llama.cpp
by ggml.ai
GGUF runtime — runs many ASR forks (whisper, parakeet, qwen-audio).
TL;DR
GGUF runtime — runs many ASR forks (whisper, parakeet, qwen-audio).
Best for reference quantization stack used by many ASR forks. Pricing: free.
Category
Open source
License
—
Stars
—
Last push
—
Pricing
free
Platforms
Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
What it is
The reference C++ inference engine for GGUF models. MIT.
Best for: Reference quantization stack used by many ASR forks.
Watch out for: Not an ASR engine on its own.
Watch out for: Not an ASR engine on its own.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/ggerganov/llama.cpp
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 99 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
llama.cpp vs Whipscribe
| Feature | llama.cpp | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free | free beta |
| Speaker diarization | No | Yes |
| Word timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 99 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to llama.cpp
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