Dictivo
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Dictation software guide

Best dictation software in 2026, by what you need

This guide is written by Dictivo, which makes one of the apps listed. It groups dictation software for Mac and Windows by what you need, with each product's platforms, where it turns speech into text and its price, as each vendor publishes them.

Last updated

Checked: each vendor's own product, pricing and help pages, read on 10 October 2026 and linked under References. No vendor paid to be listed. Nothing here is an accuracy or speed ranking: the apps were not tested against each other for this page.

Short answer

The right dictation software depends on your computer and on whether your voice may leave it. To pay nothing extra, start with what is built in: Dictation in macOS, voice typing (Windows key + H) or voice access in Windows 11, and voice typing in Google Docs. For free dictation that stays on your computer on Mac, Windows and Linux, Handy is free and open source, and Superwhisper and Spokenly have free local models. To buy once instead of subscribing, VoiceInk and MacWhisper (Mac) and Dictivo (Mac and Windows) sell one-time licenses, and Superwhisper and Voibe offer lifetime licenses beside their subscriptions. For dictation on a phone as well as a computer, Wispr Flow runs in the cloud on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Dragon Professional is still sold for Windows, through Nuance's sales team.

Dictation software at a glance

Built-in tools first, then apps in alphabetical order, with Dictivo (this site's product) last. Prices in each vendor's currency, as published on its own site, checked on 10 October 2026.
Software Runs on Where speech becomes text Free option Paid price
macOS Dictation Mac Keyboard settings show whether it is processed on your Mac Built into macOS No separate price
Windows voice typing (Win+H) Windows 11 Online, by Azure Speech services; needs an internet connection Built into Windows No separate price
Windows voice access Windows 11, version 22H2 and later On the PC, after a one-time language download Built into Windows 11 No separate price
Google Docs voice typing Google Docs in current Chrome, Edge or Safari Your browser's speech-to-text service Part of Google Docs No separate price
Microsoft Word Dictate Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, and Word for the web Online; needs a reliable internet connection No: Microsoft 365 subscribers only Part of a Microsoft 365 subscription
Dragon Professional v16 Windows 10 and 11 Installed on the PC No No public price: sales contact only
Handy Mac, Windows and Linux On your computer; works offline Free and open source (MIT license) None
MacWhisper Mac Local models on the Mac; remote models optional Free version €64 once for Pro, with lifetime updates
Spokenly Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone Local models offline; Pro adds cloud models Local models, with no account Pro $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year
Superwhisper Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android Local models on the device; Pro adds cloud models Unlimited dictation with local Whisper models Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once
Voibe Mac and Windows On the Mac in On-Device Mode; Windows and Intel Macs use a zero-retention cloud mode Voibe Free: limited words on one device Dictation $7.50 a month, $75 a year or $149 once, per seat
VoiceInk Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 14.4 or later On the Mac; optional Cloud Enhancement sends text, not audio Free trial $25 once for 1 Mac, $39 for 2, $49 for 3
Wispr Flow Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android In the cloud 2,000 words a week on desktop, 1,000 on mobile Pro $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually, per user
Dictivo (this site's product) Mac and Windows x64 On the computer in Local mode; optional Cloud Fast uploads only the recordings you send Tiny model; 14-day full Local trial US$29 once until 31 October 2026, then US$49 from 1 November 2026. Includes 12 months of updates; optional renewal at US$24 a year.

Free

Which dictation software is free?

Start with what your computer already has. Dictation in macOS, voice typing and voice access in Windows 11, and voice typing in Google Docs come with the system or app, with no separate price. They differ in where speech is processed: Windows voice typing needs an internet connection, while voice access works on the PC after a one-time language download.

These apps say they are free, within the limits given:

Free plans change: the limits above are as each vendor published them on 10 October 2026.

Fully local

Which dictation software works offline, without uploading your voice?

If recordings must not leave your computer, choose software that runs its speech model on the computer, and check that the mode you use is the local one: several apps offer both.

Not local: Windows voice typing (Win+H) and Word Dictate need an internet connection, and Wispr Flow says transcription always occurs in the cloud. Local processing alone does not make a tool suitable for regulated work; follow your organization's rules.

Offline dictation on Mac, compared · Offline dictation on Windows, compared

Windows

What dictation software works on Windows?

Windows 11 has two built-in options: voice typing, which you start with Windows key + H in a text field and which needs an internet connection, and voice access, which works on the PC after setup. These separate apps also run on Windows:

Windows voice typing not working: what to check · Dragon pricing, edition by edition

Mac

What about dictation software for Mac?

