Dictation software is pretty simple on the surface: you talk, and your computer turns those words into text.

For authors, that means you can draft scenes, chapters, notes, outlines, or even whole books without typing everything by hand.

I know that sounds a little weird if you’ve never done it before. The first time you dictate, it can feel awkward. You say “period” out loud. You stumble over a sentence. You realize you don’t actually speak in clean paragraphs, which is mildly annoying but also kind of funny.

But once you get used to it, dictation can be a huge help. Some authors use it because they want to write faster. Some use it because typing for long stretches hurts their wrists, hands, neck, or back. Others just like being able to walk around while they work instead of sitting at a keyboard all day.

The tricky part is choosing the right tool, because there isn’t one perfect option for everyone.

If you’re on Windows and want the strongest paid option, Dragon Professional v16 is still the one I’d look at first. If you want to try dictation for free, start with what already fits your setup: Windows Voice Access on newer Windows 11 computers, Apple Dictation on Mac, or Google Docs Voice Typing if you already write in Google Docs.

There are also mobile and transcription-focused tools like Dragon Anywhere and Otter.ai, but those make more sense for specific workflows.

So instead of pretending there’s one “best” dictation app for every author, let’s look at the real options, where each one works well, and where each one gets annoying.

A Side by Side Comparison

First, let’s take a look at a side-by-side comparison of all the leading software. I didn’t pick every single speech to text platform out there, but I did pick those that were most relevant for authors.

Dragon Professional v16

Price: Varies by seller and license type

Platforms: Windows 10 and Windows 11

Accuracy Score: A+

Best For: Windows authors who want the strongest paid desktop dictation option

Pros:

• Strong accuracy for long-form dictation
• Supports live dictation and transcription from pre-recorded audio files
• Can transcribe recordings from a single speaker
• Supports custom words and voice commands
• Built for Windows 10 and Windows 11

Cons:

• Expensive compared to built-in dictation tools
• Windows only
• More software than casual dictation users probably need
• Still requires editing after dictation
• Current pricing can vary by seller and license type

Dragon Professional v16 is the current desktop Dragon product for Windows, and it’s the paid option I would look at first if you’re serious about dictating books.

The big advantage is accuracy. Nuance says Dragon can create documents up to three times faster than typing with up to 99% recognition accuracy, and while your actual results will depend on your microphone, environment, and speaking style, Dragon is still the benchmark most dictation tools get compared against.

It also supports transcription from pre-recorded audio files. That matters if you like to dictate away from your desk, record your thoughts into a separate device, and then turn those recordings into text later.

The downside is still the price. Dragon Professional v16 is a serious tool, and it’s priced more like professional software than a casual writing app. For authors who only want to test dictation, I’d start with a free option first. But if dictation becomes a regular part of your writing process, Dragon Professional v16 is the strongest paid Windows option I’d consider.

Windows Voice Access

Price: Free

Platforms: Windows 11 version 22H2 and later

Accuracy Score: B+

Best For: Windows users who want a built-in free option

Pros:

• Free and built into newer Windows 11 computers
• Lets you dictate text and control your PC by voice
• Uses on-device speech recognition
• Works without an internet connection
• Good way to test dictation before paying for software

Cons:

• Only available on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later
• Not as advanced as Dragon Professional v16
• Not built specifically for authors
• Older Windows users may still need Windows Speech Recognition instead
• May take some practice if you also use the PC control features

If you’re using a newer Windows 11 computer, the built-in dictation option to look at is Voice Access.

Voice Access lets you control your PC and author text using your voice. Microsoft says it uses modern, on-device speech recognition, which means it can work without an internet connection.

For authors, this makes it a good free place to start. You can test whether dictation fits your writing process before paying for something like Dragon Professional v16.

That said, I wouldn’t expect it to match Dragon’s accuracy or depth of customization. It’s a built-in accessibility feature, not a dedicated author dictation platform. But for a free tool, it’s absolutely worth trying.

One quick note: Windows Speech Recognition still exists on older Windows versions, but Microsoft has deprecated it. On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, Voice Access is the replacement.

Apple Dictation

Price: Free

Platforms: Mac

Accuracy Score: B

Best For: Mac users seeking a free option

Pros:

• Free and built into macOS
• Works inside Mac apps
• Supports spoken punctuation and simple formatting commands
• Can automatically add punctuation in supported languages
• Can handle dictation of any length without a fixed timeout

Cons:

• Not as advanced as Dragon Professional v16
• Accuracy still depends on your microphone, environment, and speaking style
• Lacks Dragon’s deeper custom vocabulary and professional transcription features

The built-in option for Mac users is Apple Dictation.

