The four free tools
1. Buzz
Open-source desktop app. Installer, a window, drag in a file, get text. Labels speakers too; exports TXT, SRT and VTT. The right answer for most people who want free.
2. WhisperX
Command line. Adds speaker labels and word timestamps to Whisper. Needs Python, a Hugging Face token and, for GPU speed, matching CUDA. An afternoon of setup.
3. Whisper CLI
OpenAI's reference tool. Command line, Python, no speaker labels. The cleanest option if you script your workflow.
4. whisper.cpp
A fast C++ port that runs well on CPUs. Command line, some prebuilt Windows binaries. No speaker labels. Good on older PCs without a GPU.
Side by side, including the paid option
| Buzz | WhisperX | Whisper CLI | whisper.cpp | Scrieb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free 1 h/day, Pro paid |
| Interface | App | Terminal | Terminal | Terminal | App |
| Speaker labels | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| DOCX / PDF export | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Local summary | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| GPU without manual setup | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video files | ✓ | via ffmpeg | via ffmpeg | via ffmpeg | ✓ |
| Also on Mac | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Which one to pick
- Lectures, memos, and interviews where TXT or subtitles are enough: Buzz. Free and done.
- Interviews or meetings, and you know Python: WhisperX. Free speaker labels, some setup.
- Old PC without a graphics card: whisper.cpp, or Buzz with a small model.
- Interviews or meetings, no terminal, need a finished document: that is the gap Scrieb fills, and the only case where I'd tell you to pay.
On a Mac
- MacWhisper (free tier): polished Mac app; speaker labels and larger models are in the paid version.
- Buzz: the same open-source app as on Windows, free, with speaker labels; new versions need Apple Silicon.
- macOS dictation: free and on-device on Apple Silicon, but it types what you say live; it does not transcribe recordings.
- Scrieb free plan: 1 hour of recording a day with speaker labels, summaries and Word export, on Mac and Windows.
What all of them need from your PC
Windows 10 or 11, 8 GB of RAM, and patience if there is no dedicated GPU: CPU-only transcription runs at roughly real time. An NVIDIA RTX 20-series or newer takes a one-hour file down to 4–12 minutes. Details in offline transcription for Windows.
Try it on your own recordings
Free: 1 hour of recording a day, no card needed.Windows on ARM64 (Snapdragon)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free offline transcription software for Windows?
- Buzz, if you want an app with a window: free, open source, drag in a file, get text with speaker labels. WhisperX, if you are comfortable in a terminal. Whisper's own command line if you script things. All three run OpenAI's Whisper model on your PC with no upload.
- Is there a free offline audio-to-text converter for Windows with speaker labels?
- Yes. Buzz, a free open-source desktop app, now labels speakers, and so do the free apps Vibe, noScribe and aTrain. WhisperX does it from the command line and needs Python, CUDA drivers for GPU speed and a Hugging Face account for the speaker model. Scrieb labels speakers too and adds summaries and DOCX/PDF export; it is paid after the trial.
- Do free tools need a graphics card?
- No, they run on the CPU, slowly: roughly real time or slower. An NVIDIA RTX card makes every one of them 5 to 15 times faster, but getting GPU acceleration working in the command-line tools means installing the right CUDA build yourself.
- Is Windows' built-in dictation an option?
- Windows voice typing transcribes live speech from a microphone, not audio files, and on most systems it sends audio to Microsoft. It is not a tool for transcribing recordings.
- Why would I pay for Scrieb if free tools exist?
- For DOCX and PDF export, a summary written for the type of recording, a custom vocabulary, GPU acceleration that works out of the box, and one signed app for Windows and Mac. If none of that matters to you, use Buzz.
- Is Scrieb free?
- Partly. The free plan gives you 1 hour of recording per day with speaker labels, summaries and all export formats, no card needed. Pro removes the limit. If you need more than an hour a day and don't want to pay, the free tools above are good.