Gboard's voice typing is free, already on most Android phones, and on recent Pixels it's genuinely good. People still look for Gboard voice typing alternatives, usually because their phone isn't a Pixel, they'd rather keep Samsung Keyboard, or they're tired of deleting "um" and fixing restarts by hand.
Here are seven alternatives, what each is built for and what it costs as of October 20, 2026. LumeVoice is our product and it's on this list, so weigh our view accordingly. We haven't used most of these apps ourselves; what we say about them comes from their own websites, help pages and store listings. If you want to know how LumeVoice works on a phone first, see LumeVoice for Android.
What Gboard voice typing does well#
Credit where it's due. Gboard's voice typing has real strengths, and they depend a lot on which phone you own (Gboard help):
- On any Android phone with Gboard: tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard and talk when you see "Speak now". Say "period", "comma", "question mark", "new line" or "new paragraph" to punctuate. To replace a word, touch and hold it, tap the microphone and say the new word.
- On Pixel 6 and later: advanced voice typing (older Gboard versions called it Assistant voice typing) adds punctuation automatically, lets you add emoji and edit by voice, and keeps the keyboard usable while the mic is on. It works in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish, and Google says the text you speak stays on your device, except when you use Fix it (advanced voice typing).
- On Pixel 11 phones: Rambler, a Gemini-powered mode, removes filler words, fixes grammar and lets you rewrite by voice. If you own a Pixel 11, try it before anything on this list.
It costs nothing, needs no setup and works in most apps where you can type.
Why look for a Gboard voice typing alternative?#
The reasons we see most often all come from those same help pages:
- You don't have a recent Pixel. Outside Pixel's advanced voice typing, you say every comma and period yourself, and Google notes that punctuation "might not be available in all languages."
- You use another keyboard. Gboard's voice typing lives inside Gboard. If you prefer Samsung Keyboard or another layout, you either switch keyboards to talk or go without.
- Filler words and restarts. Standard voice typing types what it hears. Removing "um" and applying "actually, make that Thursday" is only documented for Rambler on the Pixel 11 series.
- Languages. Google says talk-to-text "doesn't work with all languages," and advanced voice typing covers six.
- You also write on a computer. Gboard is a phone keyboard. If you want the same dictation, dictionary and snippets on a Mac or Windows PC, you need something else.
Gboard voice typing alternatives at a glance#
| App | How it works on Android | Free option | Paid price (Oct 2026) | Also on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LumeVoice | Bubble above any keyboard | 3,000 free words, no card required | $14.99/mo, $79.99/year or $249 once | Mac, Windows, iPhone |
| Wispr Flow | Android app | Limited weekly use on Android | $15/month or $144/year | Mac, Windows, iPhone |
| Superwhisper | Android app (Android 13+, phones only) | Free tier | $8.49/month or $84.99/year | Mac, Windows, iPhone |
| Aqua Voice | Android app | 1,000 words | $10/month or $96/year | Mac, Windows, iPhone |
| Dictation Daddy | Its own keyboard | 7-day trial | $15/month or $99/year | Mac, Windows, Chrome |
| Speechnotes | Notepad app | Free, with ads | Premium dictation from $1.90/month | Chrome |
| Google Voice Access | Controls the whole phone | Free | Free | Android only |
| Gboard, for reference | Built into the keyboard | Free | Free | n/a |
Swipe to see all columns
Prices as of October 2026; vendors change them, so check their sites.
Keep Your Keyboard, Upgrade Your Voice Typing
LumeVoice adds a small bubble above Gboard, Samsung Keyboard or whatever keyboard you already use.
- Tap, talk, tap the check mark: clean, punctuated text lands in WhatsApp, Gmail, Slack or any other app.
- Cleanup as you talk: filler words and stutters removed, self-corrections applied, spoken lists turned into lists.
- 100 languages, detected automatically.
- Your audio isn't kept: it isn't stored after processing, your history stays on your device, and nothing you say is used to train models.
- The tradeoff: it needs an internet connection.
Every new account starts with 3,000 free words, no card required.
1. LumeVoice#
LumeVoice
Verdict: Best If You Want to Keep Your Keyboard
LumeVoice doesn't replace your keyboard on Android. Tap into a text field, and a floating Lume bubble appears above the keyboard you already use. Tap it, talk, and tap the check mark: your words are inserted with punctuation, capitals and paragraph breaks added, filler words and stutters removed, and self-corrections applied ("let's meet at five, actually six" becomes "Let's meet at six."). Spoken lists come out as numbered or bulleted lists.
Setup turns on Lume Voice in Android's Accessibility settings. It uses the Accessibility Service only to find the text field you're in and insert your words.
- Works with: Gboard, Samsung Keyboard and other keyboards, in any app
- Extras: snippets for text you repeat, writing styles, an output language (speak English, get Spanish), 100 languages detected automatically
- Also on: Mac, Windows and iPhone, with one plan covering all four
- Privacy: audio isn't stored after processing, history stays on your device, and nothing you say is used to train models; an internet connection is required
- Pricing: 3,000 free words, no card required to start, then $14.99/mo, $79.99/yr, or $249 lifetime through Google Play. Students get 50% off, and anyone who finds typing hard because of a disability, injury or health condition gets 50% off, with no proof needed (accessibility discount). Codes are used at checkout on Mac or Windows, and the plan then works on your phone too.
Skip it if: you have a Pixel 11 and Rambler already does what you need, you often have no signal, or you'd rather not turn on an accessibility service for a third-party app.
