Best Free Dictation Apps: What Each Free Plan Allows

Quick answer: The best free dictation app for a computer is usually the one already on it: Apple Dictation on a Mac, or Windows voice typing (Win + H) on a PC. Handy, free and open source, works offline on Mac, Windows and Linux. Wispr Flow's free plan slows after 2,000 words a week; Blip AI's gives 2,000 a month.

We build Blip AI, one of the apps below, so weigh our view accordingly. Every limit on this page comes from the vendor's or project's own page, checked on 30 October 2026. Where a free option beats ours, we say so.

"Free" means three things in dictation apps. Some tools are simply free, because they're built in or open source. Some paid apps have a free plan that resets each week or month. Others give you a set number of words once, which is really a trial.

This page covers apps you install. If you only need to dictate in a browser tab, our free speech to text tool runs in Chrome, Edge or Safari.

How we judged the free plans

We looked at five things for each app:

1. Free for good, or a trial? A plan you keep is different from words that run out once.
2. The exact limit. Does the app slow down or stop at it, and when does it reset?
3. Which computers it runs on, including Linux.
4. Where it works: in any app, or only inside one program.
5. Where your voice goes: transcribed on your computer, so it works offline, or in the cloud.

We didn't test accuracy for this page, so we don't rank the apps against each other. The built-in tools come first because they cost nothing and need no install. The open-source apps and the paid apps' free plans follow, each group listed alphabetically.

Which free dictation app is best for you?

• You're on a Mac and want plain dictation: Apple Dictation.
• You're on Windows: press Win + H for voice typing, which needs internet. For offline dictation on Windows 11, use Voice Access.
• You write in Google Docs: Google Docs voice typing, in Chrome, Edge or Safari.
• You want free, offline dictation in any app, on any computer: Handy, Spokenly's free plan or OpenWhispr's local models. All three run on Mac, Windows and Linux.
• You want free dictation that also cleans up your text: OpenWhispr, whose cleanup is on by default and can run on a local model. Handy can do it too, as an experimental feature you switch on.
• You're on Linux: Vocalinux for fully offline dictation, or Handy, OpenWhispr or Spokenly. Our Linux roundup covers more.
• You only dictate a little and want a polished cloud app: Wispr Flow's free plan, at 2,000 words a week on Mac and Windows.
• You want one app across a Mac, a PC, Linux and your phone: Blip AI, which has iPhone and Android apps and 2,000 free words a month to try it. Spokenly also runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone, but doesn't list Android.

Free dictation apps compared: limits and offline use

Limits and prices were checked on each vendor's or project's own page on 30 October 2026.

Which free dictation apps work on Mac, Windows and Linux?

Google lists supported browsers (the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari), not operating systems. Wispr Flow's help center says Linux isn't supported. "Not listed" means the vendor's site names other platforms and not Linux.

How long is 2,000 words of dictation?

Word limits are easier to judge as minutes. The average rate of speech in American English is about 150 words a minute, according to the National Center for Voice and Speech. At that pace:

• 1,000 words (Aqua Voice's free words) is about 7 minutes of talking.
• 2,000 words (Wispr Flow's weekly allowance, OpenWhispr Cloud's weekly words, or Blip AI's monthly plan) is about 13 minutes.
• 3,000 words (Superwhisper's Pro trial) is about 20 minutes.

Real dictation has pauses, so a plan lasts a little longer. Still, a few thousand words is minutes of talking, not a day of work. If you dictate every day, a built-in tool or an open-source app is the free option that lasts.

Built-in dictation: free and already on your computer

Apple Dictation: free on every Mac

Best for: Mac users who want dictation with no setup and no cost.

Turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation. Start it with the Microphone key, the Dictation shortcut you pick in the same settings, or Edit > Start Dictation. Apple's Dictation guide says you can dictate text of any length without a timeout, and that Dictation stops when it hears no speech for 30 seconds.

