What Is Krisp?
Krisp is an AI-powered noise cancellation application that removes background noise, echo, and even other people's voices from your microphone and speaker output in real-time. It works as a virtual audio device, integrating seamlessly with any communication app like Zoom, Teams, Slack, or Google Meet. Founded in 2017, Krisp has become the go-to solution for remote workers, podcasters, and professionals who need pristine audio quality from any environment.
The technology uses deep learning models trained on millions of audio samples to distinguish between human speech and ambient noise. Unlike traditional noise gates or filters, Krisp can suppress unpredictable sounds like a dog barking, construction noise, or a crying baby without distorting the speaker's voice. It also offers voice isolation, which focuses on a single speaker's voice, and echo cancellation to prevent feedback loops.
Krisp is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with browser extensions for Chrome and Edge. Its lightweight design ensures minimal CPU usage, making it suitable for older hardware. The free tier offers limited daily usage, while paid plans unlock unlimited noise cancellation and additional features.
How It Works
Krisp operates as a virtual audio driver that sits between your microphone and your communication apps. After installation, you select Krisp Microphone as your input device and Krisp Speaker as your output device in any app. The AI processes audio in real-time, removing background noise from both directions—so you don't hear your colleague's barking dog either.
The core technology is a neural network trained on over 50,000 noise samples across 1,000+ noise categories. When you speak, Krisp analyzes the audio waveform, isolates the speech component, and suppresses everything else. The processing latency is under 30 milliseconds, making it virtually unnoticeable during conversations. For voice isolation, Krisp can lock onto a specific speaker's voice and filter out all other voices, useful in open offices or co-working spaces.
Krisp also includes a noise cancellation toggle for your speaker output. This means you can mute background noise from the other participants on your call, making it easier to focus. The app provides a real-time audio monitor so you can see the noise levels before and after processing. It also has a "PTT" (Push-to-Talk) mode for gaming or scenarios where you want manual control.
Key Features in Detail
Real-Time Noise Cancellation
Krisp's flagship feature removes over 99% of background noise from both microphone and speaker. It handles continuous noises like fans, air conditioners, and traffic, as well as sudden noises like door slams, keyboard clicks, and pets. The AI adapts to your environment, improving over time.
Voice Isolation
This feature isolates a single speaker's voice while muting all other voices in the background. It's ideal for open offices, cafes, or family homes where multiple conversations occur. Voice isolation can be toggled on/off and works alongside noise cancellation.
Echo Removal
Krisp eliminates echo caused by audio feedback loops, common when using speakers or in poorly treated rooms. It analyzes the audio input and subtracts the echo component, ensuring clean audio for all participants.
Works with Any App
Since Krisp operates at the system level, it works with any application that uses a microphone or speakers. This includes not only video conferencing apps but also voice recorders, game chat, streaming software, and even phone calls via VoIP services.
Cross-Platform Support
Krisp is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The mobile app offers the same noise cancellation for phone calls and apps. Browser extensions for Chrome and Edge allow noise cancellation directly in web apps without installing the desktop client.
Low Latency & Performance
With under 30ms processing delay and minimal CPU usage (typically 1-2% on modern CPUs), Krisp doesn't interfere with your workflow. It also includes a battery saver mode for laptops and supports multiple audio devices.
Ease of Use & User Experience
Krisp is remarkably easy to set up. After downloading and installing, the app guides you through selecting Krisp as your audio device in your preferred communication apps. The interface is clean and minimal, with a simple toggle to enable/disable noise cancellation and voice isolation. A real-time audio meter shows the noise reduction effect.
The desktop app provides a small floating widget that shows the status (active/inactive) and allows quick access to settings. On mobile, the app integrates with the system's audio routing, so you can enable Krisp for all calls or specific apps. The experience is nearly seamless—once configured, you rarely need to open the app again.
One minor drawback is that you must manually switch audio devices in each app, which can be cumbersome if you have multiple apps. However, Krisp offers a "Smart Mode" that automatically activates noise cancellation when it detects a call. The learning curve is virtually nonexistent for most users.
