OpenWhispr

Overview

OpenWhispr brings voice dictation, audio transcription and meeting notes into one open-source assistant. It is best suited to people who want to dictate into everyday apps and capture meetings without adding a bot to the call. Its breadth is a strength; the free plan’s usage caps are the main constraint for frequent transcription.

Key features

Dictation and audio transcription

Dictation works in apps that accept text, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Google Docs, Gmail, Slack and Teams. Support for 100+ languages with automatic detection makes it useful for multilingual workflows. For recorded audio, uploads support MP3, WAV, M4A, WebM, OGG, FLAC, AAC and formats supported by FFmpeg. A transcript editor, speaker labels, caption export and searchable library help extend the product beyond live dictation.

Meeting capture

OpenWhispr captures computer audio without joining a call as a bot, and can turn it into structured notes with decisions and action items. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Discord, Webex and other apps that play computer audio, without plugins or integrations. This is a practical fit when call participants should not have to admit a recording bot, though the plan’s recording-hour allowance matters for regular meetings.

Processing and privacy

Local speech models process audio on the device rather than transmitting it elsewhere. Cloud transcription runs through OpenWhispr’s managed API in real time, and the company says it discards audio without retaining it. It also says it does not use user audio, transcripts or other content to train AI models. Cloud data is encrypted in transit using TLS and at rest, and diagnostic reporting is off by default. OpenWhispr states that it is HIPAA compliant and independently verified for AICPA SOC 2 and ISO 27001.

The MIT license and local-model option will appeal to users who value open-source software and on-device processing. Cloud users still depend on the managed service for transcription, so those who require all processing to stay local should use local models rather than cloud transcription.

Pricing

OpenWhispr is freemium, with four plans and different limits on transcription, recordings and support.

• Free: $0.00 USD, always free. It includes 2,000 words per week of transcription, 5 hours of meeting recordings per month, unlimited local AI models, unlimited cloud transcription with your own API keys and community support. It suits occasional users and those comfortable supplying their own API keys for cloud use; the transcription and meeting caps make it less suitable for heavier workloads.
• Pro: $6.67 a month, billed $80/user billed annually. It adds unlimited cloud transcription, 20 hours of meeting recordings per month, Agent mode, sync across devices, personal API access, MCP integration, the iPhone and iPad app, and email support. It is the natural step up for regular individual use, but meeting recordings remain capped.
• Business: $13.33 a month, billed $160/user billed annually. It includes unlimited cloud transcription and meeting recordings, chat over your data and priority support. This suits users whose recording volume exceeds Pro’s monthly allowance and teams that want priority support.
• Enterprise: custom pricing. It adds team features and admin, SSO, SAML and SCIM, audit logs and retention controls, and dedicated support. It is aimed at organizations needing those administration and identity controls.

The clearest trade-off is between Free’s low commitment and its weekly word and monthly recording limits, Pro’s higher recording allowance, and Business’s unlimited meeting recordings. Annual billing applies to the stated Pro and Business prices.

Platforms

OpenWhispr is available on iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows. The iPhone and iPad app is included with Pro.

Who it's for

OpenWhispr is a good fit for people who move between in-app dictation and meeting capture, particularly those who want bot-free recording or local speech processing. Multilingual users may also benefit from its 100+ language support and automatic detection. It is less compelling for someone who only needs occasional transcription but regularly exceeds the Free caps, or for users who need more than 20 hours of monthly meeting recordings without moving to Business.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Dictation works across a broad set of text-accepting apps, so users can speak directly into their existing workflow.
• Pro: Meeting capture does not join as a bot and works across major meeting and communication apps without plugins or integrations.
• Pro: On-device local processing, a MIT license and stated limits on audio retention and AI training give privacy-conscious users meaningful options.
• Con: Free limits transcription to 2,000 words per week and meetings to 5 hours per month, which can be restrictive for sustained use.
• Con: Pro still limits meetings to 20 hours per month; unlimited recordings require Business.
• Con: Free cloud transcription requires the user’s own API keys, unlike Pro’s included unlimited cloud transcription.

Alternatives

For a broader set of transcription choices, browse Podcast Transcription Software or Meeting Recording Software.

• Simon Says is another freemium option with a free trial and platforms including web, iOS, macOS, Windows and self-hosted.
• Happy Scribe offers a free plan with unlimited meeting recordings, up to 45 minutes per recording and a 10-minute AI trial; consider it if those recording terms better fit your needs.
• Speechmatics has a free plan with $100 in credits and supports API, web, desktop and self-hosted platforms; it may suit users seeking a credits-based starting point.
• mercuryScribe is a free, MIT-licensed option for personal, academic or commercial use across Linux, macOS, Windows and web.
• Rev offers a free plan with English-only transcription, 45 AI transcription and caption minutes per month, five files at once and one user.
• AssemblyAI provides $50 in free audio credits and supports API, web and self-hosted platforms; it is an alternative for users who prefer an audio-credits model.
• AudioPod AI has a free Basic plan with 1,000 credits per month and supports API, iOS and web.
• Whipscribe offers a free first transcript of any length and supports 99+ languages with automatic detection.

Verdict

Choose OpenWhispr if you want one tool for in-app dictation and bot-free meeting notes, with local processing as an option. Its broad app compatibility and language support make it more versatile than a single-purpose dictation layer, while Free is a useful entry point. Look elsewhere if you need consistently high meeting volume on a lower plan or want a different transcription workflow.