VoxForge
Don’t want to install VoxForge? 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.
Crowd-sourced multilingual read-speech corpus — the open-source pre-Common-Voice corpus.
Best for older open-source ASR baselines; languages without modern open corpora. Pricing: free.
What it is
VoxForge predates Common Voice and remains the largest GPL-licensed crowd-sourced read-speech archive. Best for low-resource languages or contexts requiring strict copyleft. License: GPL-3.0.
Watch out for: GPL-3.0 · variable quality · superseded by Common Voice for most languages. Cite: VoxForge.org, 2007–.
Install / use
Go to VoxForge www.voxforge.orgWhat people actually do with VoxForge-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 | 12 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
VoxForge vs Whipscribe
| Feature | VoxForge | 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 | No | No |
| Languages | 12 | 99 |
| Platforms | Web | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to VoxForge
Frequently asked about VoxForge
Is VoxForge free?
Yes. VoxForge is free and open source.
Does VoxForge work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
VoxForge runs in the browser, so it works on any desktop OS with a modern browser, and on phones and tablets.
How do I install VoxForge?
Download the installer for your platform from http://www.voxforge.org/. No terminal needed.
How many languages does VoxForge support?
VoxForge lists 12 languages.
Does VoxForge identify different speakers?
No. VoxForge 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 VoxForge give word-level timestamps?
No — VoxForge produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can VoxForge transcribe live audio?
No — VoxForge works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is VoxForge HIPAA compliant?
VoxForge 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 VoxForge?
GPL-3.0 · variable quality · superseded by Common Voice for most languages. Cite: VoxForge.org, 2007–.
Who is VoxForge best for?
Older open-source ASR baselines; languages without modern open corpora.
Does VoxForge run offline?
VoxForge runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Is there a VoxForge desktop app?
No — VoxForge is browser-only. There is nothing to install and nothing runs on your machine.
Who makes VoxForge?
VoxForge is made by VoxForge community.
What kind of tool is VoxForge?
In this directory VoxForge is filed under dataset as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to VoxForge?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/voxforge-alternatives comparing VoxForge 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.
Transcribe your recordings
Running VoxForge yourself? Send the same file here and compare the transcript. Transcribe any language, any recording · Transcription services from $0.29 an hour · Transcribe from any meeting or recording platform · How to transcribe, step by step
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Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see transcribing a long MP3 or M4A, a podcast episode as text from its link and the SRT generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
If you would rather pay a service than run software yourself: see the best transcription services side by side, cheap transcription services and the real cost per hour and our transcription service with prices and turnaround.