Is Krisp actually free, or a trial?

Both exist, separately: a permanent free plan (60 minutes of noise cancellation a day, forever) and a 7-day full trial with no card. The free plan wears our mint chip; the trial is a trial and says so.

What happens at minute 61?

Noise cancellation stops until the meter resets at midnight GMT — your calls continue, just uncleaned. Note the time zone: US-afternoon calls sit close to the reset and can catch a fresh meter.

Does Krisp's free plan work on phones?

No — and this is the trap worth flagging twice: Krisp's mobile apps do meeting transcription, not live noise cancellation. The free plan's value lives on Windows and macOS desktops.

Krisp's free plan: what 60 minutes a day really covers

The verdict up front: this is the best permanent free tier in live noise cancellation — real two-way cleanup, every call app, Windows and Mac. The audit below is about living with its meter.

by the ZeroHum audit deskpublished July 31, 2026✓ caps checked July 30, 2026

Forever-free: YES — permanent tier, not a countdown

The deal, verified July 30, 2026: 60 minutes per day of noise cancellation, which resets at midnight GMT, on 1 device. While the meter runs you get the full engine — two-way: cleans your outgoing mic and incoming speaker audio, with on-device processing; call audio is not sent to Krisp's servers for noise removal. Nothing about the cancellation quality is downgraded on free; the only lever is time.

KRISP * FREE PLAN

YOU PAY$0.00

YOU GIVE

email/loginan account

daily cap60 min of cancellation

resetmidnight GMT

devicesone

mobiletranscription only — no NC

HONESTY TOTAL$0.00, forever

RECEIPT PRINTED 2026-07-30 · REAUDITED ON CHANGE

What fits in an hour, practically

A daily stand-up (15) plus one client call (30) plus spare change — or one long interview with nothing left over. The discipline that makes the free plan livable: toggle Krisp off for calls where noise doesn't matter (the internal catch-up from a quiet room) and spend the meter on calls where you're being judged. The meter counts cancellation-active minutes, not call minutes.

Your 60 minutesvs a 3-call day (75 min)

Where the paywall landsMinute 61 of your day. Plan around it or pay the $8 — the paywall here is a clock, never a quality downgrade.

Cap hit? Swap trickMeter dead mid-afternoon? Zoom's own Noise removal (Settings → Audio) is the free bridge for the rest of the day — one app only, but it holds the line until midnight GMT.

Free plan vs the 7-day trial — don't confuse the shapes

Krisp also runs 7-day free trial, no credit card with everything unlimited. That's a genuine trial, honestly labelled, and useful exactly once: to find out whether unlimited would change your week before deciding about the paid tier ($8/user/month billed annually, or $16/user/month billed monthly — the annual price is literally half). The free plan is the thing you can live on indefinitely; the trial is the test drive.

Who should stay free forever

Anyone whose noisy-call load fits inside an hour — which, counted honestly, is most people with an office job and an occasional café day. The calls roundup has the unlimited-free alternatives if your hardware qualifies, and free vs paid prices the surrender honestly when the meter wins three days a week.

Fair questions

Is Krisp actually free, or a trial?: Both exist, separately: a permanent free plan (60 minutes of noise cancellation a day, forever) and a 7-day full trial with no card. The free plan wears our mint chip; the trial is a trial and says so.
What happens at minute 61?: Noise cancellation stops until the meter resets at midnight GMT — your calls continue, just uncleaned. Note the time zone: US-afternoon calls sit close to the reset and can catch a fresh meter.
Does Krisp's free plan work on phones?: No — and this is the trap worth flagging twice: Krisp's mobile apps do meeting transcription, not live noise cancellation. The free plan's value lives on Windows and macOS desktops.