Besides macOS Dictation, these all run on a Mac: MacWhisper, VoiceInk, Superwhisper, Spokenly, Voibe, Wispr Flow, Handy and Dictivo. VoiceInk needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14.4 or later. For a Mac-only comparison by workflow, including apps for transcribing recordings, see the Mac guide.

Best speech-to-text apps for Mac, compared by workflow · Mac dictation not working: what to check

Several languages

Which dictation software handles several languages?

Language support below is as each vendor lists it; check your own language and accent during a trial.

Buy once

Which dictation apps can you buy once instead of subscribing?

Wispr Flow and Spokenly Pro are monthly or annual subscriptions, and Dragon Professional has no public price.

Phone and computer

Which dictation apps work on a phone as well as a computer?

Wispr Flow runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. One Superwhisper Pro license covers unlimited Macs and Windows PCs plus an iPhone and an Android phone. Spokenly Pro is available on macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS.

Phones also have dictation built in. Apple says iPhone Dictation is processed on the iPhone in many languages with no internet connection required, and on Android, the microphone key in Gboard lets you talk to write in most places where you can type. Dictivo has no mobile app.

Recordings and meetings

What if you also need to transcribe recordings or meetings?

Live dictation and transcribing a recording are different jobs. MacWhisper transcribes audio and video files and can record meetings in Zoom, Teams and other apps; Superwhisper Pro adds file transcription; Voibe Work and Wispr Flow's Notetaker take meeting notes. Dictivo is for live dictation and does not import recorded files.

Product notes

Each product in brief

In the same order as the table. Each note gives what the vendor publishes and who the product suits; the limits are the ones the vendor states.

macOS Dictation

Built into macOS: place the cursor where the text should go and press the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut. Keyboard settings show whether general dictation is processed on your Mac and not sent to Apple's Siri servers. It suits occasional dictation with nothing to install. Apple notes that Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and that it stops after 30 seconds without speech.

Mac dictation shortcut: where it is and how to change it

Windows voice typing and voice access

Voice typing starts with Windows key + H in a text field and uses Microsoft's online speech recognition (Azure Speech services), so it needs an internet connection. Voice access, in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, controls the PC and writes text without an internet connection once its language files are downloaded; Microsoft lists 15 languages and dialects for it. Both suit anyone on Windows 11 who wants to try dictation before installing anything.

Google Docs voice typing

In Google Docs, choose Tools > Voice typing and click the microphone. Google says it works in current Chrome, Edge and Safari, and that your browser controls the speech-to-text service before the text reaches Docs. It suits people who already write in Google Docs; it works in Docs and in Slides speaker notes, not in other apps, and its voice commands are English only.

Microsoft Word Dictate

Word's Dictate button turns speech into text in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac and in Word for the web. Microsoft says it needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection, and that it is available only to Microsoft 365 subscribers. It suits people who already pay for Microsoft 365 and write in Word.

Dragon Professional v16

Nuance's long-running dictation software for Windows 10 and 11, installed on the PC; Nuance also lists Dragon Legal and Dragon Law Enforcement. It suits organizations that already run Dragon. It runs only on Windows, and it is bought through Nuance's sales team.

Nuance no longer lists a public price for Dragon Professional v16 (sales contact only, checked on 9 October 2026); its last public list price was $699, a one-time payment, in the Nuance US store (archived 11 February 2025).

Dragon pricing, edition by edition

Handy

A free, open-source (MIT license) app for Mac, Windows and Linux: press a shortcut, speak, and it pastes the text into the app you are using. It runs Whisper or Parakeet models on your computer and works completely offline. It suits anyone who wants free local dictation in a simple tool; its maintainers list known issues, such as limited Wayland support on Linux.

MacWhisper

A Mac app for transcribing audio and video files that also offers system-wide dictation. Its local models process content on your Mac, and you can switch to remotely hosted models. The free version is free forever; MacWhisper Pro is €64 per license, paid once, with lifetime updates. It suits people who transcribe recordings, meetings or subtitles as well as dictate.

Spokenly

Dictation for Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone. Its local Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word cap, no trial clock and no account, and work offline; you can also connect your own API keys without paying Spokenly. Pro, at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, adds Spokenly's cloud models and AI text cleanup. It suits people who want free local dictation with an optional cloud upgrade.

