OpenAI Whisper

Open-source speech recognition model from OpenAI that runs locally with high accuracy across languages.

Pricing Free (open source) / API $0.006/min (whisper-1, removed from the API Feb 26, 2027)

Category Transcription

OpenAI Whisper scorecard

How we grade

A 90/100

Overall grade

The open-source ASR standard that the industry builds on.

Idea A Free open-source near-commercial transcription reset the whole market.

Brand A OpenAI name plus ubiquity as the default ASR baseline.

Product A- Excellent multilingual accuracy, runs offline.

Market fit A Foundation layer under countless transcription products.

Adoption A Massive ecosystem built on top of it.

Features B+ Strong core, but no diarization and needs setup.

Security A- Local execution gives full data control.

Value A Free model and cheap API are unbeatable on cost.

Strengths & limitations

Strengths

+Free and open source
+Excellent multilingual accuracy
+Can run fully offline for privacy

Limitations

–Raw model requires technical setup
–No built-in speaker diarization
–CPU inference is slow without GPU

What makes OpenAI Whisper different

Whisper changed the transcription landscape by providing a free, open-source model with near-commercial accuracy. It supports 100 languages, runs locally for privacy, and spawned an ecosystem of tools and services built on top of it.

Follows our review methodology

· Last reviewed October 2026

Key features

100 language support (including Cantonese)
Local processing option
Open-source model (MIT)
OpenAI API access (whisper-1 deprecated; removal from the API on Feb 26, 2027)
Speaker diarization (via community tools)

Alternatives to OpenAI Whisper

Deepgram

Free $200 credit / Pay-as-you-go from $0.0043/min

4.6

AssemblyAI

Free tier (up to 185 hrs pre-recorded) / Pay-as-you-go from $0.15/hr (Universal-2) or $0.21/hr (Universal-3.5 Pro) / Streaming from $0.15/hr

Rev

Free / Essentials $25.49 per seat/mo annual ($29.99 monthly) / Pro $47.99 annual ($59.99 monthly) / Unlimited custom / Human from $1.99/min

Speechmatics

Free trial / Pay-as-you-go / Enterprise custom

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