> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Is OpenWhispr free?

> What the Free plan actually gives you, what it doesn't, and whether you need to pay.

Yes, and it stays free — the Free plan isn't a trial and it doesn't expire. No
card is needed to start.

What's worth understanding is that OpenWhispr has two ways of turning speech
into text, and only one of them has a limit on the free plan.

## Free, with no limit at all

**Dictation using a local model runs entirely on your own machine.** It doesn't
touch our servers, so there's nothing for us to meter. It's unlimited on the
Free plan — unlimited words, no file size cap, and it works offline. It's also
the most private option, because your audio never leaves your computer.

The same goes for **using your own API key** (BYOK) with a provider like OpenAI:
you're paying them directly, so we don't limit it on any plan.

## Free, with a weekly allowance

**OpenWhispr Cloud** is our hosted transcription, which we pay for. On the Free
plan you get **2,000 words per rolling 7 days**.

Rolling means there's no Monday reset — each transcription simply stops counting
once it's more than seven days old. If you used your allowance last Tuesday, it
frees up again this Tuesday.

There's also a **25 MB limit on files you upload** to OpenWhispr Cloud on the
Free plan. A 45-minute recording is usually 40–65 MB, so long files need either
a paid plan or a local model — which has no size limit at all. This one catches
people out, so it's worth knowing before you record something long.

## So do you need to pay?

Honestly: a lot of people don't.

* **If you dictate with a local model**, the Free plan is the whole product, and
  paying gets you very little you'd notice.
* **If you want cloud transcription regularly**, 2,000 words a week is roughly
  15 minutes of speech, and Pro at \$8/month removes the limit.
* **If you upload long recordings**, the 25 MB cap is the thing that will push
  you to either a paid plan or a local model.

The full breakdown is in [Plans and limits](/help/plans-and-limits).

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is there a free trial of Pro?">
    Only through a referral — if you sign up via someone's invite link, your
    first 30 days of Pro are free. See [Referrals](/help/account/referrals).
    Everyone else starts on the Free plan, which doesn't run out.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will you ask for a card later?">
    No. You only enter payment details if you choose to upgrade.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I hit the 2,000 words?">
    Cloud transcription pauses until some of your usage ages past seven days.
    Local dictation carries on working the whole time — it isn't affected.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is the free version limited in quality?">
    No. Transcription quality depends on the model you choose, not on your plan.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Snippet file="still-need-help.mdx" />

## Related

* [Plans and limits](/help/plans-and-limits)
* [Cloud vs local processing](/guides/cloud-vs-local)
* [Changing your plan](/help/account/change-your-plan)