The best Dragon alternatives: dictation software for Windows and Mac
In short
Dragon, the dictation software from Nuance (now part of Microsoft), is still on sale, but its Professional and Legal versions only run on Windows: there's no Mac or home version anymore, and its website doesn't show prices. If you want something like it, these are the alternatives worth a look in October 2026: Loro (Windows and Mac, English and Spanish, works offline; free or USD 9.99 a month), Windows voice typing (Windows + H, free), Wispr Flow (Mac, Windows and phones; free or USD 15 a month), Superwhisper (with models that run offline; free or USD 8.49 a month), and the dictation built into Word and Google Docs, if that's the only place you write.
Why look for a Dragon alternative
Dragon has been in voice dictation for more than 25 years, with versions for lawyers, doctors and police, and features for using a computer hands-free. These are the most common reasons people look for something else today:
- There's no Dragon to install on a Mac. Nuance stopped selling it on October 22, 2018, and hasn't updated it since.
- There's no home version. Dragon Home no longer appears on Dragon's website. What's left for computers is Dragon Professional, Dragon Legal and Dragon Law Enforcement (version 16, for Windows 10 and 11), plus cloud versions for companies.
- The price isn't public. The official website doesn't list prices: you have to ask sales or a reseller. The cloud versions are paid by subscription.
- Fewer options in Spanish. On Dragon's site for Spain, the only product listed is Dragon Professional, and in the Americas there's only a site for the US and Canada.
- For doctors, Dragon has changed. Microsoft now invites customers to move from Dragon Medical One to Dragon Copilot, its AI clinical assistant.
What to check before you choose
- Windows or Mac? Dragon Professional and Dragon Legal are Windows only.
- Does it work in every app? The best ones type wherever your cursor is: Word, email, your practice's software.
- Does it clean up the text? Removing filler words, adding punctuation and understanding when you correct yourself saves you the editing.
- Does it work offline? Dragon Professional is installed on your computer. Of the alternatives, Loro and Superwhisper also dictate without a connection.
- Does it learn your words? For client names or legal and medical terms, look for a personal dictionary.
The alternatives, one by one
1. Loro
You dictate in any app on Windows or Mac: hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac), talk, and the text appears without filler words, with periods, commas and capitals. Online, it also understands when you correct yourself. Names and terms from your work go in your dictionary, and if you fix one after dictating, Loro learns it. It also takes notes of your meetings without adding a bot.
- Runs on: Windows 10 and 11, and Macs with macOS 14.2 or later.
- Offline: yes. It ships its own voice model.
- Languages: English and Spanish, in the app and on the website too.
- Free: 2,000 words a week, plus unlimited meeting notes.
- Pro: USD 9.99 a month or USD 80 a year.
- Missing: a phone app, languages other than English and Spanish, and controlling your computer by voice (opening programs or moving through menus) the way Dragon does. It also doesn't have certifications like SOC 2 or HIPAA.
2. Windows voice typing (Windows + H)
Built into Windows 10 and 11. Put your cursor in a text box, press Windows + H and talk. It adds punctuation on its own if you turn on "Automatic punctuation".
- Offline: no. It uses Microsoft's online speech recognition.
- Languages: dozens, including Spanish (Mexico and Spain).
- Free: yes.
- Missing: it types almost word for word. Removing filler words and fixing grammar is only done by "fluid dictation", which is for Copilot+ PCs and English only.
If you used Dragon to control your computer hands-free, Windows 11 also has voice access: you open and switch apps, browse the web and write emails using only your voice, in Spanish too, and offline once you download the language.
How to use Windows voice typing and when an app is worth it · Wispr Flow vs Windows voice typing.
3. Wispr Flow
A dictation app that works in the cloud: hold a shortcut, talk, and it types in any app, without filler words and with punctuation. It understands when you change your mind mid-sentence and learns the names you correct. It also takes meeting notes without a bot, on Mac and Windows.
- Runs on: Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- Offline: no. Transcription always happens in the cloud.
- Languages: 100+. Its website is in English only.
- Free: 2,000 words a week on desktop.
- Pro: USD 15 a month, or USD 12 a month billed yearly.
- For companies and healthcare: it has SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, and it signs a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) on any plan.
4. Superwhisper
Dictation with lots of settings: you pick between cloud models and models that run on your computer, plus modes for emails, messages or notes.
- Runs on: Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- Offline: yes, with its local models on Mac, Windows and iPhone. On Android it only works in the cloud.
- Languages: 100+. Its website is in English only.
- Free: unlimited dictation with its local models.
- Pro: USD 8.49 a month, USD 84.99 a year, or a one-time payment of USD 249.99.
5. Word and Google Docs dictation
If almost everything you dictate ends up in a document, the dictation they already have may be enough:
- Word: the Dictate button on the Home tab, on Windows and Mac. It needs the internet and a Microsoft 365 subscription. It understands Spanish from Spain and Mexico, among other languages.
- Google Docs: Tools › Voice typing. It understands Spanish from many countries, but voice commands for editing only work in English.
- Missing: they only type inside their own program.
How to dictate in Word · How to dictate in Google Docs.
