Speech Recognition Anywhere Review

What Is Speech Recognition Anywhere?

While most Chrome voice typing extensions focus on basic dictation, Speech Recognition Anywhere is built for customization. Its core strength is a deep macro system: define trigger phrases that expand into full paragraphs, map voice commands to specific browser actions, and export/import your entire command library to share across devices or team members.

At $2.99/month or $19.99/year, it's priced below Voice In Plus ($60/year) and well below desktop dictation apps. The tradeoff is a less polished interface and a smaller user community. But for users who need to dictate the same templates, fill the same forms, or insert the same standardized phrases dozens of times a day, the macro depth justifies the subscription.

Pricing: $2.99/Month or $19.99/Year

There are two straightforward plans: monthly at $2.99 or annual at $19.99 (saving about $16/year versus monthly billing). Both include the full feature set — there's no free tier with limited functionality, though the extension may offer a brief trial period.

At $19.99/year, Speech Recognition Anywhere undercuts Voice In Plus ($60/year) by $40 and Voicy ($101.88/year) by over $80. For users whose primary need is voice macros and text expansion rather than broad website compatibility, it's a compelling price point.

Voice Macros and Text Expansion

The standout feature is custom voice commands with text expansion. Define a trigger phrase — say 'standard note' — and Speech Recognition Anywhere inserts a full paragraph of standardized text. Medical professionals can set up commands like 'normal exam findings' that expand into a complete physical exam template. Customer service agents can say 'refund response' to insert a multi-sentence reply.

You can build extensive command libraries with hundreds of macros. Commands are organized into sets that can be exported as files and imported on other devices — useful for onboarding new team members who need the same macro library, or for syncing your setup between a work machine and a personal laptop.

Browser Navigation by Voice

Beyond text input, Speech Recognition Anywhere supports basic browser navigation commands: scroll up/down, click buttons, and press browser shortcuts by voice. This overlaps somewhat with LipSurf's browser control features, though LipSurf's navigation system is more comprehensive with numbered overlay clicking.

The navigation features are practical for hands-free form filling workflows — dictate a field, say 'tab' to move to the next field, dictate again. For data entry professionals who process hundreds of forms daily, eliminating keyboard use between fields adds up.

Text-to-Speech Proofreading

A unique feature is built-in text-to-speech playback. After dictating, you can have the extension read your text back to you aloud. This catches errors that visual proofreading misses — wrong words that look right on screen become obvious when heard. For professional correspondence and medical notes where accuracy matters, the audio proofread step is a practical quality check.

Auto Punctuation

Speech Recognition Anywhere includes automatic punctuation insertion for hands-free sentence formatting. Periods, commas, and question marks are added based on speech patterns and pauses. The quality of auto-punctuation depends on the underlying speech recognition engine (Chrome's Web Speech API), which handles English well but may be inconsistent in other languages.

Chrome and Edge Support

Unlike most Chrome voice typing extensions that only work in Chrome, Speech Recognition Anywhere also supports Microsoft Edge. Both browsers use the Chromium engine, so the extension functions identically in either. For organizations that standardize on Edge, this is relevant — Voice In and LipSurf don't officially list Edge support, though they may work in practice since Edge is Chromium-based.

Use Cases: Who Benefits Most

Medical professionals are a primary audience. Dictating patient notes with standardized templates, SOAP note formats, and medical terminology macros can save hours per day. Data entry workers processing repetitive forms benefit from voice-triggered field fills. Business professionals who send dozens of similar emails can define response templates as voice commands.

Accessibility users who need voice-based browser interaction also benefit, though LipSurf offers a more comprehensive accessibility-focused experience with its overlay clicking system.

Speech Recognition Anywhere vs Voice In

Voice In excels at broad website compatibility (10,000+ sites) and has a much larger user base (600,000+). Speech Recognition Anywhere excels at macro depth — exportable command sets, extensive text expansion, and automation features that Voice In's custom commands don't match.

At $19.99/year vs Voice In's $60/year, Speech Recognition Anywhere is significantly cheaper. Choose Voice In for the widest website support and proven reliability. Choose Speech Recognition Anywhere for deep customization, text expansion macros, and budget-friendly pricing.

Speech Recognition Anywhere vs LipSurf

LipSurf offers superior browser navigation — numbered overlay clicking, comprehensive tab management, YouTube control. Speech Recognition Anywhere offers superior macro and text expansion capabilities. LipSurf is the accessibility-first choice. Speech Recognition Anywhere is the automation-first choice.

Limitations

The interface is less polished than Voice In or LipSurf — the extension comes from a smaller developer (Seabreeze Computers) without the design resources of larger teams. The user community is small, which means fewer tutorials, fewer bug reports driving fixes, and less certainty about long-term maintenance. There's no free tier to test before subscribing. And like all Web Speech API-based tools, audio goes through Google's servers with no local processing option.

Verdict

Speech Recognition Anywhere is the Chrome extension for macro enthusiasts and template-heavy workflows. At $19.99/year, it's the cheapest way to get extensive voice command customization in a browser extension. Best for medical professionals, data entry workers, and anyone who dictates standardized text repeatedly throughout the day. Skip if you prioritize interface polish, broad website compatibility, or a large support community.