whis

App Listed

Voice-to-text CLI for terminal users

Jobs: Speech and audio
Category: Speech and audio

Checked 9 Nov 2026 · Sources

Downloads: 658
Dependents: Not applicable
Stars: 128
Forks: 17
Contributors: 6
Commits: 381
Latest release: 0.7.2 · 9 months ago

About

From the project README · 6 Nov 2026

whis

Your voice, piped to clipboard.
Website · Desktop · Mobile · Releases

Why?

Built for AI workflows — speak your prompt, paste to OpenCode, Claude, Codex, ...
Cloud or local — OpenAI, Mistral, Groq, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, or free with local Whisper
Simple — record → transcribe → clipboard

Quick Start

# Install
cargo install whis-cli

# Setup (interactive wizard)
whis setup

# Run
whis               # Press Enter to stop — text copied!

Screenshot

whis Demo

Usage

# Record once
whis

# Background service mode
whis start         # Start background service
whis toggle        # Toggle recording (bind to your compositor hotkey)

# Post-process with AI (presets define the transformation)
whis --post-process

# Use with terminal AI assistants
claude "$(whis --as ai-prompt)"    # Start session with voice prompt
whis --as ai-prompt --print        # For shell mode (outputs to stdout)

# Presets
whis --as email          # Use preset
whis preset              # List all
whis preset new xyz      # Print template for new preset
whis preset edit xyz     # Edit in $EDITOR

# Transcribe existing audio
whis -f recording.wav

# Help - for you or your helper
whis --help

Installation

cargo install whis-cli

Read the full README

Or download binaries from GitHub Releases.

Requirements

API key from OpenAI, Mistral, Groq, Deepgram, or ElevenLabs — or use local Whisper/Parakeet (no API key needed)

Linux only: Vulkan SDK for local transcription

sudo apt install libvulkan-dev vulkan-tools glslc libshaderc-dev  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo pacman -S vulkan-headers vulkan-tools shaderc                # Arch

Linux (X11/Wayland), macOS, or Windows

For hotkey mode (Linux, pick one):

# Option 1: Compositor keybinding (no permissions needed)
# GNOME: Settings > Keyboard > Custom Shortcuts → whis toggle
# Sway:  bindsym Ctrl+Alt+w exec whis toggle
# Hyprland: bind = CTRL ALT, W, exec, whis toggle

# Option 2: Direct capture
sudo usermod -aG input $USER && logout
# Then: whis start

Desktop & Mobile

Desktop — GUI with system tray
Mobile — Android app (Alpha)

Development

git clone https://github.com/frankdierolf/whis.git
cd whis
just                # List all commands
just install-cli    # Build and install CLI

See CONTRIBUTING.md for full setup instructions.

Architecture

Whis Architecture

License

MIT

Compatibility

How each fact is measured

Runs on: GPU support unknown

What shows it

no dependency or feature matches a backend row
Native code: Required

Binds native code: alsa-sys
Python bindings: No Python binding crate found
License: MIT

Compare with similar projects

Order: strongest tier first, then most downloads, then name, with unmeasured values last. A library counts downloads over 30 days. An app counts binary downloads per release. An app with none counts its crate downloads over 30 days. ML Rust runs this catalogue, so its closest project always gets a row.

whis beside the projects that share a topic with it
Project	Downloads	Dependents	Stars	Latest release	Runs on (GPU)	Native code	License
whis This page App Listed Voice-to-text CLI for terminal users	658 binary downloads per release	Not applicable	128	0.7.220 Jan 2026	GPU support unknown	Binds native code: alsa-sys	MIT
webrtc-vad Listed Dormant Rust interface for the WebRTC Voice-Activity-Detction Module	60,022 downloads over 30 days	7	31	0.4.01 Oct 2019	GPU support unknown	Build uses a native toolchain: cc	MIT
jpreprocess Listed Japanese text preprocessor for Text-to-Speech application (OpenJTalk rewrite in rust language).	14,491 downloads over 30 days	7	61	0.15.011 Jun 2026	GPU support unknown	No native code found	BSD-3-Clause
aspeak App Listed Dormant A simple text-to-speech client for Azure TTS API. Python bindings	488 binary downloads per release	Not applicable	496	6.1.028 Mar 2025	GPU support unknown	No native code found	MIT
whisrs App Listed Voice for the Linux desktop: dictation, read-aloud (TTS), and voice-driven LLM commands, with Groq, OpenAI, Deepgram, and local Whisper backends	61 binary downloads per release	Not applicable	149	0.2.031 Oct 2026	CUDA, Vulkan	Binds native code: alsa-sys, mac-notification-sys, wayland-sys (feature overlay), whisper-rs-sys (feature local-whisper)	MIT
cohere-transcribe-rs Listed Rust implementation for the CohereLabs/cohere-transcribe-03-2026 speech-to-text model. Includes a CLI and an OpenAI-compatible API server.	0 downloads over 30 days	0	101	0.1.129 Mar 2026	CUDA	Binds native code: torch-sys (feature tch-backend). Build uses a native toolchain: cmake	Apache-2.0
voxr New Audio and speech on boostr: compressed-audio decode, resampling, DSP and grapheme to phoneme, with speech synthesis (Kokoro, VITS), voice cloning (VoxCPM2), transcription with word timings (Whisper), voice activity (Silero) and audio-text scoring (CLAP), on CPU or CUDA.	642 downloads over 30 days	2	2	0.9.16 Nov 2026	CUDA	No native code found	Apache-2.0

Compare these

All projects in Speech and audio

Why ListedNo archive, New or Featured rule places it, so it is Listed.

