Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. Rehearsal: Video-based roleplay and AI practice platform where sales teams rehearse real-world scenarios and get feedback. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and Rehearsal when certifying reps' messaging through reviewer-scored practice attempts matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
Video-based roleplay and AI practice platform where sales teams rehearse real-world scenarios and get feedback.
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
Rehearsal is a video-based practice and roleplay platform, developed by ELB Learning, that gives sales teams and other learners a safe environment to practice their selling and communication skills before high-stakes situations. Learners record video responses to real-world scenarios, build the muscle memory needed to perform under pressure, and receive feedback through multiple practice attempts. The platform pairs traditional video roleplay with AI capabilities: an AI-powered feature evaluates learner video responses and provides automated feedback and assessment metrics, complementing human review from mentors and managers. Rehearsal Coaching supports collaborative, iterative learning by letting reviewers leave feedback and allowing learners to retry until they improve, which is useful for objection handling, pitch delivery, and discovery conversations. While the platform is widely used for sales enablement, it also supports adjacent use cases such as customer support training, leadership development, onboarding, and education. The company, founded by Darik Volpa and based in Reno, Nevada, describes itself as privately held and growing, and Rehearsal maintains a presence on review sites such as G2. It is an established, actively operating product suited to organizations that want structured, repeatable video practice with both AI and human feedback loops. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Rehearsal is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | Rehearsal |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Video-based roleplay where learners record responses to scenarios |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | AI evaluation of video responses with automated feedback and metrics |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Iterative coaching with multiple practice attempts and reviewer feedback |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | Mentor and manager review workflows alongside AI assessment |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | Scenario library spanning sales, support, leadership, and onboarding |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Anytime, anywhere access for distributed teams |
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.
Rehearsal
Choose Rehearsal if you need rehearsing sales pitches and discovery on video before real meetings — strengths include combines ai assessment with human mentor feedback for richer coaching.
Buzz
Rehearsal
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while Rehearsal is strong for rehearsing sales pitches and discovery on video before real meetings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and Rehearsal is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.
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