Three ways to get MacWhisper's job done on Windows
Buzz is the like-for-like choice: a desktop app around OpenAI's Whisper that runs on your own computer, offline, under the MIT licence. Its README says to get the Windows installer from SourceForge, and warns that the app is not signed, so Windows shows a warning on install (choose More info, then Run anyway).
whisper.cpp is the engine under many of these apps. It builds on Windows with MSVC or MinGW and runs from the command line, which suits someone comfortable in a terminal more than someone who wants a window to drop files into.
WhipScribe is the option with nothing to install. It is hosted, so the audio is uploaded and transcribed on WhipScribe's own servers rather than on your PC. That is the trade: no install, no GPU and no model download, against the file leaving the machine.
When a local app is the better answer
If the recording must never leave the computer, or you have no internet connection, use a local app such as Buzz. WhipScribe is not offline software and does not claim to be.
If the PC is old, has no graphics card, or the recording runs to several hours, a local Whisper model can take longer than the recording itself. A hosted service returns about two minutes per hour of audio, and one file can be up to 10 hours or 5 GB.
Aiko and SuperWhisper on Windows
Aiko lists macOS, iOS and visionOS on its site, not Windows. SuperWhisper is a dictation app (it types what you say into other apps), a different job from transcribing a recording you already have.
How to do it
- Open whipscribe.com in Edge, Chrome or Firefox on the Windows PC.
- Drop the audio or video file, or paste a link to it.
- Read the free preview of the opening minutes.
- Open the full transcript with a pack, then export TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT or JSON.
Sources
- macwhisper.com, read 2026-10-26: described as "The all-in-one Mac app"; Pro "Pay Once, €64"; "We use local models to transcribe your files"; no Windows version offered.
- Buzz README on GitHub, read 2026-10-26: "Transcribe and translate audio offline on your personal computer"; Windows installer from SourceForge, "App is not signed"; MIT licence.
- whisper.cpp README on GitHub, read 2026-10-26: supported platforms include "Windows (MSVC and MinGW)"; MIT licence.
- Aiko, read 2026-10-26: "Available on macOS, iOS, visionOS"; "$24, one-time purchase".