
OpenWhispr
Open-source dictation app that types your speech into any app, with local or cloud models and meeting notes.
AI Audio & VoiceFreeverified Listed on Free plan
Is OpenWhispr free?
Yes, OpenWhispr has a free plan. What you get: Unlimited local dictation, 2,000 cloud words per week. Free limits: 2,000 cloud transcription words per week; unlimited dictation with local models or your own API keys; 5 hours of meeting recordings per month. The cloud word limit is a rolling 7-day window, not a weekly reset. Verified on openwhispr.com.
Free plan at a glance
- Includes
- 2,000 cloud transcription words per week
- Unlimited dictation with local models or your own API keys
- 5 hours of meeting recordings per month
- 25 MB per file uploaded to OpenWhispr Cloud
The cloud word limit is a rolling 7-day window, not a weekly reset.
- Duration
- Free forever
- Commercial use
- Allowed on the free plan
- Your content
- The maker says it isn't used to train AI
How to get it free
Free account · Google, Apple, Microsoft or email- Download the installer for your platform and follow the prompts
- Sign in for OpenWhispr Cloud, add your own API key, or download a local model
- Grant microphone and accessibility permissions, then press your hotkey and speak
Good to know
- OpenWhispr Cloud pauses at 2,000 words per rolling 7 days on Free; local models keep working
- Cloud uploads on Free are limited to 25 MB per file
openwhispr.com, Checked Source
Overview
OpenWhispr is an MIT-licensed voice-to-text app for macOS, Windows and Linux, with an iOS app too. Dictation with local models or your own API key is unlimited on the Free plan, and it also records meetings with speaker labels.
Free vs paid
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $8/mo |
| Includes |
| Plan details |
Key features
- Dictation into any app at your cursor with a hotkey
- Local models such as Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe for offline use
- Bring your own key for OpenAI, Groq, Deepgram, AssemblyAI and other providers
- Meeting transcription with speaker labels for Zoom, Teams and FaceTime calls
- A voice AI agent and searchable notes
- 100+ languages with auto-detection
Best for
- People
- Developers who dictate into editors and terminals, Privacy-minded users who want offline transcription, Windows and Linux users who want a dictation app, Teams that record meetings
Limitations
- OpenWhispr Cloud transcription stops at 2,000 words per rolling 7 days on Free
- Free cloud uploads are limited to 25 MB per file
- Sync across devices, agent mode and API access need Pro
Screenshot

FAQ
- Is OpenWhispr free?
- Yes. OpenWhispr has a free plan: Unlimited local dictation, 2,000 cloud words per week. We last checked openwhispr.com's pricing page on 2026-10-24.
- What does the OpenWhispr free plan include?
- The OpenWhispr free plan includes: 2,000 cloud transcription words per week; Unlimited dictation with local models or your own API keys; 5 hours of meeting recordings per month. Source: https://openwhispr.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-24).
- How do I get OpenWhispr for free?
- Steps: Download the installer for your platform and follow the prompts; Sign in for OpenWhispr Cloud, add your own API key, or download a local model; Grant microphone and accessibility permissions, then press your hotkey and speak. Sign-up options: Google, Apple, Microsoft or email. Start at https://openwhispr.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-24).
- What's the catch with OpenWhispr's free plan?
- OpenWhispr Cloud pauses at 2,000 words per rolling 7 days on Free; local models keep working. Cloud uploads on Free are limited to 25 MB per file. Checked 2026-10-24.
- How much does OpenWhispr cost after the free plan?
- The cheapest paid plan is the Pro plan, at $8 a month, billed monthly. We checked openwhispr.com's pricing page on 2026-10-24.Source: openwhispr.com/pricing
- What are free alternatives to OpenWhispr?
- Notta, Otter.ai and TurboScribe all have free plans. We checked their free offers on 2026-10-25.
- Does OpenWhispr have a free trial of Pro?
- Only through a referral: if you sign up with someone's invite link, your first 30 days of Pro are free. Everyone else starts on the Free plan.Source: docs.openwhispr.com/help/account/is-openwhispr-free
- Is there a student discount?
- Yes. Students, teachers, people in service, non-profits and people using it as an assistive tool can get 40% off for 12 months by emailing support with proof of status.Source: openwhispr.com/pricing
- Is OpenWhispr open source?
- Yes. OpenWhispr is MIT licensed, free for personal and commercial use, and the full source code is on GitHub.Source: openwhispr.com
Free alternatives

Notta
AI transcription and meeting notes.
Free forever, Monthly transcription minutes

Otter.ai
Meeting transcription, summaries, and AI chat over recordings.
Free forever, Basic: free forever

TurboScribe
Unlimited AI transcription powered by Whisper.
Free forever, 3 files per day up to 30 minutes each

Typeless
AI voice keyboard that turns speech into cleaned-up text in any app, on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Free forever, 8,000 words a week, standard accuracy

Buzz
Free offline transcription with Whisper.
Free forever, Open source
Sources
- Free offer
- Verified on docs.openwhispr.com/help/plans-and-limits
…forever — it isn’t a trial and it doesn’t…
- Page content
Checked against
Added by our team. We check that a free option exists and record the date; signing up is between you and OpenWhispr, so read their privacy policy and terms first.
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