Whether your speech is processed on your Mac or sent to Siri servers depends on your setup; Keyboard settings tell you which. On macOS 27, Apple Intelligence uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization, in English on Macs with an M3 chip or later and at least 12 GB of memory. The full steps are in speech to text on Mac.

Screenshot of support.apple.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Windows voice typing and Voice Access

Best for: Windows users who want something free that's already installed.

Press Win + H in any text box. Microsoft's voice typing page says it uses online speech recognition powered by Azure Speech services, so you need an internet connection. On Copilot+ PCs, a feature called Fluid dictation uses on-device small language models to make voice typing "smoother and smarter", in English locales only.

For offline dictation, use Voice Access. Microsoft's Voice Access page says it's available on Windows 11, version 22H2 and later, and works without an internet connection. It has a dictation mode, and you find it under Settings > Accessibility > Speech. Our Windows voice to text guide walks through both.

Screenshot of support.microsoft.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Google Docs voice typing

Best for: people who write in Google Docs and don't need dictation anywhere else.

In a document, choose Tools > Voice typing and click the microphone. Google's help page says it works with the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari, and in Google Slides speaker notes and captions. It only types into Docs and Slides, so it won't help in email or chat. See voice typing in Google Docs for the commands.

Screenshot of support.google.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Open-source dictation apps: free to download and run

These apps run speech models on your own computer, so you pay nothing and can keep your voice on your machine. The catch is that your computer does the work, and the model downloads are large: Handy's run from about 487 MB to 1.6 GB.

Handy: free and offline on Mac, Windows and Linux

Best for: anyone who wants free, offline dictation in any app on Mac, Windows or Linux.

Handy calls itself "a free, open source, and extensible speech-to-text application that works completely offline" in its README. It's MIT licensed, and its site asks for donations. You hold a shortcut to record and release it to stop, or tap it to toggle. It runs Whisper or Parakeet V3 models on your computer; the README calls Parakeet "CPU-optimized".

Its releases include an AppImage, a .deb and an .rpm for Linux, and the README calls its Wayland support limited. Handy can also clean up text: its post-processing docs say it can run each transcription through an AI model to "fix grammar, reformat text, translate, insert punctuation". It's an experimental feature you turn on under Settings > Advanced > Experimental Features, and it needs your own API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq and others), a local model server, or Apple Intelligence (macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon).

Screenshot of handy.computer, taken October 30, 2026.

OpenWhispr: open source with text cleanup

Best for: people who want free dictation that removes filler words, not a raw transcript.

OpenWhispr is MIT licensed and runs on macOS, Windows and Linux (AppImage, .deb, .rpm or .tar.gz). Its pricing page lists the free plan as unlimited local AI models, unlimited cloud transcription with your own API keys, and 2,000 words a week of transcription on OpenWhispr Cloud. Its help center says the window is rolling: each transcription stops counting after seven days. Pro is $80 per user per year.

Its cleanup step is on by default and, in OpenWhispr's words, will "remove filler words, fix grammar, and polish punctuation". You choose what runs it: OpenWhispr Cloud, your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Groq key, or a local model that keeps everything offline.

Screenshot of openwhispr.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Vocalinux: fully offline, Linux only

Best for: Linux users who want dictation that never leaves their machine.

Vocalinux describes itself, in its README, as "free, open-source, 100% offline voice dictation for Linux" and is licensed under AGPL-3.0. It uses whisper.cpp by default and can also run Whisper, Faster Whisper, VOSK or Parakeet. It works on X11 and Wayland. By default you hold Right Alt and speak.

The README lists Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 42+, Arch and openSUSE Tumbleweed, with an install script, AppImage, .deb, .rpm, AUR and Snap among the options. There's no built-in AI cleanup, but you can point a script of your own at each result.

Screenshot of github.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Free plans of paid dictation apps: what each allows

These apps sell a paid plan and give away a slice of it: a word allowance that resets, words you use once, or unlimited use of a lighter model.

