Free alternative to Krisp noise cancellation

Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-11-02 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested

The closest free alternative to Krisp's noise cancellation is the Real-time Noise Suppression Plugin, a free and open-source (GPL-3.0) plugin built on Xiph's RNNoise. It removes background noise like fans, office chatter and traffic from your microphone in real time. On Windows you load it into the free Equalizer APO so Zoom, Discord or Teams get the clean mic, and on Linux you add it to PipeWire. Krisp's Core plan is $16 per user a month on monthly billing or $8 a month billed annually, after a 7-day free trial. The catch: the plugin only does noise. There are no AI notes, transcription or accent conversion, it needs 48 kHz audio and its README still has no macOS setup guide. If you own an NVIDIA RTX card, the NVIDIA Broadcast app is another option on Windows.

	Krisp	RNNoise plugin
Cost	7-day free trial; Core $16/mo monthly or $8/mo annual (Krisp pricing page)	$0, GPL-3.0
Noise cancellation	Unlimited on paid plans	Unlimited, runs on your computer
Echo and other voices	Krisp says its noise cancellation removes background noises, voices and echoes	Background noise only
Extras	AI notes, transcription, recording, accent conversion	None
Platforms	Pricing page lists a mobile app on Core; desktop platforms not listed there	Windows (Equalizer APO), Linux (PipeWire, PulseAudio, EasyEffects, NoiseTorch); macOS build with setup guide still marked TODO

Get started free on Windows in 5 steps

Download win-rnnoise.zip from the plugin releases and unzip it somewhere permanent.
Install Equalizer APO and select your microphone in its Configurator during setup, then restart.
In Windows recording device properties, set the mic's format to 48000 Hz.
In Equalizer APO's editor, add Plugins, VST Plugin and choose the plugin DLL. Start with a VAD threshold around 85% to 95%, as the README suggests.
Join a test call in Zoom, Discord or Teams and tune the VAD grace period if word endings get cut off.

The catches

Noise only: no meeting notes, transcripts, recording or accent conversion. For free meeting notes, see our Meetily guide.
48 kHz only: the README says not to use any other sample rate.
Some setup: it's a plugin, not an app, so you wire it in through Equalizer APO or PipeWire.
Mac is unfinished: a macOS build ships, but the README's macOS setup section says TODO.
Slow releases: v1.10 from May 2024 is still the latest release.

When Krisp is still worth paying for

If you want one app that also takes meeting notes and records calls, or need accent conversion for client calls, $8 to $16 a month buys that with no setup. The RNNoise plugin wins when all you want is a quieter mic on Windows or Linux for $0.

Sources: plugin README and GitHub license (GPL-3.0), plugin releases (v1.10, May 18, 2024), Equalizer APO project page (GPLv2, last update November 28, 2025), Krisp pricing page (read in a rendered browser), NVIDIA Broadcast page (system requirements) (all checked 2026-11-02). We have no affiliate link with any of them.

FAQ

How much does Krisp cost?

Krisp's pricing page (checked 2026-11-02) lists a Free Trial at $0 for 7 days with no credit card. Core is $16 per user a month billed monthly or $8 billed annually, and Advanced is $30 monthly or $15 annually. Enterprise is custom. Krisp now sells itself mainly as an AI meeting assistant, so those plans bundle notes, transcription and recording with noise cancellation.

Is the RNNoise plugin really free?

Yes. It's GPL-3.0 and the latest release (v1.10, May 2024) has free downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux on GitHub. There's no account or subscription.

How do I use it in Zoom or Discord on Windows?

Install Equalizer APO (free, GPLv2) on your microphone, then in Equalizer APO choose Plugins, VST Plugin and point it at the plugin's DLL. Set your mic to 48000 Hz in Windows recording settings, because the README says the plugin only works at 48 kHz. Equalizer APO's page notes that apps using ASIO or WASAPI exclusive mode bypass it.

How do I use it on Linux?

The README gives a PipeWire filter-chain config that creates a Noise Canceling source you pick as your mic. It also points to EasyEffects and NoiseTorch, two easier GUI tools that use RNNoise too.

Will it fix a bad microphone?

No. The README warns it can't improve voice quality on a bad mic and can make it worse by mistaking voice for noise. Loud keyboard clicks are removed between words but only turned down while you talk.

What about NVIDIA Broadcast?

NVIDIA's Broadcast app has AI Noise Removal and Room Echo Removal for calls and streams. Its page (checked 2026-11-02) lists Windows 10 or 11 64-bit and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, Quadro RTX 3000 or higher GPU with 8 GB of RAM. It's not open source and won't run without an RTX card.