Background noise ruins evidence. Anyone who’s spent hours reviewing audio from a paranormal investigation knows the frustration of wind, HVAC hum, or traffic drowning out potential EVP captures. That’s exactly why tools like the Krisp noise cancellation app matter to investigators who rely on clear audio for documentation and real-time communication. At Haunt Gears, we test and recommend gear across every category of paranormal research, and software is part of that toolkit.
Krisp uses AI-powered processing to strip unwanted noise from both incoming and outgoing audio during calls, recordings, and virtual meetings. For ghost hunters coordinating across multiple rooms or reviewing session footage remotely with a team, that kind of audio clarity can make the difference between capturing something meaningful and missing it entirely. But does the app actually deliver on its promises, and is it worth the subscription cost?
This article breaks down everything you need to know about Krisp, from its core noise-canceling features and how they work, to its current pricing tiers and real-world performance results. We’ll also look at how it stacks up against alternative software and whether it fits into a paranormal investigator’s workflow. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of what Krisp does well, where it falls short, and whether it belongs in your gear setup.
What Krisp is and who it’s for
Krisp is an AI-powered audio software application developed by Krisp Technologies, Inc. It works as a virtual audio device on your computer that sits between your microphone and any application you use for calls, recordings, or live communication. When audio passes through Krisp, its noise-canceling engine filters out background sounds in real time, both from your microphone output and from the audio coming into your ears from other participants on a call. The result is cleaner audio on both ends of any conversation, without requiring specialized recording hardware or acoustic treatment in your space.
Krisp processes all audio locally on your device, which means your voice data does not travel to external servers for noise removal during a session.
What Krisp actually is
At its core, the Krisp noise cancellation app is not a recording program or a communication platform. It functions as a processing layer that installs on top of your existing audio setup. You select "Krisp Microphone" as your input and "Krisp Speaker" as your output in any compatible app, whether that is Zoom, Discord, Microsoft Teams, or a digital audio workstation. From that point forward, Krisp handles the noise filtering automatically without requiring you to adjust settings mid-session or interrupt your workflow.
The software runs on Windows and Mac and supports a wide range of hardware configurations, from budget USB microphones to professional-grade condenser setups. It does not require an active internet connection to filter audio during a session, which makes it particularly useful in field environments where connectivity is limited or entirely absent. Krisp also offers a mobile version for iOS and Android, though the mobile feature set is more limited compared to the full desktop application.
Who the software targets
Krisp built its core product primarily for remote workers, podcasters, streamers, and anyone participating in frequent video or voice calls from noisy environments. Call center agents, customer support teams, and distributed company employees make up a large portion of its commercial user base. For those users, the value is straightforward: they need to sound professional on calls even when their physical environment is far from ideal.
Beyond the business market, content creators and audio enthusiasts have adopted Krisp as a lightweight processing tool that reduces the need for expensive soundproofing or acoustic panels in recording spaces. Streamers dealing with fan noise, air conditioner hum, or mechanical keyboard clatter find that Krisp handles those sounds reliably without requiring any hardware changes.
Why paranormal investigators use it
For paranormal investigators, the appeal of Krisp falls into two specific areas. First, team communication during live investigations becomes significantly clearer when every member of your group filters out their ambient environment before broadcasting to the shared channel. If one investigator is positioned near an HVAC system while another is outdoors, coordinating through a voice application with Krisp active removes that environmental interference from the group channel. Your team can then focus entirely on the location itself rather than fighting through constant audio clutter from each person’s surroundings.
Second, investigators who review audio recordings remotely with teammates or clients find that Krisp improves playback clarity during screen-share sessions. When you are walking someone through a captured audio clip and the sound quality of your call is degraded, important details get lost before they even reach the listener. Running the Krisp noise cancellation app as a processing layer during those review sessions keeps communication sharp and ensures that subtle audio moments in your evidence files are actually audible to everyone present on the call, not buried under the noise of whoever is speaking.
How Krisp noise cancellation works
Krisp uses a deep neural network trained on thousands of hours of real-world audio to separate human speech from background noise. When your microphone captures audio, Krisp intercepts that signal before it reaches any application and runs it through its AI filtering model in real time. The model identifies what is speech and what is not, then strips the non-speech elements from the output stream within milliseconds. The same process applies to incoming audio, so noise from the person on the other end of your call gets filtered before it reaches your ears.
