Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. TranscribeAudio: A Chrome extension that transcribes any browser tab's audio into a live, floating real-time caption overlay using OpenAI's Whisper-based speech recognition. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and TranscribeAudio when transcribing online lectures, courses, and webinars for study notes 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.
A Chrome extension that transcribes any browser tab's audio into a live, floating real-time caption overlay using OpenAI's Whisper-based speech recognition.
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
TranscribeAudio is a Chrome browser extension that captures the audio playing in any browser tab and turns it into real-time text, displayed in a repositionable floating caption overlay while you keep working. It is aimed at people who want live captions and transcripts for online meetings, lectures, courses, podcasts, webinars, and videos. Because it works from tab audio rather than joining calls as a meeting bot, it can transcribe Zoom, Google Meet, YouTube, Vimeo, and essentially any site with audio or video without sending notifications into the call. Transcription is powered by OpenAI's Whisper-based speech recognition, which the company says handles accents, background noise, and specialized terminology, and supports over 50 languages. Setup is a three-step flow: install from the Chrome Web Store, sign in, then click Start Transcribing on a tab. Finished transcripts can be exported as text files for notes, summaries, or sharing, with cloud storage listed as an upcoming feature. The product offers a free tier with paid upgrades for more usage, languages, and faster transcription.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); TranscribeAudio is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | TranscribeAudio |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Real-time, live transcription of any browser tab's audio |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Repositionable floating caption overlay that stays on screen while you work |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Tab-audio capture that works without joining meetings as a bot |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | OpenAI Whisper-based speech recognition across 50+ languages |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | Compatibility with YouTube, Zoom, Google Meet, Vimeo, and any audio/video site |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Export of transcripts as TXT files for notes and sharing |
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.
TranscribeAudio
Choose TranscribeAudio if you need generating live captions and transcripts for zoom and google meet calls without a bot — strengths include captures meeting and video audio without a visible bot joining the call.
Buzz
TranscribeAudio
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while TranscribeAudio is strong for generating live captions and transcripts for zoom and google meet calls without a bot. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and TranscribeAudio 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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