Free Krisp Alternative for Zoom and Microsoft Teams Calls

Krisp works so well for video calls because it installs as a virtual microphone — Zoom and Teams see "Krisp Microphone" as an input device and use the pre-filtered audio directly. The free tier limits how many minutes you can use this feature per week.

You can replicate this for free using the Real-Time Mic Denoiser paired with a free virtual audio cable. The setup takes about 10 minutes the first time, and after that it works automatically every time you open the browser tab before a call.

Why Krisp Works Natively With Zoom and Teams Without Extra Setup

Krisp installs a virtual audio driver that creates a "Krisp Microphone" device in your operating system. Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and any other app that reads audio inputs automatically see this as a microphone option. When you select "Krisp Microphone" in Zoom's audio settings, Krisp intercepts your real microphone signal, denoises it, and passes the clean audio to Zoom.

This driver-level integration is what makes Krisp convenient. It also means Krisp requires installation, an account, and payment for unlimited use. The alternative — routing browser-processed audio through a virtual cable — achieves the same result but requires a one-time routing setup.

Free Krisp Alternative for Zoom on Windows — Full Setup

Step 1: Install VB-Audio VoiceMeeter Banana (free). This creates virtual audio devices your system can route to. Download from the VB-Audio website.

Step 2: Configure routing in VoiceMeeter: Set your real microphone as Hardware Input 1. Set Virtual Input as the routing target. In Windows Sound Settings, set VoiceMeeter Output as your default output.

Step 3: Open the Real-Time Mic Denoiser. In the browser, your system microphone should be selected (the real one, not VoiceMeeter). Start denoising.

Step 4: In Windows Sound Settings, set your default output to VoiceMeeter Input so the browser's audio output routes through VoiceMeeter.

Step 5: In Zoom or Teams, select "VoiceMeeter Output" as your microphone input. Your denoised mic signal now arrives in Zoom.

This setup persists after restart. Each call, open the browser denoiser tab before joining — VoiceMeeter handles routing automatically once configured.

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Free Krisp Alternative for Zoom on Mac — Full Setup

Step 1: Install Blackhole 2ch (free, available on GitHub). This creates a virtual audio device on macOS.

Step 2: Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup (Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup). Add both Blackhole 2ch and your regular output (speakers/headphones). Name it "Denoiser Route".

Step 3: Open the Real-Time Mic Denoiser in Chrome or Safari. Select your real microphone as input. Start denoising.

Step 4: Set System Output to "Denoiser Route" so the browser tab's audio output routes into Blackhole.

Step 5: In Zoom or Teams, set "Blackhole 2ch" as your microphone input. Zoom now receives your denoised mic signal.

Note: system audio also routes through this setup. To avoid sending notification sounds into Zoom, mute yourself when not speaking or use Zoom's "Original Sound" button.

How This Compares to Zoom's and Teams' Own Noise Suppression

Both Zoom and Microsoft Teams have built-in noise suppression:

• Zoom: Background noise suppression under Audio Settings — three levels (Auto, Low, Medium, High). At High, it uses an AI model similar to Krisp's approach. Available to all Zoom users including free accounts.
• Teams: Noise suppression setting under Devices settings — Off, Auto, Low, High. The High setting uses AI-based suppression.

For many users, Zoom's or Teams' own suppression is the simplest solution — no additional tools needed. The browser denoiser + virtual cable setup makes more sense when:

• You use multiple video call platforms and want consistent noise reduction across all of them
• You also record audio outside of calls and want the same denoiser for that
• Zoom/Teams's built-in suppression isn't strong enough for your noise level
• You're using a platform that has no built-in suppression (some webinar tools, older conferencing apps)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Zoom have its own noise suppression built in?

Yes. Zoom has background noise suppression in Audio Settings with Auto, Low, Medium, and High options. For many users, Zoom's built-in High setting is sufficient and requires no additional tools. The browser denoiser setup adds value when you need cross-platform consistency or more control.

Is VB-Audio VoiceMeeter really free?

VoiceMeeter is donationware — it is free to use with a request to donate. There is no feature restriction on the free version. Full functionality is available without payment.

Does the setup need to be configured again after a computer restart?

The VoiceMeeter or Blackhole routing configuration persists through restarts. You only need to open the browser denoiser tab before each call — the virtual audio routing is already in place.

Will this work with Google Meet as well?

Yes. Once the virtual audio cable is configured, any app that can select a microphone input — Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Discord, and others — can use the denoised signal. Select the VoiceMeeter output (Windows) or Blackhole (Mac) as the microphone in each app.