Speech Notes
Browser dictation tool, no signup
Our take
Speechnotes is a Chrome dictation pad that has been free and useful since 2015. It rides on the browser's Web Speech API, so accuracy follows whatever Chrome's underlying model is doing. There is no audio upload — only live dictation — but for that single job nothing on the web is faster to open.
At a glance
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Category
- Transcription
- Price
- Free, premium add-on $9.99 one-time
- Platforms
- Web, Android
- Best for
- Anyone who needs to dictate notes into a browser without installing software.
In depth
Speechnotes is a stripped-down dictation pad that has quietly outlived a thousand fancier competitors. Open the page in Chrome, click the microphone, and start talking — there is no account, no install, no setup wizard.
The app uses Chrome's built-in Web Speech API for recognition, which means accuracy varies with whatever Google's underlying model is doing on any given day, and the same audio will transcribe differently in Edge or Safari (where the API behaves differently or not at all). For drafting blog posts, capturing voice memos, or banging out an interview question list while walking the dog, it is the path of least resistance.
What it is not: a podcast transcription tool. There is no upload-and-transcribe flow, no SRT export, no speaker labelling, no API. The premium upgrade unlocks SRT export and a few quality-of-life additions for a one-time fee that has stayed under ten dollars for years.
For anyone needing actual production transcripts, look at Whisper, YouTube, or a hosted service. For drafting, Speechnotes remains a useful free utility that does one thing without trying to upsell you into a workflow you do not want. The fact that it has stayed essentially unchanged in form since 2015 is a feature, not a bug — most of its 2026 competitors will be gone before it is.
Related research and guides
- Audio to TextFree transcription of a recording, up to 90 minutes.
- Best podcast transcription softwareOur researched shortlist of transcription tools.
- Audio to SRTA free subtitle file from any recording.
- Podcast captions that get watchedOn-screen captions for clips, and post captions that get clicks.
Alternatives to Speech Notes
See all Transcription →
Real-time transcription and meeting notes with sharable highlights.
Voice AI API that developers reach for when accuracy and uptime actually matter.
Pay-per-minute transcription with human-grade accuracy when you actually need 99%.
Speech Notes FAQ
What is Speech Notes in one line?
Browser dictation tool, no signup
Who should pick Speech Notes?
Speech Notes is shaped for anyone who needs to dictate notes into a browser without installing software.. It rides on the browser's Web Speech API, so accuracy follows whatever Chrome's underlying model is doing
Is Speech Notes free?
There is a free tier, with paid plans above it. What we have on record: Free, premium add-on $9.99 one-time. Confirm what the free tier includes on their site.
What can I use instead of Speech Notes?
Other tools in the same category: Otter.ai, AssemblyAI, Rev.
Shorts by Slice
From the team behind these free tools
One video. A week of posts.
Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.
- Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
- Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
- Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
Maintained by the team behind Podshare. No paid placements, and nobody can buy a listing or a ranking. A few entries are our own products and each one says so.
How we research each tool
Each entry is compiled from the tool’s own homepage and pricing pages, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Editorial copy reflects our independent take — not the vendor’s marketing language.
We refresh the directory monthly to catch pricing changes and discontinued tools. Last full sweep: May 2026.
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