Quick comparison
Details from each one's official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.
| Windows | Mac | Phone | Offline | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Professional v16 | Yes | No | Separate app: Dragon Anywhere Mobile (US and Canada) | Yes (activation needs the internet) | Not published: ask sales |
| Loro | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Free or USD 9.99 a month |
| Windows voice typing | Yes | — | — | No | Free |
| Wispr Flow | Yes | Yes | iPhone and Android | No | Free or USD 15 a month |
| Superwhisper | Yes | Yes | iPhone and Android | Yes, with local models | Free or USD 8.49 a month |
For lawyers and doctors
Lawyers
Dragon Legal comes with a legal vocabulary that, according to Nuance, was trained on more than 400 million words from legal documents. It's sold for Windows or in the cloud, with prices on request, and it doesn't appear on Dragon's site for Spain.
With Loro you dictate drafts and emails, and take notes of client calls without adding a bot. When a matter calls for it, pick "On your computer" in Settings and your voice is turned into text without leaving your computer. Loro doesn't have certifications like SOC 2: check your firm's or your bar's rules before using it on a matter. Loro for lawyers.
Doctors
Microsoft sells Dragon Medical One and now invites customers to move to Dragon Copilot, an AI clinical assistant. According to Microsoft, Dragon Copilot for physicians is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Loro works for letters, reports and emails, in any program. But Loro isn't a medical product, doesn't have health certifications like HIPAA and doesn't sign BAAs. Before dictating patient data, follow your institution's rules, pick "On your computer", and in Settings › Privacy turn off the option that keeps your dictation text for 30 days to improve Loro. If your institution requires HIPAA, Wispr Flow signs a BAA on any plan; once you sign it, its meeting notes are turned off. Loro for doctors.
Which one to pick
- You use a Mac: Loro, Wispr Flow or Superwhisper.
- You want clean text in English or Spanish, offline too: Loro.
- You dictate a little and want something free: Windows voice typing, or Mac dictation.
- You need to control your computer by voice alone: Windows 11 voice access, or stay with Dragon.
- Your work requires HIPAA or SOC 2: Wispr Flow or Superwhisper. If it also requires ISO 27001, Wispr Flow.
- You only write in Word or Google Docs: their own dictation.
Try Loro for free
Dictate in any app and get notes from your meetings, with no bot. For Windows and Mac, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dragon still available?
Yes. Nuance is now part of Microsoft, and Dragon is still sold to professionals and companies: Dragon Professional and Dragon Legal (version 16, for Windows 10 and 11), their cloud versions, and, for doctors, Dragon Medical One and Dragon Copilot. Dragon Home and the "Dragon NaturallySpeaking" name no longer appear among its products.
Is there a Dragon for Mac?
There's no Dragon you can install on a Mac. Nuance stopped selling Dragon Professional Individual for Mac on October 22, 2018, and hasn't updated it since; people who bought it can keep using it. On a Mac, the alternatives are Loro (macOS 14.2 or later), Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and the dictation built into the Mac (how to turn it on).
How much does Dragon cost?
Dragon's official website doesn't list prices. Dragon Professional v16 and Dragon Legal v16 are bought through sales or a reseller, and the cloud versions are paid by subscription. Loro is free up to 2,000 words a week, and Pro is USD 9.99 a month or USD 80 a year.
Does Dragon work in Spanish?
Dragon Professional v16 has a Spanish version: its help is in Spanish and it's sold in Spain. In the Americas, Dragon's website only covers the US and Canada. Loro, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and Windows voice typing also dictate in Spanish.
What's the best free alternative to Dragon?
Windows voice typing (Windows + H) is free, but it needs the internet and types almost word for word. Loro is free up to 2,000 words a week and gives you clean text, offline too. Superwhisper is free with its local models.
Is there something that controls the whole computer by voice, like Dragon?
Yes: voice access in Windows 11. You open and switch apps, browse and write by voice, in Spanish too, and offline once you download the language. Loro is for writing: it doesn't open programs for you.
Sources
- Nuance, Dragon products, Dragon Professional v16 and its data sheet, Dragon Legal, Dragon Professional Anywhere, Dragon Anywhere Mobile and Dragon in Spain.
- Nuance, end of Dragon for Mac and Dragon Professional 16 help in Spanish.
- Microsoft, Dragon Medical One and Dragon Copilot.
- Microsoft, voice typing in Windows, voice access and dictation in Word.
- Wispr Flow, pricing and privacy. Superwhisper, home page and product facts and teams and enterprise (SOC 2 Type II and BAA).
- Google, voice typing in Docs. Apple, dictation on Mac.
- All checked on October 28, 2026.
Keep reading
For your work
Loro for lawyers
How lawyers use voice dictation and AI meeting notes: drafts, emails to clients and notes of calls, with the option to keep your voice on your own computer.
For your work
Loro for doctors
How doctors and health professionals use voice dictation on their computer for reports, referral letters and emails, what to watch out for with patient data, and how to keep your voice on your own computer.
Voice dictation
Voice typing on Windows
How to dictate with your voice on Windows 10 and 11 using Windows + H, how to add punctuation, what to do if it doesn't work, and when an app like Loro, which cleans up your text and works offline, is worth it.
Dragon, Windows, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, Microsoft Word, Microsoft 365, Google Docs and macOS are trademarks of their owners. Loro is not affiliated with them. Each app's details come from its official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.