BYOAIK — Bring Your Own AI Key: a directory of AI tools that run on your own API key.

Whispering

Open-source, local-first dictation and transcription with your own API keys.

Website Source code

Category:

Voice and Transcription Tools

Pricing:

Open Source

Open source:

Yes (AGPL-3.0 (app); monorepo dual-licensed (MIT toolkit + AGPL-3.0))

Self-hostable:

Yes

Local-first:

Yes

Platforms:

Desktop, Web, Self-hosted, Docker

AI providers (bring your own key):

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, Ollama, Custom / OpenAI-compatible

API key storage:

Stored locally on device

Key risk level:

LOW

Trust score:

88/100

Whispering is an open-source, local-first dictation and transcription desktop/web app from Epicenter (YC-backed). You press a shortcut, speak, and it transcribes, optionally runs an AI transformation, then pastes the result at your cursor. It is built on a bring-your-own-key model: you supply your own provider API keys and pay providers directly, with audio going straight from your device to the chosen provider's API (no Epicenter servers in the transcription path). Transcription can run fully locally (Speaches, Whisper C++, Parakeet, Moonshine) or via cloud providers (OpenAI, Groq, ElevenLabs). AI transformations support OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, and any custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint via a configurable base URL, so you can point it at self-hosted or private LLMs. Built with Svelte 5 and Tauri, the desktop app is small (~22MB) and a web version is also available.

How your API key is handled

Your API key is stored locally on your device. Requests are sent directly to the AI provider. Because it can be self-hosted, your key never has to touch a third-party backend.

Setup

Open settings, paste your provider API key, choose a model, and start — the key stays on your device.