Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Descript VS MacWhisper

Compare Descript VS MacWhisper and see what are their differences

Descript logo Descript

Text-based audio editor and automated transcription

MacWhisper logo MacWhisper

High Quality Text Transcription with OpenAI's Whisper on Mac
  • Descript Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20
  • MacWhisper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-03

Descript features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Descript offers an intuitive interface that simplifies audio and video editing, making it accessible even to users with limited technical skills.
  • Automated Transcription
    The platform provides high-quality automated transcription services, allowing users to convert audio to text quickly and with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Collaborative Editing
    Descript enables multiple users to collaborate on the same project in real-time, which is particularly useful for teams working remotely.
  • Multi-Functionality
    Descript is not just a transcription tool but also a full-fledged audio and video editor, offering a wide range of features such as overdubbing, sound effects, and video editing.
  • Overdub
    This feature allows users to create synthetic voiceovers from text, which can be used to correct or add to existing audio without needing to re-record.
  • Seamless Integration
    Descript integrates with other platforms like Zoom, Dropbox, and Google Drive, making it easy to import and export files.

Possible disadvantages of Descript

  • Pricing
    Descript's subscription plans can be relatively expensive for individual users or small teams, especially when compared to other transcription and editing tools.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its intuitive design, some advanced features and functionalities may require a learning curve, especially for users new to audio and video editing.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Descript comes with limitations, such as restricted transcription minutes and fewer features, which may not be sufficient for heavy users.
  • Occasional Transcription Errors
    While the automated transcription is generally accurate, it can sometimes produce errors, especially with uncommon terms, multiple speakers, or background noise.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported that the application can be slow or laggy when working on large files or complex projects, potentially hindering productivity.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any cloud-based service, there are inherent privacy and security concerns related to the uploading and storage of sensitive audio and video files.

MacWhisper features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    MacWhisper provides a user-friendly interface that makes it simple for users to generate and manage their content. The design is intuitive, allowing even non-technical users to navigate the app with ease.
  • Integration
    The software integrates well with other MacOS applications, enhancing productivity by allowing seamless transitions and data sharing between different apps.
  • Feature Rich
    MacWhisper offers a variety of features that cater to different content creation needs, such as text-to-speech, different language supports, and customizable settings.
  • Performance
    The application operates smoothly with minimal lag, providing a reliable experience even when dealing with extensive content or complex tasks.
  • Regular Updates
    The developers consistently provide updates to improve functionality, fix bugs, and add new features, ensuring that the software remains up-to-date with the latest advancements.

Possible disadvantages of MacWhisper

  • Cost
    MacWhisper is a paid application, which may be a drawback for users looking for free or more affordable alternatives.
  • Platform Limitation
    The software is exclusively available for MacOS, which limits its accessibility to users operating on other platforms, such as Windows or Linux.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, some users may still find it takes time to fully understand and utilize all the features effectively.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running MacWhisper can be resource-intensive, potentially affecting the performance of other applications running simultaneously on lower-spec machines.
  • Customer Support
    Some users have reported that the customer support response time can be slow, which can be frustrating when encountering urgent issues or technical difficulties.

Analysis of Descript

Overall verdict

  • Descript is generally considered a good tool for both beginner and intermediate users looking for an intuitive and efficient way to edit audio and video content.

Why this product is good

  • Descript offers a unique combination of audio and video editing with a simple, user-friendly interface.
  • It provides a robust set of features including transcription, screen recording, and multi-track editing, making it a versatile tool for content creators.
  • Descript's Overdub feature allows users to generate text-to-speech in their own voice, which can significantly speed up the editing process.
  • The platform is consistently updated with new features based on user feedback, ensuring it remains a competitive choice in the market.

Recommended for

  • Podcasters who need reliable transcription and editing capabilities.
  • Video creators looking for a straightforward tool for editing and screen recording.
  • Teams and collaborators who need to work on projects together, as Descript supports real-time collaboration.
  • Content creators who are interested in utilizing text-to-speech technology to streamline their workflow.

Analysis of MacWhisper

Overall verdict

  • MacWhisper is considered a good choice for those in need of reliable transcription software on macOS. Its strength lies in its ease of use and effectiveness in delivering accurate transcriptions without requiring a steep learning curve.

Why this product is good

  • MacWhisper is highly regarded for being an intuitive and efficient transcription tool that leverages OpenAI's Whisper technology. It is praised for its user-friendly interface and its ability to transcribe audio into text quickly and accurately. It supports multiple languages and offers various export options, making it versatile for different users' needs.

Recommended for

    MacWhisper is recommended for content creators, podcasters, researchers, and anyone who frequently needs to transcribe audio files into text. It is especially useful for those who work with multilingual content or require a simplified transcription process on macOS.

