Local Windows audio translation. One-time licensing. Clear reasons to choose Aurora.

Where Aurora is the better fit

Published by IliciLabs, Aurora's developer. This is a vendor-authored feature comparison reviewed on 5 September 2026, not an independent review or a measured accuracy ranking.

• Beyond browser audio: Aurora captures Windows system audio, so the same local translation workflow can cover native Discord, games and desktop calls. Chrome's Windows caption workflow covers browser audio; translation sends captions to Google.
• No Copilot+ prerequisite: Aurora's local presets run on compatible Windows 11 PCs. Windows Live Captions translation requires Copilot+ and supports English or simplified Chinese output. Aurora's language availability depends on its preset and installed models.
• Local core with optional assistance: Aurora's caption, transcription and translation core runs on the PC. Its optional Codex assistant is a separate network feature that can send transcript or translation text, microphone utterances and user guidance to Codex/OpenAI. StreamVox documents transient third-party AI processing, while stating that audio is not stored. Its billing guide includes free daily access and subscriptions.

Aurora is a paid Windows product, not a free browser feature or a promise of better recognition on every voice. Maximum Compatibility runs on CPU with English input audio and 51 published translation targets; Maximum Quality uses a separate set of 51 selectable languages with optional GPU acceleration and CPU fallback. Activation, license validation and model setup can require internet. The optional assistant additionally requires internet, a Codex account, access and available usage limits; the Aurora license does not include or guarantee Codex access or unlimited use.

Pricing, license scope and demonstration material

What does the purchase include?

A lifetime license for the current Aurora Subtitles product, valid for one Windows installation on one PC. Updates are included during Early Access. There is no monthly subscription or per-minute cloud credit charge for Aurora's core caption pipeline; optional Codex assistance has separate account, access and usage requirements. The final price and local currency are shown at checkout, accessible from the product page.

Where can reviewers find the demonstration and current download?

The official demonstration video illustrates the product. It is not an independent evaluation or a benchmark of latency or accuracy. Use the download page for the current installer; a valid license is required. Release articles below document earlier releases and should not be treated as the current version number.

What should a hands-on review document?

Record the app version, Windows version, CPU and GPU, selected preset, source and target languages, and audio source. Include recognition or translation errors and the observed delay alongside successful examples. Results depend on hardware, settings and audio quality; a demonstration on one PC does not establish performance on another.

Optional Codex assistance

Aurora's caption, transcription and translation core runs locally on the compatible PC. Users may optionally sign in to Codex through the default browser using the installed Codex CLI. A live assisted session requires the pipeline to be running with Both system audio and microphone selected.

• What can it do? The assistant uses joint recent system and microphone context to formulate replies, clarify requests and explain unfamiliar technical words or phrases, including when the phrase is in the same language. Microphone audio is transcribed in the target language only and is never translated.
• What controls are available? Guide, profile and content mode, Ctrl+Enter, optional cadence, pause advice while transcription continues and configurable silence delay (0 means immediate). Automatic advice is disabled by default; manual Propose reply remains available. Listening, countdown and preparing states are shown.
• What leaves the PC? The optional assistant can send transcript or translation text, microphone utterances and user guidance to Codex/OpenAI. It requires internet, a Codex account, access and available usage limits. Aurora licensing does not include or guarantee Codex access or unlimited use.

Session activity, recording and templates

Text sessions include microphone and Both when selected. Session Activity provides four-category filters, autoscroll and CLEAR activity. Completed non-microphone rows provide per-phrase inline Explain, Respond and Shorten help, and personal templates can be loaded, saved, updated and deleted and persist across sessions. A lightweight audio VU meter is visible across the UI.

Optional local OGG session recording is opt-in and records only the selected source; Both records system audio and microphone audio. ON starts recording and OFF finalizes it. Audio > Sessions lists recordings, opens the storage folder and offers Save As while retaining the original.

Release notes and setup guides

Release guide reviewed 4 September 2026. Aurora 0.1.47 was released on 24 August with a GPU dependency installation fix. Language documentation updated 7 September 2026: Maximum Compatibility accepts English audio and offers 51 CPU translation targets. The download requires a valid license; it is not a free-use tier. Maximum Quality uses a separate set of 51 selectable languages with optional GPU acceleration and CPU fallback.

• Aurora 0.1.44–0.1.47 release guide
• CPU-only captions: requirements and setup
• Both mode: where microphone captions appear