Aria

What it does

Captures system audio from any application — video, games, calls — and overlays a transcript in real time, with three engines to choose from: Whisper for accuracy, Sherpa-ONNX or Vosk for word-by-word streaming, or Windows 11's built-in captions, which needs no GPU at all. Japanese, Chinese, Korean and English among others, with translation via Google Cloud or a local NLLB model. Windows only. Transcribing a call means recording someone, so ask first. GPL-3.0.

Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.

Screenshots & visuals

Before you start

• Setup difficultySome setup needed
• Command lineRequired
• API keyNot required
• Sends data onlineYes

Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.

Aria FAQ

Is Aria free?

Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.

Do I need to install anything or write code to use Aria?

It needs the command line. If you are not comfortable typing commands, expect to get stuck during setup.

Does Aria work on a phone?

No. It needs a computer.

Can I use Aria commercially?

The licence is GPL-3.0. Using it commercially is fine, but if you distribute something built on it you may be required to release that under the same licence. Keep it internal, or check before distributing.

How it compares

The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.

"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.

Other meetings & transcription tools