Julius
Don’t want to install Julius? 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.
Lightweight Japanese-focused open ASR with WFST decoding.
Best for japanese ASR research and dictation. Pricing: free.
What it is
A long-running Japanese-language ASR engine. BSD-3-Clause.
Watch out for: HMM/GMM era performance; community small.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/julius-speech/juliusWhat people actually do with Julius-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.
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | Yes |
| Languages supported | 2 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Julius vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Julius | 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 | Yes | No |
| Languages | 2 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Julius
Frequently asked about Julius
Is Julius free?
Yes. Julius is free and open source.
Does Julius work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Julius runs on Linux, macOS and Windows.
How do I install Julius?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/julius-speech/julius`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does Julius support?
Julius lists 2 languages.
Does Julius identify different speakers?
No. Julius 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 Julius give word-level timestamps?
Yes — Julius produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can Julius transcribe live audio?
Yes — Julius supports streaming / live input, not just finished files.
Is Julius HIPAA compliant?
Julius 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 Julius?
HMM/GMM era performance; community small.
Who is Julius best for?
Japanese ASR research and dictation.
Does Julius run offline?
Julius runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Julius in the browser?
No — Julius is a Linux, macOS and Windows application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Julius source code?
On GitHub at github.com/julius-speech/julius. It is maintained by Julius project.
What kind of tool is Julius?
In this directory Julius is filed under toolkit, framework, japanese as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Julius?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/julius-alternatives comparing Julius 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.
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Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see transcribing a long MP3 or M4A, a podcast episode as text from its link and the SRT generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
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