Whisper
by OpenAI · github.com ↗
OpenAI's open-source automatic speech recognition model for transcription and translation.
speech-to-text open-weights transcription
- Category
- Audio, Voice & Music
- Business model
- Open (open weights/source)
- Availability
- Global
- Launched
- 2022-09
- Record updated
- 2026-07-27
- License
- MIT
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- US
- Canonical URL
- https://globalaiproductindex.com/products/whisper/
Overview
Whisper is OpenAI's open-source automatic speech recognition model, released in 2022 under the MIT license. It transcribes and translates speech in dozens of languages and can run locally, which has made it a default choice for transcription in countless applications. Hosted usage is also available through the OpenAI API.
Key features
- Open-source ASR under the MIT license
- Transcription across dozens of languages
- Speech-to-English translation
- Runs locally or via the OpenAI API
Use cases
- Transcribing meetings, podcasts, and interviews
- Building voice features into applications
- Offline transcription where privacy matters
Pricing
The model is free to download and self-host under MIT; the hosted OpenAI API is priced per minute of audio.
Frequently asked questions
Is Whisper free?
Yes. Whisper is open source under the MIT license and can be run locally at no cost; the hosted API is usage-priced.
Which languages does Whisper support?
Whisper transcribes speech in dozens of languages and can translate speech into English.
Who develops Whisper?
Whisper was developed and open-sourced by OpenAI in 2022.
Similar products
- AIVA — AI music composition assistant that generates original tracks in many styles for media projects.
- AssemblyAI — Speech-to-text API providing transcription and audio intelligence models for developers.
- Cartesia — Real-time voice generation platform built on state-space models for low-latency speech synthesis.
- Deepgram — Speech recognition and voice AI API for real-time transcription and audio understanding.
- Descript — AI-powered audio and video editor that lets you edit recordings by editing their transcript.
- ElevenLabs — AI voice platform offering text-to-speech, voice cloning, and dubbing.
All Whisper alternatives → · All Audio, Voice & Music products →
Sources
This record was last reviewed on 2026-07-27.
Machine-readable record: /api/products/whisper.json · Spot an error? Suggest a correction