Output Quality
The output quality of Krisp is exceptional. In our tests, it removed background noise like a vacuum cleaner, keyboard typing, and street traffic with almost no artifacts. The voice remains clear and natural, with minimal processing artifacts. Even with aggressive noise cancellation, the speech sounds full and not robotic.
Voice isolation is equally impressive. In a noisy cafe with multiple conversations, Krisp filtered out all voices except the speaker's, making remote calls viable in previously impossible environments. The echo removal works well for users with speakers, though it's not perfect in highly reverberant rooms.
The only limitation is that extreme noise (e.g., a jackhammer) can still cause some degradation, but Krisp handles most real-world scenarios flawlessly. The AI's ability to adapt to different noise types ensures consistent quality across environments.
Integrations & Compatibility
Krisp works with virtually any app that uses audio, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, Discord, Skype, Webex, and many more. It also integrates with broadcasting software like OBS and streaming tools. On mobile, it works with standard phone calls, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and other VoIP apps.
Krisp offers a browser extension for Chrome and Edge that applies noise cancellation directly within web apps, useful for users who prefer not to install the desktop client. The extension provides the same quality as the desktop version.
For developers, Krisp provides an SDK for integrating noise cancellation into custom applications. This is used by some enterprise clients for internal tools. However, the SDK requires a separate enterprise license.
Pricing & Plans
| Plan | Price | Daily Limit | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 60 minutes/day | Noise cancellation, voice isolation, echo removal, 1 device |
| Pro | $8/month or $72/year | Unlimited | All features, 2 devices, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | All features, unlimited devices, admin panel, SDK, dedicated support |
The free tier is generous for light users, but the daily limit can be restrictive for heavy callers. The Pro plan is competitively priced compared to alternatives like NVIDIA RTX Voice (free but requires NVIDIA GPU) or Solo (similar pricing). The Enterprise plan is suitable for organizations needing centralized management.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent noise cancellation quality with minimal artifacts
- Works with any communication app
- Low latency and CPU usage
- Cross-platform support including mobile
- Voice isolation and echo removal are highly effective
- Free tier has a daily time limit
- Requires manual audio device switching in each app
- No built-in recording or transcription features
- Voice isolation can sometimes sound unnatural
- Enterprise pricing is opaque
Who Should Use This Tool?
Krisp is ideal for remote workers, freelancers, and professionals who take calls from noisy environments—home offices with kids, co-working spaces, or cafes. It's also great for podcasters and streamers who need clean audio without investing in acoustic treatment. Customer support agents and sales teams will benefit from consistent audio quality regardless of location.
Gamers can use Krisp to filter out background noise from their microphone and other players' background noise. However, for professional audio production, dedicated noise reduction plugins like iZotope RX may be more appropriate due to advanced controls.
Enterprise teams with distributed workforces should consider Krisp for standardizing audio quality across employees. The admin panel and SDK make it manageable for IT departments.
Alternatives to Consider
NVIDIA RTX Voice is a free alternative for users with NVIDIA GPUs (GTX/RTX series). It offers similar noise cancellation quality but is limited to NVIDIA hardware and has no voice isolation. Solocall is a direct competitor with similar pricing, focusing on mobile-first noise cancellation. Krisp generally outperforms Solocall in noise suppression quality.
Noise Blocker (free) is a simpler tool that uses noise gates, but it can't handle complex noises. For enterprise, AudioCodes offers hardware-based solutions. For users on a budget, Krisp's free tier is generous, but the 60-minute daily limit may push heavy users to the Pro plan.
Final Verdict
Krisp is the best-in-class AI noise cancellation tool for most users. Its ability to remove background noise from both microphone and speaker, combined with voice isolation and echo removal, makes it indispensable for anyone who takes calls in less-than-ideal environments. The quality is near-flawless, and the ease of use is excellent.
The main trade-off is the free tier's daily limit and the need to manually select Krisp as an audio device. However, the Pro plan is affordable and offers unlimited usage. For users with compatible NVIDIA GPUs, RTX Voice is a strong free alternative, but Krisp's cross-platform support and voice isolation give it an edge.
Overall, Krisp earns a strong recommendation. It's a tool that delivers on its promise and can significantly improve your call quality. Whether you're a remote worker, gamer, or podcaster, Krisp is worth the investment.
