Plenty of voice to text tools call themselves free and then stop you at 2,000 words a week or 30 minutes a conversation. Others are free with no catch, because they're built into your phone, your browser or your operating system. The difference matters if you dictate every day.
This roundup covers free voice to text options for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, with each free plan's real limits and whether your audio leaves the device. Everything was checked on the vendors' own pages on October 28, 2026. Our pick for iPhone users is Yapper, a free voice keyboard with no word limit that transcribes on the phone.
Here's the TLDR (free plans checked October 28, 2026):
- Yapper (our pick, iPhone): Best for unlimited, private dictation into any app. Free, no word cap, on-device.
- Apple Dictation (iPhone, iPad, Mac): Best for nothing to install on Apple devices. Free, mostly on-device.
- Gboard voice typing (Android, iPhone): Best for Android phones. Free.
- Windows voice typing (Windows 11): Best for PCs. Free, press Windows + H.
- Google Docs voice typing (web): Best for long documents in a browser. Free in Chrome.
- Superwhisper (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android): Best free plan with local Whisper models.
- Wispr Flow (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android): Best AI-polished dictation, if 2,000 words a week on desktop is enough.
- Otter Basic (web, iOS, Android): Best free plan for meeting transcripts. 300 minutes a month.
- Live Transcribe (Android): Best for live captions of a conversation. Free.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Platforms | Free limit | Where audio goes | Types into other apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yapper | iPhone | None | Stays on the iPhone | Yes |
| Apple Dictation | iPhone, iPad, Mac | None (stops after 30 s of silence) | On device in many languages | Yes |
| Gboard | Android, iPhone | None | Google (on iPhone, per its listing) | Yes |
| Windows voice typing | Windows 11 | None | Microsoft's Azure speech service | Yes |
| Google Docs voice typing | Chrome | None | Handled by the browser | Docs and Slides only |
| Superwhisper | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Whisper models; 3,000-word Pro trial | Local models on the free plan | Yes |
| Wispr Flow | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | 2,000 words/week desktop; limited on mobile | Cloud | Yes |
| Otter Basic | Web, iOS, Android | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation | Cloud | No |
| Live Transcribe | Android | None | Online, except offline languages | No (captions) |
1. Yapper (our pick for iPhone)
Yapper is a free voice keyboard for iPhone that types into any app with a text field. It's free in the full sense: its App Store listing promises "unlimited dictation. No word caps, no weekly quota, no subscription," with no in-app purchases. Speech is turned into text on the phone, using Apple's on-device model by default or an optional NVIDIA Parakeet model you can download. Its privacy policy says it collects nothing, with no account, analytics or ads, and the source code is public under the MIT license.
Useful extras: filler words and stutters are removed automatically, a personal dictionary fixes names, history keeps past dictations on the phone with playback and re-transcription, and on iOS 26 or later you can switch between two languages mid-sentence.
Limits: iPhone only, iOS 18 or later. The first dictation of a session briefly opens the app (iOS doesn't let keyboards use the mic), and you have to allow Full Access. It cleans text but doesn't rewrite it into a formatted email the way AI services do. It's new, so it has no App Store ratings yet. We compare it with paid iPhone options in our best dictation apps for iPhone roundup.
Pick it if: you dictate a lot on an iPhone and want no cap and no cloud.
2. Apple Dictation
Built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac. On iPhone, tap the mic on the keyboard; on a Mac, press the Microphone key or the dictation shortcut. Apple's iPhone guide says dictation is processed on the iPhone in many languages without an internet connection (searches may go to the search engine), and it adds punctuation automatically in supported languages. The Mac guide says you can dictate text of any length without a timeout.
Limits: on both, dictation stops after 30 seconds without speech, it keeps no history, and it doesn't remove filler words.
Pick it if: you're on Apple devices and dictate in short bursts.
3. Gboard voice typing
Google's keyboard is free on Android and on iPhone. Tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard and talk; you can say punctuation and switch languages, per Gboard Help. Some Pixel phones get Google's more advanced voice typing.
Limits: on iPhone, the App Store listing says "voice input will be sent to Google for transcription." Talk-to-text doesn't work in every language.
Pick it if: you're on Android and want something that's already there.