It works inside Mac apps, and you can start it with the microphone key, a keyboard shortcut, or the Edit menu. On newer Macs with Apple silicon, you can even keep typing while you dictate, which makes it easier to fix small things without stopping the whole flow.

Apple Dictation also supports spoken punctuation and simple formatting commands, and in supported languages it can automatically insert commas, periods, and question marks as you speak.

It still isn’t as powerful as Dragon Professional v16, and I wouldn’t choose it over Dragon if I were a Windows user who wanted the most advanced paid option. But for Mac users, it’s the easiest free place to start.

Google Docs Voice Typing

Price: Free

Platforms: All major web browsers

Accuracy Score: B

Best For: Authors seeking a free option

Pros:

• Free
• Works inside Google Docs
• Available in supported browsers, including Chrome, Edge, and Safari
• Supports voice commands for editing and formatting
• Easy to try if you already draft in Google Docs

Cons:

• Requires Google Docs and a supported browser
• Not ideal if you prefer writing in Word, Scrivener, Atticus, or another app
• Accuracy still depends on your microphone and speaking environment
• Less customizable than Dragon Professional v16
• You may need to copy text elsewhere after dictating

Google Docs Voice Typing is one of the easiest free options if you already write in Google Docs.

It works in supported browsers, including current versions of Chrome, Edge, and Safari. To use it, you open a Google Doc, go to Tools, choose Voice typing, and start speaking.

It also supports voice commands for editing and formatting, which makes it more useful than a simple speech-to-text box. You can use commands to select text, apply formatting, or move around the document.

The main downside is that it’s tied to Google Docs and your browser. If you prefer drafting in Scrivener, Atticus, Word, or another app, you’ll need to copy your text over afterward.

Personally, before I switched to Atticus, I used Google Docs as my primary form of writing, so I did make use of Google Docs dictation. However I found the accuracy to be less than what I wanted to be worth all of the editing required, so I eventually converted to Dragon Professional Individual.

But Google Docs dictation is a great place to start and get a sense of what voice dictation is like, just like the other two programs about.

Braina Dictation Software

Price: $99/year for Braina Pro

Platforms: Windows

Accuracy Score: A-

Best For: Windows users who want dictation plus voice commands and assistant features

Pros:

• Dictates into other software and websites
• Includes voice commands and automation features
• Supports custom vocabulary
• Works in many languages
• Cheaper than Dragon Professional

Cons:

• Windows only
• More of a general assistant/productivity tool than an author-focused writing tool
• Free Lite plan does not include dictation
• Advanced AI features use credits

Braina is worth considering if you want more than straight dictation.

Braina Pro lets you dictate into other software and websites, but it also includes voice commands, assistant features, automation, custom vocabulary, and AI tools. That makes it more of a general productivity tool than a dedicated writing app.

For authors, that can be good or bad depending on what you want. If all you need is a clean way to dictate chapters, Braina may feel like more tool than you need. But if you also want to control your computer by voice, create custom commands, or use the assistant features, it may be worth a look.

The free Lite version is not a good replacement for the paid dictation tool because Braina’s own pricing page says Lite does not include dictation.

Otter.ai

Price: Free plan; Pro from $16.99/month or $8.33/month annually

Platforms: Web, desktop, iOS, and Android

Accuracy Score: A-

Best For: Authors who want to transcribe notes, interviews, meetings, or recorded brainstorming sessions

Pros:

• Has a free plan
• Strong for transcribing meetings, interviews, lectures, and recordings
• Includes speaker identification and audio playback
• Works across web, desktop, iOS, and Android
• Useful for authors who record brainstorming or research conversations

Cons:

• Not designed for drafting directly into a manuscript
• Free plan has monthly transcription limits
• Pro plan is not unlimited
• Less useful if you want voice commands for punctuation, formatting, and live manuscript drafting

Otter.ai is a strong transcription tool, but I wouldn’t think of it as a traditional book dictation app.

It’s built more for recording and transcribing conversations, meetings, interviews, lectures, and audio files. That can still be useful for authors, especially if you like talking through ideas, recording research interviews, or capturing brainstorming sessions.

