Whishper: self-hosted transcription and subtitle editing
Don’t want to install Whishper? 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.
A self-hosted suite: faster-whisper behind a web UI, a subtitle editor with CPS warnings, and LibreTranslate, all in Docker on your own box.
Get Whishper Official site & pricing
Whishper is a self-hosted Docker stack: faster-whisper for transcription, a web UI with a subtitle editor, and LibreTranslate for translation. Exports TXT, JSON, VTT and SRT.
The last release is v3.1.4 (September 2024); the maintainer is rewriting it on a v4 branch. If you want the SRT and not the server, a hosted service skips Docker, MongoDB and the GPU.
What it is
Whishper is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) transcription and subtitling suite you run yourself. The stack is several containers: a transcription API running faster-whisper, a Go backend, a SvelteKit web UI, LibreTranslate for translation, MongoDB and Nginx. You can upload a file or give it a URL that yt-dlp can fetch, then download TXT, JSON, VTT or SRT. Its subtitle editor highlights the segment under the playhead, warns on characters per second, and splits or inserts segments. It runs on CPU, faster with an NVIDIA GPU. The maintainer has announced a full rewrite on a v4 branch, and the main branch will not receive new releases.
Watch out for: The README says the current branch will get no new releases while a v4 rewrite is under way; the last release is v3.1.4 (17 September 2024). GPU acceleration is NVIDIA-only.
The SRT without running the stack
Whishper is worth it when you want everything on your own hardware. When you only need the transcript and subtitle files, this skips six containers.
- Drop the audio or video file into the box at the top of this page, or paste a link (YouTube, a podcast or RSS feed, Google Drive, Twitch or Kick). Nothing to install and no GPU needed.
- The language is detected automatically and the transcript stays in the language that was spoken (WhipScribe does not translate).
- Read the summary free. A pack from $6 (500 minutes) opens the full transcript and the downloads: TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT and JSON. Packs are one-time purchases and credits never expire.
- Files can be up to 10 hours or 5 GB per file.
Related: Bulk transcription · Transcribe large files · SRT generator · WhisperX · Pricing
Install / use
Go to Whishper whishper-docs.pages.devKey specs
What people actually do with Whishper-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 | Not stated |
| Word-level timestamps | Not stated |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | — |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
- github.com/pluja/whishper ↗AGPL-3.0 · v3.1.4 release on 2024-09-17 · v4 rewrite branch
- whishper-docs.pages.dev ↗self-host guide and usage docs
Whishper vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Whishper | 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 | — | 99 |
| Platforms | Docker, Linux | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Whishper
Frequently asked about Whishper
Is Whishper still maintained?
The maintainer is working on a complete rewrite on the v4 branch, and the README says the current branch will not receive new releases or updates. The latest tagged release is v3.1.4 from 17 September 2024; the repository was last pushed on 31 July 2026.
What do I need to run Whishper?
Docker and the compose stack from its install guide: the transcription API, backend, frontend, LibreTranslate, MongoDB and Nginx. It runs on CPU; an NVIDIA GPU makes it faster. Non-NVIDIA GPUs are an open question on its roadmap.
Which subtitle formats does Whishper export?
TXT, JSON, VTT and SRT, or the raw text copied to the clipboard. Its editor shows characters-per-second warnings and lets you split and insert segments before you export.
Can Whishper transcribe a YouTube link?
Yes. It accepts any URL that yt-dlp supports, as well as uploaded files.
Does WhipScribe have a subtitle editor like Whishper's?
WhipScribe gives you the SRT and VTT files, not a CPS-aware subtitle timeline editor. If line-by-line subtitle timing is the job, Whishper's editor is the stronger tool; if you just need the files, WhipScribe needs no server.
What is Whishper?
Whishper is a self-hosted Docker stack: faster-whisper for transcription, a web UI with a subtitle editor, and LibreTranslate for translation. Exports TXT, JSON, VTT and SRT.
Is Whishper free?
Yes. Whishper is free and open source.
Does Whishper work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Whishper runs on Docker and Linux. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Docker and Linux.
How do I get started with Whishper?
There is nothing to install — Whishper is used in the browser. Create an account on the vendor's site and upload or connect your audio.
Can Whishper transcribe live audio?
No — Whishper works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Whishper HIPAA compliant?
Whishper 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 Whishper?
The README says the current branch will get no new releases while a v4 rewrite is under way; the last release is v3.1.4 (17 September 2024). GPU acceleration is NVIDIA-only.
Who is Whishper best for?
Self-hosters who want transcription, a real subtitle editor and machine translation on hardware they control.
What should I know before choosing Whishper?
The last release is v3.1.4 (September 2024); the maintainer is rewriting it on a v4 branch. If you want the SRT and not the server, a hosted service skips Docker, MongoDB and the GPU.
Does Whishper run offline?
Whishper runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
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 Whishper 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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Need the subtitle file itself?
Upload the recording or paste a link and download SRT or VTT: see the SRT generator, SRT subtitles from a YouTube link and subtitles for any video.
Looking at paid options?
Before you choose a transcription tool or service: see an honest roundup of the best transcription services, affordable transcription priced per hour and how our transcription services work.