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View detailsOpenAI Whisper
OpenAI's open-source speech recognition model that transcribes audio with high accuracy.
OpenAI Whisper is an open-source speech recognition model that transcribes audio with high accuracy. It was trained on hundreds of thousands of hours of audio in many languages, and it handles accents, background noise, and technical vocabulary better than most open models. You can run it locally for free, or use it through OpenAI's API.
Key Features
- Open-source speech recognition model
- High accuracy in many languages
- Run locally for free, no cloud needed
- Handles accents and background noise
- Available through OpenAI's API
- Powers many transcription apps
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | $0 | Free and open source; run the model locally on your own hardware. |
| API | $0.006/min | Hosted speech-to-text API, billed per audio minute. |
Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: Yes — it has a free plan.
Best for: developers and researchers who need free, accurate speech recognition they can run themselves.
Popular with: Developers, Students, Writers
Popular with: Developers, Students, Writers
How it works
Whisper is the engine behind many transcription services, including TurboScribe and MacWhisper, which wrap it in a friendlier interface. Developers use the model directly to build transcription features into their own apps, while researchers use it for speech analysis and dataset work.
Whisper is free and open source, which makes it the best choice if you want to transcribe audio without a subscription or a cloud dependency. Running it locally needs a reasonably powerful computer, but the accuracy is excellent for a free model. For a hosted option, the API costs $0.006 per minute.
Pros and Cons
✓ Pros
- Completely free to run locally
- Excellent accuracy for an open model
- Works in many languages
- Powers many popular transcription tools
✗ Cons
- Requires technical skill to run locally
- No hosted free tier; API use is paid
- Slower than real-time on older hardware
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenAI Whisper free?
Yes — OpenAI Whisper has a free plan. Free open source; API $0.006/min
What is OpenAI Whisper best for?
developers and researchers who need free, accurate speech recognition they can run themselves.
What kind of tool is OpenAI Whisper?
OpenAI Whisper is a Transcription tool on VerlumoAI.
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View detailsLast reviewed: November 2026