Dictation.io vs Speechnotes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Speechnotes grades higher than Dictation.io: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Speechnotes grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Dictation.io
Free browser dictation tool built on Google speech recognition
Speechnotes
Free online dictation notepad with a voice-typing extension
Which one is for you
Pick Dictation.io if
- Fits if you want to dictate into a browser tab without installing anything
- Works for people who dictate a note now and then
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to dictate into other apps, since it only types into its own page
- Not for you if you use an iPhone or iPad, as the FAQ says it isn't compatible
- Watch out: it needs the internet because recognition runs on Google's servers
- Too light for bigger jobs: one tab at a time, and no file transcription
Pick Speechnotes if
- Fits if you want free dictation into a notepad in Chrome
- Works for people who want to push transcripts to Drive or Zapier
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use Chrome, as the notepad works there only
- Not for you if you want ads gone without paying: they stay on the free version
- Watch out: Premium is paid once for a year and you must renew by hand
- Not for you if you want file transcription included: it costs $0.10 a minute
- Watch out: the iOS app, TextHear, is a sister app with its own pricing aimed at people with hearing impairment
How we grade them
| 3.0GPADictation.ioVery good | 3.2GPASpeechnotesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with no paid plan on record, so nothing to pay for. | APremium is $1.90 a month, billed once for a year, which is under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. It doesn't auto-renew. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole thing is free and no cap is listed. | AThe dictation notepad and voice-typing extension are free with unlimited dictation. The cost is ads. |
| Features | CReal-time dictation, many languages and voice commands, but it's a single dictation page with no apps, no file transcription and no account features. | CDictation notepad, voice-typing extension, Android app, API, webhooks and Zapier, but the dictation works only in Chrome and file transcription is a separate paid service. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Open the page and talk, with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record. Open the page and talk, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and it needs Google Chrome on Windows, Mac or Linux. | BWeb, Chrome extension and Android, with Google Drive, Gmail and Zapier. No desktop app. |
| Best for | free dictation in a Chrome tab | a free dictation notepad in Chrome |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dictation.io and Speechnotes. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dictation.io has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Speechnotes starts at $1.90 a month and scores 2.7.
Speechnotes scores higher, and starts $1.90 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other voice dictation apps on the chart, none scores higher than Dictation.io for less, and none scores higher than Speechnotes for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Speechnotes also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Dictation.io | Speechnotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.9 per month, paid once for a year with no auto-renewal |
| Free plan | None | Online dictation notepad and the voice-typing Chrome extension, with unlimited dictation, editing and ads. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Digital Inspiration | Speechnotes |
| Price read from | dictation.io | speechnotes.co |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dictation.io
- Needs Google Chrome on Windows, Mac or Linux; the FAQ says it is not compatible with iPhone or iPad.
- It does not work offline, because speech recognition happens on Google's servers.
- Only one browser tab can use speech recognition at a time.
- It is a single dictation page, with no apps, file transcription or account features.
Speechnotes
- The dictation notepad works in Chrome only, according to the vendor.
- Premium is paid once for a year and must be renewed by hand; it does not renew by itself.
- The iOS app, TextHear, is a sister app with its own pricing and is aimed at people with hearing impairment.
- File transcription is a separate pay-as-you-go service; speaker labeling is stated for English.
Key features
Dictation.io
- Real-time dictation
- Speech is converted to text as you talk, ready to edit in the page, using Google's speech recognition engine.
- Many languages
- The languages page lists dozens of supported languages, including English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Arabic, Japanese and Korean.
- Voice commands
- Say a command to add a new line, punctuation or a smiley, with command lists published per language.
- Local storage
- Text is stored in your browser, and the site says nothing is uploaded other than the speech sent to Google for recognition.
- Optional publishing
- A Publish button posts your text as a GitHub Gist with a secret URL that anyone who has the link can open.
Speechnotes
- Dictation notepad
- A browser notepad for speaking notes, with spoken commands for punctuation and new lines, auto-save and export to .txt, .doc or Google Drive.
- Voice typing extension
- A Chrome extension that dictates into forms and text boxes across the web, Gmail included.
- File transcription
- Uploaded recordings and YouTube links are transcribed with timestamps, and captions can be exported as .srt files.
- API, webhooks and Zapier
- The transcription service accepts files by POST request and sends results to your server, and connects to Zapier.
- Android app
- A notepad app for Android that uses the same voice-driven note-taking approach.
Plans
Dictation.io
Free$0
The vendor describes Dictation as a free online speech recognition tool; no paid plan is listed.
Speechnotes
Dictation - Free$0
Online dictation notepad and voice-typing Chrome extension, supported by ads.
Dictation - Premium$1.9
per month, billed once for 1 year, no auto-renewal
No ads, commercial use, extra security and developer support.
Transcription$0.1
per minute, pay as you go
File transcription with timestamps, captions export, API, webhooks and Zapier.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dictation.io or Speechnotes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Dictation.io is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1.90 a month for Speechnotes. Dictation.io is free, and Speechnotes starts at $1.9 per month, paid once for a year with no auto-renewal.
Which has a free plan, Dictation.io or Speechnotes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Dictation.io and Speechnotes have a free plan.
Which platforms do Dictation.io and Speechnotes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Speechnotes lists an Android app and a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.