MacWhisper

What Is MacWhisper?

MacWhisper is a lightweight Mac application focused on audio and video transcription. It uses OpenAI's Whisper model to convert audio files and live speech into text, all processed locally on your machine. Unlike system-wide dictation tools that type as you speak, MacWhisper is primarily designed for batch transcription — dropping in an audio or video file and getting a clean, timestamped transcript.

The app was created by indie developer Jordi Bruin under the Good Snooze label and has become one of the most popular Whisper-based tools in the Mac ecosystem. Its appeal lies in simplicity: there is no account required, no subscription needed for the free tier, and no complex configuration. Drag a file onto the window, choose a model, and click transcribe.

MacWhisper occupies a distinct niche between the raw open-source Whisper project (which requires command-line skills) and full-featured dictation suites like SuperWhisper or Wispr Flow (which focus on real-time typing). If your primary need is transcribing recordings — interviews, lectures, podcasts, meetings — rather than live dictation, MacWhisper is purpose-built for that workflow.

Setup & First Impressions

MacWhisper is distributed as a standard macOS application. Download it from the developer's Gumroad page or discover it through Mac app directories. The app weighs approximately 25 MB before model downloads. On first launch, it prompts you to download at least one Whisper model. The free version includes the small model (approximately 500 MB download), and the Pro version unlocks all model sizes.

The interface is remarkably clean. A single window with a large drop zone for files, a model selector dropdown, and a transcribe button. There are no complicated menus, no hidden settings panels, and no onboarding wizard. We had our first transcription running within 90 seconds of downloading the app. For users who value simplicity over feature density, MacWhisper gets this balance exactly right.

Model downloads happen within the app and can run in the background. On a 100 Mbps connection, the small model downloaded in about 10 seconds, the medium model in roughly 30 seconds, and the large-v3 model took around two minutes. Once downloaded, models are stored locally and never need to be re-downloaded unless you manually delete them.

Batch Transcription Workflow

MacWhisper's core strength is batch transcription of audio and video files. The app supports a wide range of formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG for audio, and MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV for video. You can drag and drop single files or multiple files at once. For multi-file batches, MacWhisper queues them and processes sequentially, showing progress for each file.

We tested batch transcription with a variety of real-world files: a 45-minute podcast episode (MP3, 128kbps), a 15-minute Zoom recording (MP4), a two-hour university lecture (M4A), and a collection of five 3-minute interview clips (WAV). Using the large-v3 model on a MacBook Pro M3, processing times were approximately 4x faster than real-time — the 45-minute podcast was fully transcribed in about 11 minutes.

The transcription output includes timestamps at configurable intervals (per sentence, per paragraph, or at fixed time intervals). This is invaluable for journalists and researchers who need to locate specific quotes in long recordings. You can click any timestamp in the transcript to jump to that point in the audio, which makes fact-checking and citation work significantly faster.

Accuracy & Model Selection

MacWhisper's accuracy depends entirely on the Whisper model you choose, and the difference between model sizes is substantial. The small model (free) achieves about 88% accuracy on standard English speech, which is usable but requires meaningful cleanup. The medium model improves to approximately 92%. The large-v3 model (Pro only) reaches 95-96% accuracy, which produces transcripts that need only minor corrections.

We tested accuracy systematically using a 10-minute podcast recording with clear audio and a single speaker. The small model introduced errors roughly every two to three sentences — mostly on proper nouns, technical terms, and words that sound similar. The large model produced a near-flawless transcript, missing only two proper nouns and one acronym in the entire passage. Processing time for the 10-minute file was approximately 45 seconds on an M1 Mac with the large model, and about 25 seconds on an M3 Mac.

For non-English languages, MacWhisper performs well thanks to the underlying Whisper model's multilingual training. In our French and Spanish tests, the large model achieved 91-93% accuracy, which is competitive with cloud-based transcription services. The model auto-detects the spoken language, though you can also specify it manually for better results with mixed-language content.

Export Formats & Integrations

The free version of MacWhisper exports transcripts as plain text (TXT) only. The Pro version unlocks SRT (SubRip subtitles), VTT (WebVTT subtitles), CSV (with timestamps and confidence scores), and JSON formats. The SRT export is particularly valuable for content creators — you can generate subtitle files directly from MacWhisper and upload them to YouTube, Vimeo, or any video platform that accepts SRT files.

The CSV export includes timestamp, text, and confidence score columns, which is useful for researchers and data analysts who need to process transcripts programmatically. The JSON export provides the most granular data, including word-level timestamps and per-word confidence scores when available from the model.

