--- title: "SmartSub vs whishper" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/buxuku-smartsub-vs-pluja-whishper" tools: ["buxuku-smartsub", "pluja-whishper"] --- # SmartSub vs whishper *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick SmartSub if smartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration; pick whishper if whishper is an open-source audio transcription and subtitling suite with a web UI that supports both GPU and CPU for local transcription. [SmartSub](https://smartsub.linxiaodong.com/) reports 5.3k GitHub stars, 400 forks, and 50 open issues, last pushed Sep 16, 2026. [whishper](https://whishper-docs.pages.dev/) has 3.1k stars, 179 forks, and 108 open issues, last pushed Jul 31, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [SmartSub's repository](https://github.com/buxuku/SmartSub) and [whishper's repository](https://github.com/pluja/whishper). | | [SmartSub](/tools/buxuku-smartsub.md) | [whishper](/tools/pluja-whishper.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A desktop subtitle tool supporting ASR and translation | Open-source local audio transcription and subtitling suite with web UI | | Stars | 5,253 | 3,066 | | Forks | 400 | 179 | | Open issues | 50 | 108 | | Language | TypeScript | Svelte | | Adopt for | SmartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration. | Whishper is an open-source audio transcription and subtitling suite with a web UI that supports both GPU and CPU for local transcription. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Whishper uses the AGPL-3.0 license, requiring users who modify and deploy the software in a network service to make their changes available under the same license. | | Categories | Speech & Audio | Developer Tools, Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [SmartSub](/tools/buxuku-smartsub.md) | [whishper](/tools/pluja-whishper.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 3d | 29d | | Open issues (now) | 50 | 108 | | Stars delta | +629 (30d) | +18 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +7 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/pluja-whishper/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: SmartSub - **Adopt for:** SmartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration. ## Decision facts: whishper - **Pricing:** freemium - Free, open-source solution that does not charge for usage or require payment plans. - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Supports both GPU and CPU for processing.; NVIDIA GPU is optional. - **Adopt for:** Whishper is an open-source audio transcription and subtitling suite with a web UI that supports both GPU and CPU for local transcription. - **License detail:** Whishper uses the AGPL-3.0 license, requiring users who modify and deploy the software in a network service to make their changes available under the same license. ## Choose when ### Choose SmartSub if… - SmartSub is primarily TypeScript; whishper is Svelte. - License: SmartSub is MIT, whishper is AGPL-3.0. - Tags unique to SmartSub: asr, gpu acceleration, subtitle, translation. - Need multi-engine ASR support including both local and online services ### Choose whishper if… - whishper is primarily Svelte; SmartSub is TypeScript. - License: whishper is AGPL-3.0, SmartSub is MIT. - Pricing: Free, open-source solution that does not charge for usage or require payment plans.. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Supports both GPU and CPU for processing.; NVIDIA GPU is optional.. - Tags unique to whishper: audio-to-text, golang, speech recognition, speech-to-text. - Also covers Developer Tools. - whishper ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need to transcribe media files locally without sending data to external servers, ensuring privacy. ## When NOT to use SmartSub - Looking for mobile app capabilities instead of desktop application support - Do not need the complexity of multiple engines or advanced GPU acceleration configurations ## When NOT to use whishper - When real-time transcription accuracy outweighs local processing needs, because while faster on CPU, it may not offer the same level of immediate precision as cloud-based solutions. - If your project is resource-constrained, especially in terms of development time and effort required for setup since Whishper involves a few manual steps to start using. - When direct audio input from web browsers is necessary because this feature is pending implementation. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between SmartSub and whishper? SmartSub: A desktop subtitle tool supporting ASR and translation. whishper: Open-source local audio transcription and subtitling suite with web UI. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose SmartSub over whishper? Choose SmartSub over whishper when SmartSub is primarily TypeScript; whishper is Svelte; License: SmartSub is MIT, whishper is AGPL-3.0; Tags unique to SmartSub: asr, gpu acceleration, subtitle, translation; Need multi-engine ASR support including both local and online services. ### When should I choose whishper over SmartSub? Choose whishper over SmartSub when whishper is primarily Svelte; SmartSub is TypeScript; License: whishper is AGPL-3.0, SmartSub is MIT; Pricing: Free, open-source solution that does not charge for usage or require payment plans.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Supports both GPU and CPU for processing.; NVIDIA GPU is optional.; Tags unique to whishper: audio-to-text, golang, speech recognition, speech-to-text; Also covers Developer Tools; whishper ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to transcribe media files locally without sending data to external servers, ensuring privacy. ### When should I avoid SmartSub? Looking for mobile app capabilities instead of desktop application support Do not need the complexity of multiple engines or advanced GPU acceleration configurations ### When should I avoid whishper? When real-time transcription accuracy outweighs local processing needs, because while faster on CPU, it may not offer the same level of immediate precision as cloud-based solutions. If your project is resource-constrained, especially in terms of development time and effort required for setup since Whishper involves a few manual steps to start using. When direct audio input from web browsers is necessary because this feature is pending implementation. ### Is SmartSub or whishper more popular on GitHub? SmartSub has more GitHub stars (5,253 vs 3,066). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are SmartSub and whishper open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (SmartSub: MIT, whishper: AGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to SmartSub or whishper? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [SmartSub alternatives](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/alternatives) and [whishper alternatives](/tools/pluja-whishper/alternatives) ([SmartSub markdown twin](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/alternatives.md), [whishper markdown twin](/tools/pluja-whishper/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/buxuku-smartsub-vs-pluja-whishper.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, SmartSub or whishper? SmartSub: Very active. whishper: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for SmartSub and whishper? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [SmartSub trust report](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/trust); [whishper trust report](/tools/pluja-whishper/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=buxuku-smartsub`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=buxuku-smartsub) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_