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SpeechToWork
100% local · GDPR-compliant without the cloud

Dictation software compared: where your voice is processed

Dictation software compared side by side differs above all in one question: is your speech recognised on your own computer or on a provider's servers? SpeechToWork, Dragon Professional v16, Superwhisper with local models and, largely, Apple Dictation work locally. Wispr Flow, Dragon Anywhere, Philips SpeechLive, ChatGPT and Windows voice typing use the cloud.

By Danilo à Tellinghusen

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Golden sound wave turning into straight lines of text on paper
  • 9solutions compared, from Dragon to ChatGPT.
  • Local or cloudthe key question for privacy and confidentiality.
  • Oct 2026every detail with a source at the provider.

Nine solutions at a glance

The table summarises what the providers themselves say on their websites, pricing pages and documentation. Where a provider publishes nothing, it says “not stated”. As of October 2026, all sources are listed at the end of the page.

SolutionWhere is speech recognised?Where does the data go?SystemsPricing model
SpeechToWorklocally on your PC or Mac, including the AI rewritingnowhere; online only for the model download and licence checkWindows 10/11 (64-bit), Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 14+subscription per user: 19 € or 39 € a month plus VAT, 192 € or 384 € a year
Dragon Professional v16installed locallyaccording to the data sheet, internet only for download and activationWindows 10/11, Windows Server; Mac version discontinued in 2018no published price, via contact or volume licensing
Dragon Professional AnywherecloudNuance cloud on Microsoft Azure, region not statedWindows 10/11, Windows Server; mobile appsubscription, price not stated
Windows voice typing (Win+H)online speech recognition (Azure Speech)to Microsoft, according to Microsoft only to provide the serviceWindows 10 and 11included in Windows
Apple Dictation (macOS)general dictation on the device once speech models are downloadedsearch boxes and dictation not processed locally go to Apple's serversmacOSincluded in macOS
Wispr Flowcloudprocessed in the USA, subprocessors include AWS and OpenAIMac, Windows x64, iPhone, AndroidFree with a word limit, Pro 15 $ a month, Growth from 23 $, Enterprise on request
Superwhisperlocal models (e.g. Whisper, Parakeet) or cloud models, your choicelocal: stays on the device; cloud: to providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepgrammacOS 14+, Windows 10/11, iPhone, AndroidFree with local models, Pro 8.49 $ a month, 84.99 $ a year or 249.99 $ one-off
Philips SpeechLivecloud (Microsoft Azure, including Azure OpenAI)Azure data centre in Europe (Netherlands) for European usersbrowser, desktop app for Windows and Mac, iOS, Androidsubscription per user, speech recognition from 39.40 € a month plus VAT
ChatGPT dictationon OpenAI's serversto OpenAI; dictation audio is kept as long as the chat is in your historyweb, iOS, Android, desktop app for Mac and Windows; writes into the ChatGPT message boxFree, Plus 20 $ a month, Business from 20 $ per user a month billed annually

Local or cloud: the key question

With a cloud solution, every dictation goes to a server. For businesses this means a data processing agreement, checking server locations and subprocessors and, with US providers, assessing the international transfer. Professionals bound by confidentiality also have to ask whether a third party could see the content.

With local processing, none of this applies, because nothing is transferred. The trade-off is that your computer has to do the recognition itself. Modern models manage that on an ordinary office PC or an Apple silicon Mac. More in our guide to local AI.

Transcribing or rewriting

The second difference is the result. Classic speech recognition writes down what you say, with every “um” and every self-correction, which you then clean up by command or by hand. Newer tools tidy up the text with a language model.

  • Transcript: Windows voice typing, Apple Dictation, Dragon (with strong commands and macros for editing).
  • With a language model: SpeechToWork (local), Wispr Flow (cloud), Superwhisper (local formatting in English only, otherwise cloud), SpeechLive with AI assistant (cloud).
  • Input for a chat: according to OpenAI, ChatGPT dictation writes into the ChatGPT message box, not into other programs.

How to choose the right dictation software

  1. What do you dictate? For patient, client or HR data, local processing is the simplest route.
  2. On which devices? If you also dictate on your phone, you need a solution with an app. SpeechToWork is only available for Windows and Mac.
  3. Dictation or office work? If you only need text, the built-in features of Windows and macOS go a long way. If you want finished emails, notes and minutes, you need a language model.
  4. Voice control? If you need to operate the whole PC by voice, for example for accessibility, look at Dragon or the voice control features of Windows and macOS.
  5. Try it: with your own voice and your own texts. SpeechToWork has a 14-day trial without payment details.

Detailed comparison: Wispr Flow alternative. Guides to the built-in features: Windows dictation and Mac dictation.

Sources

Everything said about other providers comes from their own publications:

As of October 2026. We checked all details against the sources listed on 12 October 2026. Providers change prices, features and terms often; the current version on the provider's site always takes precedence. All trademarks belong to their owners and are named for description only. This comparison is not legal advice.

