Generate accurate text transcripts and subtitles from video or audio files in seconds using AI models that support 98+ languages and 10-hour long uploads.
Whisper Notes
Transcribe speech and audio completely offline on iPhone and Mac with on-device AI models, speaker identification, and zero subscription fees.
Free plan available
$7.99/one-time
About Whisper Notes
Whisper Notes is a native speech-to-text and transcription application designed for iOS and macOS that operates completely offline. By running advanced models like OpenAI Whisper Large V3 Turbo, Parakeet V3, and SenseVoice directly on Apple's Neural Engine, the app processes voice dictation, recorded meetings, and imported audio files without sending data to external servers or cloud services. In practical use, Whisper Notes offers flexible workflows depending on the device. On iOS, users can trigger audio capture directly from a Lock Screen widget or import recordings straight from Apple's Voice Memos app. Transcripts automatically include speaker diarization, assigning distinct names and timestamps to participants. On macOS, the DMG release provides system-wide dictation by holding down the Fn key in any application, automated meeting detection and recording for platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, and on-device chat and summarization for long transcripts. This application is specifically suited for privacy-conscious professionals, including journalists, researchers, legal experts, healthcare workers, and students who frequently record interviews, lectures, or confidential discussions. It also serves remote workers looking for a reliable, subscription-free dictation tool that integrates seamlessly with desktop text editors and browsers without leaking sensitive enterprise data. What sets Whisper Notes apart from mainstream transcription tools is its strict offline-by-design architecture paired with a one-time purchase business model. Unlike SaaS alternatives that charge recurring monthly fees and require server uploads, Whisper Notes eliminates cloud dependencies entirely, supports over 100 languages locally, and even features a local command-line interface and MCP server to connect transcripts directly to local AI agents.
Whisper Notes pros & cons
Pros
- Complete privacy with all audio and transcripts processed locally without telemetry or tracking
- Affordable one-time pricing model with no recurring monthly subscriptions
- Extremely fast transcription performance utilizing Apple's Neural Engine
- Native system-wide dictation on macOS that functions even within third-party and browser apps
Cons
- Intel-based Macs, Windows, and Android devices are not supported
- Features like meeting recording, system-wide Fn dictation, and AI summaries are limited to macOS rather than iOS
Whisper Notes use cases
- Journalists and researchers can record confidential in-person interviews and obtain diarized transcripts without cloud privacy risks.
- Mac power users and developers can use system-wide Fn dictation to type quickly into Slack, VS Code, or web browsers.
- Remote professionals can automatically record and transcribe Zoom, Meet, and Teams calls with locally generated summaries.
- Students and academics can import lecture audio from Apple Voice Memos to generate searchable transcripts with timestamps.
Whisper Notes features
- built-in cli and model context protocol (mcp) server for local ai assistant workflows
- local ai meeting summaries and conversational q&a on transcripts over 3 minutes
- multilingual support covering over 100 languages via whisper large v3 turbo and sensevoice
- fast processing with parakeet v3 delivering 35 minutes of audio in ~20 seconds on apple silicon
- automatic meeting detection and recording for zoom, teams, and google meet
- hold-to-speak fn voice typing across any macos application
- on-device speaker diarization and custom speaker labels
- 100% offline, on-device transcription with zero server uploads
Whisper Notes pricing
Is Whisper Notes free? Yes, Whisper Notes has a free plan, and paid plans start at $7.99 / one-time.
Mac Free Trial
Free
- 5,000 words per week free
- Fn voice typing across all apps
- Whisper Large V3 Turbo model access
- No duration limit
- Meeting recording auto-detection
iPhone & iPad
$7.99 / one-time
- Unlimited transcriptions
- 100+ languages support
- 100% offline & private
- Free updates forever
- Lock screen recording widget
- Speaker identification
- Import from Voice Memos
Mac Full Version
$14 / one-time
- Unlimited words and usage
- Fn system-wide voice typing
- Whisper Large V3 Turbo and Parakeet V3 models
- Automatic meeting recording for Zoom, Teams, Meet
- On-device AI meeting summaries and chat
- CLI and built-in MCP server integration
- All future updates included
Whisper Notes FAQs
Does Whisper Notes require an active internet connection to transcribe?
No, Whisper Notes is 100% offline by design. All audio processing, transcription models, and AI summaries run locally on your device via the Neural Engine without sending data to external servers.
Can Whisper Notes identify different speakers in an audio recording?
Yes, it supports on-device speaker diarization for recordings, imported audio, and meetings. Transcripts separate speakers with labels and timestamps, allow manual speaker count adjustments between 2 and 6, and export to SRT or VTT.
How does system-wide voice typing work on Mac?
On the Mac DMG version, you can hold down the Fn key in any application, speak, and release the key to have the text appear instantly. The shortcut key can also be customized in the Voice Typing settings panel.
Which Apple devices are compatible with Whisper Notes?
Whisper Notes requires an iPhone 12 or newer running iOS 18+, or any Apple Silicon Mac powered by M-series chips (M1, M2, M3, M4). Intel Macs and older iPhones like the iPhone 11 or SE are not supported.
Can Whisper Notes transcribe meetings from Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet?
Yes, on the Mac DMG version, the app can automatically detect and record meetings from Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other platforms. Recordings are transcribed and can be summarized locally on-device.
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