4. Windows voice typing
Windows 11 has voice typing built in: put the cursor in a text box and press the Windows key + H. It can insert punctuation automatically, and on Copilot+ PCs, "fluid dictation" corrects grammar and filler words using on-device language models, per Microsoft Support.
Limits: standard voice typing "uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services," so it needs an internet connection.
Pick it if: you work on a Windows PC and want dictation in any app for free.
5. Google Docs voice typing
In Google Docs, open Tools, then Voice typing, and click the microphone. It also dictates speaker notes in Slides. Google's Docs help page says it works with the latest Chrome and that "your web browser controls the speech-to-text service."
Limits: it only types into Docs and Slides, and it's a desktop browser feature.
Pick it if: you're drafting a long document at a computer.
6. Superwhisper
Superwhisper runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Its free plan includes voice to text in any app, 100+ languages and unlimited use of Whisper models, plus a 3,000-word trial of Pro features, per superwhisper.com. Pro ($8.49/month, $84.99/year or $249.99 lifetime) adds cloud and local AI models that reformat what you say for emails, messages or code prompts.
Limits: the AI formatting most people want is a Pro feature, and the iPhone app needs iOS 26.
Pick it if: you want a free dictation app on a computer that can work offline.
7. Wispr Flow
Wispr Flow turns speech into polished text in any app, removing filler words and adding punctuation and formatting, across Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android with 100+ languages. Its free plan is 2,000 words a week on desktop and "limited weekly use on mobile," per its pricing page; Pro is $15/month, or $12/month billed annually.
Limits: 2,000 words a week is under 300 a day, so heavy users will pay. Transcription "always occurs on the cloud," per Wispr's data controls page.
Pick it if: you want the best AI cleanup and dictate lightly.
8. Otter Basic
Otter's free Basic plan transcribes meetings and conversations live, with speaker identification and apps for iPhone and Android. Per Otter's pricing page, it includes 300 transcription minutes a month, up to 30 minutes per conversation, and 3 file imports in total.
Limits: it doesn't type into other apps, the per-conversation cap cuts off long meetings, and transcription covers six languages.
Pick it if: you need transcripts of short meetings, not dictation.
9. Live Transcribe
Google's Live Transcribe is an Android accessibility app that shows speech and sounds as text on screen, preinstalled on Pixel phones and some other Android phones. Per Android Accessibility Help, it needs an internet connection unless you use one of its offline languages.
Limits: it captions conversations; it isn't for writing messages or documents.
Pick it if: you need to follow a conversation in text, in person.
How to choose
- Start with what's built in. Apple Dictation, Gboard and Windows voice typing cost nothing and need no account. Try them first.
- Read the free limit, not the headline. "Free" can mean unlimited (Yapper, the built-in tools) or a weekly or monthly cap (Wispr Flow, Otter).
- Decide if audio may leave the device. Yapper, Apple's on-device dictation and Superwhisper's local models keep it local. Wispr Flow, Otter, Windows voice typing and Gboard on iPhone use servers.
- Typing or transcripts? Keyboards and system dictation type where your cursor is. Otter and Live Transcribe produce transcripts or captions.
- Match your devices. If you switch between a phone and a computer all day, one cross-platform tool keeps your dictionary in sync.
FAQ
What is the best free voice to text app?
On iPhone, Yapper, because it's unlimited and on-device. On Android, Gboard's built-in voice typing. On Windows, Windows + H. On a Mac, Apple's built-in dictation.
Is there a voice to text app that works offline?
Yes. Yapper and Apple Dictation (in supported languages) work without internet, as do Superwhisper's local models. Live Transcribe has some offline languages. Wispr Flow, Otter and Windows voice typing need a connection.
Does Google have a free voice to text app?
Several: voice typing in Gboard, voice typing in Google Docs on Chrome, and Live Transcribe on Android. All are free.
Why do free AI dictation apps have word limits?
Most run transcription and AI cleanup on their own servers, which costs money to run. Apps that transcribe on your device, like Yapper, don't have that cost, which is how they can be free without a cap.
Can I use voice to text for meetings for free?
Otter Basic gives 300 minutes a month, capped at 30 minutes per conversation. For longer recordings you'll need a paid plan or an offline transcription app.
Turn on what's built into your device today; if you hit its limits, try one app from this list for a week.
Disclosure: Yapper is made by Digital Mundo LLC, which has the same owner as Gold Penguin LLC. Its App Store seller is Gold Penguin LLC.
