Is Windows Voice Access free?

Yes. Voice Access is part of Windows 11, so you get it with the operating system and do not buy or install it separately. Microsoft's setup steps have no payment, sign-up or subscription step. The one thing that needs a connection is the download of the language files during setup, after which speech recognition runs on your PC. Read the full guide to Voice Access in Windows 11 for the setup steps.

Voice Access comes with Windows 11, so there is nothing separate to buy

Microsoft's accessibility documentation for IT staff says that Windows 11, version 22H2 includes improvements for people with disabilities, and it names voice access among them ¹. Microsoft's Voice Access setup page gives the same requirement: the feature is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later ². If your PC runs an older build, update Windows before you look for a price, because the feature is not there yet.

Windows 10 is different. Microsoft's FAQ table lists Voice access as available on Windows 11 only, while voice typing is listed for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 ³. On Windows 10 the question of cost does not arise, because the feature is not offered. The answer for that version is in whether Voice Access is available on Windows 10.

We found no Microsoft price for Voice Access

We searched Microsoft's Voice Access pages for a price, a free trial or a subscription, and found none. We checked them on 2026-10-17. The setup guide covers the Settings switch, the language choice and the download, and it does not mention payment. The pages do not call the feature free either, so the answer rests on the feature being part of Windows rather than on a stated price. If you want that confirmed in writing, Microsoft's support pages and your Windows license terms are the places to check.

Speech recognition runs on your PC, so there is no ongoing service

Microsoft says Voice Access uses on-device speech recognition and works even without the internet ⁴. The only step that needs a connection is setup. Microsoft says the setup downloads the language files for the language you choose, and that this step needs an internet connection ⁵. Because recognition runs on the device, Voice Access does not need a speech service to run each time you speak. The guide's comparison table shows how this differs from Windows voice typing.

It depends on your PC, your workplace and the features you want

Three cases change the answer for some readers.

• Fluid dictation needs a Copilot+ PC. Microsoft describes fluid dictation as a Copilot+ PC feature, so it is not available on every Windows 11 PC ⁶. Buying a Copilot+ PC is a hardware decision, not a Voice Access fee. Basic Voice Access works without it.
• Managed work PCs can block the download. Microsoft says that if you cannot download apps from the Microsoft Store and work in an enterprise, your network administrator may have disabled access to the Microsoft Store app ⁷. Ask your IT team before you assume the feature is missing.
• Some people want features Windows does not have. If you dictate for hours each day, or need a particular app or workflow, a paid dictation app may suit you better. Those apps are a separate purchase.

Paid dictation apps have their own free plans and limits

Other dictation products price differently, and it helps to compare them with the built-in option. Wispr Flow's free plan allows 2,000 dictated words per week on desktop, according to its pricing page ⁸. That is a cap, so heavy dictation can run into it. The figure is as the vendor's pricing page showed it in 2026, and it may have changed since.

Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows. Its plans and prices are on the pricing page, and we do not repeat them here because they change. If Windows Voice Access covers what you need, you do not need a paid app for this. The guide to dictation software for Windows lists the options side by side.

What to do

1. Check that your PC runs Windows 11 version 22H2 or later. If it does not, update Windows before you go further.
2. Turn the feature on, then follow how to turn on Voice Access in Windows 11. The only download is the speech pack for your language.
3. Test it with your own microphone and your own words. The question on whether Voice Access is any good explains what to check.
4. Pay for a dictation app only if you hit a limit that matters to you, such as a free plan's word cap, or a feature Windows lacks.

For a short description of the feature first, read what Windows Voice Access is. Terms used here are explained in the glossary: Windows Voice Access, speech pack, on-device speech recognition, free tier and Copilot+ PC.