Compare × Checked October 2026
The best dictation apps for Windows.
Six ways to talk instead of type on a Windows PC, and who each one suits. We make Bedrock Flow, so it is listed first. Every other fact here comes from each maker’s own website, linked at the bottom.
The first question
Where does your voice go?
Most dictation apps send your speech to cloud servers to turn it into text. That works well, but it means your words leave your computer and nothing works without internet. Only two apps on this list do the work on your own PC on Windows: Bedrock Flow and Dragon Professional.
Bedrock Flow
Best for private, local dictation on Windows at a low price.
Speech recognition and AI cleanup run on your PC, and your dictation history stays there. It works offline, learns your vocabulary, and has snippets and a style for each app. English only for now. Free for 30 minutes a week, then Pro at $9.99 a month or $95.88 a year.
Join the waitlistWispr Flow
Best for people who dictate on a Mac, iPhone or Android as well as Windows, or in many languages.
Wispr Flow and Bedrock Flow work the same way: press a shortcut, talk, and clean text appears in whatever app you are using. The big difference is where that happens. Wispr Flow sends your speech to cloud servers. Bedrock Flow turns it into text on your own PC.
Full comparisonWindows Voice Typing
Best for occasional dictation on a PC with a good connection, at no cost and with nothing to install.
Windows already has dictation built in: press Win + H and start talking. It is free and a good place to start. Bedrock Flow is for when you dictate every day and want it to run on your PC, learn your words, and tidy up what you say.
Full comparisonDragon Professional
Best for controlling Windows fully by voice, and law or medical work that needs its specialist editions.
Dragon has been the name in Windows dictation for decades, and like Bedrock Flow it does its recognition on your PC. The differences are price, setup, and age: Dragon Professional 16 is a $699.99 one-time purchase with a learning curve, while Bedrock Flow starts free and needs no voice training.
Full comparisonAqua Voice
Best for developers and technical writers who want very fast cloud dictation across Mac, Windows and iPhone.
Aqua Voice is a fast cloud dictation app with a strong focus on technical writing. Its yearly Pro price is close to Bedrock Flow’s. The main difference is that Aqua Voice needs the internet and sends your audio to its servers, while Bedrock Flow works on your PC.
Full comparisonWillow Voice
Best for people who want an unlimited free plan, many languages, and dictation on Mac and iPhone too.
Willow Voice is a cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows and iPhone, with a generous free plan. Willow offers an offline mode on Mac and iPhone, but on Windows it works in the cloud. Bedrock Flow is built for Windows and runs on your PC.
Full comparison
All six side by side
The facts in one table.
| Feature | Bedrock Flow | Wispr Flow | Windows Voice Typing | Dragon Professional | Aqua Voice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your speech becomes text | On your PC | On Wispr’s cloud servers | Online, on Microsoft’s Azure speech service | Mostly on your PC | On Aqua’s cloud servers | On Willow’s cloud servers (on Windows) |
| Works without internet | Yes, once set up. Sign in at least once every 30 days. | No, needs an internet connection | No, needs an internet connection | Yes, for everyday dictation | No. Aqua says there is no offline mode. | Not on Windows. Offline mode is on Mac and iPhone. |
| Free plan | 30 minutes of dictation a week, all features | 2,000 words a week on desktop | Free, built into Windows | None | 1,000 words in total | Unlimited, with a smaller speech model |
| Paid plan | Pro $9.99 a month, or $95.88 a year ($7.99 a month) | Pro $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly ($144) | None | Dragon Professional 16: about $699.99 one-time | Pro $10 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly ($96) | Pro $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly ($144) |
| Platforms | Windows 10 and 11 | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Mac, Windows, iPhone |
| Languages | English | 100+ | 40+ on Windows 11 | English, plus editions for some other languages | 49 | 100+ |
| AI cleanup (fillers, punctuation) | Yes, runs on your PC (optional) | Yes, in the cloud | Automatic punctuation. Fluid dictation (grammar, fillers) on Copilot+ PCs only, in English. | No AI cleanup. Strong voice editing commands. | Yes, in the cloud | Yes, in the cloud |
| Custom vocabulary | Yes, or learned from your Obsidian vault on your PC | Yes, learns as you correct | No | Yes, including legal and medical vocabularies | Yes | Yes |
Sources
Facts about other products come from their makers’ own websites and were checked on 5 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars before tax. Plans change, so check the links below for the latest. If something here is out of date, email support@madebybedrock.com and we will fix it.
- Wispr Flow pricing
- Wispr Flow features
- Wispr Flow docs: Styles
- Microsoft Support: Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC
- Nuance Dragon Professional 16 (now on Microsoft’s site)
- Aqua Voice pricing
- Aqua Voice for Windows
- Willow pricing
- Willow: best offline speech-to-text tools
- Willow dictation features
Coming soon
Try the local one
free for 30 minutes a week.
Download Bedrock Flow, sign up, and dictate your first sentence in a few minutes. Your voice stays on your PC.