Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. CaptionKit: CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and CaptionKit when offering real-time multilingual translation for non-native-speaking audiences matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services.
Buzz is a widely used open-source desktop application that transcribes and translates audio offline on the user's personal computer, powered by OpenAI's Whisper. It is MIT-licensed and actively maintained, with v1.4.4 released in March 2026, and it has grown a large community with roughly 19.7k GitHub stars. Buzz runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with installation options including Flatpak, Snap, and PyPI. It supports both importing existing audio and video files and real-time transcription from microphone input, and it can export results in formats such as TXT, SRT, and VTT for subtitling and documentation. The app includes an advanced transcript viewer with search and playback controls, a watch folder for automatically transcribing new files, and a command-line interface for automation. It offers GPU acceleration through CUDA for Nvidia cards, Apple Silicon support, and Vulkan for many other GPUs, which makes faster transcription practical even on laptops. Buzz also provides speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio, plus a plugin system that adds capabilities like AI-generated summaries. Because all processing happens locally, recordings and transcripts remain on the user's machine rather than being uploaded to a cloud service. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
CaptionKit is a browser-based platform that produces live, AI-generated captions and translations during spoken sessions, designed primarily for churches and other faith-based organizations serving deaf, hard-of-hearing, and multilingual audiences. A host starts a captioning session from the web dashboard, and the system transcribes speech in 65+ languages and translates it into 85+ languages, including a bilingual English and Spanish mode. Attendees follow along by joining a shared web link or QR code, or through the free iOS and Android apps; captions can also be displayed on screen as lower-third overlays or full-screen scrolling text. It integrates with common presentation and streaming software including ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme, and supports automation via cURL and Bitfocus Companion. Accuracy can be improved with boosted keywords for names and uncommon terms, and the platform records session history. No installation is required, making it suited to live in-person or streamed events where on-screen accessibility and language access matter.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | CaptionKit |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Real-time AI speech-to-text captioning in 65+ languages |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Live translation into 85+ languages, including bilingual English/Spanish mode |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Attendee access via web link, QR code, or free iOS and Android apps |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | On-screen display options (lower-third overlays, full-screen scrolling captions) |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | Integrations with ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Boosted keywords to improve accuracy for names and uncommon terms |
Buzz
Choose Buzz if you need transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline — strengths include fully offline so audio and transcripts stay on the user's computer.
CaptionKit
Choose CaptionKit if you need providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events — strengths include browser-based with no installation required for hosts or attendees.
Buzz
CaptionKit
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while CaptionKit is strong for providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
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