Aqua Voice: 1,000 words to try it

Best for: trying an AI dictation app for a few minutes before deciding to pay.

Aqua Voice runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Its pricing page says "Free includes 1,000 free words and Avalon 1.5", with no credit card. The FAQ says to "see pricing for paid plans after you use the allowance", and neither page mentions the words refilling, so treat it as a trial. Pro is $12 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly. The FAQ also says cloud dictation needs an internet connection, and that offline availability "varies by platform, app version, and mode". See Blip AI vs Aqua Voice.

Screenshot of aquavoice.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Blip AI: 2,000 words a month on every platform

Best for: people who use a mix of Mac, Windows, Linux and a phone, and want one app on all of them without running a speech model.

We build Blip, so treat this as our own description. Hold a key, speak and let go: Fn on Mac, Ctrl + Win on Windows and Ctrl + Super on Linux. Blip types into any app with a text field, removes filler words, fixes punctuation, and gets technical terms like Vercel, Supabase and Claude right. On Blip Cloud, you get text in about 700 ms after you let go of the key, faster than Wispr Flow and Superwhisper in our tests.

Blip supports both cloud and on-device models. The free plan gives you 2,000 words a month on Blip Cloud, so it needs internet; on-device Whisper models that work offline are part of Pro. Pro is $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly, and adds unlimited dictation, voice AI commands and longer dictations. Blip runs on Mac (macOS 11+), Windows 10 and 11, Linux (AppImage for Ubuntu/Debian, Fedora and Arch, on Wayland and X11), iOS and Android.

Our honest take: 2,000 words a month is about 13 minutes of talking, less than Wispr Flow gives you each week. It's enough to find out whether Blip suits you, not to dictate every day for free. If you need free and unlimited, use a built-in tool or Handy. If Blip fits, see pricing or download Blip AI.

Screenshot of blipai.app, taken October 30, 2026.

Spokenly: unlimited local models, no account

Best for: free, offline dictation on Mac, Windows or Linux from a polished commercial app.

Spokenly runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Linux. Its pricing page lists the free plan at $0 "forever": unlimited use of Whisper and Parakeet models, "Works completely offline", bring your own API keys, and no account needed. Its FAQ says the on-device models are free "with no word caps, no trial clock, and no credit card". Local+ is $29 once, and Pro, with Spokenly's own cloud models and AI text cleanup, is $12 a month billed yearly ($144). On Linux it ships .deb, .rpm and AppImage builds (Linux page).

Screenshot of spokenly.app, taken October 30, 2026.

Superwhisper: free Whisper models, plus a 3,000-word Pro trial

Best for: Mac users with Apple Silicon who want free local models and the option to upgrade.

Superwhisper runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Its free plan lists voice to text in any app, support for 100+ languages, unlimited use of Whisper models and custom prompt control. Its FAQ says "you can try the Pro features for 3,000 words for free, after that the free tier features are available to you forever." Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 for a lifetime licence, and adds unlimited cloud and local AI models and your own API keys.

The site says Superwhisper works offline, and that offline models "only run really well on Apple Silicon macs". Its Linux builds are on GitHub, where the README calls them prerelease software aimed at x86-64 systems running Omarchy. Its release notes go further: they call 1.0.0 "the first stable release" (the same as the beta that added KDE Plasma and GNOME), and 1.0.1 added ARM builds "for Omarchy and other Linux desktops on ARM". More on Superwhisper for Linux.

Screenshot of superwhisper.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Willow Voice: unlimited use of its Frontier Mini model

Best for: Mac and Windows users who want unlimited free dictation and are happy with the model Willow itself calls weaker.

