Free dictation software for Windows: what’s actually free

“Free” means very different things on Windows: a feature already in the operating system, an app with a weekly allowance, a free plan that ends when you buy, or open-source software you run yourself.

Start with the two features Windows already has. Add an app only when you keep fixing the same things by hand. Here is what each free option costs you in limits, internet use and editing. Microsoft’s pages and the app plans were checked on October 15, 2026.

Already on your PC: voice typing (Windows + H)

Put the cursor in any text box and press Windows key + H. Microsoft’s guide describes it as needing a working microphone and an internet connection. It costs nothing and works in most apps.

Good for a sentence or two. Less good for long replies, where you’d rather not edit punctuation afterwards, or for names it keeps getting wrong.

Already on Windows 11: voice access

Voice access controls the PC by voice as well as writing text. Microsoft describes its recognition as on-device, working without the internet after setup. That makes it the free built-in answer for offline dictation on Windows 11, and the closest built-in thing to Dragon’s voice control.

The trade-off is a learning curve. It is a full voice-control system, with commands for clicking, scrolling and selecting.

If you have Office: Dictate in Microsoft 365

Word, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint have a Dictate button. Microsoft’s guide says it needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection. It works inside those apps, not in your browser, chat app or AI tool.

Free plans in dictation apps

Dedicated apps add cleanup: removing filler, fixing punctuation and laying text out for the app you’re in. Most have a free allowance:

App	What’s free	After that
Wispr Flow	2,000 words a week on desktop	Pro $15/month, or $12 billed annually
Aqua Voice	1,000 free words	Pro $10/month, or $8 billed annually
Willow	Unlimited use of its lighter model; 20 Scribe uses a week	Pro $15/month, or $12 with annual billing
Superwhisper	Unlimited use of Whisper models	Pro plans
Vokalu	25¢ of usage every week plus a 75¢ welcome credit; on-device Private mode	1.5¢ or 2¢ per minute of speech

For Vokalu, 25¢ a week is about 16 minutes of plain dictation or 12 minutes with formatting, and the welcome credit adds about 37 minutes with formatting. The weekly allowance ends when you first buy credit. Allowances in words and in minutes aren’t directly comparable, so time one of your normal messages before converting.

Free and offline

If your audio can’t leave the PC, or your connection is unreliable:

• Windows 11 voice access, described above.
• Vokalu Private mode. Download a speech model once (about 290 MB or 970 MB) and dictation is recognized on your PC, with no internet and no charge. Optional AI formatting sends only text, at 0.5¢ a minute. How Private mode works.
• Handy. Free and open source for Windows, macOS and Linux; transcription runs entirely on your computer. It doesn’t remove filler or format for you.
• Superwhisper. Its free plan includes Whisper models, but its FAQ says offline models run best on Apple silicon Macs, so test it on your PC first.

On-device recognition runs on your processor, and the first dictation after starting can take longer while the model loads.

Which free option to start with

• A quick sentence now and then: Windows + H.
• Offline, or hands-free control of the PC: voice access.
• Mostly Word and Outlook: Microsoft 365 Dictate.
• You keep deleting “um”s and fixing punctuation: try a dictation app’s free allowance on a normal day’s writing.
• Audio must never leave the PC: voice access, Handy, or Vokalu Private mode.

When free stops being enough

Count your corrections for one day. If you fix the same names, the same punctuation and the same filler in every message, the free option is costing you time instead of money. That is the point to compare paid plans.

Our guide to what dictation costs in a month does the math, and Vokalu for Windows shows what the app adds over Windows + H.