WhisperLive
Don’t want to install WhisperLive? 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.
Real-time Whisper transcription over WebSockets.
Best for live captioning, meeting bots, low-latency voice agents on self-hosted GPU. Pricing: free.
What it is
Collabora's WebSocket server that pipes microphone audio into faster-whisper with a VAD + streaming decoder. Includes browser, Python, and CLI clients. MIT.
Watch out for: Faster-whisper backend → CTranslate2 GPU only; English latency ~300ms, multilingual slower.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/collabora/WhisperLiveWhat people actually do with WhisperLive-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 | 99 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
WhisperLive vs Whipscribe
| Feature | WhisperLive | 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 | 99 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Docker | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to WhisperLive
Frequently asked about WhisperLive
Is WhisperLive free?
Yes. WhisperLive is free and open source.
Does WhisperLive work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
WhisperLive runs on Linux, macOS and Docker.
How do I install WhisperLive?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/collabora/WhisperLive`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does WhisperLive support?
WhisperLive lists 99 languages. That is the Whisper-family multilingual set, so quality varies by language — English and the large European languages are strongest.
Does WhisperLive identify different speakers?
No. WhisperLive 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 WhisperLive give word-level timestamps?
Yes — WhisperLive produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can WhisperLive transcribe live audio?
Yes — WhisperLive supports streaming / live input, not just finished files.
Is WhisperLive HIPAA compliant?
WhisperLive 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 WhisperLive?
Faster-whisper backend → CTranslate2 GPU only; English latency ~300ms, multilingual slower.
Who is WhisperLive best for?
Live captioning, meeting bots, low-latency voice agents on self-hosted GPU.
Does WhisperLive run offline?
WhisperLive runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use WhisperLive in the browser?
No — WhisperLive is a Linux, macOS and Docker application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the WhisperLive source code?
On GitHub at github.com/collabora/WhisperLive. It is maintained by Collabora.
What kind of tool is WhisperLive?
In this directory WhisperLive is filed under oss engine, streaming, server as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to WhisperLive?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/whisperlive-alternatives comparing WhisperLive 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 WhisperLive 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 MP3 to text for long recordings, a podcast episode as text from its link and an SRT subtitle file from any recording.
Comparing tools before you pay?
If you would rather pay a service than run software yourself: see an honest roundup of the best transcription services, the cheapest way to transcribe an hour of audio and how our transcription services work.