Speech-to-text software for students with disabilities
Say the answer. Get it onto the page.
Dictate notes, essays and answers into the apps you already use. Choose Cloud for fast setup or local processing for offline work.
Open source · 80,000+ downloads
When writing gets in the way
You know the answer. Getting it onto the page is the hard part.
Use your voice for notes, essays and short answers. Then review the text in the tools your course already uses.
The idea is there. The sentence will not come out.
When typing takes more effort than thinking, coursework becomes a fight with the keyboard. Speak the sentence, then edit clean text on the page.
An accommodation should work in the actual assignment.
Dictate straight into Word, Google Docs, Canvas or the answer field in front of you. No copying between a recorder and your coursework.
A slow laptop should not decide whether you can write.
Choose Cloud when you do not want to download a local model. Audio is sent only to transcribe it, then immediately discarded.
Wi-Fi is not guaranteed.
Choose local processing when you need to work offline. The transcription runs on your device, so you can keep writing when the connection drops.
What you get
Speech-to-text where your coursework happens.
Turn spoken answers into editable text. Pick the mode that works for where and how you study.
Start speaking without a local model download
Choose Cloud for fast setup without a local model download.
Work offline with local processing
Download a local model and dictate on your device without internet. It is a practical choice for study spaces with unreliable Wi-Fi.
Put text where your cursor is
Press a hotkey, speak, and place punctuated text in the document, learning platform or notes app you are already using.
Cost to start using local speech-to-text
$0
unlimited local models on every plan
Cloud transcription on Free
2,000
words each week, plus unlimited local speech-to-text
Languages supported
100+
speech-to-text on every plan
How it works
Speak the answer. Review the text. Submit the work.
Start free, choose Cloud for fast setup or local processing for offline work, then dictate into the assignment in front of you.
Download for free.
Use OpenWhispr on Mac, Windows or Linux. Choose Cloud for no local model download, or local for offline work.
Dictate the answer.
Put your cursor in the document, learning platform or notes app, then speak your sentence.
Review and submit.
Edit the text in your own words, check the assignment, and hand it in when it is ready.
Built for the work in front of you
10 practical reasons to choose OpenWhispr
A speech-to-text tool has to work where the assignment happens. These are the practical features you can check before you rely on it.
Free local speech-to-text
Local AI models are unlimited and free on every plan, so you can dictate without a subscription clock.
Works without Wi-Fi
Local models run entirely on your device. Keep working in a library, on a commute, or anywhere the connection is unreliable.
Dictate into the app already open
Use a hotkey to place text at your cursor in documents, notes, email, and browser-based coursework.
Cloud when fast setup matters
Cloud transcription offers accuracy and speed without a local model download, with audio immediately discarded after transcription.
A custom dictionary for your course
Add names, technical terms and acronyms so the terms you use in class have a better chance of appearing correctly.
More than 100 languages
OpenWhispr supports speech-to-text in more than 100 languages on every plan.
Editable text, not a locked recording
Your speech becomes text in the document you are writing. Review it, revise it, and make it your own before you submit.
Use it across your study tools
Dictate into Word, Google Docs, OneNote, Notion, and browser-based learning platforms from the same desktop app.
Open source
The project is MIT-licensed, so students and accessibility teams can inspect how the software works.
Upgrade only when the workflow needs it
Free includes local models. Pro adds unlimited OpenWhispr Cloud transcription, sync, mobile, and API and MCP access.
Before you download
Questions students ask before trying speech-to-text.
Straight answers on accommodations, offline work, accuracy and cost.
Can I use this as speech-to-text software for coursework?
Does it work without internet?
Is OpenWhispr free for students?
Can it handle course vocabulary and names?
Does Cloud keep my audio?
What do I get by upgrading from Free?
What people say
Speech-to-text that lets the words get out first.
Three comments from OpenWhispr users.
$0
Cost of local speech-to-text
Unlimited local AI models are included on every plan.
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 | Students who want free, unlimited local speech-to-text and a useful amount of Cloud transcription | Students who want unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Students who record more meetings and want Agent mode and chat over data |
| Main reason to choose | Free local speech-to-text plus limited Cloud transcription | Unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Unlimited meeting recordings plus Agent mode and chat over 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 with no local model to download, then immediately discards it. | 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 |
|
|
|
| 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
Assistive technology should not make you trade away control.
OpenWhispr gives students with disabilities a practical way to turn speech into editable text, in the coursework tools they already use.
OpenWhispr is MIT-licensed and its source code is public on GitHub. Local models run on your device, and Cloud audio is immediately discarded after transcription.
And if anything breaks, you talk to the people who built it, in Discord.
Free · open source · local-first
Your next sentence can start out loud.
Download OpenWhispr, dictate the work in front of you, then review it in your own words.
Loading...Free forever on Mac, Windows and Linux. Get help from the community in Discord.