Local vs. cloud transcription
Cloud transcription
- Audio uploaded to remote servers
- Internet required
- Possible third-country data transfer
- DPA often required for GDPR
- Per-minute billing or monthly caps
- Account and login required
Scrieb (local)
- Audio stays on your device
- Works offline
- No cross-border data transfer
- No DPA needed
- No minute limits
- No account required
Why choose local transcription?
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Confidential content
Client calls, patient recordings, HR interviews — content that simply does not belong on someone else's servers.
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No internet available
On a plane, in a remote location, or with an unstable connection: Scrieb works fully offline, every time.
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GDPR & compliance
Organizations that cannot or will not use US cloud services. No DPA, no third-country transfer, compliant by design.
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No bandwidth bottleneck
Large audio files don't need to be uploaded. Local processing is often faster than cloud for good hardware.
Pricing
One flat price. No cloud fees, no minute limits.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I transcribe audio without uploading to the cloud?
- Yes, with Scrieb. After the one-time AI model download, Scrieb works completely offline — no internet, no cloud, no data transfer ever.
- Is there transcription software that works without internet?
- Scrieb is exactly that: a desktop app for Mac and Windows that runs the Whisper AI model locally — no SaaS, no cloud required.
- How is Scrieb different from online transcription services?
- Online services process your data on their servers. Scrieb processes everything locally. No upload, no third-party processing, no privacy risk.
- Does local transcription work on older computers?
- Yes, with a smaller Whisper model. Scrieb supports multiple model sizes — use the compact model on slower hardware for speed, the larger model on newer machines for accuracy.
- Is the AI model downloaded once or every time?
- Downloaded once at first launch. After that, Scrieb runs fully offline — the model is stored locally on your device forever.