Voice Recognition Software: Reviews

Updated June 2011

Voice recognition software continues to improve every year. The reviews we consulted indicate that the latest programs are more adaptable and easier to use than ever, and accuracy is as high as 96 to 99 percent. Dragon is a leader in this category - and reviewers who have vast experience using voice recognition software, consistently recommend its products.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium

Best voice recognition software

$200

Estimated Price

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium is almost universally regarded in reviews as the best voice recognition software, with the potential for 99 percent accuracy (though reviewers say about 98 percent is more realistic). The Premium version integrates easily with the Microsoft Office suite and almost all Windows applications, as well as some open-source programs. The NaturallySpeaking software also allows users to create voice-activated macros (shortcuts) and includes support for digital audio recorders. Reviewers say Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the most sophisticated product on the market, but that if you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, or plan to soon upgrade to either operating system, the included Windows Speech Recognition program is worth trying out first. NaturallySpeaking is also available in a less expensive Home version (*Est. $100), but it's compatible with fewer programs.

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Windows Speech Recognition

Best budget alternative for Windows users

Estimated Price

Windows Speech Recognition comes bundled with Windows Vista and Windows 7 at no additional charge. Though the program was originally rife with issues, Windows Speech Recognition now performs extremely well -- almost as well as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, according to many experts. The user interface is widely praised, and the program is easy to train, with an accuracy rate of about 96 percent (after training). Reviewers say Dragon NaturallySpeaking has a slight edge but that there's no compelling reason for casual users to buy it, though they do recommend that heavy users will find NaturallySpeaking to be a better choice than Windows Speech Recognition in the long run.

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Dragon Dictate 2.0

Best speech recognition software for Mac

$200

Estimated Price

Dragon Dictate is Nuance's initial foray onto Mac software after the company purchased the popular MacSpeech Dictate program in 2010. It is based on the Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition engine, so accuracy is very good, much better than any other current or past Mac alternative. However, while Dictate is easy to use, reviewers warn that mixing verbal and manual commands can result in serious errors.

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Dragon Dictation

Best speech recognition mobile app

Estimated Price

Dragon Dictation brings the powerful Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software into the palm of your hand. Reviewers say the app is extremely accurate and easy to use, although you'll need a working mobile Internet connection in order to use it. Another commonly mentioned drawback is that the application's buffer fills after 20 to 30 seconds of dictation. When that happens, users need to pause while the software catches up. Dragon Dictation is available for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

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