--- title: "whisper.cpp vs stt" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/ggml-org-whisper-cpp-vs-jianchang512-stt" tools: ["ggml-org-whisper-cpp", "jianchang512-stt"] --- # whisper.cpp vs stt *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick whisper.cpp when whisper.cpp is primarily C++; stt is Python; pick stt when stt is primarily Python; whisper.cpp is C++. [whisper.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/whisper.cpp) reports 52k GitHub stars, 5.9k forks, and 1.2k open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [stt](https://pyvideotrans.com) has 4.7k stars, 494 forks, and 100 open issues, last pushed Jan 22, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [whisper.cpp's repository](https://github.com/ggml-org/whisper.cpp) and [stt's repository](https://github.com/jianchang512/stt). | | [whisper.cpp](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp.md) | [stt](/tools/jianchang512-stt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Port of OpenAI's Whisper model in C/C++ for speech-to-text inference | Voice Recognition to Text Tool / 一个离线运行的本地音视频转字幕工具，输出json、srt字幕、纯文字格式 | | Stars | 51,715 | 4,664 | | Forks | 5,898 | 494 | | Open issues | 1,216 | 100 | | Language | C++ | Python | | Adopt for | A port of OpenAI's Whisper model to C++, optimized with `ggml`, for lightweight speech-to-text transcription. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT License - permissive license that allows users to use the software in any way, including closed-source applications. | GPL-3.0 | | Categories | Inference & Serving, Speech & Audio | Inference & Serving, Model Training, Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [whisper.cpp](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp.md) | [stt](/tools/jianchang512-stt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 0d | 170d | | Open issues (now) | 1.2k | 100 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No lockfile | 1 critical, 2 high, 3 medium, 21 low (1 critical, 2 high, 3 medium, 21 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/jianchang512-stt/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: whisper.cpp - **Requirements:** Requires C++ setup and knowledge; Needs audio files converted into a compatible format supported by `ggml`. - **Adopt for:** A port of OpenAI's Whisper model to C++, optimized with `ggml`, for lightweight speech-to-text transcription. - **License detail:** MIT License - permissive license that allows users to use the software in any way, including closed-source applications. ## Choose when ### Choose whisper.cpp if… - whisper.cpp is primarily C++; stt is Python. - License: whisper.cpp is MIT, stt is GPL-3.0. - Requirements: Requires C++ setup and knowledge; Needs audio files converted into a compatible format supported by `ggml`.. - Tags unique to whisper.cpp: inference, openai, transformer, whisper. - You need a lightweight solution that does not require Python or PyTorch ### Choose stt if… - stt is primarily Python; whisper.cpp is C++. - License: stt is GPL-3.0, whisper.cpp is MIT. - Tags unique to stt: python, speech, stt. - Also covers Model Training. ## When NOT to use whisper.cpp - When you prefer to work with higher-level languages like Python which might offer more ease-of-use and extensive libraries - If your project requires real-time speech transcription and has limited computational resources as `ggml` optimization might still require significant CPU/GPU power for high-performance ## When NOT to use stt - Last GitHub push was 171 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 22, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on stt. - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between whisper.cpp and stt? whisper.cpp: Port of OpenAI's Whisper model in C/C++ for speech-to-text inference. stt: Voice Recognition to Text Tool / 一个离线运行的本地音视频转字幕工具，输出json、srt字幕、纯文字格式. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose whisper.cpp over stt? Choose whisper.cpp over stt when whisper.cpp is primarily C++; stt is Python; License: whisper.cpp is MIT, stt is GPL-3.0; Requirements: Requires C++ setup and knowledge; Needs audio files converted into a compatible format supported by `ggml`.; Tags unique to whisper.cpp: inference, openai, transformer, whisper; You need a lightweight solution that does not require Python or PyTorch. ### When should I choose stt over whisper.cpp? Choose stt over whisper.cpp when stt is primarily Python; whisper.cpp is C++; License: stt is GPL-3.0, whisper.cpp is MIT; Tags unique to stt: python, speech, stt; Also covers Model Training. ### When should I avoid whisper.cpp? When you prefer to work with higher-level languages like Python which might offer more ease-of-use and extensive libraries If your project requires real-time speech transcription and has limited computational resources as `ggml` optimization might still require significant CPU/GPU power for high-performance ### When should I avoid stt? Last GitHub push was 171 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 22, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on stt. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is whisper.cpp or stt more popular on GitHub? whisper.cpp has more GitHub stars (51,715 vs 4,664). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are whisper.cpp and stt open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (whisper.cpp: MIT, stt: GPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to whisper.cpp or stt? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [whisper.cpp alternatives](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp/alternatives) and [stt alternatives](/tools/jianchang512-stt/alternatives) ([whisper.cpp markdown twin](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp/alternatives.md), [stt markdown twin](/tools/jianchang512-stt/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/ggml-org-whisper-cpp-vs-jianchang512-stt.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, whisper.cpp or stt? whisper.cpp: Very active. stt: Slowing. 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 whisper.cpp and stt? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [whisper.cpp trust report](/tools/ggml-org-whisper-cpp/trust); [stt trust report](/tools/jianchang512-stt/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=ggml-org-whisper-cpp`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=ggml-org-whisper-cpp) - 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/_