CMU Sphinx-4
by CMU Sphinx
The classic Java speech engine from CMU.
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TL;DR
Best for legacy Java systems still on Sphinx. Pricing: free.
Category
Open source
License
NOASSERTION
Stars
★ 1.4k
Last push
2022-10-18
Pricing
free
Platforms
JVM
What it is
A pure-Java HMM/Gaussian-mixture engine. BSD-2-Clause.
Best for: Legacy Java systems still on Sphinx.
Watch out for: Largely superseded; minimal recent commits.
Watch out for: Largely superseded; minimal recent commits.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/cmusphinx/sphinx4
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | Yes |
| Languages supported | 15 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
CMU Sphinx-4 vs Whipscribe
| Feature | CMU Sphinx-4 | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free | $4–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · $2 single unlock · 60 min free on signup |
| Speaker diarization | No | Yes |
| Word timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | No |
| Languages | 15 | 99 |
| Platforms | JVM | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to CMU Sphinx-4
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