Speech to text app for laptop users
Speak at the cursor. Get your words written.
Press one hotkey to dictate into the laptop app you already have open, then review and correct the text where it lands. Choose Cloud for quick setup or local for sensitive and offline work.
Open source · 80,000+ downloads
What breaks laptop voice typing
The thought is ready. The keyboard is the delay.
You need the text in the field you are using, a familiar way to start, and a quick way to correct it.
The cursor is waiting in another app.
A separate dictation window turns one sentence into a copy-and-paste job. OpenWhispr starts from a global hotkey and automatically pastes text into the app you are already using.
Corrections pull you back to the keyboard.
Names, punctuation and a changed sentence can turn voice typing into cleanup. Keep the draft at the cursor, review it there, and use your dictionary for words you repeat.
Starting should not take you away from the draft.
Set one global hotkey, then start each dictation from the email, message, note or document field already in front of you.
Typing all day adds up.
When your hands need a break or a thought is moving quickly, speak the first pass and spend your effort reviewing the words instead.
What you get
Voice typing that stays in the work you are doing.
Start at the active cursor. Then choose the transcription path that makes sense for this laptop, this connection and this piece of work.
Dictate where the cursor already is
Press the global dictation hotkey, speak, and let automatic pasting put the text into the app you have open. This is live laptop writing, not a separate transcription queue.
Choose Cloud for setup speed, local for offline work
Cloud offers top accuracy and speed without a local model download, then discards transcription audio. Local models run on the device when sensitive or offline work calls for that choice.
Keep review and correction in the loop
Read the text where it lands and refine it before you send or save. Voice Assistant can use a dedicated hotkey to edit highlighted text in place, without a wake word.
Direct integrations needed to start
None
a global hotkey and automatic pasting return text to the focused cursor
Cost to start voice typing
$0
unlimited local AI models are included on every plan
From download to first dictation
5 min
then keep writing at the active cursor
How it works
Text in the field before you reach for the keyboard.
Start free, set up the dictation path you want, then speak into the active text field and review the result before you move on.
Download for free.
Use OpenWhispr on macOS, Windows or Linux. Open a text field you actually use, then choose the hotkey that starts your dictation.
Dictate at the cursor.
Open the email, message, note or document you want to write. Press the hotkey, speak, and let the text paste into that field.
Review, correct, continue.
Read the draft where it lands, make the edit you need, and keep working in the same app.
No convincing needed
10 reasons laptop users choose OpenWhispr
A speech-to-text app has to earn its place in the writing loop. These are the choices that make it useful after the first dictation.
Start from one hotkey
Use a global hotkey instead of finding a separate dictation window whenever a sentence is ready.
Keep the text in the app you opened
Automatic pasting puts dictated text at the focused cursor, so your email, chat, note or document stays the place you review.
Write long thoughts before they disappear
Speak a rough first draft when the thought is moving, then shape the words on screen instead of starting with a blank keyboard.
Handle short replies without breaking focus
A quick response still begins at the cursor. Dictate it, read it in place, make the small correction, then send.
Teach it the names you use
Add names, jargon and acronyms to the custom dictionary, so recurring words need less cleanup in the text you review.
Use Cloud when you want to start quickly
Cloud transcription gives you top accuracy and speed without a local model download.
Keep local work on the laptop
Local transcription runs entirely on your device with no internet required, for an offline day or work you want to process locally.
Know what happens to Cloud audio
Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then immediately discarded. It is a speed choice, not a storage choice.
Make a selected edit without retyping
With Voice Assistant's dedicated hotkey, highlighted text can be edited in place. It does not turn your laptop into a hands-free operating system.
Start free, then pay for more of the workflow
Free includes unlimited local models and a Cloud allowance. Pro adds unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud transcription, sync, mobile and API/MCP access.
Before you download
The questions laptop users ask first.
Straight answers on where text lands, how you correct it, and which transcription path fits the work in front of you.
Will it type into the app I am using?
Which laptop platforms can I use?
What if I need to correct a name or sentence?
Should I choose Cloud or local transcription?
Is this for live voice typing or recorded audio?
What is free, and what changes on a paid plan?
What users say
Built for people who would rather speak than type.
Three users describing the practical shift from keyboard-first work to voice input.
1
Global hotkey to start dictation
Press the hotkey, speak, and let automatic pasting return the text to the focused cursor.
Started using OpenWhispr with my local models and hardware. I have to say, this is better than typing.
I switched to voice input for my Claude Code chats. Even when I stumble and rephrase mid-sentence, the transcription comes out clean and polished.
I needed a local model for when I'm travelling or have no WiFi, and this perfectly solves it. The UI and performance are great.
Pricing
Free forever.
Upgrade when you want more.
FreePopular $0No card details needed | Pro $6.67/user/mo$80/user billed annually Start with Pro | Business $13.33/user/mo$160/user billed annually Start with Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Laptop users who want unlimited local models and a limited Cloud allowance | Laptop users who want unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | People who also need unlimited meeting recordings, chat over data, and priority support |
| Main reason to choose | Unlimited local AI models, plus 2,000 OpenWhispr Cloud words a week | Unlimited Cloud transcription, 20 meeting-recording hours, sync, mobile, and API/MCP access | Unlimited meeting recordings, chat over your data, and priority support |
| Offline speech-to-textOffline speech-to-text runs entirely on your own device, it works without internet connection, and it's unlimited and free. | Included | Included | Included |
| Cloud speech-to-textCloud speech-to-text sends audio to OpenWhispr Cloud for the highest accuracy and speed, with no local models to download. | 2,000 words/week via OpenWhispr Cloud, or unlimited using your own API keys | Unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud speech-to-text | Unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud speech-to-text |
| Meeting recordings | 5 hours/month | 20 hours/month | Unlimited |
| Privacy & data handling | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. | Offline audio stays on your device. Cloud audio is sent only to transcribe it, then never stored. |
| Setup experience | Hands-on: install app, choose local models, optionally add API keys | Easy: install app, upgrade, use unlimited cloud speech-to-text | Moderate: configure users, Agent mode, and data workflows |
| Advanced features |
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| Team management | None | None | Basic team / workflow use |
| Support | Community support | Email support | Priority support |
Need SSO, compliance features, admin controls, or dedicated support for a larger team?
We also offer a custom Enterprise plan with managed onboarding and tailored features.
Talk to us
Built in the open
A laptop dictation app you can inspect.
OpenWhispr is an open-source desktop app for turning voice into text, notes and actions. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.
The writing loop is simple: press a hotkey, speak, see the text at the cursor, then review it in the app where the work already lives.
This page is for live laptop dictation at the active cursor. Meeting recordings and imported audio are separate workflows.
Free · open source · local-first
Leave the keyboard for the words that are easier to say.
Download OpenWhispr, put the cursor where you want to write, and start the next draft with your voice.
Loading...Takes 5 minutes to set up. Free forever on macOS, Windows and Linux.