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.

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Best voice recognition software

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium

*Est. $200 Compare Prices

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).… expandThe 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. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ZDNet UK: ZDNet U.K.'s Sandra Vogel looks at Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 from setup to final save.

The New York Times: After skipping any training whatsoever, Pogue reports the software translated one of his 1,300-word columns with 100 percent accuracy.

PCMag.com: Reviewer Sean Carroll calls NaturallySpeaking 11 "scarily accurate," faster and more intuitive than the previous versions, and raves about the software's new Dragon Sidebar and command tools.

TechWorld.com: Veteran Dragon NaturallySpeaking user Aoife M. McEvoy runs Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 through several accuracy tests: without any training, she reports 96.3 percent accuracy from the software.

Amazon.com: More than 100 NaturallySpeaking 11 Premium owners have submitted their experiences to Amazon's user review page, giving the product an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5.

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Buy from Amazon for $100.97
VioSoftware- .com for $133.84	RoyalDiscou- nt.com for $129.88	HP Direct for $199.99

Best budget alternative for Windows users

Windows Speech Recognition

Free with Windows OS Learn More

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… expandwell 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. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

PCMag.com: Even though this review is dedicated to Dragon's NaturallySpeaking 10, Michael Muchmore delivers a strong, head-to-head assessment of how Windows Speech Recognition stacks up against it.

Arstechnica.com: Nate Anderson praises Windows Speech Recognition's tutorial mode and its simple, yet powerful navigational control interface.

Bright Hub.com: BrightHub.com's Glen Salzman authors one of the most thorough, balanced and detailed assessments of Windows Speech Recognition (Vista) we were able to find.

StevePavlina.com: Steve Pavlina is not a professional reviewer but a personal development blogger and, by his own account, a longtime fan of voice recognition technology.

TopTenReviews.com: In this review, Lecia Monsen favorably evaluates Windows Speech Recognition and finds it superior to "most" of those rated in the site's comparative listing.

GadgetUserBlog.com: Although short on detail, this blog post offers a comparison of the speech recognition programs available on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Best speech recognition software for Mac

Dragon Dictate 2.0

*Est. $200 Compare Prices

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… expandvery 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. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Arstechnica.com: Dragon Dictate's accuracy and deep dictionary impresses Ars Technica reviewer Nate Anderson, as does the software's macro-editing tools.

The New York Times: David Pogue sprinkles small tidbits of comparative information throughout this excellent look at the Dragon Dictate software for the Mac.

SpeakeasySolutions.com: Speakeasy Solution editors spend little time talking about Dragon Dictate's good points, instead focusing on the aspects they think that make Dictate a lesser program than NaturallySpeaking.

Wired: Brad Moon is new to dictation software as of this review - and offers a beginner's perspective.

Amazon.com: About 50 user reviewers give Dragon Dictate an overall rating of just 3 out of 5 stars.

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Buy from Amazon for $139.99
Amazon for $139.99	Staples for $199.99	eBay for $185.99

Best speech recognition mobile app

Dragon Dictation

Free Learn More

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… expandInternet 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. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

PCMag.com: Reviewer Jeffrey L. Wilson kicks off his look at Dragon Dictation by suggesting that the app is the next best thing to having a secretary take dictation from you.

Macworld: Ben Boychuk opens his article by saying he never found the desktop versions of NaturallySpeaking to be very useful, but he finds merit in the portable version.

KnowYourMobile.com: Spanner Spencer enjoys that Dragon Dictation accurately handled his "broad Yorkshire accent," calling the app very responsive.

Macnn.com: Victor Marks spends more time talking about how the app works than critiquing it, and his review is chock full of screenshots.