The AI model behind the filtering
Krisp’s neural network was trained to recognize a wide variety of noise types, including mechanical hum, crowd chatter, traffic, wind, and keyboard noise, alongside thousands of voice samples across different accents, pitches, and speaking styles. That breadth of training data is what allows the model to distinguish a whispered voice in a quiet room from ambient sound with a similar frequency profile. The system does not rely on simple frequency-based filters or noise gates that cut off audio below a volume threshold. Instead, it models the structure of human speech and preserves only what matches that structure, regardless of what else is happening in the audio signal.
This distinction matters for paranormal investigators using the Krisp noise cancellation app during field sessions. Simple noise gates can cut off faint audio events that fall below a set volume floor, which is exactly what you do not want when hunting for subtle EVP captures in a live communication stream. Krisp’s approach targets the type of sound rather than the volume level, which means quiet speech passes through cleanly even when background noise is present.
Krisp processes audio using its neural network entirely on your local device, which means no audio data leaves your machine during active filtering.
On-device processing vs cloud processing
All noise removal in Krisp happens locally on your CPU or GPU, not on remote servers. This architecture keeps latency low enough that filtered audio stays synchronized with video during calls, which would not be possible if each audio packet had to travel to a server and back. Local processing also means Krisp continues functioning without an active internet connection, a significant advantage when you are running sessions in locations with poor or no cellular coverage.
The trade-off is that on-device AI processing does consume system resources. On older hardware, you may notice the CPU usage increasing noticeably while Krisp is active. Modern machines with dedicated GPUs handle the load with minimal impact on overall system performance.
Key features beyond noise cancellation
Krisp does more than remove background noise. The app packages several additional tools that extend its usefulness well beyond a single-purpose filter, and understanding those features helps you decide whether the Krisp noise cancellation app fits your full workflow or only solves one part of it.
Echo cancellation
Echo cancellation is a separate processing layer from noise removal, and Krisp handles both independently. When you speak in a room with hard surfaces, your voice bounces back into your microphone and creates a doubling effect that makes communication difficult. Krisp’s echo suppression identifies those reflected signals and removes them from your output before the audio reaches your call or recording application. For investigators using voice communication in large, empty buildings such as warehouses, churches, or old homes with minimal furnishings, this feature eliminates a consistent audio problem without requiring physical acoustic treatment.
Echo cancellation and noise removal operate as separate toggles in Krisp, so you can enable one without the other depending on your environment.
Background voice suppression
Krisp separates background human voices from the primary speaker’s voice, which is a distinct capability from general noise filtering. If you are running a session in a location with other people nearby, whether teammates in adjacent rooms or ambient sounds from a street below, Krisp’s voice suppression prevents those secondary voices from bleeding into your output channel. This feature matters during coordinated investigations where multiple people occupy the same building and cross-talk between rooms can contaminate the communication feed.
Usage stats and noise level reports
The Krisp dashboard tracks your noise level data over time, generating session reports that show how much background noise your environment produced and how aggressively the filter worked to remove it. Those logs give you a concrete record of acoustic conditions across different investigation locations, which can be useful when comparing site environments or documenting session conditions in your case notes. You also get minute counts showing exactly how long noise suppression was active during each session.
Transcription and meeting notes
Krisp includes an AI transcription tool that converts spoken audio from calls into timestamped text transcripts automatically. For paranormal investigators running post-session review calls with a team, this feature produces a written log of everything discussed without requiring a separate transcription service. Your team’s analysis notes from a review session become searchable text files you can reference later, which adds a documentation layer that purely audio-based communication tools do not provide.
Pricing and plans in 2026
Krisp structures its pricing around usage volume and team size, which means the right plan for you depends heavily on how long your sessions run and whether you are working solo or coordinating with a group. The Krisp noise cancellation app currently offers three tiers: a free plan with capped usage, a Pro plan with unlimited access, and a Business plan designed for teams that need centralized billing and administrative controls.
Free plan
The free tier gives you access to Krisp’s core noise cancellation and echo suppression without any upfront cost, but it caps your noise-filtered minutes at 60 per week. For occasional use, that limit is workable. For investigators running multi-hour sessions or frequent remote review calls, you will hit the ceiling quickly. The free plan also includes access to the AI transcription feature, though the transcript storage and session history are limited compared to paid tiers.
If your investigation sessions regularly run longer than an hour per week combined, the free plan will interrupt your filtering mid-session, which is worth factoring into your setup before you commit to it.
Pro plan
The Pro plan removes the usage cap entirely and gives you unlimited noise cancellation, echo suppression, and background voice filtering across all your sessions. As of 2026, Krisp prices the Pro plan at approximately $8 per month when billed annually, or around $16 per month on a monthly basis. That annual billing option cuts the total cost significantly, so if you plan to use the app consistently, locking in the annual rate makes more financial sense than paying month to month.
