Install & setup

Get the installer, check your download, and prepare for the first launch.

Zerds is bought directly from us. You get a licence key, and that key is the only thing you need to download the installer — on every computer you own or control, as often as you like. There is no account and no password. Zerds runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. All three are in beta.

Install it

1. Find your licence key. It is on the page you land on straight after paying. Keep it somewhere safe — it is the whole of what you bought.
2. Email us for the installer. Self-service downloads are not switched on yet. Send us your licence key and we will send the installer back — see the address at the foot of this page.
3. Run the installer. Zerds has no account and never asks you to sign in to anything.
4. Launch Zerds. The first launch fetches the model it needs to transcribe — see below — then everything runs offline.

Already bought Zerds? Get your download — that page tells you how to get the installer while self-service downloads are still being switched on.

Before opening the installer: check the download

Compare the downloaded file's SHA-256 checksum with the expected value for the same version, platform and installer file. A matching checksum confirms that the bytes match that value; it does not verify the publisher's identity or replace your operating system's security checks.

When requesting the installer from support, ask for its version and SHA-256 checksum too. Do not use a checksum for a different release or package format.

Run the command for your system, replacing the quoted example path with the file you downloaded:

Windows — PowerShell

Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -LiteralPath "C:\path\to\downloaded-installer.exe"

macOS — Terminal

shasum -a 256 "/path/to/downloaded-installer.dmg"

Linux — terminal

sha256sum -- "/path/to/downloaded-installer.deb"

Compare all 64 hexadecimal characters, ignoring letter case. If the values differ, or you do not have the expected value, leave the installer unopened and contact support.

If Windows or macOS blocks installation, send the exact message and installer version to [email protected]. Keep your security protections enabled.

First launch

The first time you run Zerds it downloads two things, once, then works without a connection:

• A transcription model — the default (large-v3-turbo-q5_0, ~830 MB) downloads with a progress indicator and is cached locally. You can switch to a smaller or larger model in Settings; sizes are listed under Transcription & models.
• The ONNX runtime — downloads once if it is not already present on your machine.

Neither download carries any audio or personal data; both are plain file fetches over HTTPS. Later launches don't repeat them.

Windows permissions

• Microphone — allow Zerds to use your microphone in Windows privacy settings.
• System audio (the "Others" channel) — needs no separate permission on Windows. Loopback capture works as soon as mic access is granted.

Windows system requirements

• Operating system: Windows 10 or 11, x64.
• CPU and memory: 4 CPU cores and 8 GB RAM minimum.
• GPU: a CUDA-capable NVIDIA GPU is recommended but not required. Without one, Zerds transcribes on the CPU — turn off live transcription and it transcribes after the call instead of during it, so a CPU-only machine still gets the full transcript.
• Disk: 40 MB to 2.9 GB for transcription models, depending on which you choose — from the small English-only models up to large-v3, with the ~830 MB default in between. The optional local AI model needs more (roughly 1.5 GB and up). Kept audio is optional and auto-deletes on a schedule.

Updates

Every 1.x update is included. If there is ever a 2.0, it's a separate purchase — and your 1.x keeps working, offline, for as long as you have it.

Zerds tells you when an update is available. Every 1.x update is included and your key does not expire; while self-service downloads are being switched on, email us and we will send it.