LymeScribe

LymeScribe is a speech-to-text application that runs OpenAI's Whisper models locally on the user's own computer instead of sending audio to a cloud service. It offers live dictation with push-to-talk, batch transcription of existing audio files with speaker identification, and a corrections dictionary so users can teach it custom terminology, names, or jargon that generic transcription tools tend to mangle. It's built by LymeStack, a division of Interapp Development, Inc., described as a small, independent, non-venture-backed US software company. That positioning matters for the target audience: people who want dictation and transcription without their audio leaving their machine, whether for privacy, offline use, or cost reasons, and who are comfortable installing and running desktop software rather than using a web app. Downloads are available immediately for Mac and Windows with no waitlist. The client is free forever and can connect to any LymeScribe server; unlocking a computer to act as its own host costs $39 one-time (early-adopter pricing, regularly $59) with a 7-day trial, while dedicated office server hardware costs $399 one-time (from $499) with a 14-day trial. Both paid tiers include a 30-day money-back guarantee. One limitation: because it depends on local Whisper models rather than a hosted API, transcription speed and accuracy depend on the host machine's hardware rather than a consistent cloud-side experience.