Speech-to-text software for Microsoft Word
Set the cursor in Word. Get editable text.
OpenWhispr is desktop dictation software, not a Word add-in. With auto-paste, it can paste generated text at an active, writable Word cursor.
Open source · 80,000+ downloads
What slows a Word draft
The cursor is waiting. The first draft is still stuck in your head.
The practical question is not whether Word has dictation. It is how spoken text reaches your document, and what still needs a review pass.
Native Word Dictate is only one route.
Word Dictate is Word's own feature. OpenWhispr is separate desktop software that can paste text at the active Word cursor when auto-paste is enabled. The two are not the same kind of tool.
Leaving Word to move text back in.
Copying a draft from another window creates another stop. OpenWhispr can paste generated text at the focused, writable Word cursor, so the text arrives in the document you already have open.
Recognition errors turn into editing work.
Names, terms and a rough microphone can still need correction. OpenWhispr gives you editable text and a custom dictionary. Word remains where you proofread and revise the result.
Free should not hide the tradeoff.
Local speech-to-text is unlimited and free. OpenWhispr Cloud includes 2,000 words a week on Free, then paid plans add unlimited Cloud transcription and other workflow features.
What OpenWhispr does
Use speech to make the Word draft. Keep Word for Word work.
Choose Cloud for fast transcription without a local model download. Choose local processing for device-only or offline work. Then review the editable text in Word.
Generated text at the active Word cursor
Put the cursor in a writable part of Word, use the desktop hotkey and speak. With auto-paste, OpenWhispr can paste generated text at that focused cursor. Otherwise, use the clipboard.
Cloud for speed, local for device-only work
Cloud transcription is the fast option with no local model download and transcription audio discarded after processing. Local models run on your device and can work offline.
Word still owns formatting and review
OpenWhispr does not control Word formatting, comments, Track Changes or Word commands. It supplies text. Use Word's own tools to format, comment, track and accept edits.
Word add-in required
None
OpenWhispr is a desktop app, not a native Word integration
Cost for unlimited local speech-to-text
$0
on every desktop plan, with a local model
Setup estimate
5 min
from download to a first local dictation
How it works
A Word draft you can review before the next sentence slips away.
Choose a transcription path, start at the active Word cursor, then make Word's own review tools the final pass.
Download for free.
OpenWhispr runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. Choose Cloud for no local model download or local for on-device and offline speech-to-text.
Set the active Word cursor and speak.
Click a writable place in Word, press the desktop hotkey and dictate. With auto-paste, generated text can be pasted at the active cursor. Otherwise, use the clipboard.
Review the text in Word.
Correct, format, comment and track edits with Word's own tools. OpenWhispr does not operate those Word features for you.
Before you choose a Word dictation method
10 reasons Microsoft Word users choose OpenWhispr
This is speech-to-text for the document you already use, with clear boundaries around what happens at the cursor and what stays a Word job.
No Word add-in to install
OpenWhispr is desktop dictation software. It does not add a ribbon, plugin or API connection to Word. It uses the active writable cursor when automatic pasting is enabled.
One hotkey instead of a new drafting surface
Start from the document you already have open. The desktop hotkey records your speech, then generated text can be pasted at the active Word cursor.
Editable text, not a locked transcript
With automatic pasting, text can reach your active cursor. Otherwise, use the clipboard. You can revise the draft in Word just as you would after typing it. Review remains important for names, specialist terms and meaning.
Word retains its own controls
Formatting, comments, Track Changes and native Word commands stay in Word. OpenWhispr does not control them or claim to edit Word as an integration.
A custom dictionary for names and jargon
Add names, terms and acronyms to OpenWhispr's custom dictionary as context hints for the speech model. It can improve recognition, but you still review the final Word text.
Local speech-to-text works offline
Choose a local speech model to process dictation on your device without an internet connection. That is useful when online speech input is not the right fit.
Cloud when you want the fast setup
OpenWhispr Cloud provides speed and accuracy without downloading a local model. Cloud transcription audio is sent only to transcribe, then immediately discarded.
A clipboard option when you prefer it
You can keep dictated text in your clipboard for manual placement. Automatic pasting is optional, which keeps the active-cursor workflow distinct from an app integration.
Unlimited local dictation at no cost
Local AI models are unlimited on every desktop plan, including Free. This makes it practical to test a real drafting and correction workflow before paying for Cloud features.
Open source, so the mechanism is inspectable
OpenWhispr is open source. You can inspect how the app handles dictation rather than treating a Word compatibility claim as a black box.
Before you download
The questions Word users ask first.
Straight answers about active-cursor text insertion, Word's own tools, privacy, local processing and what Free includes.
Is OpenWhispr a Microsoft Word integration?
How is this different from Word Dictate?
Can OpenWhispr format Word text or use Track Changes?
What does free speech-to-text include?
What happens to my audio?
What if a name or specialist term is wrong?
What users say
Less typing. More control over where the text goes.
Three verbatim notes from people using OpenWhispr. They speak to the tool, not a Microsoft Word integration.
1
document cursor you choose
With auto-paste, generated text can go to the active writable cursor. Word is one possible destination, not an integration surface. Otherwise, use the clipboard.
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 | Word users who want a useful free start with local speech-to-text and limited Cloud transcription | Word users who want unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Teams that also need unlimited meeting recordings and chat over data |
| Main reason to choose | Useful Free access, including unlimited local speech-to-text and limited Cloud transcription | Unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Unlimited meeting recordings and chat over your data |
| 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
Writing should not require leaving the document you already use.
OpenWhispr started with a simple idea: say what you mean, then put the resulting text where you are already writing. In this workflow, that can be the active cursor in a Word document.
We build in public. Every release and every line of code is on GitHub, so anyone can inspect how the app handles dictation. When we say local dictation stays local, that is a property of the code you can verify.
And if anything breaks, you talk to the people who built it, in Discord.
Free · open source · local-first
Keep Word as the workspace. Use speech for the first draft.
Download OpenWhispr, put the cursor in Word and speak. With auto-paste, generated text can arrive at the active writable cursor. Otherwise, use the clipboard before your Word review.
Loading...Set up a hotkey, select a transcription path and test it in a Word document. Free local speech-to-text is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
- Written by
- Joshua Padoa
- Reviewed and fact checked by
- Wesley van der Hoop
- Last reviewed
Drafted with AI assistance