Silero VAD
Don’t want to install Silero VAD? 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.
Tiny, accurate voice-activity-detection model — runs on CPU.
Best for front-end VAD for any streaming ASR pipeline. Pricing: free.
What it is
A few-MB pre-trained VAD that runs in milliseconds per chunk. MIT.
Watch out for: Detects speech only, not phonemes; some false positives on music.
Install / use
pip install silero-vadWhat people actually do with Silero VAD-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 | Yes |
| Languages supported | 99 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Silero VAD vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Silero VAD | 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 | No | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | No |
| Languages | 99 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Edge | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Silero VAD
Frequently asked about Silero VAD
Is Silero VAD free?
Yes. Silero VAD is free and open source.
Does Silero VAD work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Silero VAD runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and Edge.
How do I install Silero VAD?
With pip: `pip install silero-vad`. You need Python and, for most audio tools, ffmpeg on your PATH first.
How many languages does Silero VAD support?
Silero VAD lists 99 languages. That is the Whisper-family multilingual set, so quality varies by language — English and the large European languages are strongest.
Does Silero VAD identify different speakers?
No. Silero VAD 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 Silero VAD give word-level timestamps?
No — Silero VAD produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Silero VAD transcribe live audio?
Yes — Silero VAD supports streaming / live input, not just finished files.
Is Silero VAD HIPAA compliant?
Silero VAD 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 Silero VAD?
Detects speech only, not phonemes; some false positives on music.
Who is Silero VAD best for?
Front-end VAD for any streaming ASR pipeline.
Does Silero VAD run offline?
Silero VAD runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Silero VAD in the browser?
No — Silero VAD is a Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and Edge application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Silero VAD source code?
On GitHub at github.com/snakers4/silero-vad. It is maintained by snakers4 / Silero.
What kind of tool is Silero VAD?
In this directory Silero VAD is filed under vad, edge as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Silero VAD?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/silero-vad-alternatives comparing Silero VAD 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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