Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. Depose AI: An AI-powered platform that records legal depositions and produces fast, timestamped transcripts with certification available on request. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and Depose AI when flagging and annotating critical testimony in real time for case preparation matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
An AI-powered platform that records legal depositions and produces fast, timestamped transcripts with certification available on request.
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
Depose AI is a legal technology platform that captures and transcribes depositions for remote, hybrid, and in-person legal testimony. Built by people with legal-industry experience, it records the deposition session and uses AI to generate a preliminary, highly accurate transcript with timestamps synchronized to the video moments after the session ends, rather than the weeks-long turnaround typical of traditional court reporting. The platform refines initial AI drafts toward greater accuracy and offers certified transcripts on request. During a live session, legal teams can place markers and annotations to flag critical segments of testimony in real time, and a Session Host is available to assist. After the session, users can generate downloadable HD video clips by selecting passages from the transcript, and upload recordings, transcripts, documents, clips, and assets to a secure repository where they can comment, manage exhibits, and share materials in-session. It targets attorneys, litigation teams, and legal professionals who need rapid, lower-cost deposition transcription as an alternative to conventional court reporting agencies.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Depose AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | Depose AI |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | AI-generated deposition transcripts produced shortly after a session, with timestamps synced to the video |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Certified transcripts available on request, refined from the initial AI draft |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Real-time markers and annotations to flag key testimony during a live deposition |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | HD video clip generation by selecting segments directly from the transcript |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | Secure repository to upload, manage, comment on, and share recordings, transcripts, exhibits, and documents |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Live Session Host support during deposition sessions |
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.
Depose AI
Choose Depose AI if you need capturing and transcribing remote, hybrid, or in-person legal depositions — strengths include much faster transcript turnaround than traditional court reporting, available the same day.
Buzz
Depose AI
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while Depose AI is strong for capturing and transcribing remote, hybrid, or in-person legal depositions. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and Depose AI is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
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