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Whisper Web
WhisperAI Alternative

A WhisperAI Alternative Without the 5-Minute Wall

WhisperAI's free plan gives 5 minutes a month. Its own comparison page at whisperai.com/vs/whisper-web says the free plan "turns the whole file away instead of transcribing part of it" when a file runs longer than the minutes left. Whisper Web's free mode has no monthly quota: 20 minutes and 200 MB per file, no account, and the audio is processed in your browser without being uploaded.

The short version: WhisperAI's free tier vs Whisper Web
Whisper Web (whisperweb.dev)WhisperAI (whisperai.com)
Free plan20 minutes and 200 MB per file; no monthly minute cap5 minutes per month
Free file size200 MB per file5 GB upload cap per file
Account for free useNot requiredRequired
Where free audio is processedIn your browser; not uploadedUploaded and processed in the cloud
Over the free limitThe file is not transcribed; other files still work because there is no monthly quotaThe whole file is rejected when it exceeds the minutes left that month
A 30-minute interviewSplit into two 15-minute files; both stay freeRejected: 30 minutes is over the 5-minute monthly allowance
Paid planUnlimited: US$20/mo or US$120/yrPremium: US$14.99/mo (120 min) or US$99/yr; Business Pro: US$24.99/mo or US$199/yr
Per-file cap on paid plans10 hours or 5 GB10 hours or 5 GB
Speaker labelsNot provided; add names after exportProvided on every plan (advanced from Business Pro)
Meeting recordingBrowser microphone recording only; no bot, tab audio or recapTab + microphone recording; recap from Business Pro
RefundsDuplicate charges, or service failures that prevent delivery, plus statutory rightsNo refunds except where law requires; EU/EEA/UK 14-day withdrawal, and weekly plans once performed
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Six things to check before you pick WhisperAI

The free plan is a 5-minute wall

WhisperAI's account-based free plan gives 5 minutes per month in total. Its homepage demo previews the first 5 minutes of a file, which is a demo, not the monthly allowance itself.

Every file goes to the cloud

WhisperAI uploads each file and transcribes it in the cloud, so the audio leaves your device. Whisper Web free mode transcribes in your browser and does not upload the audio; model files download on first use.

Longer files are rejected whole

When a file runs longer than the minutes left, WhisperAI turns the whole file away instead of transcribing part of it — its own comparison page says so. You get no transcript of the part that would have fit the allowance.

Recap, AI summary and advanced labels cost US$24.99

Meeting recap, AI summary and chat, AI analytics and advanced speaker labels are Business Pro features, at US$24.99/mo or US$199/yr. Premium keeps basic speaker labels but not recap, AI summary or advanced labels.

Premium is capped at 120 minutes

Premium is US$14.99/mo for 120 minutes a month, with unused minutes rolling over up to 360. No extra-minute add-on is sold, so the next step is Business Pro.

Refunds are narrow

WhisperAI's terms say paid fees are non-refundable except where law requires. EU, EEA and UK consumers keep a 14-day withdrawal right, and weekly plans lose it once the service is performed.

WhisperAI's limits, by file and by plan

WhisperAI's own comparison page describes the rule behind the first table: a file longer than the minutes left is "turned away whole instead of transcribing part of it".

The 5-minute wall, by file
ScenarioWhisperAI freeWhisper Web free
10-minute voice memoRejected: over the 5-minute allowance1 file, free
30-minute interviewRejected whole; no partial transcriptTwo 15-minute files, both free
2-hour lectureRejected wholeSix 20-minute files, all free
Buy extra minutesNot sold; upgrade or wait for next monthNo minutes system; per-file limit only
Where the paid plans stop
DetailWhisper Web UnlimitedWhisperAI PremiumWhisperAI Business Pro
PriceUS$20/mo or US$120/yrUS$14.99/mo (120 min), US$9.49/wk, or US$99/yrUS$24.99/mo or US$199/yr
Monthly minutesNo cap120, rollover up to 360No cap
Buy more minutesNot neededNot soldNot needed
Per-file cap10h/5GB10h/5GB10h/5GB
AI summary & chatNoNo — lockedYes
Meeting recapNoNo — lockedYes
Advanced speaker labelsNo (manual names)No — basic onlyYes
Meeting recordingNoYesYes
MCP connector / iOS appYes, with Developer API credits / NoYes / YesYes / Yes
RefundsDuplicate charges, or service failures that prevent delivery, plus statutory rightsNo refunds except where law requiresSame as Premium

