FAQ
Is Abe really free?
Yes. Abe is free and open source under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license. There is no paid tier, no trial and no account. If you use a cloud provider, you pay that provider directly for what you use; in local mode it costs nothing at all.
Do I need an API key?
No. Pick Local and Abe downloads a Whisper model once, then transcribes entirely on your computer, offline. If you want faster or more accurate results on modest hardware, paste an API key instead. We recommend Groq, which is free to start; OpenAI and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint work too. See Getting an API key.
Can you hear or store my audio?
No. There is no Abe server. In local mode audio never leaves your machine. In cloud mode it goes from your computer directly to the provider you chose, using your key, under that provider's data policy. The app has no telemetry.
How much does cloud transcription cost?
A few cents per hour of talking: roughly $0.04 an hour with Groq and $0.27 an hour with OpenAI at current list prices. See Costs for the table and a calculator.
Which apps does it work in?
Any app where you can type: email, chat, documents, browsers, code editors, terminals. Abe inserts text at your cursor by pasting it, or by typing it out key by key in typewriter mode for apps that block pasting.
Which platforms are supported?
Windows 10 and 11 (x64), and macOS 10.15 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel). Linux is coming soon.
Where is my API key stored?
In your operating system's secure credential store: Windows Credential Manager or the macOS Keychain. It is never written to a plain settings file and is never sent anywhere except to the provider it belongs to.
How is Abe funded?
By donations. They pay for code-signing certificates, the Apple Developer fee, the domain and development time. Support the project if Abe saves you time.
Does Abe work offline?
Section titled “Does Abe work offline?”Yes, in Local mode. Once the model is downloaded, transcription works with no internet connection at all. Cloud mode, and Voice Transform with a cloud provider, need a connection.
What happened to accounts and subscriptions?
Section titled “What happened to accounts and subscriptions?”Earlier versions of Abe were a paid, hosted service. Abe is now free and open source with no accounts, so there’s nothing to sign in to. The old hosted service has been discontinued; see the privacy policy for what happens to its data.
Can I use Abe at work?
Section titled “Can I use Abe at work?”Yes. Abe is free for any use, including commercial use. Because there’s no Abe server, you can pick a provider your organisation already approves, or keep everything on-device with Local mode. If you modify Abe and distribute it, the AGPL requires you to share your changes under the same license.
Which languages does it support?
Section titled “Which languages does it support?”Abe offers Auto-detect plus 28 languages in Settings → Transcription → Language. Choosing your language explicitly gives the best accuracy.
Why does my antivirus or OS warn me about Abe?
Section titled “Why does my antivirus or OS warn me about Abe?”Abe simulates keyboard input to type into other apps, which some security tools flag, and brand-new releases haven’t built up reputation with Windows SmartScreen yet. See Download for first-run notes. If in doubt, build it yourself.