Both claim to revolutionize voice-to-text on the web, but one is a full-featured AI assistant while the other is a focused notepad. Here’s everything you need to know.
⭐ Write by Voice: 4.7/5⭐ Speechnotes: 3.7/5
TL;DR: Quick Verdict
Choose Write by Voice if: You need AI-polished email replies, work across 20,000+ websites, and want professional output from rough voice input.
Choose Speechnotes if: You want a simple, distraction-free notepad for quick note-taking, prefer an extremely low price point ($9.90/year), and don’t need integration across multiple web apps.
A Quick Look at Each Extension
Write by Voice
Write by Voice mic button inside Gmail — AI reads the email thread and composes a contextual reply from your voice.
Speechnotes
Speechnotes’ clean, distraction-free notepad interface — open it, click the mic, and start speaking.
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Feature | Write by Voice | Speechnotes |
|---|---|---|
| Works on 20,000+ websites | Yes | Limited (notepad-focused) |
| AI polishing and composition | Yes | No |
| Email thread comprehension | Yes | No |
| Offline mobile support | No | Yes |
| Audio file transcription | Yes (premium) | Yes ($0.10/min) |
| 50+ languages | Yes | Multiple languages |
| Voice formatting commands | Yes | Yes |
| No audio storage | Yes — private by design | Yes |
| Chrome Web Store rating | 4.7/5 | 3.7/5 |
Write by Voice — Deep Dive
The Game-Changing Feature: AI Email Reply Composition
Write by Voice’s killer feature is its ability to read full Gmail email threads and compose contextual replies directly from your rough voice input. Unlike traditional dictation tools that simply transcribe what you say, Write by Voice understands the conversation context and polishes your spoken thoughts into professional, coherent email responses.
Imagine dictating: “Yeah, tell them we can meet next week, probably Tuesday works best, and ask if they can send the proposal draft beforehand.” Write by Voice transforms this into: “Thank you for reaching out. I’d be happy to meet next week, and Tuesday works well for my schedule. Could you please send over the proposal draft before our meeting? Looking forward to discussing further.”
This is genuinely different from having a transcription tool. It’s email assistance powered by AI.
Universal Web Integration
Write by Voice works across 20,000+ websites. Whether you’re composing a LinkedIn post, writing a Slack message, filling out a Notion form, or updating a CRM, Write by Voice’s floating microphone button is there. If you type in it, Write by Voice can help you speak instead.
Pros
- AI composes full, contextual email replies from rough voice input
- Works across 20,000+ websites
- 4.7/5 Chrome Web Store rating
- AI polishing works in all 50+ supported languages
- No audio stored — privacy first
- Free tier available
Cons
- Requires internet connection (no offline mode)
- AI features require premium plan
- Chrome extension only
Speechnotes — Deep Dive
Speechnotes thrives in simplicity. It’s a clean, minimal notepad designed to help you think and speak without cognitive overhead. Open it, hit the microphone, start speaking, and watch your words appear on a blank page. The white-paper aesthetic is intentionally calming and distraction-free.
This approach is perfect for writers, students, and anyone who needs to brainstorm or capture quick thoughts without fussing with features. There’s no email comprehension, no website integration — just you and your voice.
Offline Mobile Privacy
One of Speechnotes’ standout strengths is offline capability on mobile. Your audio never leaves your device when transcribing offline — a genuine privacy advantage for sensitive content.
Budget-Friendly Pricing
At $9.90/year for premium (ad-free, priority support), Speechnotes is one of the cheapest voice-to-text tools on the market. The free tier works fully without registration. For budget-conscious users who need simple dictation, it’s hard to beat.
Pros
- Extremely simple, distraction-free interface
- Offline mobile support with local-only privacy
- Audio file transcription at $0.10/min
- Very affordable ($9.90/year premium)
- No account required to start
Cons
- Notepad-only — doesn’t work inside other web apps
- No AI polishing or email composition
- Lower Chrome Web Store rating (3.7/5)
- Limited language support compared to Write by Voice
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Write by Voice | Speechnotes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Yes (basic dictation, limited AI) | Yes (full notepad, no account needed) |
| Premium Yearly | Advanced AI, email replies, 20K+ sites | $9.90/year — removes ads, priority support |
| Best For | Professional multi-site AI users | Budget-conscious focused note-takers |
Which Tool Is Right for Your Use Case?
| Use Case | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Composing professional emails | Write by Voice | Thread-aware AI email composition |
| Quick note-taking (offline) | Speechnotes | Offline mobile support, distraction-free |
| LinkedIn and social media posts | Write by Voice | AI polishes posts inline without copy-pasting |
| CRM and form entry | Write by Voice | Works inside any web field |
| Brainstorming and journaling | Speechnotes | Clean, focused, minimal environment |
| Budget-conscious users | Speechnotes | $9.90/year is hard to beat |
| Overall daily professional productivity | Write by Voice | Works across every app, not just a notepad |
The Verdict
Speechnotes is genuinely excellent at what it does: providing a clean, private, affordable space to think out loud and capture your words. For students, writers doing focused drafting, or anyone who wants a no-frills dictation notepad at the lowest possible price, Speechnotes is a solid choice.
But Write by Voice plays in a completely different league for professional use. It works inside every web app, composes AI-polished email replies, understands conversation context, and integrates seamlessly into your real-world workflow. Speechnotes is a notepad you dictate into. Write by Voice is a professional communication upgrade.
The real question isn’t which is objectively better — it’s which solves your problem. For professional communication and cross-platform integration, Write by Voice wins clearly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both tools together?
Absolutely. Many users install both: Write by Voice for in-context professional communication (email, CRM, LinkedIn) and Speechnotes as a separate notepad for brainstorming. They don’t conflict and serve different purposes.
Does Write by Voice work offline?
No, Write by Voice requires an internet connection for its AI processing. Speechnotes’ mobile app supports offline transcription. If offline capability is critical, Speechnotes is the better choice.
How accurate is Write by Voice vs Speechnotes?
Both tools achieve high accuracy in quiet environments. Write by Voice adds AI post-processing to correct grammar and context, so the final output is often cleaner even if the raw transcription was imperfect. For literal transcription, both are comparable.
This article is based on publicly available information from the Chrome Web Store, official extension websites, and user reviews as of March 2026.
blog.writebyvoice.com 
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