Descript videos

Descript - Hands On: Ultimate Podcast / YouTube Editor

More videos:

  • Review - Descript's Podcast Studio launches: we try it out
  • Review - Audio Editing with Descript Software
  • Demo - Introducing Descript

MacWhisper videos

MacWhisper - The best macOS app using OpenAI Whisper

More videos:

  • Review - Make near-perfect subtitles for free on your Mac with MacWhisper

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Descript and MacWhisper)
AI
88 88%
12% 12
Transcription
77 77%
23% 23
Knowledge Sharing
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
86 86%
14% 14

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Descript and MacWhisper

Descript Reviews

How to Use a TikTok Subtitles Generator for Free
Descript: AI-based video and audio editor that can transcribe videos and add subtitles easily.
Source: videobytes.ai
Top Otter AI Alternatives in 2024
Descript is one of many editing and transcription tools used to write, record, transcribe, edit, collaborate on, and share videos and podcasts. Descript offers automatic transcription services with industry-leading accuracy, near-instant turnaround, and affordable prices. For just pennies on the dollar, you can choose one of four plans and transcribe whatever you need in 22...
Top 10 Podcasting Audio to Text Transcription Software
In case you are looking for software you can use to record, edit and transcribe your podcasts, then you shouldnโ€™t look much further than Descript. This cross-platform tool can be used to edit both audio and video files, while the Lyrebird AI enables you to correct any mistakes by simply typing what you really want to say. Descript automatically transcribes your videos with...
The 12 Best Notta.ai Alternatives for Better Transcription in 2024
Descript is a versatile tool for editing videos and podcasts with ease. It uses AI to simplify the editing process, making it accessible for users who may not have advanced technical skills. You can edit audio and video as if you were editing a text document. Transcription is one of the many unique features provided by Descriptโ€™s intuitive AI.
Source: sonix.ai
Top 10 AI Subtitle Generators to Try in 2024
Descript combines transcription, video editing, and captioning into one easy-to-use platform. Its advanced AI helps you create accurate subtitles with little effort and can translate them into multiple languages. Descript also offers editing tools to customize subtitle appearance, making sure they match your videoโ€™s look and feel.

MacWhisper Reviews

We have no reviews of MacWhisper yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MacWhisper should be more popular than Descript. It has been mentiond 30 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Descript mentions (12)

  • how do you handle your podcasts transcription and timestamps
    For transcripts, I use Descript. Descript is able to identify all four of our panel members, and I usually spend an hour or so cleaning it up and setting the transcript into a video for YouTube. Source: over 2 years ago
  • looking for video editor that auto cuts conversations
    I don't understand exactly what you are trying to do, but I'm pretty sure Descript can do what you want. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What is your preferred way to make a voice-over?
    I tried to use descript.com but found out that they didn't have a download for Linux and that their online version doesn't allow you to edit your transcript. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Needing some assistances
    Edit your audio with software like Descript or Audacity. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Video snippit of your episode text animation recommendations
    Looks like an 'audiogram' from descript.com - you can make them on their paid service. Source: over 3 years ago
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MacWhisper mentions (30)

  • Launch HN: Hyprnote (YC S25) โ€“ An open-source AI meeting notetaker
    Another free tier (but not opensource) recording tool Ive been using is MacWhisper. Does this and more all locally too. Will try hyprnote out because its neat to do the transcription in real time and its note taking purposes https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: What API or software are people using for transcription?
    I really like the MacWhisper macOS desktop app - https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper It runs Whisper (or the newer Whisper Turbo) really well, and you can both drop MP3/MP4/etc files into it or paste in URLs to a YouTube video/podcast URL to kick off a transcription. It exports to text or VTT subtitles or a bunch of other formats. I use it several times a week. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • I turned a 40 year old Apple Mouse into a speech to text button
    For folks looking to running speech to text locally(in the context of dictation) and dont want to do a subscription there are a few apps that run whisper large turbo locally (optimized to run really fast on apple silicon). 1. https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper (dictation + transcription) 2. https://carelesswhisper.app (does dictation only, and does it really well; cheapest) 3. https://superwhisper.com... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Show HN: Aqua Voice 2 โ€“ Fast Voice Input for Mac and Windows
    Real-time text output ร  la Apple Dictation with the accuracy of Whisper is something I've been looking for recently - I'll definitely give Aqua a spin. MacWhisper [0] (the app I settled on) is conspicuously missing from your benchmarks [1]. Have does it compare? [0]: https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • I do not want AI to "polish" me
    I actually use LLMs to unpolish dictation results from MacWhisper[0] to match the way I write in chats. MacWhisper lets you set a prompt to automatically post-process your transcribed output. Here is my prompt: 'You are a professional proofreader and editor. Your task is to rewrite this dictation with more casual capitalization and punctuation so it can be used in a chat setting. - Always capitalize "I" and... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Descript and MacWhisper, you can also consider the following products

Otter.ai - Your AI meeting assistant that takes live notes and generates summaries and other insights using Meeting GenAI.

Whisper.sh - Whisper is the best place to express yourself online. Connect with likeminded individuals and discover the unseen world around you.

HappyScribe - Happy Scribe automatically transcribes your interviews

FUTO Voice Input - The Voice Input app for Android that respects your privacy.

InVideo.io - Create thumb-stopping videos in mins for just $10/month even if you've never edited a video before!

Vibe Transcribe - Transcribe on your own!