2. Wispr Flow#
Wispr Flow
Verdict: Best Free Allowance for Light Use
Wispr Flow is a cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with a dictionary, snippets and more than 100 languages (Wispr Flow pricing). Its free plan gives 2,000 words a week on a computer and "limited weekly use" on phones. Its help center says Android use slows after about 1,000 words a week and stops at 1,500, resetting every Sunday (free plan limits).
- Pricing: Free | Pro $15 per month, or $12 a month billed annually ($144 a year). Students new to Pro get 3 months free with a .edu email, then 50% off.
- Good to know: cloud processing only, so it needs a connection
Skip it if: you dictate most of your messages; the Android allowance runs out quickly.
3. Superwhisper#
Superwhisper
Verdict: Best for People Who Like to Choose Models
Superwhisper started on the Mac and now runs on Windows, iPhone and Android (Superwhisper for Android). The Android app needs Android 13 or later and is for phones, not tablets. On desktop it's known for running speech models on your own device as well as in the cloud; its Android documentation is the place to check what runs on the phone (Android setup guide).
- Pricing: Free tier | Pro $8.49/month or $84.99/year, plus a lifetime option. Students, educators and non-profits get 40% off.
- Good to know: one Pro license covers all four platforms
Skip it if: you want something that works well without picking models and modes.
4. Aqua Voice#
Aqua Voice
Verdict: Best Value for Students
Aqua Voice is a dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, through Google Play. It understands 49 languages, and paid plans add custom instructions and a larger dictionary (Aqua Voice pricing). Students who sign up with a school email get 70% off.
- Pricing: Free (1,000 words) | Pro $8/month billed annually ($96/year) or $10 month to month | Max $24/month billed annually or $30 month to month
- Good to know: no lifetime option
Skip it if: you dictate in a language outside its 49.
5. Dictation Daddy#
Dictation Daddy
Verdict: Best for a Dedicated Voice Keyboard
Dictation Daddy is cloud dictation for Mac, Windows and Android, plus a Chrome extension; its iPhone app is listed as coming soon (Dictation Daddy pricing). On Android it works as a keyboard, so you switch to it when you want to talk, the same way you would with Gboard.
- Pricing: Solo $8/month billed annually ($99/year) or $15 month to month; Team $12 per user per month billed annually. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
- Good to know: no iPhone app yet
Skip it if: you want to keep your current keyboard while you dictate.
6. Speechnotes#
Speechnotes
Verdict: Best Free Notepad for Long Notes
Speechnotes is a dictation notepad: you open it, talk, and your note builds up on screen, with spoken commands for punctuation and formatting (speechnotes.co). Its site says the Android app has more than 5 million downloads and a 4.3+ rating on Google Play. On Android, the speech recognition itself is done by the operating system, and your notes are saved on the device.
- Pricing: the dictation notepad is free with ads; Premium dictation is listed at $1.90 a month and removes ads. File transcription is a separate pay-as-you-go service at $0.10 a minute.
- Good to know: it's a notepad, so you copy text into other apps rather than dictating straight into them
Skip it if: you want to dictate directly into WhatsApp, Gmail or Slack. We compare the two approaches in LumeVoice vs Speechnotes.
7. Google Voice Access#
Google Voice Access
Verdict: Best for Hands-Free Phone Control
Voice Access is a free Google app for people who find it hard to use a touch screen. It lets you open apps, tap, scroll and write by voice (Voice Access help). It's not a dictation app in the usual sense; it's a way to use the whole phone without touching it.
- Pricing: free
- Good to know: it's designed for controlling the phone more than for writing long messages
If tapping a bubble or a mic button is itself the hard part, start here. Our accessibility page explains how a dictation app can sit alongside a full voice-control tool.
Also worth a look#
Voicy has an Android app with a floating microphone that, like LumeVoice, works over your usual keyboard through Android's Accessibility Service. Its paid plans start at $8.49 a month. See our Voicy alternatives and LumeVoice vs Voicy for the details.
When to stay with Gboard voice typing#
Switching isn't always worth it. Stay with Gboard if:
- You have a Pixel 11. Rambler removes filler words, fixes grammar and rewrites by voice, inside the keyboard you already use, within Google's usage limits.
- You have a Pixel 6 or later and send mostly short messages. Advanced voice typing is quick, free and keeps what you say on the phone.
- You're often without signal. LumeVoice, Wispr Flow and Dictation Daddy are cloud services that need a connection; Gboard's advanced voice typing on a Pixel keeps what you say on the phone.
- You don't want to grant accessibility permissions or switch keyboards. Gboard needs neither.
- You dictate the odd sentence. For a quick reply, the mic on your keyboard is already the fastest option.
How to try an alternative without losing Gboard#
- Keep Gboard installed. None of these apps removes it, and LumeVoice and Voicy work on top of it.
- Pick by the reason you're switching. Another keyboard: LumeVoice. Free light use: Wispr Flow. Long notes: Speechnotes. Hands-free control: Voice Access.
- Dictate real messages for a few days using the free allowance or trial, and count how often you go back to fix things.
- Check the price per year, not per month, and ask about student or accessibility discounts before you pay.
For step-by-step setup on a phone, see LumeVoice for Android. If you're also on an iPhone, the Lume keyboard works the same way there.
Final verdict#
- Best if you want to keep your keyboard: LumeVoice
- Best free allowance for light use: Wispr Flow
- Best for people who like choosing models: Superwhisper
- Best value for students: Aqua Voice
- Best dedicated voice keyboard: Dictation Daddy
- Best free notepad: Speechnotes
- Best for hands-free control: Google Voice Access
And if you own a recent Pixel, especially a Pixel 11, the best Gboard voice typing alternative may be the Gboard features you haven't switched on yet.
