You’ve recorded an hour-long interview and need to transcribe it. Or you want to convert that podcast episode into text for your blog. MacWhisper is a macOS app that does that work for you, completely locally on your Mac without having to send your audio to a server.
Who’s behind MacWhisper?
MacWhisper was launched in 2023 by Jordi Bruin from Amsterdam, a well-known indie developer in the Apple community. The original idea was simple: OpenAI had just released their powerful Whisper model for speech recognition, but it was difficult to use for regular Mac users. Jordi wanted to make it into an accessible app, with one important principle: all processing must happen locally, without having to send your audio to the cloud.
That privacy-first approach has paid off well. MacWhisper has now been downloaded more than 300,000 times and has won various awards within the Apple community. The company behind the app is called Goodsnooze and remains independent, without external funding or acquisitions. Jordi continues to actively develop, with regular updates that add new features.
Who is MacWhisper for?
MacWhisper is ideal for journalists who need to transcribe interviews, podcasters who want to transcribe their episodes, students who record lectures, and content creators who want to add subtitles to videos. Basically anyone who regularly needs to convert audio or video to text and values privacy.
However, the tool isn’t for everyone. Windows users can’t use the app, nor can people with an Android phone. It’s really a Mac-only story. Also, if you mainly collaborate in teams and need real-time transcriptions in the cloud, you’re better off with a cloud-based alternative.
What can MacWhisper do?
The free version of MacWhisper offers basic transcription with the smaller AI models. For access to the most accurate models, batch processing, speaker recognition, and all export formats, you need the Pro license. Here’s what the app can do:
- Local transcription: All processing happens on your own Mac. Your audio never leaves your device, which is ideal if you work with sensitive information like interviews or medical recordings. It also works completely offline.
- Support for 100+ languages: From Dutch and English to less common languages. It automatically detects which language is being spoken, or you can manually select a language for better results.
- Speaker Diarization: The app attempts to distinguish different speakers and labels them as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on. Useful for interviews or panel discussions, though accuracy varies.
- Batch processing: Drag an entire folder of audio files into the app and have everything transcribed at once. Perfect if you want to process multiple podcast episodes or interviews in one go.
- Record system audio: You can directly record your Mac’s audio, including Zoom meetings, Teams calls, or YouTube videos. The app records and transcribes immediately, without having to create a separate audio file first.
- Extensive export options: Export the transcription to SRT and VTT for subtitles, but also to PDF, HTML, CSV, and plain text. Handy if you want to use the text in different contexts.
- Different AI models: You can choose between faster but less accurate models (Tiny, Small) or slower but more accurate models (Medium, Large). Useful for balancing speed and quality.
- Dictation feature: In addition to transcribing files, you can also dictate live. Speak into your microphone and see the text appear in real-time. Works as an alternative to the built-in macOS dictation.
I regularly use MacWhisper myself for transcribing YouTube videos. When you drag a YouTube link into the app, it automatically downloads and transcribes. Usually works well, though sometimes certain videos aren’t recognized. Then you have to manually download the audio first.
What does MacWhisper cost?
MacWhisper has a free version that you can use without limits. You get access to the Tiny and Small AI models, which are less accurate but work quickly. For most use cases that’s fine, especially if you have good quality audio.
If you want the best transcription quality, you’ll need the Pro license. It costs a one-time fee of 64 euros and gives you lifetime access to all features: the large and most accurate AI models, batch processing, speaker recognition, and all export formats. There’s no trial period, but the free version gives you a good impression of how the app works.
The big advantage over many competitors: it’s a one-time purchase, not a subscription. You pay once and get all future updates for free. For people who transcribe regularly, that’s quickly cheaper than a monthly subscription of 10 or 20 euros.
What should you watch out for?
The speaker recognition (diarization) isn’t always reliable. For interviews with two people taking turns speaking, it works reasonably well, but in discussions where people talk over each other or with poor audio quality, the app regularly makes mistakes. You often have to manually correct the labels.
If you have an older Intel Mac, prepare yourself for long wait times. The app is optimized for Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3), and on Intel chips transcription takes much longer. An hour of audio can take 30-40 minutes instead of 5-10 minutes on an M-chip.
The live dictation feature still has some teething problems. I’ve experienced crashes myself with specific use cases, and other users report similar issues. For transcribing files the app works stably, but the dictation mode is less reliable.
The biggest downside is of course that the app is only available for macOS. No Windows version, no web version, no Android app. There is an iOS version, but it’s separate and has fewer features. If you work across multiple platforms, you’ll need to look at alternatives.
MacWhisper alternatives
There are various alternatives if MacWhisper doesn’t quite fit what you’re looking for:
- Otter.ai: Choose this if you need real-time collaboration in the cloud. Otter works cloud-based with a subscription model, but offers better team features like shared transcripts and live collaboration during meetings.
- Aiko: Choose this if you’re looking for a free basic transcription tool at no cost. Aiko is simpler and has fewer features, but does transcription just fine and costs nothing at all.
- Superwhisper: Choose this if you’re primarily doing speech-to-text dictation instead of transcribing files. Superwhisper is similar to MacWhisper but focuses more on live dictation and keyboard shortcuts for productivity.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about MacWhisper:
Is my data safe?
Yes, all transcription happens locally on your Mac. No audio is sent to a server, everything stays on your own device. That makes MacWhisper ideal for sensitive recordings like interviews or medical information.
Does it work on Intel Macs?
Yes, MacWhisper works on Intel Macs, but significantly slower than on Macs with Apple Silicon. The M1, M2, and M3 chips are much faster at processing AI models. On an Intel Mac, an hour of audio can take 30-40 minutes to transcribe.
Can I record meetings?
Yes, MacWhisper can record system audio. This allows you to directly record and transcribe meetings from Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. The app records the sound from your Mac, including what comes out of your speakers.
How accurate are the transcriptions?
With the larger AI models (Medium and Large), the transcriptions are very accurate, especially with clear audio. With background noise, accents, or technical terms, the app sometimes makes mistakes, but overall the quality is comparable to professional transcription services.
Can I edit the transcription in the app?
Yes, you can edit the transcription directly in MacWhisper. The app has a built-in editor where you can correct errors, rename speakers, and adjust timestamps. Then you export it to your desired format.
Conclusion
MacWhisper is a solid choice if you regularly need to convert audio or video to text and privacy is important. The one-time purchase of 64 euros pays for itself quickly if you’d otherwise take a subscription, and the transcription quality is excellent. I use the app regularly myself and am satisfied, despite minor annoyances like the inconsistent YouTube support. The active development and regular updates give confidence that bugs will be fixed. For Mac users who want local processing without monthly costs, this is highly recommended.
