Skip to main content
Free AI For That

MacWhisper vs noScribe: free plans compared

Both are in AI Audio & Voice. Here is what each gives you for free, from the vendors’ pricing pages, with the date we last verified each offer (latest ).

MacWhisper
MacWhisper is a native macOS app to transcribe audio with Whisper, Qwen and Parakeet.
How to get MacWhisper freeFree MacWhisper alternatives
noScribe
noScribe is a GPL-licensed desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that transcribes interviews on your own computer with Whisper and Pyannote, in around 60 languages, with an editor for checking the transcript against the audio.
How to get noScribe free
Free plans compared: MacWhisper, noScribe
MacWhisperAI Audio & VoiceTry
noScribeAI Audio & VoiceTry
Free plan
  • Free forever
  • Free version
  • Free forever
  • Free desktop app, transcription runs on your computer
How long it's freeFree foreverFree forever
Commercial useNot in our dataAllowed on the free plan
Best forTurn text into speech, Transcribe audio & videoMac users, PodcastersTranscribe audio & videoQualitative researchers transcribing interviews, Journalists handling confidential recordings, Teams in medicine, government or NGOs with sensitive audio
Limitations
  • Some models are only fully available in MacWhisper Pro
  • Mac app that needs macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later for the current version
  • Transcription is slow: about 1-3 hours per hour of interview, longer on older machines
  • The latest versions don't support Intel Macs, and Linux builds lag behind
  • The installer is about 3 GB because it includes the AI models
How to get it free
  1. 1Open macwhisper.com and choose Download Free
  2. 2Confirm the download on the Gumroad page
  3. 3Install the app from the link you receive
Get the free plan 		Self-host
  1. 1Download the installer for your system
  2. 2On a Mac, open the DMG and drag noScribe and noScribeEdit into Applications
  3. 3Start noScribe and transcribe a file
Get the free plan
Free offer verified

MacWhisper vs noScribe: common questions

Is MacWhisper or noScribe free?
Both have a free option. MacWhisper has a free plan: Free version (checked 2026-10-25). noScribe has a free plan: Free desktop app, transcription runs on your computer (checked 2026-10-24).
Which free plan includes more?
It depends on what you need; here is what each free plan includes. MacWhisper: Free version (source: goodsnooze.gumroad.com, checked 2026-10-25). noScribe: Free desktop app, transcription runs on your computer (source: github.com, checked 2026-10-24).
How do I get each for free?
MacWhisper: Open macwhisper.com and choose Download Free; Confirm the download on the Gumroad page; Install the app from the link you receive (checked 2026-10-21). noScribe: Download the installer for your system; On a Mac, open the DMG and drag noScribe and noScribeEdit into Applications; Start noScribe and transcribe a file (checked 2026-10-24).

Other comparisons