MacWhisper

MacWhisper runs speech recognition entirely on your Mac, turning audio and video files into accurate transcripts without sending a byte to the cloud.

Overview

Built by indie developer Good Snooze, MacWhisper wraps open speech-recognition models in a native macOS interface optimized for Apple silicon. Because processing happens locally, it is a natural fit for sensitive material such as legal interviews, therapy sessions, or unreleased media. Drag in a file, choose a model size, and the app transcribes at speeds that benefit from GPU acceleration. Transcripts open in a clean editor with full-text search across your whole library, and YouTube links can be pulled in directly for captioning workflows.

The app fits naturally into privacy-sensitive workflows: recordings of interviews, medical consultations, or unreleased material never leave the machine, which removes a whole category of compliance anxiety. Power users lean on batch mode to process archives overnight, while casual users appreciate that a single purchase covers the basics forever. Regular model updates keep accuracy improving without changing the workflow people already know.

Key Features

• Fully on-device transcription that keeps audio private
• Multiple model sizes trading accuracy against speed
• Speaker-aware editing plus search across all saved transcripts
• Subtitle and document exports including SRT, VTT, and DOCX
• Apple Shortcuts and system integrations for automation
• No account or cloud upload required for transcription
• Batch processing for large audio and video archives
• Library management with folders, tags, and full-text search

Pricing

A capable free tier covers basic transcription, while a one-time Pro purchase unlocks larger models, batch processing, and extra export options — no subscription required.

Who Is It For

Mac users with privacy constraints or heavy transcription volume: researchers, editors, lawyers, and creators who prefer owning their tools over renting them. It is ideal for Mac users who want professional transcription without recurring fees or data exposure.