Best speech to text Chrome extensions, and when to skip them

If you want an extension, Voice In is the best general-purpose speech to text extension for Chrome: it types into most sites, works in Chrome and Edge, and has a usable free plan. But check first whether you need one at all. Your operating system's dictation already types into Chrome, and Google Docs has voice typing built in.

We make Sayburst, a Mac dictation app, so we have a view on that second point. Everything about the extensions below comes from their Chrome Web Store listings and official sites, checked November 2026.

#The extensions worth knowing

Voice In

Voice In is the one most people end up with. It types into text fields across thousands of sites in 50+ languages. The free plan allows 60 minutes of dictation a day, stops listening after 20 seconds of silence, and stops when you switch tabs; Voice In Plus removes those limits for $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. It needs an internet connection and only runs in Chrome and Edge, not Brave, Vivaldi or Firefox.

Speechnotes Speech to Text

The extension from the makers of Speechnotes types into any page and has a keyboard shortcut to start and pause. Its listing says it uses Google's speech recognition engine for Chrome. A good free pick if you dictate in short bursts.

Speech Recognition Anywhere

Built by Sea Breeze Computers on the browser's Web Speech API, it leans toward voice control: dictation, form filling, navigation and custom voice commands. The free trial covers basic dictation and three custom commands; the always-listening mode and unlimited commands are paid. The developer notes it can't guarantee the browser's speech service keeps working, which is a fair warning for any extension built this way.

Talk & Comment

This shows up in "voice typing" searches, but it solves a different problem. Talk & Comment records audio comments, mostly teachers leaving spoken feedback on Google Docs or Classroom, and students play them through a link. The free tier is 25 recordings a month; the paid Teacher Plus and Pro tiers add transcripts and translation. If you want your speech to become text in a field, this isn't it.

#Setting up a dictation extension in Chrome

1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store and pin it to the toolbar (the puzzle-piece icon, then the pin).
2. Click into a text field on a normal web page and start the extension with its button or shortcut.
3. When Chrome asks, click Allow to give it the microphone.
4. Say a test sentence. If nothing appears, work through the checks below.

#When an extension hears nothing

Chrome itself can't use the mic. On a Mac, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and make sure Google Chrome is on. Quit and reopen Chrome after changing it. On Windows, check Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone.

The site or extension was blocked. In Chrome, go to Settings › Privacy and security › Site settings › Microphone and remove the site or extension from the blocked list. Also check the default device at the top of that page; a webcam mic or a disconnected headset is a common culprit.

It works on one site but not another. Extensions inject text into the page, and some editors (rich web apps, canvas-based documents, some chat apps) don't accept it. Voice In's free Basic Mode has this problem on some sites. Try a plain text box such as a search field to separate an extension problem from a site problem.

It keeps stopping. Free tiers often stop after a pause or a tab switch. That's the plan, not a bug.

Nothing works offline. Extensions that use Google's or the vendor's speech service need a connection. On a train or plane, they stop.

#You may not need an extension

• Mac: macOS Dictation (System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation) types into any Chrome field, and runs on-device for many languages on Apple silicon. Our guide to speech to text in Chrome on Mac has the setup.
• Windows 11: press WindowsH in any text box. It uses Microsoft's online speech service.
• Google Docs: use Tools › Voice typing; Google lists Chrome, Edge and Safari as supported. See voice typing in Google Docs on Mac.

The built-ins are enough for short messages and searches. Extensions earn their place when you want voice commands or one tool across Chrome and Edge on Windows.

#On a Mac, an app does more than an extension

An extension only lives in the browser. The moment you switch to Slack, Mail, Notes or a code editor, it's gone, and it needs permission to read and change the pages you visit to do its job.

Sayburst is a Mac app instead. It types into Chrome the way your keyboard does, and into every other app as well: hold fn, talk, let go. Recognition happens on your Mac, so it keeps working on a dead hotel Wi-Fi, and nothing about your pages is shared with an extension.

Here's a pull request review comment, spoken into GitHub in Chrome:

"Looks good overall. Um, one thing, the retry loop in fetch user should, uh, back off, no, it should stop after five attempts and log the error. Otherwise ship it"

What lands in the comment box:

Looks good overall. One thing: the retry loop in fetchUser should stop after five attempts and log the error. Otherwise, ship it.

The fillers are gone and the correction is resolved. Add fetchUser and your other identifiers to Sayburst's vocabulary and they come out spelled the way your code spells them.

A few things an extension can't do that matter in a browser:

• Per-app writing modes. Message mode for Slack in the browser, Email mode for Gmail, Clean everywhere else.
• Nothing lost on a tab switch. If you click away mid-dictation, Sayburst keeps the text; ⌃⌥⌘V pastes it.
• Any Chromium browser or none. Arc, Brave, Vivaldi, Safari and Firefox all work, because Sayburst doesn't run inside them. More in Sayburst for Chrome.

Sayburst needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later and costs $29 once, with no subscription. It doesn't exist for Windows or ChromeOS, so on those, Voice In or the built-in dictation is the way to go. For other browser add-ons that save time, see our best Chrome extensions for productivity.

Questions people ask

What is the best voice typing Chrome extension?

Voice In is the most complete general-purpose option: it types into most websites in Chrome and Edge, with a free plan capped at 60 minutes a day and Plus at $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Speechnotes and Speech Recognition Anywhere are alternatives built on Google's speech engine.

Is Talk and Comment a dictation extension?

Not really. Talk & Comment records voice notes that people play back through a link, mostly for teacher feedback. Its paid tiers add transcripts, but it doesn't type your speech into a text field.

Can I dictate in Google Chrome without an extension?

Yes. On a Mac, macOS Dictation types into any Chrome field; on Windows 11, press Windows key + H. Google Docs also has Tools › Voice typing built in. An extension only adds value if you want features those don't have.

What does Speech Recognition Anywhere do?

It's an extension from Sea Breeze Computers that adds dictation and voice commands to Chrome and Edge using the browser's Web Speech API. The free trial includes basic dictation and three custom voice commands; the full version is an in-app purchase.