Dictation and transcription
Buzz privacy rating
Desktop app that transcribes and translates audio and video files or live microphone input offline using Whisper models. It can optionally use the OpenAI Whisper API instead.
Summary
Buzz scores 87 out of 100 (grade B) on the dictation and transcription criteria. It meets 5 of 6 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, runs on the device and no training on recordings. It does not meet independent audit.
Score 87 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
- Yes
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Yes
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
No telemetry or analytics in the source code.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Free open-source app, with a paid Mac App Store edition and no ads.
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No
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
No independent audit is published.
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Yes
Runs on the device Weight 3 of 3
Is speech converted to text on the device, without sending audio to a server?
Transcription runs offline with local Whisper models; the OpenAI Whisper API is an optional alternative.
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Yes
No training on recordings Weight 2 of 3
Are recordings and transcripts kept out of model training by default?
Transcription is local by default, so recordings are not sent to the developer.