Free dictation for Windows 11 and Windows 10
Windows already has voice typing. Press Win+H and talk. It's free, but it needs the internet, sends your voice to Microsoft's cloud, and can't learn your words. Glimpse is free too, transcribes on your PC, works offline, and picks up the names and terms you use.
Last updated September 23, 2026Need it to work with the wifi off? Read about offline dictation
The short answer
Pick Windows voice typing if
- You want nothing to install. It's already on your PC.
- You dictate short bits now and then, like a search or a quick reply.
- You want voice commands to delete, select, and press keys, built in.
- You're on a Copilot+ PC and want fluid dictation, which tidies grammar and filler words in English.
Pick Glimpse if
- You want dictation that works offline. Voice typing needs an internet connection.
- You'd rather your voice stay on your PC. Voice typing uses Microsoft's online speech recognition.
- You say names, jargon, or product terms. Add them to the dictionary, or let Auto Dictionary pick them up.
- You want to pick the model: Whisper, Parakeet, and more, all free, with no word limit.
- You also use a Mac. Glimpse works the same on both.
Side by side
| Feature | Glimpse | Windows voice typing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free dictationFrom $25 one-time for extras | Free, built in |
| Where transcription runs | On your PCcloud optional, your own key | Microsoft's cloudonline speech recognition |
| Works offline | Yes | Noneeds an internet connection |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11Microsoft Store or direct download | Windows 10 and 11fuller version on Windows 11 |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| Languages | Dozensdepends on the model you pick | 40+ languages and regionson Windows 11 |
| Automatic punctuation | Yesfrom most models | Yesa setting |
| Custom dictionary | Yesplus Auto Dictionary | No |
| Text replacements | Yes | No |
| Searchable history | Yes | No |
| Voice commands | Edit Moderewrite selected text by voice, with a license | Yesdelete, select, press keys, and more |
| AI cleanup | Yes, your own LLMOllama, LM Studio, or a cloud key, with a license | Fluid dictationCopilot+ PCs, English |
| Meetings and audio files | Yeswith speaker labels, with a license | No |
| Open source | Yes, AGPL-3.0audit it on GitHub | No |
In detail
What Win+H does well
It's already there. Click into any text box, press Win+H, and talk. On Windows 11 it handles more than 40 languages and regional variants, can add punctuation for you, and takes commands like "stop listening", plus commands to delete, select, and press keys. On a Copilot+ PC, fluid dictation cleans up grammar, punctuation, and filler words on the device, in English. Windows 11 also has voice access, which works offline in English, German, Spanish, and French, and is built for running your whole PC by voice. For a quick search or a short reply, free and already installed is hard to beat.
Where it runs out of room
Voice typing needs the internet. Microsoft's own docs say you need to be connected, because it uses online speech recognition powered by Azure. Your voice goes to Microsoft to be turned into text. Microsoft says it isn't stored or reviewed unless you choose to share voice clips. There's no custom dictionary, so names, acronyms, and product terms come out wrong and stay wrong. There are no replacements and no history. Windows 10 gets a smaller version, with voice commands in US English only.
What Glimpse does on Windows
Press your shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+Space by default), talk, and the text lands in whatever app you're in. The speech model runs on your PC, so it works on a plane and your audio stays put. Pick Whisper, Distil-Whisper, Parakeet, Qwen3-ASR, or Nemotron streaming. Every model is free for dictation, with no word limit. The custom dictionary, Auto Dictionary, replacements (say "my address", get the whole thing), and searchable history are free too. Coming from Wispr Flow or Superwhisper? Glimpse imports your dictionary, replacements, and history.
The extras, if you want them
A license adds the Library for audio and video files, Recording mode for meetings and calls (your mic and everyone else on separate tracks, from your whole PC or just the apps you pick), on-device speaker detection, AI Cleanup and Edit Mode with Ollama, LM Studio, or your own cloud key, and per-app styles. There's a 14-day trial. After that it's $25 once for one device, or $39 for three. No subscription.
Privacy, plainly
Glimpse transcribes on your PC by default. If you turn on a cloud speech or LLM provider, the request goes straight from your PC to that provider, with your key. Glimpse sends anonymous usage telemetry (never audio or transcripts), and you can switch it off in Settings. The code is open source, so you can check all of this yourself.
Install it
Glimpse runs on Windows 10 and later. Get it from the Microsoft Store, where Microsoft signs it and keeps it updated, or download the installer directly. Pick a model, set your shortcut, and start talking.
Sources checked
Comparison copy was checked against these public sources on September 23, 2026.
Try Glimpse
It's free. If it doesn't fit, you've spent five minutes and zero dollars finding out.