Serenade
Serenade is an open-source voice assistant that lets developers write and edit code using natural speech.
What Serenade is
Serenade is an open-source voice assistant that lets developers write and edit code using natural speech. Its commands can add, insert, change, or delete code, as well as navigate, copy, and paste. Developers can set custom vocabulary and create their own voice commands and plugins through Serenade’s open protocol, which connects the desktop app and plugins using JSON over WebSockets. Listed integrations and supported tools include VS Code, Chrome, Hyper, Slack, IntelliJ, Jupyter, and GitHub.
Speech recognition can run through a cloud service or locally on the device. In local mode, audio and code stay on the device unless the user opts in to sharing. In cloud mode, audio and the file being edited are sent to Serenade’s servers; the maker says they are not stored unless sharing is enabled. Users can change the sharing setting in the app. On Windows, local processing requires WSL with Ubuntu. Serenade runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, supports Chrome, and is free under the Serenade plan. The maker says it is licensed under Apache 2.0.
Good
- Voice commands cover common code editing actions
- Offers cloud and on-device speech processing
- Supports custom vocabulary, commands, and plugins
- Open source under Apache 2.0
- Available free on macOS, Windows, and Linux
Watch out
- Windows local processing requires WSL with Ubuntu
- Cloud mode sends audio and the edited file to servers
Who it suits
Serenade suits developers who want to write or edit code by voice, including people with an injury or anyone seeking to avoid typing. It may also suit users who want local speech processing or custom voice commands.
Verdict
Serenade offers voice-driven code editing with both cloud and local speech options. Check the Windows local-mode requirement and cloud data handling details when choosing how to use it.
Plans and prices
From Serenade's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Serenade | Free | Download for free · macOS, Windows, Linux |
The facts
Each one read from Serenade's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accessibility
- The maker says Serenade can help people with an injury or anyone looking to prevent one work without typing.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Cloud data handling
- With a cloud endpoint, audio and the file being edited are sent to Serenade servers; the maker says they are not stored unless the user opts in to sharing.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Custom commands
- Users can create custom voice commands and plugins using Serenade's open protocol.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Custom vocabulary
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
- Editing commands
- Voice commands can add, insert, change, delete, navigate, copy, and paste code.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- The maker lists integrations and supported tools including VS Code, Chrome, Hyper, Slack, IntelliJ, Jupyter, and GitHub.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Local data handling
- With local processing, audio and code stay on the device unless the user opts in to sharing data.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Local-mode requirement
- On Windows, the local server requires WSL with Ubuntu.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Offline dictation
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
- Open source
- The maker says Serenade is fully open source and licensed under Apache 2.0.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Privacy controls
- Users can opt in to share audio and code data, and can change that setting in the Serenade application.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Privacy model
- hybridchecked 20 Sep 2001
- Protocol
- The Serenade Protocol uses JSON over WebSockets for communication between the desktop app and plugins.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Serenade is an open-source voice assistant that lets developers write code using natural speech.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Speech modes
- Serenade can use cloud speech recognition or process speech locally on the device.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Support
- The site provides a community link and lists [email protected] for contact.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Voice commands
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- macOS,Windows,Linux,Chromechecked 20 Sep 2001
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