Superwhisper

Dictation for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. The free plan allows unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, and Superwhisper says nothing you dictate on it leaves your device. Pro adds cloud models, AI modes and file transcription for $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once, and one license covers all your devices. It suits people who want configurable modes and a choice of models.

Voibe

Dictation for Mac and Windows, with a Voibe Work plan that adds meeting notes. On the Mac, On-Device Mode transcribes locally; Windows and Intel Macs use a zero-retention cloud mode. Voibe Free allows limited words on one device; Voibe Dictation is $7.50 a month, $75 a year or $149 once per seat, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It suits people who want one seat to cover a Mac and a Windows PC.

VoiceInk

A Mac dictation app for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 14.4 or later. It transcribes on the Mac; its optional Cloud Enhancement processes transcribed text, not your voice. It is currently listed at $25 once for one Mac, $39 for two or $49 for three, with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee, and its source code is published on GitHub. It suits Mac users who want local dictation bought once.

Wispr Flow

Cloud dictation for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android; Wispr Flow says transcription always occurs in the cloud. Free allows 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 on mobile; Pro is $15 per user a month, or $12 a month billed annually, with unlimited dictation. It suits people who dictate on a computer and a phone and are comfortable with cloud processing.

Wispr Flow pricing, plan by plan

Dictivo (this site's product)

Dictivo is this site's product. It is a desktop dictation app for Mac and Windows: in Local mode it transcribes on the computer after a model is installed, then pastes the text into the app you are using. Optional Cloud Fast, at US$8.99 a month, uploads only the recordings you send through it. The Tiny model is free, and a 14-day full Local trial needs no card or Dictivo account.

Dictivo Local is US$29 once until 31 October 2026, then US$49 from 1 November 2026. Includes 12 months of updates; optional renewal at US$24 a year. It has no mobile app and does not import recorded files.

Dictivo pricing · Set up your first local dictation

Before you pay

How to compare dictation software before you pay

Dictate the same short paragraph in each tool, with names and terms from your own work, and count the corrections you make. Dictate into the app you actually write in: a transcript that looks right in a tool's own window may still need pasting elsewhere.

If your audio must stay on the computer, install the local model, switch off the network and dictate again. Keep cloud and AI rewriting features off until you have read where they send your words.

Test the task you actually do

Try all Local models for 14 days without a card or Dictivo account. Download a model, dictate a short email or note, then check the text in the app you normally use. Compare the same sentence and workflow before switching.

Download for Mac Download for Windows Review pricing and trial terms

Try your first sentence →

Windows x64. The installer is not yet code-signed; verify the download source before deciding whether to proceed.

Dictation software questions

01 What is the best free dictation software?

For occasional dictation, use what is built into your system: Dictation in macOS, or voice typing and voice access in Windows 11. For a free app that works offline on Mac, Windows and Linux, Handy is free and open source; Superwhisper and Spokenly also have free local models.

02 Is there dictation software that works offline?

Yes. Handy, VoiceInk, MacWhisper's local models, Superwhisper and Spokenly with local models, Voibe's On-Device Mode on the Mac, Windows voice access and Dictivo's Local mode transcribe on the computer. Windows voice typing (Win+H) needs an internet connection, and Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud.

03 What dictation software works on Windows 11?

Windows 11 includes voice typing (Windows key + H, needs an internet connection) and voice access (works on the PC after setup). Apps that run on Windows include Handy, Superwhisper, Spokenly, Voibe, Wispr Flow and Dragon Professional, and Dictivo.

04 Can you still buy Dragon?

Nuance sells Dragon Professional v16 for Windows through its sales team and no longer lists a public price on its product page. The Dragon pricing guide covers each Dragon edition.

05 Which dictation software works on both Mac and Windows?

Handy, Superwhisper, Spokenly, Voibe and Wispr Flow, and Dictivo run on both. One Superwhisper Pro license covers both platforms, and each paid Voibe seat includes Mac and Windows.

06 What about dictation on iPhone and Android?

Both have it built in: Apple says iPhone Dictation is processed on the iPhone in many languages without an internet connection, and on Android you can talk to write with the microphone key in Gboard. Wispr Flow and Superwhisper also have iPhone and Android apps, and Spokenly has an iPhone app.

07 Which dictation apps are a one-time purchase?

VoiceInk ($25 to $49), MacWhisper Pro (€64), Superwhisper Pro Lifetime ($249.99), Voibe Dictation Lifetime ($149 per seat) and Dictivo Local are sold once. Wispr Flow and Spokenly Pro are subscriptions.

References