--- title: "faster-whisper vs lingvo" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/systran-faster-whisper-vs-tensorflow-lingvo" tools: ["systran-faster-whisper", "tensorflow-lingvo"] --- # faster-whisper vs lingvo *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick faster-whisper when license: faster-whisper is MIT, lingvo is Apache-2.0; pick lingvo when license: lingvo is Apache-2.0, faster-whisper is MIT. [faster-whisper](https://github.com/SYSTRAN/faster-whisper) reports 24k GitHub stars, 2.0k forks, and 311 open issues, last pushed Nov 19, 2025. [lingvo](https://github.com/tensorflow/lingvo) has 2.9k stars, 452 forks, and 156 open issues, last pushed Jun 22, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [faster-whisper's repository](https://github.com/SYSTRAN/faster-whisper) and [lingvo's repository](https://github.com/tensorflow/lingvo). | | [faster-whisper](/tools/systran-faster-whisper.md) | [lingvo](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Faster Whisper transcription with CTranslate2 | Lingvo | | Stars | 24,214 | 2,860 | | Forks | 1,976 | 452 | | Open issues | 311 | 156 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | A package for faster speech-to-text transcription based on the Whisper model, using CTranslate2. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Inference & Serving, Speech & Audio | Model Training, Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [faster-whisper](/tools/systran-faster-whisper.md) | [lingvo](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 234d | 18d | | Open issues (now) | 311 | 156 | | Security scan | No criticals | No lockfile | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/systran-faster-whisper/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [faster-whisper](/tools/systran-faster-whisper.md) - Python runtime; [lingvo](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: faster-whisper - **Requirements:** Requires Python 3.9 or higher - **Adopt for:** A package for faster speech-to-text transcription based on the Whisper model, using CTranslate2. ## Choose when ### Choose faster-whisper if… - License: faster-whisper is MIT, lingvo is Apache-2.0. - Requirements: Requires Python 3.9 or higher. - Tags unique to faster-whisper: deep-learning, inference, openai, quantization. - Also covers Inference & Serving. - A package for faster speech-to-text transcription based on the Whisper model, using CTranslate2. ### Choose lingvo if… - License: lingvo is Apache-2.0, faster-whisper is MIT. - Tags unique to lingvo: asr, distributed, gpu-computing, language-model. - Also covers Model Training. ## When NOT to use faster-whisper - * When needing to employ FFmpeg directly for audio processing as it does not require FFmpeg installation and relies instead on PyAV. - * In environments where additional dependencies from PyAV may introduce complexity or issues. ## When NOT to use lingvo - 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 faster-whisper and lingvo? faster-whisper: Faster Whisper transcription with CTranslate2. lingvo: Lingvo. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose faster-whisper over lingvo? Choose faster-whisper over lingvo when License: faster-whisper is MIT, lingvo is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Requires Python 3.9 or higher; Tags unique to faster-whisper: deep-learning, inference, openai, quantization; Also covers Inference & Serving; A package for faster speech-to-text transcription based on the Whisper model, using CTranslate2. ### When should I choose lingvo over faster-whisper? Choose lingvo over faster-whisper when License: lingvo is Apache-2.0, faster-whisper is MIT; Tags unique to lingvo: asr, distributed, gpu-computing, language-model; Also covers Model Training. ### When should I avoid faster-whisper? * When needing to employ FFmpeg directly for audio processing as it does not require FFmpeg installation and relies instead on PyAV. * In environments where additional dependencies from PyAV may introduce complexity or issues. ### When should I avoid lingvo? Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is faster-whisper or lingvo more popular on GitHub? faster-whisper has more GitHub stars (24,214 vs 2,860). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are faster-whisper and lingvo open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (faster-whisper: MIT, lingvo: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to faster-whisper or lingvo? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [faster-whisper alternatives](/tools/systran-faster-whisper/alternatives) and [lingvo alternatives](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo/alternatives) ([faster-whisper markdown twin](/tools/systran-faster-whisper/alternatives.md), [lingvo markdown twin](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo/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/systran-faster-whisper-vs-tensorflow-lingvo.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, faster-whisper or lingvo? faster-whisper: Slowing. lingvo: 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 faster-whisper and lingvo? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [faster-whisper trust report](/tools/systran-faster-whisper/trust); [lingvo trust report](/tools/tensorflow-lingvo/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=systran-faster-whisper`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=systran-faster-whisper) - 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/_