Kaldi
Don’t want to install Kaldi? 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.
The classic C++ HMM/DNN speech recognition toolkit.
Best for telephony, low-latency streaming, fine-grained WFST decoders. Pricing: free.
What it is
Kaldi has powered most production ASR for a decade. Still the reference for WFST decoding + speaker pipelines. Apache-2.0.
Watch out for: Older paradigm; most new research has moved to end-to-end frameworks.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/kaldi-asr/kaldiWhat people actually do with Kaldi-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 | Yes |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | Yes |
| Languages supported | 40 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Kaldi vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Kaldi | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | No |
| Languages | 40 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Kaldi
Frequently asked about Kaldi
Is Kaldi free?
Yes. Kaldi is free and open source.
Does Kaldi work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Kaldi runs on Linux and macOS. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux and macOS.
How do I install Kaldi?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/kaldi-asr/kaldi`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does Kaldi support?
Kaldi lists 40 languages.
Does Kaldi identify different speakers?
Yes — Kaldi has speaker diarization, so a two-person interview comes back with each speaker labelled.
Does Kaldi give word-level timestamps?
Yes — Kaldi produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can Kaldi transcribe live audio?
Yes — Kaldi supports streaming / live input, not just finished files.
Is Kaldi HIPAA compliant?
Kaldi 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 Kaldi?
Older paradigm; most new research has moved to end-to-end frameworks.
Who is Kaldi best for?
Telephony, low-latency streaming, fine-grained WFST decoders.
Does Kaldi run offline?
Kaldi runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Kaldi in the browser?
No — Kaldi is a Linux and macOS application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Kaldi source code?
On GitHub at github.com/kaldi-asr/kaldi. It is maintained by Kaldi community.
What kind of tool is Kaldi?
In this directory Kaldi is filed under toolkit, framework, legacy as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Kaldi?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/kaldi-alternatives comparing Kaldi 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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