Buzz vs Subtitle Edit
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Offline audio and video transcription and translation app for your own computer, built on Whisper.
Open source · MIT
A free, offline editor for subtitle files, with video playback and format conversion.
The short answer
Choose Buzz if you need…
- People who want to transcribe recordings without uploading them to an online service
- Creators who need SRT or VTT subtitle files or TXT transcripts
- Users who want live transcription from a microphone during events or presentations
- Users with an Nvidia GPU or Apple Silicon Mac who want faster processing
Choose Subtitle Edit if you need…
- People who need to fix timing or text in existing subtitle files
- Anyone converting subtitles between formats
- Users who want to edit subtitles offline without uploading files
- Windows, macOS, or Linux users looking for a desktop subtitle tool
Side-by-side
| Buzz | Subtitle Edit | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 22.4k | 14.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Download the app |
| Main language | Python | C# |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Buzz
Buzz turns spoken audio and video into text, and can translate it, without sending your files to a cloud service, according to its description. It is powered by OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition model. People use it to make transcripts and subtitles from recordings, interviews, lectures, or YouTube links.
Subtitle Edit
Subtitle Edit is a desktop application for creating, editing, and converting subtitle files. The README says it runs offline and includes video playback, so you can time and adjust subtitles while watching the video. It is aimed at people who work with captions or translations.
Best for
Buzz
- People who want to transcribe recordings without uploading them to an online service
- Creators who need SRT or VTT subtitle files or TXT transcripts
- Users who want live transcription from a microphone during events or presentations
- Users with an Nvidia GPU or Apple Silicon Mac who want faster processing
Subtitle Edit
- People who need to fix timing or text in existing subtitle files
- Anyone converting subtitles between formats
- Users who want to edit subtitles offline without uploading files
- Windows, macOS, or Linux users looking for a desktop subtitle tool
Strengths
Buzz
- Runs offline on your own computer, according to the README
- Supports several Whisper backends, including CUDA for Nvidia GPUs, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan
- Offers multiple export formats and a transcript viewer with search and playback speed control
Subtitle Edit
- Open source under the MIT license, with a large following on GitHub
- The README says core features, including local auto-backup, run on your device without sending your files anywhere
- Pre-built packages are provided for Windows, macOS, and Linux, including self-contained builds
Not ideal for
Buzz
- Users on Intel Macs, since the README says the last supported version for them is 1.4.5
- People who need a hosted, no-install web service, because Buzz is installed locally
- Users who expect a fully signed Windows app, since the README says the Windows app is not signed and shows a warning
Subtitle Edit
- People who want a browser-only tool with nothing to install, since the README lists downloadable desktop builds and a Flatpak package
- Users on very old Windows 10 builds, which the README says are end-of-life and may fail to start
- Anyone expecting cloud collaboration, since the README describes only local operation with optional third-party services
Trade-offs
Buzz
- Some acceleration options depend on specific hardware and versions; the README says CUDA setup applies to version 1.4.6 or later, which it describes as not yet released at the time of the README
- The Windows installer is unsigned, so installation shows a security warning
- The README is truncated, so detailed setup and model requirements are unclear from this text
Subtitle Edit
- Video features on Linux native builds depend on mpv and ffmpeg being installed separately
- The README's description is very brief, so many features are not documented in the text provided
- Older operating system versions are either unsupported or only lightly tested, as noted in the system requirements
Getting started
Buzz
Install via Flatpak (Linux)
flatpak install flathub io.github.chidiwilliams.BuzzInstall via PyPI (after installing ffmpeg and Python 3.12)
pip install buzz-captionsSubtitle Edit
Linux Flatpak install
flatpak install SubtitleEdit-linux-x64.flatpakFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Buzz and Subtitle Edit?
Buzz: Offline audio and video transcription and translation app for your own computer, built on Whisper. Subtitle Edit: A free, offline editor for subtitle files, with video playback and format conversion. Buzz suits people who want to transcribe recordings without uploading them to an online service, while Subtitle Edit suits people who need to fix timing or text in existing subtitle files.
Are Buzz and Subtitle Edit free?
Buzz: Free and open source. Subtitle Edit: Free and open source.
Is Buzz or Subtitle Edit more popular?
Buzz has more GitHub stars (22.4k) than Subtitle Edit (14.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Buzz and Subtitle Edit?
Other options people compare them with include whisper.cpp, faster-whisper.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.