paper-qa
Don’t want to install paper-qa? 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.
RAG over PDFs / transcripts — downstream ASR consumer pattern.
Best for pipelines that ingest Whisper transcripts into research-grade QA. Pricing: free.
What it is
A reference RAG pipeline over PDF + transcript corpora. Apache-2.0.
Watch out for: Not an ASR engine.
Install / use
pip install paper-qaWhat people actually do with paper-qa-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 | No |
| Languages supported | 99 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
paper-qa vs Whipscribe
| Feature | paper-qa | 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 | 99 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to paper-qa
Frequently asked about paper-qa
Is paper-qa free?
Yes. paper-qa is free and open source.
Does paper-qa work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
paper-qa 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 paper-qa?
With pip: `pip install paper-qa`. You need Python and, for most audio tools, ffmpeg on your PATH first.
How many languages does paper-qa support?
paper-qa lists 99 languages. That is the Whisper-family multilingual set, so quality varies by language — English and the large European languages are strongest.
Does paper-qa identify different speakers?
No. paper-qa 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 paper-qa give word-level timestamps?
Yes — paper-qa produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can paper-qa transcribe live audio?
No — paper-qa works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is paper-qa HIPAA compliant?
paper-qa 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 paper-qa?
Not an ASR engine.
Who is paper-qa best for?
Pipelines that ingest Whisper transcripts into research-grade QA.
Does paper-qa run offline?
paper-qa runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use paper-qa in the browser?
No — paper-qa is a Linux and macOS application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the paper-qa source code?
On GitHub at github.com/Future-House/paper-qa. It is maintained by Future-House.
What kind of tool is paper-qa?
In this directory paper-qa is filed under downstream, rag as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to paper-qa?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/paper-qa-alternatives comparing paper-qa 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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