Speech-to-text app for hearing-impaired people
Record the conversation. Read it back as text.
Use Meeting Notes to record conversations and turn them into a transcript you can read, review and keep. Choose Cloud for fast transcription without a model download, or local processing for private and offline work.
Open source · 80,000+ downloads
When speech is hard to follow
The words disappear before you can ask for them again.
You need text you can return to, a mode that fits the moment, and a free way to start.
The speaker has already moved on.
A missed name, address or next step is hard to reconstruct from memory. OpenWhispr turns recorded speech into text you can reread before the details are gone.
You need a private or offline option.
Choose local transcription when the conversation is private or you have no connection. Your device processes the audio, so you can keep working without sending it away.
Missing a sentence is tiring.
Instead of piecing a detail together from memory, search and reread the transcript. Keep the text where you can return to it.
You want the quickest setup first.
When speed matters most, Cloud avoids a local model download and discards transcription audio immediately after transcription.
What you get
Text you can read back. A mode that fits the moment.
Use Cloud for fast transcription or local processing for private and offline situations.
Cloud transcription without a local model download
Add recorded speech and get readable text quickly. Cloud gives you top accuracy and speed without a local model download, then discards the transcription audio immediately.
Local processing for private or offline moments
Choose a local model when you need device-only processing or no connection. Read and review the text on your own device.
Keep the transcript with your notes
OpenWhispr Meeting Notes keeps the conversation as a transcript you can revisit. Ask the Agent to search across your meetings and bring back the details you need. Copy useful text into a note, document, email or chat when you need it elsewhere.
Audio sent away in local mode
None
local transcription runs on your device
Cost to start
$0
unlimited local models, forever
Setup time
No fixed time
choose the setup that fits you
How it works
A written record before the details fade.
Start free, choose Cloud for a quick high-performance setup or local for private and offline work, then read the words back when you need them.
Download for free.
Mac, Windows or Linux. Start free with unlimited local models that work offline, or choose Cloud when you do not want a model download.
Start Meeting Notes.
Record the conversation in Meeting Notes and turn it into a transcript you can read.
Read, save, revisit.
Review the transcript, save the useful parts in your notes, and return to the text when you need a detail.
No convincing needed
10 practical reasons to try OpenWhispr
Speech-to-text should be practical, private when you need it, and free to try. Here are the product facts.
Use local transcription when privacy matters
Local AI models run entirely on your device with no internet required. Use them when the conversation calls for device-only processing.
Start free with unlimited local models
Free includes unlimited local AI models, plus 2,000 Cloud transcription words each week.
Read back the words instead of replaying everything
A transcript gives you a written record to scan, search and save when a detail was missed the first time.
Keep going without a connection
Local models run offline. Use them on a commute, in a waiting room, or anywhere reliable internet is not available.
Keep useful text in the tools you already use
Copy a transcript into a note, document, email or chat and leave yourself a record you can return to.
Choose Cloud when you need speed
Cloud transcription delivers top accuracy and speed without a local model download.
Cloud transcription audio is immediately discarded
When you choose OpenWhispr Cloud, audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored.
Open source means the project is inspectable
OpenWhispr is open source under the MIT license, so anyone can inspect the project rather than take its word for it.
Teach it the names you need to get right
Add names, places and recurring terms to the custom dictionary for sharper transcripts.
Work across 100+ languages
OpenWhispr supports 100+ languages on every plan, so the spoken language does not have to be English.
Before you download
The questions to ask before you download.
Straight answers on privacy, cost and what speech-to-text can do. If yours is not here, ask us in Discord.
Does the audio ever leave my device?
Is this a replacement for hearing aids or assistive listening devices?
Can it handle names, places and unfamiliar words?
Will it work with no signal?
Does it provide live captions?
Is it actually free?
What users say
Built for people who want words they can read back.
These users came for a quicker, more dependable way to turn speech into text.
0
Stored Cloud transcription audio
In local mode the audio stays on your device. With OpenWhispr Cloud, audio is sent only to transcribe it, then immediately discarded.
Started using OpenWhispr with my local models and hardware. I have to say, this is better than typing.
I switched to voice input for my Claude Code chats. Even when I stumble and rephrase mid-sentence, the transcription comes out clean and polished.
I needed a local model for when I'm travelling or have no WiFi, and this perfectly solves it. The UI and performance are great.
Pricing
Free forever.
Upgrade when you want more.
FreePopular $0No card details needed | Pro $6.67/user/mo$80/user billed annually Start with Pro | Business $13.33/user/mo$160/user billed annually Start with Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | People who want a useful free start with local transcription and limited Cloud transcription | People who want unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | People transcribing at volume with Agent mode and chat over data |
| Main reason to choose | Useful Free access, including local transcription and limited Cloud transcription | Unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Unlimited meeting recordings plus Agent mode and chat over data |
| Offline speech-to-textOffline speech-to-text runs entirely on your own device, it works without internet connection, and it's unlimited and free. | Included | Included | Included |
| Cloud speech-to-textCloud speech-to-text sends audio to OpenWhispr Cloud for the highest accuracy and speed, with no local models to download. | 2,000 words/week via OpenWhispr Cloud, or unlimited using your own API keys | Unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud speech-to-text | Unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud speech-to-text |
| Meeting recordings | 5 hours/month | 20 hours/month | Unlimited |
| Privacy & data handling | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. |
| Setup experience | Hands-on: install app, choose local models, optionally add API keys | Easy: install app, upgrade, use unlimited cloud speech-to-text | Moderate: configure users, Agent mode, and data workflows |
| Advanced features |
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| Team management | None | None | Basic team / workflow use |
| Support | Community support | Email support | Priority support |
Need SSO, compliance features, admin controls, or dedicated support for a larger team?
We also offer a custom Enterprise plan with managed onboarding and tailored features.
Talk to us
Built in the open
Some spoken words need to become text you can keep.
OpenWhispr started with a simple idea: spoken words should be easy to turn into text you can read, search and keep.
OpenWhispr is open source under the MIT license. Local AI models run on your device with no internet required.
And if anything breaks, you talk to the people who built it, in Discord.
Free · open source · local-first
Keep the spoken words you need in text.
Download OpenWhispr, start Meeting Notes for the next conversation, then read and revisit the transcript when you need the details. Start free on your computer.
Loading...Free on Mac, Windows & Linux. Community support in Discord.
- Written by
- Joshua Padoa
- Reviewed and fact checked by
- Wesley van der Hoop
- Last reviewed
Drafted with AI assistance