Superwhisper vs Windows Voice Access in 2026

Superwhisper vs Windows Voice Access: what each voice tool does, what is known about pricing, setup, and questions to ask before you choose.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-09

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Superwhisper says it works offline for transcription ^[1]. Windows Voice Access lets people control a PC and write text by voice, without internet ^[2]. QuickDictate types what you say into the window you are using ^[3]. No price is published for the rivals in the facts used here.

Option	Built around	Price	Setup
Superwhisper	Works offline for transcription ^[1]; custom shortcuts to launch, dictate and control it ^[4]	Not published	Not published
Windows Voice Access	Controlling a PC and writing text by voice ^[2]	Not published	Windows 11, version 22H2 and later ^[5]
QuickDictate	Typing speech into the window in use ^[3]	Free for personal and other noncommercial use; cloud providers bill separately ^[6]	64-bit Windows 10 and 11 only ^[7]

The short answer

Superwhisper says you can set custom shortcuts to launch, dictate and control it ^[4]. Windows Voice Access is a Windows 11 feature for controlling your PC and writing text with your voice ^[2]. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using ^[8].

If you need automatic meeting notes, Superwhisper says it offers a meeting assistant ^[9]. If you need voice use without an internet connection, Windows Voice Access says it works that way ^[2]. If you need free personal use on Windows, QuickDictate says it is free for personal and other noncommercial use ^[6].

What Superwhisper and Windows Voice Access are built for

Superwhisper. It works offline for transcription ^[1]. You can set formatting rules, structure preferences and specialized prompts ^[10]. It also offers a meeting assistant with automatic notes ^[9] and custom shortcuts ^[4].

Windows Voice Access. It is a Windows 11 feature that lets people control their PC and write text by voice, without an internet connection ^[2]. It lets you work in three different modes based on the tasks you want to perform ^[11]. You can add your own words to improve dictation accuracy ^[12].

What QuickDictate is built for

QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using ^[8], such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form ^[3]. You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys ^[13].

You can use a cloud speech service, meaning an online company that turns your voice into text, such as ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, and that provider bills you directly ^[14]. With five of those cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking ^[15]. If you install a speech model on your computer, dictation needs no internet connection or API key ^[16].

You can list words and phrases, which are sent to the speech provider to help it recognise them, and a list of swaps fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT" ^[17]. QuickDictate can use different language and formatting settings depending on the app you are in ^[18]. You can browse your last 50 dictations ^[19]. Saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated ^[20].

Pricing and fees

The facts used here give no price for Superwhisper, so check its pricing page. They also give no price for Windows Voice Access, which they describe as a feature in Windows 11 ^[2].

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account ^[6]. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service ^[6]. Commercial use needs a separate licence ^[21], and no price for that licence is published here.

If you install a speech model on your computer, the provider billing does not apply, because dictation then needs no API key ^[16].

Setting it up and daily use

Superwhisper. The facts used here do not describe installation or supported devices. Day to day, you can set custom shortcuts to launch, dictate and control it ^[4].

Windows Voice Access. It is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later ^[5]. After turning it off, you can launch it again from Settings > Accessibility > Speech ^[22].

QuickDictate. It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 ^[7]. You download it as a program file from GitHub, and its built-in updater installs updates without asking you to do anything ^[23]. Day to day, you hold or tap a key and talk ^[13]. Other apps' audio is turned down while you dictate and restored when you stop ^[24].

Things to check before you choose

Which computer do you use? Check each tool's supported systems.
Do you need it without internet? Check how each tool handles offline use.
Do you write in more than one language? Check which languages each tool covers.
Will you use it for paid work? Read each tool's terms on business use.
What does it cost today? Check the current price on each tool's pricing page.
Do you need voice commands beyond typing text? Ask each tool what commands it has.
Where does your audio go? Check whether a service processes it and who bills you.
Who can help when something breaks? Check each tool's support options.

How to choose

You want text typed into any app: QuickDictate types into whichever window has focus ^[3].
You want no internet needed: Windows Voice Access says it works without a connection ^[2]. Superwhisper says it works offline for transcription ^[1]. QuickDictate can do so with a local model ^[16].
You want meeting notes: Superwhisper offers a meeting assistant with automatic notes ^[9].
You want to control the PC by voice: Windows Voice Access says it does that ^[2].
You want free personal use on Windows: QuickDictate is free for noncommercial use, and cloud providers bill you separately for their service ^[6].

Frequently asked questions

Is Superwhisper free?

The facts used for this page give no Superwhisper price, so check its pricing page for current amounts. They do say it works offline for transcription ^[1]. QuickDictate, by comparison, is free for personal and other noncommercial use, and cloud providers bill separately ^[6].

Does Windows Voice Access need the internet?

Its page says voice access lets people control their PC and author text by voice without an internet connection ^[2]. It is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later ^[5]. Check your Windows version before relying on it.

Can you set shortcuts in Superwhisper?

Superwhisper says you can set custom shortcuts to launch, dictate and control it ^[4]. The facts used here do not say which apps it works in or how it is installed, so check its pages if a specific app matters to you. QuickDictate types into whichever window has focus ^[3].

Does QuickDictate work on Mac?

No. QuickDictate runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, and there is no Mac or Linux version ^[7]. Check your system before you download it.

Can Windows Voice Access learn new words?

Yes. Its page says you can add your own words, including difficult to pronounce ones, to the voice access dictionary to improve dictation accuracy ^[12].

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. ^[6]

Try QuickDictate

Sources

Superwhisper, superwhisper.com, read 2026-10-07
Windows Voice Access, support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-voice-access-bd2aa2dc-46c2-486c-93ae-3d75f7d053a4, read 2026-10-07
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
Superwhisper, superwhisper.com, read 2026-10-07
Windows Voice Access, support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-voice-access-bd2aa2dc-46c2-486c-93ae-3d75f7d053a4, read 2026-10-07
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
Superwhisper, superwhisper.com, read 2026-10-07
Superwhisper, superwhisper.com, read 2026-10-07
Windows Voice Access, support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-voice-access-bd2aa2dc-46c2-486c-93ae-3d75f7d053a4, read 2026-10-07
Windows Voice Access, support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-voice-access-bd2aa2dc-46c2-486c-93ae-3d75f7d053a4, read 2026-10-07
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
Windows Voice Access, support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-voice-access-bd2aa2dc-46c2-486c-93ae-3d75f7d053a4, read 2026-10-07
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)