icefall
Don’t want to install icefall? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
ASR recipes (Conformer / Zipformer / Pruned Transducer) for k2 + sherpa.
Best for training Zipformer / pruned-RNNT models that run on Sherpa-ONNX at the edge. Pricing: free.
What it is
Companion recipes repo for k2. Home of the Zipformer architecture. Apache-2.0.
Watch out for: Recipe-driven workflow expects shell + Python comfort.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/k2-fsa/icefallWhat people actually do with icefall-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Wire it into Make.comGoogle DriveEmergentNotionYouTubeAmazon S3
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 40 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
icefall vs Whipscribe
| Feature | icefall | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | No | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 40 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to icefall
Frequently asked about icefall
Is icefall free?
Yes. icefall is free and open source.
Does icefall work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
icefall runs on Linux. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux.
How do I install icefall?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/k2-fsa/icefall`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does icefall support?
icefall lists 40 languages.
Does icefall identify different speakers?
No. icefall does not label speakers; a conversation comes back as one continuous text. If you need speaker labels, that is a separate tool or a different service.
Does icefall give word-level timestamps?
Yes — icefall produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can icefall transcribe live audio?
No — icefall works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is icefall HIPAA compliant?
icefall does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of icefall?
Recipe-driven workflow expects shell + Python comfort.
Who is icefall best for?
Training Zipformer / pruned-RNNT models that run on Sherpa-ONNX at the edge.
Does icefall run offline?
icefall runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use icefall in the browser?
No — icefall is a Linux application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the icefall source code?
On GitHub at github.com/k2-fsa/icefall. It is maintained by k2-fsa.
What kind of tool is icefall?
In this directory icefall is filed under toolkit, training, recipes as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to icefall?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/icefall-alternatives comparing icefall with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
Transcribe your recordings
Running icefall yourself? Send the same file here and compare the transcript. Transcribe any language, any recording · Transcription services from $0.29 an hour · Transcribe from any meeting or recording platform · How to transcribe, step by step
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Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see how to transcribe an MP3 of any length, a podcast episode as text from its link and the SRT generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
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