The free plan currently includes 300 monthly transcription minutes and 3 lifetime audio/video file imports. The Pro plan includes 1,200 in-app recording minutes and 10 monthly audio/video file imports.

That makes Otter useful, but not quite the same thing as Dragon, Apple Dictation, Windows Voice Access, or Google Docs Voice Typing. If your goal is to speak a chapter directly into your manuscript, I’d start with one of those instead. If your goal is to turn recordings into searchable transcripts, Otter is much more relevant.

Dragon Anywhere

Price: $14.99/month or $149.99/year

Platforms: iOS and android

Accuracy Score: B+

Best For: Authors who want mobile dictation with Dragon technology

Pros:

• Mobile dictation for iOS and Android
• Supports continuous dictation with no word limits
• Includes voice editing and formatting
• Lets you train words and add custom vocabulary
• Can share documents by email, Dropbox, and other services

Cons:

• Separate subscription from Dragon Professional v16
• Not a full desktop writing app
• Best suited for mobile dictation, not full manuscript management
• Available only in the U.S. and Canada
• Less appealing if you already use Dragon Professional v16 to transcribe recordings later

Dragon Anywhere is Nuance’s mobile dictation app for iOS and Android.

It’s designed for creating documents on your phone or tablet, and Nuance says it supports continuous dictation with no word limits, voice editing and formatting, custom words, and document sharing by email, Dropbox, and other services.

For authors, the biggest reason to consider it is mobility. If you want to dictate while you’re away from your desk, Dragon Anywhere gives you a way to do that without buying the full desktop Dragon Professional v16 software.

That said, it is a separate subscription. It also isn’t the same thing as having Dragon Professional v16 on a Mac. If you’re a Mac user, Apple Dictation is still the easiest free option, while Dragon Anywhere is more of a paid mobile workaround if you specifically want Dragon-style dictation on your phone or tablet.

I’d consider Dragon Anywhere if mobile dictation is central to your writing process. Otherwise, I’d start with a free built-in tool first.

So Which is the Best Dictation Program for Writers?

If you are willing to spend the money and you use Windows, I’d look at Dragon Professional v16 first. It’s the current desktop Dragon product, and it gives you both live dictation and transcription from recorded audio files.

If you want to test dictation before paying for anything, start with a free option. Windows users can try Voice Access, Mac users can try Apple Dictation, and Google Docs users can try Voice Typing right inside the browser.

If you want to dictate on your phone or tablet, Dragon Anywhere is still worth considering. Just remember that it’s a separate subscription, and it makes the most sense if you actually want a mobile dictation workflow.

For most authors, I’d start free. See whether dictation fits the way you think and write. If it does, then it may be worth investing in a stronger paid option.

Additional Information on Speech to Text Software

There are a number of specific questions that a lot of people have about the software platforms, so let me answer a few of them in quick succession.

How accurate are speech-to-text programs?

Most are reasonably accurate, but the best come with the biggest price tag. Even the best software will not be 100% accurate. Dictation requires editing afterward to make sure everything is okay.

Can you write a book using dictation?

Yes you can, in fact many do. This is especially true in the self-publishing world, where speed of writing is imperative. Voice recognition software allows authors to write their books and a lot less time, at least after they've gotten used to the new method of writing.

Are dictation programs expensive?

There are plenty of free versions, but the best speech recognition software does cost money, in some cases a lot of money.

Does Dragon Dictation Need the Internet?

Dragon Professional v16 is desktop software for Windows, while Dragon Anywhere is the mobile app for iOS and Android. If internet access is a deciding factor for you, check the current technical requirements for the specific Dragon product you plan to use before buying.

Can Dragon Dictation transcribe audio files?

Dragon Professional v16 can transcribe pre-existing audio files, including recordings from a single speaker. Dragon Anywhere is primarily for mobile dictation and document creation.

How much does Dragon dictation software cost?

Dragon Anywhere costs $14.99/month or $149.99/year after the free trial. Dragon Professional v16 pricing can vary by seller and license type, so check current pricing before buying.

What is the best dictation software for Mac?

The best free dictation option for Mac users is Apple Dictation, which is built into macOS and works inside Mac apps.

If you specifically want Dragon, Dragon Anywhere is available on iOS and Android, but it is not the same thing as having a full Dragon desktop app on your Mac. Nuance discontinued Dragon Professional Individual for Mac back in 2018, and the current Dragon Professional v16 desktop product is for Windows.