Which model size should I pick for offline speech-to-text?

Start with the compact model: it handles everyday speech on an 8 GB machine without a GPU. With 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU, the balanced model is usually the better choice for accents and technical vocabulary, and the GPU keeps it quick. WhisPaste offers exactly three sizes; Best Quality is worth it only if you have about 3.6 GB or more of graphics memory and process long recordings. The setup assistant suggests a size based on your hardware.

Does offline mode really work without any internet connection?

Yes. After the one-time model download, WhisPaste runs whisper.cpp entirely on your machine. Aeroplane mode, an air-gapped workstation, or a flaky hotspot make no difference to transcription. Usage statistics, crash reports and the update check are on by default and need the network, but transcription never waits for them, and you can switch all three off.

How accurate is offline speech-to-text compared to cloud APIs?

For everyday voice input the offline models are a strong default. Specialist domains (heavy accents, very noisy environments, rare technical vocabulary) sometimes benefit from a larger cloud model. WhisPaste lets you switch the provider in Settings, so you can keep offline as the default and reach for cloud only when a recording really needs it.

Offline Speech to Text for Windows, Mac & Linux (Free)

WhisPaste is an open-source offline speech-to-text tool for Windows, macOS and Linux, free on GitHub. In local mode it runs Whisper models entirely on your own machine — your audio stays on your computer, and no internet connection or account is required.

Choosing a mode: local by default, cloud on demand

WhisPaste defaults to local mode. The model runs on your CPU or GPU, the audio stays on the machine, and the transcript is delivered to the cursor without a network round-trip. If you need maximum speed for a long recording, you can switch a single setting to a cloud provider, but that is an explicit setting you choose, not a hidden fallback.

What offline mode can and cannot do

WhisPaste ships two offline engines. Offline Whisper covers 99 languages and natural speech with pauses and restarts. The second engine, Parakeet, trades that language range for speed (about 25 languages; on the processor it was several times faster than the compact Whisper model in our benchmark, and faster still with GPU acceleration). What neither can do: speaker separation or model sizes that exceed your available memory. As a rough guide, the compact model needs about 900 MB of graphics memory, Balanced about 1.5 GB and Best Quality about 2.6 GB (our estimates).

RAM and CPU profile

The minimum is 8 GB of RAM and a 64-bit CPU on Windows 10, macOS 12 Monterey (Apple Silicon) or Linux, enough for the compact model on the CPU. With 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with 2–4 GB of VRAM, the balanced model is a comfortable choice for everyday voice input. Apple Silicon shares memory between CPU and GPU, so the picker treats 2 GB of unified memory as enough for Balanced.

Which model size should I pick for offline speech-to-text?: Start with the compact model: it handles everyday speech on an 8 GB machine without a GPU. With 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU, the balanced model is usually the better choice for accents and technical vocabulary, and the GPU keeps it quick. WhisPaste offers exactly three sizes; Best Quality is worth it only if you have about 3.6 GB or more of graphics memory and process long recordings. The setup assistant suggests a size based on your hardware.
Does offline mode really work without any internet connection?: Yes. After the one-time model download, WhisPaste runs whisper.cpp entirely on your machine. Aeroplane mode, an air-gapped workstation, or a flaky hotspot make no difference to transcription. Usage statistics, crash reports and the update check are on by default and need the network, but transcription never waits for them, and you can switch all three off.
How accurate is offline speech-to-text compared to cloud APIs?: For everyday voice input the offline models are a strong default. Specialist domains (heavy accents, very noisy environments, rare technical vocabulary) sometimes benefit from a larger cloud model. WhisPaste lets you switch the provider in Settings, so you can keep offline as the default and reach for cloud only when a recording really needs it.