MacWhisper does not integrate directly with other applications (no Slack, Notion, or CRM integrations). It is a standalone tool that produces files you then use elsewhere. For users who need automated pipelines — transcribe a meeting recording and push the transcript to Notion, for example — MacWhisper is not the right tool. For manual, on-demand transcription workflows, the export options are comprehensive.

Free vs Pro: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

The free version of MacWhisper is genuinely useful, not a crippled demo designed to push upgrades. It includes the small Whisper model, basic transcription of audio files, and TXT export. For occasional transcription needs — transcribing a few recordings per month where 88% accuracy is acceptable — the free tier is adequate.

The Pro upgrade costs $29 as a one-time purchase, which is exceptional value in a market dominated by monthly subscriptions. For that one-time cost, you get all Whisper model sizes (including large-v3 with 95%+ accuracy), live transcription from your microphone, speaker detection (beta), and export to SRT, VTT, CSV, and JSON. If you transcribe more than a few files per month, the Pro upgrade pays for itself immediately through time saved on corrections.

To put the pricing in perspective: Otter.ai Pro costs $16.99/month ($204/year), Wispr Flow Pro costs $8.99/month ($108/year), and even SuperWhisper Starter costs $4.99/month ($60/year). MacWhisper Pro at $29 total is less than one month of Otter.ai. The limitation is that MacWhisper is not a real-time dictation tool — it is designed for file transcription, so the comparison is not entirely apples-to-apples. But for its intended use case, the value proposition is hard to beat.

MacWhisper vs SuperWhisper

Both apps run Whisper models locally on your Mac, but they serve fundamentally different workflows. SuperWhisper is a real-time dictation tool — it sits in your menu bar and types as you speak in any application. MacWhisper is a batch transcription tool — you feed it audio files and it produces transcripts. If you need to dictate emails, messages, and documents throughout the day, choose SuperWhisper. If you need to transcribe interviews, lectures, and recordings, choose MacWhisper.

There is some overlap: MacWhisper Pro includes live transcription from your microphone, and SuperWhisper can process audio files. But each tool does its primary job significantly better than the other does as a secondary feature. Many Mac users who work in both dictation and transcription workflows end up owning both tools, which combined costs less than three months of Otter.ai Pro.

Who Is MacWhisper Best For?

MacWhisper is ideal for journalists who transcribe interviews and press conferences, students transcribing lectures and seminars, podcasters and YouTubers generating show notes and subtitles, researchers processing qualitative interview data, and legal professionals transcribing depositions and witness statements. The common thread is a need to convert existing recordings into text, rather than a need to type by voice in real time.

It is less ideal for users who need real-time dictation (choose SuperWhisper or Wispr Flow), users who need meeting transcription with speaker identification and AI summaries (choose Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai), or users on Windows or Linux (MacWhisper is Mac-only). For cross-platform batch transcription, the open-source Whisper project or cloud APIs like Speechmatics are alternatives.

Alternatives to Consider

SuperWhisper ($4.99-$9.99/month) is the alternative for Mac users who need real-time system-wide dictation rather than batch transcription. Otter.ai ($16.99/month Pro) offers cloud-based transcription with meeting integration, speaker labels, and AI summaries — better for meeting workflows but more expensive and cloud-dependent. OpenAI Whisper (free, open-source) provides the same underlying engine at no cost, but requires command-line proficiency and manual setup.

For subtitle generation specifically, Descript ($24-$33/month) offers transcription combined with video editing tools, which may be more efficient for YouTubers who need both. However, Descript's monthly subscription costs more per year than MacWhisper Pro's one-time $29 purchase, making MacWhisper the better value for transcription-only workflows.

Long-Term Value & Verdict

MacWhisper is one of the best values in the transcription software market. The free tier is genuinely useful for occasional transcription, and the $29 Pro upgrade unlocks professional-grade accuracy and export options that would cost $100-$200 per year from cloud-based alternatives. The one-time pricing model means you own the tool outright with no recurring costs.

The main limitation is scope: MacWhisper is a transcription tool, not a dictation tool and not a meeting assistant. It does one thing — convert audio files to text — and it does it very well. If that is what you need, MacWhisper is our top recommendation for Mac users. If you need real-time dictation, meeting transcription, or cross-platform support, look elsewhere.

We recommend starting with the free version to evaluate whether MacWhisper fits your workflow. If you find yourself reaching for it regularly, the $29 Pro upgrade is an easy decision that will pay for itself within a few transcription sessions through better accuracy and more export options.