WeNet
Don’t want to install WeNet? 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.
Production-first E2E ASR — U2++ Conformer, streaming + offline.
Best for telephony / kiosk pipelines wanting unified streaming + non-streaming models. Pricing: free.
What it is
A production-focused E2E toolkit. Apache-2.0.
Watch out for: Chinese-centric documentation; setup non-trivial.
Install / use
pip install wenetWhat people actually do with WeNet-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 | Yes |
| Languages supported | 20 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
WeNet vs Whipscribe
| Feature | WeNet | 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 | Yes | No |
| Languages | 20 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to WeNet
Frequently asked about WeNet
Is WeNet free?
Yes. WeNet is free and open source.
Does WeNet work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
WeNet runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android and iOS.
How do I install WeNet?
With pip: `pip install wenet`. You need Python and, for most audio tools, ffmpeg on your PATH first.
How many languages does WeNet support?
WeNet lists 20 languages.
Does WeNet identify different speakers?
No. WeNet 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 WeNet give word-level timestamps?
Yes — WeNet produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can WeNet transcribe live audio?
Yes — WeNet supports streaming / live input, not just finished files.
Is WeNet HIPAA compliant?
WeNet 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 WeNet?
Chinese-centric documentation; setup non-trivial.
Who is WeNet best for?
Telephony / kiosk pipelines wanting unified streaming + non-streaming models.
Does WeNet run offline?
WeNet runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use WeNet in the browser?
No — WeNet is a Linux, macOS, Windows, Android and iOS application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the WeNet source code?
On GitHub at github.com/wenet-e2e/wenet. It is maintained by wenet-e2e.
What kind of tool is WeNet?
In this directory WeNet is filed under toolkit, framework, streaming as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to WeNet?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/wenet-alternatives comparing WeNet 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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Running WeNet 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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One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see how to transcribe an MP3 of any length, how to transcribe a podcast and an SRT subtitle file from any recording.
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