Willow Voice runs on Mac, Windows and iPhone, with Android listed as coming soon. Its pricing page lists the free plan as "Unlimited weaker speech-to-text model (Frontier Mini)", "Limited personalization" and "20 Scribe uses per week". Scribe is Willow's AI writing feature. Pro, at $12 a user a month billed yearly, adds unlimited use of its "smartest" model, Frontier Pro. Willow doesn't list Linux.

Screenshot of willowvoice.com, taken October 30, 2026.

Wispr Flow: 2,000 words a week on desktop

Best for: light use of a well-known cloud app on Mac or Windows.

Wispr Flow's pricing page lists the free plan as "2,000/week on desktop" and "Limited weekly use on mobile". Its help center gives the detail: on Mac and Windows, Flow slows down after 2,000 words and blocks dictation at 5,000, until the reset on Sunday at 12 a.m. PT. On iPhone the allowance is 550 words (blocked at 750), and on Android 2,500 (blocked at 3,000), from one shared mobile count. The help center adds that your own limits can differ.

Wispr's data controls page says "Transcription always occurs on the cloud", so there's no offline mode, and its system requirements say Linux isn't supported. Pro is $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly. If you've outgrown the free plan, compare Wispr Flow alternatives.

Screenshot of wisprflow.ai, taken October 30, 2026.

When is a free dictation app not enough?

Signs you've outgrown a free option:

• You hit the cap every week. At about 13 minutes of talking per 2,000 words, daily dictation uses up a freemium plan fast.
• You want finished text, not a transcript. Apple Intelligence (Macs with M3 or later) and Fluid dictation (Copilot+ PCs) are built-in features that Apple and Microsoft say improve the text. Among free apps, OpenWhispr's cleanup is on by default, and Handy offers it as an experimental option.
• Your computer struggles with local models. Superwhisper's FAQ says its offline models only run really well on Apple Silicon Macs. A cloud app moves that work off your machine, but needs internet.
• You switch between devices. Apple's and Microsoft's tools each stay on their own system. Check that an app covers every computer and phone you use.

If you've decided to pay, best dictation software in 2026 compares the paid plans side by side.

FAQ

Is there a completely free dictation app? Yes. Apple Dictation, Windows voice typing, Windows Voice Access and Google Docs voice typing cost nothing. Handy, Vocalinux and OpenWhispr's local models are free and open source, and Spokenly's local models are free with no word cap.

Is Wispr Flow free? Wispr Flow has a free plan. On Mac and Windows it gives 2,000 words a week, then slows down, and blocks dictation at 5,000 words until the Sunday reset. Mobile allowances are smaller, and Wispr Flow doesn't run on Linux.

What is the best free dictation software for Windows? Windows voice typing (Win + H) is built in but needs internet. Voice Access works offline on Windows 11, version 22H2 and later. For a free app that works offline, try Handy or Spokenly's free plan.

What is the best free dictation app for Mac? Apple Dictation is the free starting point. Superwhisper, Spokenly and Handy run free local models, and OpenWhispr adds free text cleanup.

What is the best free dictation app for Linux? Vocalinux is free and fully offline. Handy, OpenWhispr and Spokenly's free plan also run on Linux, and Blip AI gives 2,000 free words a month on Linux. Our Linux dictation roundup compares more options.

Can I use a free dictation app offline? Yes. Windows Voice Access, Handy, Vocalinux, Spokenly's free plan and OpenWhispr's local models work offline, and Superwhisper says it does too. Windows voice typing and Wispr Flow need internet. Blip AI's on-device models are a Pro feature.

Can I dictate for free without installing anything? Yes. Google Docs voice typing works in Chrome, Edge and Safari. Blip's free speech to text tool runs in Chrome, Edge or Safari with nothing to install, and gives you a raw transcript to copy.

How many words do free dictation plans include? Aqua Voice gives 1,000 free words. Wispr Flow gives 2,000 a week on desktop, OpenWhispr gives 2,000 a week of its cloud, and Blip AI gives 2,000 a month. Superwhisper, Spokenly and Willow Voice have no word cap on their free models.