Talk. It types itself.
Dictate is a small tray app for Windows. Press Ctrl+Shift+Space in any app, talk, press it again, and clean text lands right where your cursor was. No recorder to open, no transcript to copy, nothing to click.
Free download. Free 30-day evaluation with every feature. After that, Dictate requires a one-time $1.99 license.
Typing is slower than talking. Windows dictation is clumsy.
This is built for anyone whose day is full of writing: client emails, notes after a call, quick messages between meetings. If you already know what you want to say, saying it should be faster than typing it out.
The built-in voice typing in Windows is easy to trigger by accident, drops words mid-sentence, and lives in one corner of the keyboard. Cloud dictation tools work better, but your voice goes out to a server to come back as text.
Dictate does the whole thing on your own computer. One hotkey starts it, the same hotkey stops it, and the text shows up where you were already typing.
Three steps, no app to switch to.
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Press the hotkey
Ctrl+Shift+Space, in any app, in any text field. A small pill appears to show Dictate is listening.
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Talk, then press it again
Say what you want written. Press the hotkey a second time when you are done, or press Escape to cancel.
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The text lands where you were
Dictate transcribes it on your computer and types it into your cursor. Nothing to copy, nothing to paste.
Your voice never leaves your computer.
Dictate turns speech into text with a local model, the same family as OpenAI's Whisper, running on your own machine. The audio for a dictation is deleted the moment the text is ready. It is never uploaded, never stored, never reviewed by anyone.
Three things can leave your computer. Dictate checks our download server for a newer version about 30 seconds after launch and again every few hours, and that request carries nothing but a version number. On first run, Dictate also sends one install notice: the app version, a random install id, and your email if you choose to enter one. It never includes your audio or your words. There is also one optional step: a polish pass that cleans up grammar and false starts. It is off by default. If you turn it on and add your own Anthropic API key, the text you just dictated (never the audio) is sent to Anthropic on your key. On Point Tech does not receive your dictations either way.
The pill that shows Dictate is working.
A small pill appears near your cursor while Dictate is running. Here is what it looks like at each step.
- Recording. The dot pulses and a timer counts while your mic is on.
- Transcribing. After you press the hotkey again, the local model turns your voice into text. This takes a second or two.
- Pasted. The text is in your cursor and the pill clears on its own.
The honest details.
- Windows 10 and 11 only.There is no Mac version yet. A waitlist is below.
- One download on first run.Dictate downloads its speech model once: about 488 MB for the accurate model, or 148 MB for a quicker, lighter one. You pick which on first launch.
- Windows will warn you about the installer.It is not code signed yet, so Windows shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" box the first time. Click More info, then Run anyway. It installs for your user only, with no admin prompt.
- The polish step is optional and needs your own Anthropic key.It is off until you turn it on and add a key in Settings.
Get Dictate for Windows.
One installer, no account to make. By installing Dictate you agree to the license agreement.
Tell us where to send the installer and it starts right here. You will also get your license key by email if you buy one, and hear when Dictate updates.
Your download is on its way.
Windows will warn you the first time, because the installer is not code signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. It installs for your user only, with no admin prompt.
First launch also downloads a speech model once: about 488 MB for the accurate option, or 148 MB for the quicker one. You pick which.
Free download. Free 30-day evaluation with every feature. After that, Dictate requires a one-time $1.99 license.
One price, paid once.
Dictate is free to download and free to evaluate for 30 days, with every feature. It is not free software. After the 30 days, the official build requires a license.
License
One person, up to three computers. No subscription, no renewal.
Buy a licenseCheckout runs on On Point Tech's own payment page. Your key is sent to the email address you pay with. Paste it into Dictate under "I have a key" and it is yours.
Already have a key?
Dictate for Mac.
A Mac build is on the way. Leave your email and you will hear the day it is ready, nothing else.
Before you ask.
What does Dictate send off my computer?
Your voice never leaves your computer. It is turned into text by a speech model that runs locally, and the audio for that dictation is deleted the moment the text is ready. If you turn on the optional polish step and add your own Anthropic key, the text, never the audio, goes to Anthropic to get cleaned up. Two other things leave your computer, and that is the whole list. A version check: Dictate asks our download server if a newer build exists, about 30 seconds after launch and every few hours after that, and that request carries nothing but a version number. And one install notice when you finish setup: the app version, the kind of computer it is on, a random install id, and the email you type into the setup window if you choose to type one. That box is optional, and the notice is sent once.
What happens after the 30-day evaluation?
Dictate asks you to buy a license. The reminder shows at most once a day, never while you are dictating, and closes the moment you ask it to.
How much does it cost?
Free download. Free 30-day evaluation with every feature. After that, Dictate requires a one-time $1.99 license, with no subscription, covering one person on up to three computers.
Do I need to be online to use it?
No. Speech to text runs on your computer with a model you download once, so dictation works offline after that first setup. Checking a license key needs a connection; you do not have to activate one right away.
Is there a Mac version?
Not yet. Windows is what ships today. Join the list and you will get an email when the Mac build is ready.
Windows says the installer is unrecognized.
The installer is new and not yet signed with a paid certificate, so Windows shows a warning the first time. Click More info, then Run anyway. It installs for your user only, with no admin prompt.
What if I get a new computer?
One license covers one person on up to three computers. Activate the same key on each one. You can also deactivate a key in Settings when you are done with a computer, though it is not required. If your situation does not fit that, send us a note and it gets sorted.