles exported as SRT or VTT or burned into video.
- AI meeting recorder
- A Sonix agent joins Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams calls and writes the transcript while people talk.
- AI analysis
- Summaries, chapters and sentiment analysis run on transcripts, drawing on a separate monthly allowance of AI hours.
- Sharing and exports
- Share transcripts by link, embed a media player, or export to DOCX, PDF and TXT.
- API and automation
- A REST API, webhooks and a Zapier connection let other tools send recordings in and pull transcripts out.
Plans
Cockatoo
Free$0
A small allowance to try transcription, translation previews and Canvas.
Pro$22.50
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Unlimited V4-Fast transcription, monthly V4-Pro limits, diarization, 90-language translation, bulk export, Canvas and 2 TB storage.
Max$100
per month for 5x Pro usage, billed monthly
Everything in Pro with 5x the V4-Pro allowance; 10x costs $200 a month. Adds early access and priority at busy times.
Team$12
per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Starts at three users ($432 a year). Each member gets Pro features and 2 TB storage, with shared files and central billing.
Sonix
Core$25
per month for 5 hrs, billed monthly ($275 billed yearly)
5 hours a month of transcription and translation and 5 of AI analysis, 25 GB storage, email support.
Advanced$50
per month for 20 hrs, billed monthly ($550 billed yearly)
20 hours of transcription, 25 hours of AI analysis, 50 GB storage, email and chat support.
Pro$80
per month for 40 hrs, billed monthly ($880 billed yearly)
40 hours of transcription, 100 hours of AI analysis, 100 GB storage, priority support.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SSO, SCIM, audit logs, a BAA, unlimited team members, 1 TB storage and a dedicated account manager.
Ways to pay less
Cockatoo
- Annual discount
Annual billing lowers Pro and Team
Pro is $270 a year ($22.50 a month) against $30 monthly, and Team for three people is $432 a year against $45 a month.
Sonix
- Annual discount
One month free with yearly billing
Sonix's pricing page shows yearly prices of $275, $550 and $880, equal to 11 months of the monthly price, and marks the toggle as 1 month free.
- Education
Discounts for students, educators and nonprofits
Sonix lists special pricing for students, teachers, faculty and nonprofit staff; its discounts page is titled 20% off.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cockatoo or Sonix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cockatoo is cheaper to start with: $22.50 a month, against $25 a month for Sonix. Cockatoo starts at $22.50 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly), and Sonix starts at $25 per month for 5 hrs, billed monthly ($275 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, Cockatoo or Sonix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Cockatoo has a free plan. Sonix does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Cockatoo and Sonix run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Cockatoo lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.