A Whispering alternative that works out of the box on Mac and Windows
Glimpse gives you free, unlimited local dictation on Mac and Windows, with Whisper, Parakeet, and more on both and nothing to set up. Whispering, from Epicenter, is free and open source too, adds Linux, and lets you send audio to the provider you pick.
Last updated September 23, 2026See the full Glimpse vs Whispering comparison
The short answer
Pick Whispering if
- You need Linux.
- You want everything free, AI transformations included, and don't mind paying providers directly.
- You want a voice-activated mode for hands-free dictation.
Pick Glimpse if
- Free, unlimited dictation on Mac or Windows. Install, pick a model, talk.
- Whisper, Parakeet, and more on Windows, not only Parakeet.
- Dictionary, replacements, and per-app styles built in.
- Long recordings, meetings, and audio or video files, with speaker labels.
- Regular releases. 1.3 shipped in September 2026.
Side by side
| Feature | Glimpse | Whispering |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free dictationFrom $25 one-time | Free, open sourceprovider costs may apply |
| Free tier | Unlimited dictationno word or time limit | Everythinglocal is free; cloud billed by provider |
| Open source | Yes, AGPL-3.0audit it on GitHub | Yes, AGPL-3.0-or-laterpart of the Epicenter repo |
| macOS | Yes | YesApple Silicon build |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | No | Yes |
| Local transcription | Yes, by defaultWhisper, Parakeet, Apple Speech, more | YesWhisper C++, Parakeet, Moonshine |
| Local models on Windows | Whisper, Parakeet, and more | Parakeet onlyas of v7.11.0 |
| Cloud transcription | Optionalyour own provider key | OptionalGroq, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and more |
| AI cleanup | Yes, your own LLMlocal or cloud, with a license | Yes, transformationsany prompt and model |
| Custom dictionary | Yes | Prompt onlyinitial prompt for names and terms |
| Per-app styles | YesPersonalization, with a license | Not listed |
| Long recordings and files | Yes, Libraryspeaker labels, with a license | Quick transcriptionsnot long recordings |
| Web app | No | Yesonline, no longer redeployed |
In detail
Open source and privacy
Both are AGPL, and both keep your data on your machine by default. Whispering stores settings and recordings locally, and audio only leaves your computer when the provider you picked needs an upload. Glimpse transcribes on your machine by default, and optional cloud speech or cleanup providers use your own keys, sent straight to that provider.
Platforms
Glimpse gives Windows the same main models as Mac. Whispering publishes macOS, Windows, and Linux builds. Its latest release (v7.11.0) ships an Apple Silicon Mac build, and on Windows it only includes Parakeet for local transcription, because of build issues upstream. Glimpse runs on macOS 14 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10 or later, including the Microsoft Store, with Whisper and Parakeet on both. If you need Linux, Whispering wins.
Setup and provider choice
Glimpse works the moment a model finishes downloading. Whispering is built around picking a provider. You can run Whisper C++, Parakeet, or Moonshine locally, or send audio to Groq, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, a self-hosted server, or a custom endpoint, and run the result through AI transformations. In Glimpse, cloud speech and AI cleanup are there when you want them, never required.
Release status
Glimpse ships regularly. Whispering's last tagged release is v7.11.0, from December 2025. Work continues on GitHub, where Whispering is being folded into Epicenter's desktop app. The browser version is still online, but the project has stopped redeploying it. Glimpse 1.3 came out in September 2026.
Which should you use?
Pick Whispering if you want a free open-source tool with Linux support, voice-activated recording, and full control over which provider handles your audio. Pick Glimpse if you're on Mac or Windows and want free, unlimited local dictation that works out of the box, with a dictionary, per-app styles, and meeting and file transcription when you need them.
Sources checked
Comparison copy was checked against these public sources on September 23, 2026.
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