Speechnotes vs Windows Voice Access (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick Windows Voice Access if

• Fits if you run Windows 11 and want to control it by voice at no cost
• Works for people who need hands-free use of the PC

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you use a Mac, iPhone or Android phone, as it is Windows only
• Skip it if you are on Windows 10 or older, as it needs Windows 11 22H2 or later
• Too light for transcribing meetings or long audio, as it has no transcription features
• Watch out: it replaced Windows Speech Recognition from September 2024, so old habits may need relearning

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.

Windows Voice Access

• Needs Windows 11 version 22H2 or later; it is not available on macOS, mobile or older Windows versions.
• Replaced Windows Speech Recognition on Windows 11 22H2 and later starting in September 2024.
• Built around controlling the PC and accessibility, so it has no document or meeting transcription features.

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.

Windows Voice Access

Hands-free PC control

Open and switch between apps, browse the web, and interact with items on screen, plus keyboard and mouse actions, all by voice.

Dictation and fluid dictation

Speak to write text in most text fields. Microsoft's help pages also describe a fluid dictation mode.

Select, edit and correct text

Separate help pages cover selecting, navigating, editing and correcting text by voice, so a document can be revised without the keyboard.

Custom voice shortcuts

Create your own voice shortcuts, and use voice on a multi-display setup or to set up and log in to the PC.

On-device recognition

Microsoft says voice access uses on-device speech recognition and works even without an internet connection.

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.

Windows Voice Access

• Voice access$0

  Part of Windows 11 version 22H2 and later at no extra charge; there is no separate paid tier.