Models
Sonari runs two on-device engines: WhisperKit (Apple's on-device Whisper) and NVIDIA Parakeet (via FluidAudio). You choose a model in Settings; it downloads once and is cached locally.
Choosing one
- Just want it to work? Start with Whisper Base (~145 MB). It's a good everyday default and downloads fast.
- Want the best accuracy? Download Parakeet v2. It's the most accurate engine Sonari has for English, and still fast, at the cost of a larger download.
| Model | Engine | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parakeet v2 | Parakeet | ~2.5 GB | Most accurate English, very fast |
| Whisper Tiny | WhisperKit | ~78 MB | Fastest, lowest accuracy |
| Whisper Base | WhisperKit | ~145 MB | Good everyday default |
| Whisper Small | WhisperKit | ~470 MB | More accurate |
| Whisper Large v3 Turbo | WhisperKit | ~632 MB | Whisper's most accurate |
| Whisper Distil Large v3 | WhisperKit | ~600 MB | Near-large, lighter |
Downloading and switching
Models download once and stay cached, so switching between ones you've already downloaded is instant. You can change your model anytime in Settings, and you can even re-transcribe an old recording with a different model to compare.
Where the models are cached is listed under Privacy.