AI dictation for Windows
A dictation app for Windows that writes where you work
Dictro turns natural speech into clean, ready-to-send text at your cursor—in Outlook, Slack, Notion, browsers, code editors, and nearly any other Windows app. Speech recognition runs locally on your PC, with no audio sent anywhere.
Windows 10 & 11 · 64-bit · Free plan · 100% on-device
Choosing a Windows dictation app
Look beyond raw speech-to-text
A useful dictation app should reduce work, not leave you editing a transcript. For everyday writing, four things matter most: whether it works outside its own window, whether it tidies what you said, whether it keeps sensitive speech private, and whether starting it is faster than reaching for the keyboard.
System-wide input
Dictate into the text field already under your cursor instead of recording elsewhere and pasting later.
Cleanup that never rewords you
Filler words go, numbers become digits, capitalization lands. The pass is mechanical by design, so it cannot invent a sentence you did not say.
On-device privacy
Audio capture and speech recognition run on your own PC. Your voice is not uploaded to Dictro.
One-key access
Hold Right Ctrl to speak, then release to place the result where you were already writing.
How Dictro works
From voice to finished text in three steps
- 1
Put your cursor anywhere
Open an email, message, document, prompt, issue, or note. If it accepts normal typing, Dictro can usually write there.
- 2
Hold Right Ctrl and speak
Talk at your natural pace. You do not need to dictate punctuation, and the key is configurable if Right Ctrl is taken.
- 3
Release for clean text
Dictro transcribes on your PC, runs an instant tidy-up pass, and inserts the result at the active cursor.
Dictro also keeps per-app writing styles: a terminal can get digits and no trailing full stop while Outlook gets the spoken line break. A fresh install ships with ten of these rules already set up, and every one of them is editable.
A practical comparison
Dictro and Windows voice typing solve different problems
Windows already includes voice typing on Win+H, and it is a sensible choice for short, literal input. Dictro is built for people who dictate all day: recognition runs on your own machine, and the text arrives tidied and shaped for the app you are writing in.
| Capability | Dictro | Windows voice typing |
|---|---|---|
| Types into Windows apps | Yes | Yes |
| Removes filler words | Yes, on every dictation | Mostly literal transcription |
| Runs on your PC | Yes, speech recognition is local | Depends on Windows version and settings |
| Per-app writing styles | Matched to the app you are in | One behavior everywhere |
A note on what Dictro for Windows does not do: it does not rewrite your grammar. The cleanup pass is a set of mechanical rules, so it can never reword, invent, or quietly drop what you said. The Mac app adds a language-model pass on top; on Windows the rules run alone.
Privacy by architecture
Your dictation stays on your PC
Speech recognition and the cleanup pass both run locally on Windows, so dictation keeps working without Wi-Fi and your audio is not sent to Dictro. Signing in and word counting do talk to our servers, but what you actually dictate does not leave the machine.
Read the full privacy policy for the exact data-handling details, or see pricing for what Pro costs.
Being straight with you
How the Windows app differs from the Mac one
Both apps dictate on-device, keep per-app writing styles, and take a custom dictionary for names and jargon. The cleanup that follows is where they part: Windows uses a rules-based pass, while the Mac adds a language-model polishing step on top of it. In practice that means Windows is faster and entirely predictable, and the Mac is better at rescuing a sentence that came out tangled.
The installer is also not code-signed yet, so Windows will warn you about an unknown publisher the first time you run it. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
If you are on a Mac, the app lives at Dictro for Mac.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask about Dictro
Is Dictro free on Windows?
There is a free plan: 10,000 dictated words a week, with no payment card required. Pro removes the weekly limit for $10 a month, or $96 a year. Pro is one subscription for both apps — buy it on Windows and you are Pro on Mac too, and the other way round.
Which PCs can run Dictro?
A 64-bit (x64) PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Everything needed to transcribe ships inside the installer, so there is no runtime to install first. Dictation runs on the CPU and needs no dedicated graphics card.
Why does Windows say “unknown publisher” when I install it?
Because the installer is not code-signed yet. Windows SmartScreen shows that prompt for any unsigned installer, whatever it contains. Choose More info, then Run anyway. A signing certificate is on the way.
Which Windows apps does Dictro work in?
Standard editable text fields across Windows, including Outlook, Word, Slack, Notion, browsers, terminals, and code editors. Apps running as administrator may not accept the inserted text, and secure password fields are intentionally excluded.