Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. VetRec: VetRec is an AI scribe for veterinarians that records consultations and automatically generates SOAP notes and clinical documentation. 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 VetRec when producing discharge instructions, treatment plans, and referral letters from a single visit recording 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.
VetRec is an AI scribe for veterinarians that records consultations and automatically generates SOAP notes and clinical documentation.
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
VetRec is a purpose-built AI scribe for veterinary professionals that automates clinical documentation. During an appointment, the clinician taps to record the spoken consultation ambiently, and VetRec transcribes the conversation and generates structured SOAP notes, discharge instructions, treatment plans, referral letters, and phone-call notes in seconds. It offers a library of customizable templates spanning general practice, emergency, exotics, equine, dental, surgery, and other specialties, plus a Record Recap feature that summarizes lengthy patient histories. VetRec is available as a web application and as iOS and Android apps, with offline recording that syncs once back online, suiting both exam-room and field use such as farm calls. It integrates with practice information management systems (PiMS) via a one-click sync, and supports multi-pet appointments. The company states it holds SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance. VetRec is aimed at veterinarians, technicians, relief/locum vets, students, and nonprofit animal-welfare organizations seeking to reduce documentation time and administrative burden.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); VetRec is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | VetRec |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Ambient one-tap recording with AI-generated SOAP notes in seconds |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Customizable templates across veterinary specialties (GP, ER, exotics, equine, dental, surgery) |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Additional document generation: discharge instructions, treatment plans, referral letters, phone-call notes |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | Offline recording that syncs when back online |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | One-click sync to practice information management systems (PiMS) |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Web, iOS, and Android applications |
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.
VetRec
Choose VetRec if you need generating soap notes and medical records from ambient consultation recordings — strengths include purpose-built for veterinary workflows and terminology rather than a generic scribe.
Buzz
VetRec
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while VetRec is strong for generating soap notes and medical records from ambient consultation recordings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and VetRec 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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