Mimic 3 (Mycroft)
Don’t want to install Mimic 3? 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.
Mycroft's neural TTS — designed for Raspberry Pi voice assistants.
Best for self-hosted voice assistants — Home Assistant / Rhasspy pairing with offline TTS on a Pi. Pricing: free (AGPL-3.0).
What it is
Mimic 3 is the third generation of Mycroft's neural TTS, designed for low-resource devices like the Raspberry Pi. 25 languages, 100+ voices. AGPL-3.0. Used widely with Home Assistant and Rhasspy for fully offline voice assistants. Consent posture: synthetic-only.
Watch out for: Mycroft AI shut down; community-maintained fork active. AGPL-3.0 license has stronger network-copyleft terms than MIT.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/MycroftAI/mimic3What people actually do with Mimic 3 (Mycroft)-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 | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 25 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Mimic 3 (Mycroft) vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Mimic 3 (Mycroft) | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free (AGPL-3.0) | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | — | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | — | Yes |
| Streaming | — | No |
| Languages | 25 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, Raspberry Pi | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Mimic 3 (Mycroft)
Frequently asked about Mimic 3 (Mycroft)
Is Mimic 3 (Mycroft) free?
Yes. Mimic 3 (Mycroft) is free and open source (free (AGPL-3.0)).
Does Mimic 3 (Mycroft) work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Mimic 3 (Mycroft) runs on Linux and Raspberry Pi. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux and Raspberry Pi.
How do I install Mimic 3 (Mycroft)?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/MycroftAI/mimic3`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does Mimic 3 (Mycroft) support?
Mimic 3 (Mycroft) lists 25 languages.
Does Mimic 3 (Mycroft) identify different speakers?
No. Mimic 3 (Mycroft) 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 Mimic 3 (Mycroft) give word-level timestamps?
No — Mimic 3 (Mycroft) produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Mimic 3 (Mycroft) transcribe live audio?
No — Mimic 3 (Mycroft) works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Mimic 3 (Mycroft) HIPAA compliant?
Mimic 3 (Mycroft) 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 Mimic 3 (Mycroft)?
Mycroft AI shut down; community-maintained fork active. AGPL-3.0 license has stronger network-copyleft terms than MIT.
Who is Mimic 3 (Mycroft) best for?
Self-hosted voice assistants — Home Assistant / Rhasspy pairing with offline TTS on a Pi.
Does Mimic 3 (Mycroft) run offline?
Mimic 3 (Mycroft) runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Mimic 3 (Mycroft) in the browser?
No — Mimic 3 (Mycroft) is a Linux and Raspberry Pi application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Mimic 3 (Mycroft) source code?
On GitHub at github.com/MycroftAI/mimic3. It is maintained by Mycroft (archived).
What kind of tool is Mimic 3 (Mycroft)?
In this directory Mimic 3 (Mycroft) is filed under tts as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Mimic 3 (Mycroft)?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/mimic3-alternatives comparing Mimic 3 (Mycroft) 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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One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see transcribing a long MP3 or M4A, transcribing a podcast episode and the SRT file generator.
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