Dictation software for Windows that stays on your PC
Whisper is fast, private voice-to-text for Windows 10 and 11. It types at your cursor in any app, runs 100% offline, and is GPU-accelerated on Windows — with automatic punctuation and a one-time $29 price. No cloud, no subscription, no Microsoft account required.
100% private & offline
Transcription runs on your own PC. Your audio never leaves the device and no subprocessors touch it — no cloud to breach.
GPU-accelerated & fast
Whisper uses your GPU via Vulkan on Windows, so dictation keeps up with how you actually speak — with automatic punctuation.
Types in any app
Text appears at your cursor — Word, Outlook, browser, Slack, anything. No per-app setup, no copy-paste dance.
Windows Voice Typing vs. Whisper
Windows 10 and 11 ship with built-in Voice Typing (Windows key + H). It's free and fine for a quick note — but for real writing, the gaps add up.
| Feature | Windows Voice Typing | Whisper |
|---|---|---|
| Runs offline / on-device | Cloud-dependent for best accuracy | 100% on-device, works fully offline |
| Automatic punctuation & capitalization | Inconsistent | Automatic and consistent |
| Works in any Windows app at your cursor | Varies by app and focus | Types at your cursor, everywhere |
| GPU acceleration | No | Yes — Vulkan on Windows |
| Price | Free (tied to Microsoft account) | One-time $29, no subscription |
Windows' built-in tools are tied to your Microsoft account and lean on the cloud for their best accuracy. Whisper keeps everything local and works the same in every application.
Private by design on Windows
Most dictation apps stream your voice to a server to transcribe it. Whisper doesn't. A local AI model runs on your own Windows PC, so your audio and the transcribed text stay on the machine that recorded them. There are no subprocessors in the transcription path and nothing for your IT team to vet.
- Audio never leaves your device — transcription is 100% on-device.
- No cloud pipeline, no subprocessors touching your voice or text.
- Works fully offline after a one-time setup — good for air-gapped PCs.
- Optional on-device AI can clean up tone or rewrite text without the cloud.
For a full breakdown of what does and doesn't leave your machine, see the security & privacy page. Handling confidential or regulated work? Whisper for business covers teams.
Fast enough to keep up with you
Dictation only feels natural when the text appears as fast as you talk. Whisper is GPU-accelerated on Windows through Vulkan, so it taps the graphics hardware already in your PC to transcribe quickly — without shipping audio to a distant server and waiting on a round trip. Punctuation and capitalization are added automatically, so what lands on the page reads like writing, not a raw transcript.
GPU-accelerated
Vulkan on Windows uses your existing graphics hardware for fast, local transcription.
Auto-formatting
Automatic punctuation and capitalization mean less cleanup after you speak.
No round trips
Because it's on-device, there's no upload latency between speaking and seeing text.
Dictate into any Windows app
Whisper types text at your cursor, so it works wherever you already type. There's no plugin to install per program and no window to copy out of — put the cursor in a field, speak, and the words appear.
Buy it once — no subscription
Cloud dictation tools bill you every month, forever. Whisper is a one-time purchase: $29 for your first seat, and just +$15 for each additional seat for teams of up to 100. You own the license, and the same key works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
$29 — one time
Your first seat. Pay once, own it. No recurring monthly fee and no Microsoft account tie-in.
+$15 per extra seat
Add teammates for a flat one-time price each, for teams of up to 100 people.
Windows dictation FAQ
Does Windows have built-in dictation software?
Yes. Windows 10 and 11 include Voice Typing (open it with the Windows key + H) and older Windows Speech Recognition. They're free and fine for the occasional sentence, but accuracy, punctuation, and formatting are limited, and Voice Typing sends your speech to Microsoft's cloud to work well. Whisper is a dedicated dictation app that runs entirely on your PC — more accurate, private, and consistent across every application.
Is Windows Voice Typing good enough for real dictation?
For a quick note, it's usable. For sustained writing — emails, documents, reports — most people hit its limits fast: inconsistent punctuation, weak handling of proper nouns and jargon, and a cloud dependency that raises privacy questions. Whisper adds automatic punctuation and capitalization, higher accuracy from a modern on-device model, and works the same way in every app, so you're not relearning it per program.
What is the best dictation software for Windows?
The right choice depends on what you value. If you want maximum privacy, a one-time price instead of a subscription, and speed, Whisper is built for exactly that: it runs 100% offline on Windows 10 and 11, is GPU-accelerated via Vulkan, and types straight into whatever app has your cursor — Word, Outlook, your browser, Slack, anything. Cloud subscription tools can be powerful too, but they route your voice through their servers and bill you every month.
Does Whisper work offline on Windows?
Yes — completely. Transcription runs on your own CPU/GPU, so your audio never leaves the device and no internet is required to dictate. Whisper only touches the network for a one-time model download, a license activation (your key only), and optional update checks. After that it works fully offline, which also makes it a good fit for restricted or air-gapped Windows environments.
Which apps can I dictate into on Windows?
Any of them. Whisper types text at your cursor, so it works in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams and Slack chats, your web browser, Notepad, code editors, CRM fields, search boxes — anywhere you can normally type. There's nothing to integrate per app; if a text field accepts a keyboard, Whisper can dictate into it.
How much does Whisper cost on Windows?
A one-time $29 for your first seat — no subscription, ever. Additional seats are +$15 each for teams of up to 100. You own the license; there's no recurring monthly fee like most cloud dictation services charge. Whisper also runs on Mac and Linux with the same one-time license model.
The private way to dictate on Windows
Offline, GPU-accelerated, and it types into any app. One-time $29 — no subscription, no cloud.
Get Whisper for Windows — $29