The Pro plan also unlocks full access to the session noise reports and extended transcription history, which adds documentation value for investigators who log environmental data across multiple sites. You get all desktop and mobile features under a single account, meaning one subscription covers your laptop in the field and your phone in a backup role.
Business plan
The Business plan is built for teams that need per-seat licensing, admin dashboards, and centralized billing. Pricing at this tier is negotiated based on team size, so Krisp does not publish a fixed rate publicly. For paranormal investigation groups with four or more active members using the software regularly, this plan offers volume pricing and the ability to manage everyone’s access through a single administrative account. If your team operates as a formal group with shared equipment budgets, it is worth requesting a quote directly from Krisp to compare the per-seat cost against individual Pro subscriptions.
How to set up Krisp on Windows, Mac, and mobile
Getting the Krisp noise cancellation app running takes less than five minutes on any platform, but the configuration step inside your communication or recording application is where most users make errors. Krisp does not automatically intercept your audio after installation. You need to manually select Krisp as your audio device inside each app you want it to process, which is a one-time setup that carries over for future sessions.
Once you assign Krisp as the input and output device inside an application, those settings persist, so you only need to configure each app once.
Setting up on Windows
Download the Krisp installer directly from the official Krisp website and run the executable file. Windows will prompt you to allow the installation through User Account Control. After installation completes, Krisp registers itself as a virtual audio device in your system sound settings, appearing as "Krisp Microphone" and "Krisp Speaker" in your device list. You do not need to change your default Windows audio devices at the system level. Instead, open each application you plan to use, navigate to its audio or sound settings, and select Krisp as both the input and output device from the available options.
Setting up on Mac
On macOS, download the Krisp installer from the official site and open the DMG file. The installation process will ask for your administrator password to install the audio component, which is the virtual device driver Krisp needs to intercept audio on your machine. After that completes, Krisp appears in your Mac’s Sound settings under both input and output as a selectable device. Apple’s security permissions may require you to approve microphone access for Krisp in System Settings under Privacy and Security before the app can process audio from your microphone. Once you grant that permission, Krisp runs without additional configuration.
Setting up on mobile
Krisp’s iOS and Android applications function differently from the desktop versions. On mobile, Krisp does not install as a system-wide virtual device. Instead, it operates as a standalone app where you place or receive calls directly through the Krisp interface, which then applies noise filtering to those calls. The mobile version supports outgoing noise suppression for calls routed through the app, but it does not integrate as a processing layer inside third-party applications the way the desktop version does. For investigators using mobile devices primarily for team communication during sessions, the app delivers reliable filtering within its own call system, though the feature depth is narrower than the full desktop experience.
Tips to get the best noise reduction results
Getting clean audio from the Krisp noise cancellation app depends on more than just toggling the filter on and walking away. The AI model performs significantly better when your audio input is already reasonably clean, which means your microphone placement, hardware quality, and gain settings all affect the final output. Taking a few minutes to optimize those factors before your session pays off in noticeably cleaner filtered audio throughout the entire investigation.
Position your microphone correctly
The single most effective thing you can do to improve Krisp’s filtering is to get your microphone as close to your mouth as practical. Krisp’s neural network is trained to separate speech from noise, but the closer your voice is to the capsule, the stronger the speech signal relative to the background. A weak, distant voice signal forces Krisp to work harder, and at the edges of its capability, subtle audio artifacts can appear in the output. Aim for six to twelve inches between your mouth and the microphone for optimal results.
If you use a directional or cardioid microphone, point it directly at your mouth and position the rear of the capsule toward your primary noise source, which reduces what reaches the input before Krisp even processes it.
Set your input gain before enabling Krisp
Your microphone gain level should be configured correctly before you activate Krisp’s filtering. If your gain is set too low, your voice will not register strongly enough for the model to distinguish it clearly from ambient sound. If the gain runs too hot and your signal clips or distorts, Krisp cannot recover the speech correctly from a damaged signal. Aim for an input level that peaks around -12 dB to -6 dB in your recording application before enabling Krisp, then apply the filter on top of a healthy signal.
Test your setup before a live session
Running a short test recording or call before each session lets you catch any configuration problems before they affect real work. Krisp’s dashboard shows your noise level data in real time, so you can observe how aggressively the filter is working during your test. If the suppression indicator is constantly at maximum, your raw audio environment is very noisy, and physical changes like closing a door or repositioning away from an HVAC vent will help more than any software adjustment will. A brief test costs you three minutes but prevents hours of degraded audio.