What it lacks for Featured

The check holds no value for Homebrew installs on request over 365 days, Repology repository families, Docker pull growth over 90 days. A gate that lacks its signal does not pass.

What else the check found

The last activity is on 26 Jan 2026, 287 days ago. The rules expect an update within 365 days. Dormancy rule

Not measured: Homebrew installs on request over 365 days, Repology repository families, Docker pull growth over 90 days.

Exact rules: Listed, Featured app. The check on 9 Nov 2026 applied thresholds version 9.

Every rule outcome, as the check records it

expected-interval: app: E = 365 days
dormancy: last activity 2026-01-26, 287 days ago, E = 365: active
featured: not featured: unknown homebrew_on_request_365d, repology_families, docker_pull_growth_90d
listed: listed: no archive, new or featured rule applies

Measurements and sources

Each signal row shows the raw value, its source and the fetch date. The Sources list gathers every distinct source on this page. Movement needs more history.

Sources6 sources

Description: the GitHub repository description
GitHub releases, fetched 9 Nov 2026
crates.io database dump, fetched 8 Nov 2026
GitHub repository, fetched 9 Nov 2026
crates.io package, fetched 6 Nov 2026
GitHub contributors, fetched 6 Nov 2026

Adoption658 binary downloads per release4 not measured

Adoption measurements
Signal	Value	Source	Fetched	Counts
Active dependents	Not measured			Yes
New dependents (365 days)	Not measured			Yes
Peak active dependents	Not measured			Yes
Active dependents as a share of the peak	Not measured			Yes
Binary downloads per release	658	GitHub releases	9 Nov 2026	Yes

MaintenanceLatest human commit: 9 months ago4 not measured

Maintenance measurements
Signal	Value	Source	Fetched	Counts
Latest human commit	2026-01-26	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Latest release	2026-01-20	GitHub releases	9 Nov 2026	Yes
First release	2026-01-15	GitHub releases	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Latest version	0.7.2	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Days the oldest outside issue waits for a reply	289	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Maintainer replies over 365 days	34	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Repository archived	false	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Repository gone	false	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Release commit or manifest in the repo	true	crates.io package	6 Nov 2026	No
Published docs	Not measured			Yes
Latest release fails cargo check	Not measured			Yes
Build check date	Not measured			Yes
Build check toolchain	Not measured			Yes

SecurityNot measured

Security measurements
Signal	Value	Counts
Unpatched vulnerabilities past the grace window	Not measured	Yes
RustSec unmaintained advisory	Not measured	Yes
Deprecation notice	Not measured	Yes
Deprecated requirement	Not measured	Yes

Distribution2 releases, 4 downloads over 30 days6 not measured

Distribution measurements
Signal	Value	Source	Fetched	Counts
Releases	2	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Downloads over 30 days	4	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Binary downloads over the last 3 releases	1976	GitHub releases	9 Nov 2026	Yes
Homebrew installs on request over 365 days	Not measured			Yes
Repology repository families	Not measured			Yes
Docker pull growth over 90 days	Not measured			Yes
Docker pulls at the growth baseline	Not measured			Yes
Every version a prerelease	false	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	Yes
Every version 0.0.x	false	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	Yes
Every version yanked	Not measured			Yes
Crate deleted from crates.io	Not measured			Yes

Repository128 stars, 17 forks, 6 contributors, 381 commits. Stars alone never qualify a project.

Repository measurements
Signal	Value	Source	Fetched	Counts
GitHub stars	128	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes — one part of the repository route
GitHub forks	17	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	Yes — one part of the repository route
Contributors with a GitHub account	6	GitHub contributors	6 Nov 2026	Yes — one part of the repository route
Commits on the default branch	381	GitHub repository	9 Nov 2026	No
Repository's main crate left out of the entry	whis	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	Yes

Facts that never count

Facts that never count measurements
Signal	Value	Source	Fetched	Counts
License	MIT	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Runs on, from listed crates and their direct dependencies	GPU support unknown	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
What shows each backend	no dependency or feature matches a backend row	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Native code, from listed crates and their dependencies	Binds native code: alsa-sys	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Python bindings, from direct dependencies of listed crates	No Python binding crate found	crates.io database dump	8 Nov 2026	No
Crates that depend on a listed crate directly	Not measured			No

Corrections and review history

Report a correction

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Judgments

A judgment enters only through an approved issue and a merged pull request.

No judgment applies to this entry.