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An Offline Alternative to Windows Voice Typing

Windows voice typing (Win+H) is built in and convenient, but it relies on Microsoft's online speech service and you switch it on and off by hand. VoxScribe is a free, open source option that runs on your PC and works the same way in every app.

Download VoxScribe (free) See the full feature list

Free & open source (MIT) · Windows 10/11 · works offline

What Windows voice typing does well

It needs no install, it is available in many text fields, and for a quick sentence it is hard to beat. If that covers what you do, there is no reason to change.

Why people look for something else

The first reason is privacy and connectivity: Windows voice typing sends your speech to an online service, so it needs an internet connection and your audio leaves the machine. The second is how it starts and stops. It is a toggle, so you turn it on, talk, and turn it off again, which gets awkward in the middle of typing. The third is control: you cannot pick a larger or faster speech model, and the text is not adjusted to the app you are typing in.

How VoxScribe is different

It runs on your PC. Speech recognition uses OpenAI's Whisper model locally, so nothing is uploaded and it works with no internet after the first model download.
Hold to talk. Hold F9 in any app, speak, and let go. The words are typed where your cursor is.
It types, it does not paste. Text goes in as keystrokes, so your clipboard is never overwritten, and it skips password fields.
It fits the app. Chat boxes drop the trailing period and emails keep full sentences, with an automatic mode per app.
You can fix a bad sentence. Press F8 within two minutes and the last clip is rerun on a more careful model and corrected in place.
You choose the model. Tiny, Base and Small are free. Pro adds Medium and the large models.

You do not have to pick one. Keep Win+H for quick jobs and use VoxScribe when you want offline dictation, a hold-to-talk key, or longer text.

Frequently asked questions

Is VoxScribe a replacement for Windows voice typing?

It can be. VoxScribe is a separate app that does the same job in a different way: it runs speech recognition on your own PC, works offline, and uses a hold-to-talk key instead of a toggle. You can keep using Win+H for quick things and use VoxScribe when you want it offline or hands-on with a key.

Does VoxScribe work without an internet connection?

Yes. The speech model downloads once on first run. After that, dictation works with the network disconnected, and your audio never leaves the computer.

Do I need an account or a subscription?

No. Dictation is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account. An optional one-time Pro upgrade adds the largest models and extra features, but the core app is not limited by time or word count.

Download VoxScribe (free) View source on GitHub

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