The MacWhisper alternative that runs anywhere
MacWhisper transcribes locally on your Mac. Pepys is the web alternative when you're not on a Mac – pay once for the minutes you use, and your credits never expire.
60 min free · no card required · we never train on your audio
Is Pepys a good MacWhisper alternative?
Pepys is a web-based alternative to MacWhisper that runs on any device, not just a Mac. You buy credits once and they never expire, with speaker labels, timestamps, 99+ languages, and AI summaries and chat all included in every purchase. Your first 60 minutes are free, no card.
MacWhisper is an app that transcribes locally on your Mac, so your most sensitive files never leave the machine. That local-first approach is genuinely excellent for privacy and offline work. But it only runs on a Mac – if you're on Windows, a Chromebook, an Android phone, or you just don't want another install, it's off the table.
Pepys is the web alternative. Open it on any device, paste a link or upload a file, and you get clean, timestamped, speaker-labeled transcripts in 99+ languages with AI summaries, chapters, and chat included in every purchase. You pay once for credits that never expire, and we never train on your audio or text. Start with 60 minutes free, no card.
Pepys vs MacWhisper, side by side
MacWhisper vs Pepys, head to head
Public, verifiable facts only. Where something isn't publicly stated, we leave it blank rather than guess.
| Feature | Pepys | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Web app – any device, no install, not OS-locked | macOS only (Mac app) |
| Where transcription runs | In the cloud – nothing to install or download | On-device – local models, works offline |
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go – buy credits once, ~$1/hr (from $0.85/hr) | One-time purchase license; free version too |
| Built-in AI summaries, chat & translate | Included in every purchase – no add-on | Yes – summaries / chat / translate, some via your own API key |
| Do credits / minutes expire? | Never – credits don't expire | – |
| Free tier | 60 minutes free, no card | Free version available |
| Speaker labels / diarization | Yes – on every transcript | Yes – automatic speaker recognition |
| Languages | 99+, auto-detected | 100+ (Whisper) |
| Paste a link to transcribe | Yes – YouTube, podcasts, social | Yes – YouTube and media file URLs |
| Batch / bulk transcription | Long files chunked and stitched automatically | Yes – batch transcribe multiple files |
| Record meetings / system audio | No – not a meeting-recording tool | Yes – can record system audio |
| Trains AI on your data? | Never – we don't train on your audio or text | No – on-device, nothing leaves your Mac |
Why people switch to Pepys
It runs anywhere – Windows, Chromebook, Android, or Mac – with nothing to install, so you're not tied to a Mac.
AI summaries, chapters, chat, and translation are included in every purchase, with nothing extra to buy on top.
Pay once for credits that never expire – no recurring bill, and a quiet month costs you nothing.
We never train AI on your audio or text, and you can auto-delete source audio after processing.
Any language – 99+ detected automatically
- English
- 中文
- Español
- العربية
- हिन्दी
- Français
- 日本語
- Português
- Русский
- Deutsch
- 한국어
- Italiano
- বাংলা
- Türkçe
- فارسی
- Tiếng Việt
- தமிழ்
- Polski
- ไทย
- Українська
- Nederlands
- עברית
- Ελληνικά
- తెలుగు
- Bahasa Indonesia
- اردو
- Svenska
- मराठी
- Română
- Magyar
- Čeština
- ગુજરાતી
- Kiswahili
- ქართული
- Tagalog
- አማርኛ
Common questions about MacWhisper and Pepys
Is Pepys better than MacWhisper?
If you're not on a Mac, Pepys is the better fit – it's web-based, runs on any device, and AI summaries and chat are included in one pay-once purchase. But MacWhisper transcribes locally on your Mac, so if fully offline, on-device privacy is your priority, it wins there.
Is Pepys better than MacWhisper?
It depends. If you're not on a Mac, Pepys wins – it's web-based, runs on any device, and AI summaries and chat are included in one pay-once purchase. But MacWhisper runs locally on your Mac, so for fully offline, on-device privacy it's the stronger choice.
Do I need a Mac to use Pepys?
No. Pepys is a web app that works on any device – Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or phone – with nothing to install. MacWhisper only runs on macOS, so Pepys is the natural alternative on Windows, Chromebook, or Android.
Does Pepys transcribe locally like MacWhisper?
No – Pepys runs in the cloud, so there's nothing to install and it works on any device. MacWhisper's strength is on-device, offline transcription where files never leave your Mac. If fully local processing is a hard requirement, MacWhisper is the better fit; otherwise Pepys is simpler.
Are AI summaries and chat an extra cost with Pepys?
No. Summaries, chapters, and chat with the transcript are included in every Pepys purchase – there's no add-on and no API key to bring. You get the same included AI features whether you buy the smallest credit pack or the largest.
Is it free to try?
Yes. Your first 60 minutes are free with no card required, so you can compare Pepys' transcript quality and AI features before you pay. After that you buy credits once, they never expire, and there's no subscription.
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Try Pepys free – no card
Pay as you go – credits never expire, nothing to cancel. Compare the transcript against MacWhisper with 60 free minutes.