whisper.cpp
Whisper in pure C/C++, runs anywhere
Speech (STT / TTS)Speech-to-text engineMITRuns locallyC/C++Intermediate
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🚀 Latest release ·
What is whisper.cpp?
whisper.cpp is a dependency-free C/C++ port of Whisper that transcribes speech on CPUs, phones and even Raspberry Pi, powering countless local dictation tools.
Why people choose whisper.cpp
- Runs on almost any hardware, no GPU needed
- Zero dependencies, easy to embed
- Quantized models for tiny footprints
whisper.cpp at a glance
| Category | Speech (STT / TTS) |
| Type | Speech-to-text engine |
| License | MIT |
| Runs locally | Yes |
| Built with | C/C++ |
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Best for | developers embedding transcription anywhere |
Latest releases
Open-source alternatives to whisper.cpp
Other open-source speech (stt / tts) tools worth comparing:
WhisperOpenAI's open speech-to-text baseline
faster-whisperWhisper, much faster and lighter
WhisperXWhisper plus word timestamps and diarization
PiperFast, local neural text-to-speech
Coqui TTSDeep-learning TTS with voice cloning
BarkText-to-audio with voices and effects
F5-TTSZero-shot voice cloning that actually convinces
KokoroTiny 82M TTS with astonishing quality
OpenVoiceClone a voice and control its emotion
StyleTTS 2Human-level speech synthesis
pyannote.audioKnow who spoke when
Silero VADDetect speech in audio, instantlywhisper.cpp head-to-head
whisper.cpp vs Whisperwhisper.cpp vs faster-whisperwhisper.cpp vs WhisperXwhisper.cpp vs Piperwhisper.cpp vs Coqui TTSwhisper.cpp vs Barkwhisper.cpp vs F5-TTSwhisper.cpp vs Kokorowhisper.cpp vs OpenVoicewhisper.cpp vs StyleTTS 2whisper.cpp vs pyannote.audiowhisper.cpp vs Silero VAD
FAQ
Is whisper.cpp free?
whisper.cpp is free and open-source (MIT license), so you can use, self-host and modify it at no cost.
Can I run whisper.cpp locally?
Yes. whisper.cpp is designed to run on your own machine or server, keeping your data private.
What is the best alternative to whisper.cpp?
Popular open-source alternatives include Whisper, faster-whisper, WhisperX. See the comparisons above to choose.
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