An example

What you say. What appears.

You sayPlease transfer the amount by the fifteenth, no sorry, by the twentieth of October to the account shown on the invoice.
In your programPlease transfer the amount by 20 October to the account shown on the invoice.
Your advantage

Why SpeechToWork fits this job.

Local, not cloud

Speech recognition and the language model run on your computer. No data processor, no international transfer.

Rewritten, not just transcribed

Self-corrections, filler words and numbers are handled as you dictate, in English and German.

Open pricing

19 € or 39 € a month per user plus VAT, no word limit. 14-day trial without payment details.

Privacy

Local means local. No compromises.

Speech recognition and the language model are installed on your computer and run there. What you dictate ends up in your program and nowhere else. How the data flow works.

No upload

Audio and text stay on your computer. There is no server listening in and no AI provider in the background.

GDPR made simple

No third party processes your dictations. So there is no data processing agreement to sign and no international transfer to assess.

Works without internet

Once installed, SpeechToWork works offline. Only the licence check needs a connection.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What is the best dictation software?

It depends on what you dictate and on which devices. For confidential office work on Windows and Mac, local software such as SpeechToWork is the obvious choice. If you want to control the whole PC by voice, look at Dragon. If you mainly dictate on your phone, you need a solution with an app, such as Wispr Flow or Superwhisper.

Which dictation software works offline?

Programs that run speech recognition on your own computer work offline: SpeechToWork, Dragon Professional v16 as a locally installed product, and Superwhisper with local models. According to Apple, general dictation on a Mac is processed on the device. Wispr Flow, SpeechLive, ChatGPT and Windows voice typing need internet.

Which dictation software is GDPR-compliant?

Many solutions can be used in line with GDPR, but the effort differs. Cloud services need a data processing agreement and, with US providers, an assessment of the international transfer. With local software such as SpeechToWork, neither is needed because no dictations go to a service provider. The assessment for your business is yours to make.

How much does dictation software cost?

The built-in features of Windows and macOS are free. According to the providers' pricing pages, subscriptions range from about 8 $ to 49 € a month per user: Superwhisper Pro 8.49 $, Wispr Flow Pro 15 $, SpeechLive with speech recognition from 39.40 €. SpeechToWork costs 19 € or 39 € plus VAT. Nuance publishes no price for Dragon.

Is ChatGPT dictation an alternative to dictation software?

Only partly. According to OpenAI, dictation goes into the ChatGPT message box, where you review it and send it as a message. It does not write directly into Outlook, Word or your industry software, and the audio goes to OpenAI and is kept while the chat stays in your history. For work across many programs, dictation software is more practical.

Is there dictation software for Windows and Mac?

Yes. SpeechToWork runs on Windows 10 and 11 and on Macs with Apple silicon, as do Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and the SpeechLive desktop app. Dragon Professional is now Windows only; Nuance discontinued the Mac version in 2018. Windows and macOS also each have their own built-in dictation feature.

Read on

You might also find these useful.

Wispr Flow alternative

Wispr Flow and SpeechToWork compared factually: data flow, systems, prices, as of October 2026.

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Mac dictation

Dictate into Mail, Outlook, Word, Safari and any other Mac app, processed locally on Apple silicon.

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GDPR-compliant AI

Use AI in the office without handing data to a provider.

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From €16 net per seat per month · 14 days free trial, no payment details · For Windows and Mac Compare prices

Try it now

Download now and try it for 14 days.

One click, one file, no form. Install SpeechToWork and start the trial right in the app.

Download for Windows Download for Mac

Windows: Version 1.0.0 · 87 MB · Windows 10/11 (64-bit), min. 8 GB RAM and 10 GB free

Mac: Version 1.0.0 · 87 MB · macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon (M1 or later), min. 8 GB RAM and 10 GB free

Download warning? Here is why.

SpeechToWork is new. Chrome, Edge and Windows SmartScreen only trust a file once it has been downloaded many times. For a new program they therefore show “Suspicious download” or “Windows protected your PC”. That is a judgement based on how well known the file is, not a malware finding.

  • In your browser: keep the file in the download list.
  • On Windows: “More info”, then “Run anyway”.

The installer is digitally signed, publisher Danilo à Tellinghusen. To check, right-click the file, choose “Properties” and open the “Digital Signatures” tab. The Mac version is notarised by Apple.

  • All features, no payment details
  • Ends automatically, nothing to cancel
  • Your dictations never leave your computer, not even in the trial

  1. Download

    One file for Windows or Mac, straight from our server.

  2. Install

    On Windows a double click is all it takes, on a Mac you drag the app into Applications. No administrator rights needed.

  3. Choose “Try for 14 days”

    On first start: enter your name and business email, no payment method.

On first start, SpeechToWork downloads the language models once (4 to 6 GB). Already have a licence key? Enter it on first start. What is transferred in the process is explained in our privacy policy.

Try free for 14 days