Windows voice typing is built in. Press Win+H with your cursor in a text box and talk. There is nothing to install, so for plenty of people it is all they need.
This page is for the people who try it and want more. It uses Microsoft’s own support pages (read on 5 November 2026), and it only says what we can point to.
Windows dictation alternative: Win+H and Talkativ side by side
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Talkativ | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Built into Windows. Microsoft’s page does not mention a cost | Free plan of 2,200 words a week. Pro $7 a month or $56 a year. Max $11 a month or $88 a year |
| Internet | Needed | Needed |
| Languages | More than 40 on Windows 11, seven on Windows 10 (Microsoft’s list) | 100, highly accurate in 56 |
| Filler words and grammar | Fluid dictation corrects grammar and punctuation on Copilot+ PCs only, in English. An automatic punctuation setting is there for all | Punctuation, capital letters and filler-word clean-up come by default, on any supported PC |
| Offline | Voice typing: no. Voice Access, a separate tool in Windows 11 22H2 and later, works without internet after a one-time set-up | No |
| Where | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 10 and 11. Mac too |
Microsoft’s facts are as of 5 November 2026. Windows keeps improving, so check Microsoft’s page if a row matters to your decision.
When Win+H is the better choice
Stay with Windows voice typing if:
- you dictate now and then, and having nothing to install or sign in to matters most
- you need to dictate with no internet connection: look at Voice Access, which needs a one-time set-up and covers fewer languages (see Windows Voice Access vs Talkativ)
- your PC is a Copilot+ PC and its on-device grammar and punctuation fixes, in English, are good enough for you
What Talkativ adds to Windows dictation
We do not claim Talkativ is more accurate. We have not run a published side-by-side test, so the best test is your own voice, for a week, on your own work. These are the things Talkativ adds:
- Vocabulary. Add names, products and jargon once, on any plan, and Talkativ spells them your way.
- A searchable history. Every dictation is saved, so you can find it, copy it or reuse it later.
- The same shortcut in every app. Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac once to start and again to stop, or click the mic dot on your screen.
- Advanced formatting, on every plan. Switch it on in Settings and numbered lists, money amounts, email addresses and times are written the way you would type them.
- Genius Mode and Smart Edits on Max. Highlight text, press Ctrl + D on Windows, ⌥ Option + D on a Mac and say “make this more professional”. Smart Edits rewrites text in 31 writing styles.
- No voice training.
- A trial. 7 days of Max, with no card, started inside the app.
Talkativ works in any app you can type in. Read more on the page for Talkativ on Windows, or on the Mac page if you also use a Mac.
How Talkativ works
- Click into any text box.
- Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac, or click the small mic dot above your taskbar.
- Talk the way you normally would. You do not need to say “comma” or “full stop”.
- Press again to stop. Your words appear where your cursor is, moments later.
The dot is red while it listens, blue while it works on your words, and green when they have landed. The shortcut keys are fixed, so they cannot be changed. If you press the shortcut and nothing appears, click into a text box first.
What it costs to switch
Nothing, to start. The Free plan has no card and no time limit, and it resets every 7 days. If you hit the 2,200-word limit in a week, dictation stops until the 7 days are up, and the app tells you so. Pro removes the weekly limit for $7 a month or $56 a year. You upgrade, bill and cancel inside the app, never on the website.
Who should not choose Talkativ
If you only dictate a line or two now and then, Win+H is simpler. Talkativ is also the wrong pick if you must work offline. And because Talkativ is a separate app, you have to download and sign in to it, which Win+H does not ask of you.
Microsoft Dictate in Word
Word has its own Dictate button, which is separate from Win+H. Microsoft’s support page for it (read 5 November 2026) says it is for Microsoft 365 subscribers, covers Word on Windows, on a Mac and on the web, and fully supports 15 languages, with 36 more in preview. That page is about Word; Win+H and Talkativ both type into other apps as well. If Word is the only place you write and you already pay for Microsoft 365, try Dictate first.
Which one fits you
- A student or occasional user. Win+H is already on your PC. Start there.
- Someone who writes all day. A searchable history and a Vocabulary of your own words can save real time, so try Talkativ’s free plan.
- Someone who works in more than one language. Talkativ lists 100 languages and is highly accurate in 56, against more than 40 on Microsoft’s list for Win+H on Windows 11 (seven on Windows 10).
- Someone on both Windows and Mac. Talkativ is built for both, with different keys. The Mac app can be downloaded today.
How to try both
- Use Win+H for a few days and note what annoys you: missing names, filler words, lost text.
- Download Talkativ and use its free plan on the same work.
- Keep whichever one you stop noticing.
Other comparisons
If Win+H is not what you were weighing up, see Dragon dictation software alternatives and Wispr Flow alternatives. The plans and prices are on one page, and you can always go back to the Talkativ home page.