Free speech-to-text software for Windows 11
Speak into any app. Get it right, offline.
A local model runs on the Windows 11 PC you already own, no internet or Copilot+ hardware required. Teach it your names and terms once, and stop correcting the same word twice.
Open source · 80,000+ downloads
What Windows 11 already gave you, and where it stops
Win+H got you this far. It won't get you the rest of the way.
You already tried the built-in tools. Here's exactly where each one runs out.
Say "question mark" and get the words "question mark", typed out.
Voice Access takes spoken punctuation literally instead of inserting the symbol, and a thinking pause can drop a stray period mid-sentence. OpenWhispr's cleanup converts spoken punctuation to the actual mark and treats a pause as a pause, not a full stop.
You corrected the same name a hundred times. It's still wrong.
Voice Access's custom vocabulary only improves the correction list, not what gets typed first. With OpenWhispr Cloud or the Whisper local model, your custom dictionary is sent to transcription itself, so your names, jargon, and terms come out right on the first pass.
The good tier needs a new PC. The free tier needs Wi-Fi.
Windows' voice typing runs on Microsoft's cloud and needs a connection, and the auto-punctuating fluid dictation tier is locked to Copilot+ hardware. OpenWhispr's local model runs entirely on the Windows 11 PC you already have, online or off.
Win+H for this, Voice Access for that, Word's Dictate for the rest.
Microsoft's own support answer is to switch tools depending on what you're doing. OpenWhispr is one hotkey that works the same way in Word, email, chat, or any app with a cursor.
From your voice to typed text
Built for the moment Win+H gives up.
Choose the local model for offline, private dictation, or Cloud for the fastest transcription.
A local model, no internet or new PC required
Download a local model once and OpenWhispr transcribes entirely on your PC, the one you already own. No round-trip to a server, no Copilot+ requirement, no signal needed for transcription.
A dictionary that changes what gets typed, not just the correction list
Add your name, your field's jargon, and the proper nouns Windows keeps missing. With OpenWhispr Cloud or the Whisper local model, that list is passed to transcription itself, so the right word shows up the first time.
One hotkey, every app
Word, Outlook, Slack, a web form: press the hotkey and clean, punctuated text pastes in wherever your cursor already is. Nothing to install per app, no add-in, no plugin to configure.
Internet needed to dictate
None
the local model transcribes entirely on your Windows 11 PC
Cost to dictate offline
$0
unlimited local transcription in the Free plan
Punctuation cleanup
Automatic
converts spoken "comma" and "question mark" into the mark, by default
Download to first sentence
Three steps from download to typed text.
Choose Cloud transcription, or download a local model that needs no internet.
Download it free.
Setup offers OpenWhispr Cloud or a local model. Pick local and it downloads once, then works with no internet.
Add your names and terms.
Put the proper nouns and jargon Windows keeps missing into the custom dictionary, once.
Press the hotkey and speak.
Clean, punctuated text pastes into whatever you're typing into: Word, email, chat, any app. Want the cleanup pass offline too? Set a local model for that in Settings; transcription already is.
Why Windows 11 users switch
10 reasons Windows 11 users choose OpenWhispr over the built-in tools
Every one of these is a specific gap in Win+H or Voice Access, checkable in the app itself.
Works with the Wi-Fi off
A local model needs no connection to transcribe, unlike Windows' voice typing, which runs on Microsoft's cloud and stops working the moment your connection does.
No Copilot+ PC required
Windows' best free auto-punctuation tier is locked to Copilot+ hardware. OpenWhispr's local dictation runs on the ordinary Windows 11 PC you already own, no hardware upgrade required.
One hotkey, every app, not just Word
Word's Dictate only works in Word, and Win+H behaves differently app to app. OpenWhispr's hotkey works the same way everywhere, so there's one habit to build instead of three.
A dictionary that changes the first pass
Voice Access's custom vocabulary only reorders the correction suggestions. With OpenWhispr Cloud or the Whisper local model, your custom dictionary is sent to transcription itself, so a term you've taught it shows up correctly the first time, not the fifth.
Punctuation from how you speak, not a command you say right
Say "question mark" in Windows and you may get the literal words typed out. OpenWhispr's cleanup converts spoken punctuation into the mark and treats a thinking pause as a pause, not a period.
Self-corrections dropped automatically
Say "send it by Thursday, no wait, Friday" and OpenWhispr keeps only "Send it by Friday." Windows' tools transcribe the retry verbatim and leave you to fix it by hand. Need to fix something after it's already typed? Agent mode (Pro) edits it in place, no re-highlighting.
Free for the whole machine, no per-minute meter
Unlimited local dictation at $0, plus 2,000 Cloud words a week. No trial clock, no per-minute charge, no forced upgrade to keep dictating.
Cloud audio is transcribed, then gone
Choose OpenWhispr Cloud for the highest accuracy and speed, with no local model to download. Audio is sent only to transcribe it, then immediately discarded, never stored.
Open source, so you can check it yourself
How OpenWhispr's local dictation works isn't a promise, it's code. Read exactly what happens to your audio on GitHub before you trust it with anything.
More languages than Voice Access supports
Voice Access covers 15 languages and dialects, and Windows' best free auto-punctuation only works in English. OpenWhispr supports 100+ languages on every plan.
Before you install it
Six questions Windows 11 users ask before switching from Win+H.
Straight answers on internet, hardware, accuracy, and cost. More questions? Ask in Discord.
How is this different from Windows' own Win+H voice typing?
Do I need a Copilot+ PC?
Will it get my name and technical terms right?
Does it work without an internet connection?
Is it actually free, or a trial?
Does it work in every app, or just Word?
What people tell us
Built by people who wanted their own machine to do this.
From our Discord, GitHub and inboxes. They're not Windows 11 testimonials, but the no-WiFi, local-model story below will sound familiar.
0
Audio stored on our servers with local transcription
With a local transcription model the audio never leaves your PC, so there's nothing on our side to lose, breach or hand over.
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 to start.
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 | Windows 11 users who want offline local dictation and 2,000 Cloud words a week | Windows 11 users who want unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Individuals and teams documenting at volume with unlimited meeting recordings and chat over data |
| Main reason to choose | Unlimited offline local dictation plus 2,000 Cloud words a week | Unlimited Cloud transcription plus mobile, sync, and API/MCP access | Unlimited meeting recordings plus 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 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?
Enterprise adds SSO, audit logs, retention controls, and dedicated support.
Talk to us
Why we built it
The built-in tool should have just worked.
Free dictation software shouldn't need an internet connection or new hardware to be any good. That's the position OpenWhispr builds from.
We build in public. The app is open source, so you can inspect how it works before you install it, instead of taking our word for it.
Community support is available in Discord. Paid plans add email or priority support.
$0 · open source · punctuation fixed automatically
Stop fighting Win+H. Start dictating.
Download OpenWhispr, add your names and terms to the custom dictionary, and dictate into whatever you're already typing into.
Loading...Free on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Paid plans add Cloud transcription, mobile, and workflow tools.