WhisperAI facts are from whisperai.com/pricingandplans, whisperai.com/vs/whisper-web, whisperai.com/terms, whisperai.com/security and the whisperai.com homepage FAQ, checked 2 November 2026. Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax; policies can change, so verify at whisperai.com. WhisperAI is a trademark of WhisperAI Technology Inc.; the name is used here to identify the compared service.

Which tool fits your recording

One interview needs more than WhisperAI's free 5 minutes a month — Whisper Web free allows 20 minutes and 200 MB per file with no monthly minute quota
A long recording should not be rejected whole — split it into 20-minute files and transcribe each one free in your browser
The audio should not leave your device — free local mode processes it in your browser, and no account is needed
You do not want to sign up before the first transcript — Whisper Web free mode works without an account
Speaker labels and a meeting recap decide it — every WhisperAI plan labels speakers, and Business Pro adds meeting recap and AI summary
You need an iPhone app — WhisperAI offers one; Whisper Web does not. Both offer an MCP connector; Whisper Web's uses prepaid Developer API credits

Frequently Asked Questions

How free is WhisperAI's free plan?
It is 5 minutes per month for the account-based free plan, and it requires an account. The homepage demo previews the first 5 minutes; separate from that demo, every transcription in the month competes for the 5-minute allowance.
What happens when a file is longer than my remaining minutes?
WhisperAI turns the whole file away instead of transcribing part of it — that is the wording on its own comparison page. You get no transcript of the portion that would have fit, and the whole file has to wait for a paid plan or the next monthly reset.
Can I buy more minutes without upgrading?
No. WhisperAI does not sell extra minutes; when the allowance runs out, the choice is a higher plan or the next monthly reset. Premium's unused minutes roll over up to 360, but that cap is a ceiling, not a way to buy more.
Is 5 minutes a month enough for an interview or lecture?
No. A 30-minute interview is six times the monthly free allowance and is rejected as one file, and a 2-hour lecture is rejected whole. On Whisper Web free the same recordings work as two 15-minute files and six 20-minute files, all free.
Does WhisperAI transcribe the first 5 minutes of a long file?
No. The 5 minutes is a monthly allowance, not a per-file preview: a file longer than the minutes left is turned away whole. The homepage demo does preview the first 5 minutes, but that preview is not a transcription of your file.
Which features are locked behind Business Pro?
Meeting recap, AI summary and chat, AI analytics, and advanced speaker labels are Business Pro and above. Premium keeps basic speaker labels and the 120-minute allowance but not those features. Whisper Web does not offer speaker labels, AI summary or meeting recap.
Can I use WhisperAI without uploading my audio?
No. WhisperAI uploads each file and transcribes it in the cloud. Whisper Web free mode processes the file in your browser and does not upload the audio; the paid Unlimited plan is the optional cloud path for longer files.
When is WhisperAI still the better choice?
When automatic speaker labels matter — WhisperAI includes them on every plan, with advanced labels on Business Pro — or when you need meeting recording with recaps (recaps on Business Pro) or an iPhone app. Whisper Web does not provide automatic speaker labels, meeting recap or a mobile app. Whisper Web provides a separate transcription API with prepaid credits, independent of website Unlimited subscriptions, and an MCP connector for AI agents that uses those API credits.

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Transcribe without the 5-minute wall

Free local mode: no account, 20 minutes and 200 MB per file, no monthly minute quota, no daily file-count limit. 99 languages.

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