Hearica Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict

TLDR

Hearica is a Windows app that turns all computer audio into real-time captions and translations, primarily built for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Hearica is the rare accessibility-first tool that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Best for: deaf and hard-of-hearing Windows users, plus students and professionals who need live captions across every app on their computer. Price: Free / Free 60 min/mo. Rating: 7.3/10.

What is Hearica?

Hearica is a Windows app that turns all computer audio into real-time captions and translations, primarily built for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Instead of relying on per-app captions in Zoom or YouTube, Hearica captures system audio at the OS level and overlays captions on whatever you’re listening to: video calls, podcasts, lectures, app notifications, even music. It evolved from an open-source project called System Captioner.

The overlay is customisable for font size, weight, and background opacity, and translation covers 60+ languages in real time. Custom vocabulary profiles let you add specialised terms, proper nouns, and acronyms so technical or medical content captions accurately. Transcripts can be exported as PDF, Word, plain text, or SRT subtitles, with speaker separation and synchronised timestamps for replay.

What Are Hearica’s Key Features?

System-Wide Captioning

Captures audio from any app at the operating system level, so captions work for Zoom, Teams, YouTube, Spotify, and anything else playing through your speakers.

60+ Language Translation

Real-time translation across 60+ languages, with captions displayed in your chosen language regardless of source audio. Useful for multilingual meetings and content.

Custom Vocabulary Profiles

Add specialised terms, jargon, and proper nouns to vocabulary profiles for accurate captions in technical or medical contexts. Profiles switch per use case.

Customisable Overlay

Floating caption window with adjustable font size, weight, background opacity, and screen position. Designed to be readable without obstructing other content.

Multi-Format Export

Export transcripts as PDF, Word, plain text, or SRT subtitles. Speaker labels and timestamps are preserved so the output is genuinely usable for documentation.

Synchronised Playback

Replay captured audio with synchronised captions, speaker labels, and timestamps. Useful for going back over lectures or meetings you couldn’t focus on live.

Hearica Pricing

Free plan includes 60 minutes per month. Pro plan upgrade unlocks higher usage and advanced context features; pricing varies and isn’t fully published yet.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Genuinely accessible-first design built for the Deaf community
• System-wide capture means captions work across every app
• 60+ language translation is broader than most consumer tools
• Custom vocabulary fixes the technical-terms problem
• Built from an open-source foundation (System Captioner)

Cons

• Windows only at launch, with Mac planned but not shipped
• 60-minute free plan is light for daily users
• Pro plan pricing isn’t fully transparent yet
• Caption accuracy depends on source audio quality
• No mobile companion app for on-the-go captioning

Who is Hearica Best For?

Use Hearica if: deaf and hard-of-hearing Windows users, plus students and professionals who need live captions across every app on their computer.

Skip Hearica if: you’re not on the supported platform.

Best Hearica Alternatives

Final Verdict: Is Hearica Worth It?

Hearica is the rare accessibility-first tool that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. The system-wide capture approach is the right answer to the per-app captioning gap that most platforms still have, and the custom vocabulary feature genuinely fixes the problem of medical and technical terms getting butchered. It’s clearly built by someone who understands the use case rather than retrofitting captions onto a general transcription engine.

The free 60-minute tier is enough to evaluate but not enough for daily use, so Pro is almost mandatory for the target audience. The Windows-only limitation is the real catch, given how many Deaf users live on Mac or mobile. If you’re on Windows and need accessible audio captions across your whole computer, this is the strongest option going. Mac users should bookmark it and wait.

FAQ

Is Hearica available on Mac?

Not yet. It’s Windows-only at launch with macOS planned but not shipped. The team has signalled they’re working on Mac but no firm release date is public.

What’s included in the free plan?

60 minutes of captioning per month with full feature access including system-wide capture and translation. It’s enough to evaluate but not enough for daily use.

How accurate are the captions?

Accuracy depends on source audio quality, and the Pro plan uses a state-of-the-art speech recognition engine with context learning. Custom vocabulary profiles help in technical and medical contexts.

Can I export captions?

Yes. Transcripts export as PDF, Word, plain text, or SRT subtitles, with speaker labels and timestamps preserved. The output is usable for documentation or compliance.

How is Hearica different from Live Caption on Windows 11?

Windows Live Caption is free and basic. Hearica adds custom vocabulary, 60+ language translation, multi-format export, synchronised replay, and accessibility-first design. It’s a more complete tool for users who depend on captions daily.

Does it work on phone calls?

It captures any audio playing through your computer, so phone calls routed through your PC work, but mobile phone calls require a mobile companion which isn’t shipped yet.