Privacy, security, and data handling
Understanding what happens to your audio when you run the Krisp noise cancellation app matters, especially for investigators who record sensitive session content or discuss unpublished evidence during remote team calls. Krisp’s architecture gives it a meaningful privacy advantage over tools that route your audio through external servers, but knowing exactly where your data goes and what the company retains lets you make an informed decision about how you use the software.
How Krisp handles your audio data
Krisp processes your voice entirely on your local device using its on-device neural network, which means the raw audio your microphone captures never travels to Krisp’s servers for noise removal. The filtered output stays on your machine and passes directly to whatever application you have open. That local processing model is not a marketing claim but a technical necessity: sending audio packets to a remote server and back would introduce too much latency to stay synchronized with video during live calls.
Because Krisp filters audio locally, your voice recordings and communication content are not accessible to Krisp’s infrastructure during active sessions.
Krisp does collect usage metadata and account information tied to your subscription, including session duration, noise level statistics, and feature activity. That data powers the noise reports and session logs visible in your dashboard, and it is used by Krisp to improve its AI models over time. If you use the transcription feature, the text generated from your calls is stored on Krisp’s servers and subject to their data retention policies, so you should review those terms before relying on transcription for sensitive documentation.
Security standards and account protection
Krisp operates under standard commercial data security practices, including encrypted connections between the app and its servers for account management and usage syncing. Your account credentials are protected through standard authentication protocols, and Krisp supports two-factor authentication for added login security on the account level.
For paranormal investigators working with sensitive or unpublished evidence, the most important practical step is to disable the transcription feature entirely during sessions where you do not want any record stored externally. Krisp allows you to toggle transcription independently from noise cancellation, so you can run the audio filtering without activating any cloud-based features. Keeping transcription off removes the only component of the standard workflow that sends content outside your device, which gives you direct control over what Krisp retains and what stays entirely local to your investigation setup.
Krisp vs built-in tools and top alternatives
Before committing to a paid subscription, it is worth understanding how the Krisp noise cancellation app compares to tools you may already have access to, including the noise suppression features built into operating systems and major communication platforms. The differences are meaningful and will affect whether Krisp justifies its cost for your specific use case.
How Krisp compares to built-in OS and platform tools
Windows, macOS, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams all include some form of noise suppression built directly into the software, so it is reasonable to ask whether Krisp adds anything on top of what you already have. The short answer is yes, with measurable differences in depth and flexibility. Platform-native noise filters, like the suppression options inside Zoom or Teams, apply to audio within that single application only. They also tend to use simpler algorithmic approaches rather than full deep learning models, which means they handle steady-state noise like fans reasonably well but struggle with variable or layered sounds.
Krisp processes audio before it reaches any application, which means a single active filter covers every tool you use simultaneously, from your recording software to your voice chat client.
Built-in tools also give you no visibility into how aggressively they are filtering your signal or what conditions triggered suppression during a session. Krisp provides session-level noise reports and usage logs that built-in tools simply do not offer, which adds real documentation value if you track environmental data across investigation locations.
Noteworthy alternatives to Krisp
A few dedicated audio processing tools compete with Krisp in the same space. Understanding their core differences helps you match the right tool to your actual needs.
| Tool | Processing method | Works system-wide | Local processing | Notable limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX Voice | AI, GPU-accelerated | Yes | Yes | Requires NVIDIA RTX GPU |
| Adobe Enhance Speech | AI, cloud-based | No | No | Post-production only, not real-time |
| Zoom Noise Suppression | Algorithmic | No | Yes | Zoom calls only |
| Krisp | AI, neural network | Yes | Yes | CPU load on older hardware |
NVIDIA RTX Voice delivers comparable AI-powered filtering but locks you into NVIDIA hardware, which rules it out if your investigation kit runs on integrated graphics or AMD. Adobe Enhance Speech processes audio with impressive clarity but works on uploaded files after the fact, making it useless for real-time field communication. For investigators who need a system-wide, real-time, hardware-agnostic solution that works across every application simultaneously, Krisp holds a clear practical advantage over each of these alternatives in that specific context.
Where to go from here
The Krisp noise cancellation app gives you a practical, low-cost way to clean up your audio across every application you use, whether you are coordinating with a team in the field or reviewing session evidence on a remote call. For paranormal investigators, clear communication and clean audio documentation are not optional details, they are core to how you capture and present evidence. Krisp handles the software side of that challenge reliably, but the quality of your results still depends on the hardware you bring into each location.
Your audio chain is only as strong as the gear at its foundation. If you want to build an investigation kit that holds up from the microphone level through to your final recordings, browse the full range of professional-grade paranormal equipment available at the Haunt Gears shop. The right combination of hardware and software is what separates recoverable evidence from noise you cannot use.
