Comparison
Diktat vs. Dragon
Dragon is Nuance's dictation and voice command software. Nuance has been part of Microsoft since 2022. Dragon Professional v16 runs on Windows and targets businesses and individual professionals.
A Mac version existed: Dragon Professional Individual for Mac was discontinued in 2018, with no successor. This page compares Dragon Professional for Windows with Diktat for Mac. iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch have their own app.
At a glance.
| Diktat | Dragon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | License purchase for Windows, separate from the subscription product Dragon Professional Anywhere (their distinction) |
| Price | €19.99 at launch, later €39.99. One-time purchase for Mac, three Macs included. iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch as a separate app: from €9.99, later €19.99. | No public price on the vendor's site, available by request only (as of 6 August 2026) |
| Free to use | 5 dictations a day, permanently, with all recognitions | No free offer stated on the vendor's site (as of 6 August 2026) |
| Where recognition runs | On the device | Installed on the PC. Per the data sheet, internet is only needed for download and activation |
| Account | No account | No account stated. Per the data sheet, activation is an anonymous process |
| Platforms | Mac (Apple Silicon, macOS 15 or newer). The app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch is a separate purchase. | Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016 through 2022. No Mac version anymore |
| Apple Watch | Included in the iPhone app. The watch records. The iPhone transcribes. Universal Clipboard carries the text to the Mac. That takes a moment. | Not stated. Dragon Professional only runs on Windows |
| What happens after recognition | No language model runs over your text. No word changes unless you ask. | The text can be edited further by voice command, with macros for recurring workflows (their claim) |
Prices and details checked on 6 August 2026 at nuance.com. Facts, not scores. What the vendor's site does not say, this page does not say either.
The core difference.
Dragon has voice commands for the whole system: open menus, switch windows, write emails, all by voice. It adds macros that automate several steps at once. Using Dragon also means training a voice profile. Per the data sheet, the software learns one person's voice, and custom words and word lists can be added.
Diktat has none of that. Press the right Command key, speak, done. No voice profile, no voice commands, no macros. No language model runs over your text, and that is true for all three recognitions.
Nuance does not state a public price for Dragon Professional. The product page points to a request form for purchases (as of 6 August 2026). Diktat for Mac is €19.99 at launch, later €39.99, a one-time purchase for Mac with three Macs included. For iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, it is a second one-time purchase: from €9.99 at launch, later €19.99.
When Dragon is the better fit.
You want to control your whole PC by voice, not just type text. Dragon's voice commands drive menus, windows, and entire workflows.
You type recurring text blocks or forms and want to automate them with a macro. Per their own description, Dragon is built exactly for that.
You want recognition to adapt to your voice over time, with a trained voice profile. Diktat has none of that. It starts the same on every dictation.
When Diktat is the better fit.
You do not want to train a voice profile or set anything up. Diktat needs no training to recognize your voice.
You want to use your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, not just a Windows PC. Dragon Professional is not available there, and its own Mac version was discontinued in 2018.
You want a fixed price instead of a request form. Diktat states €19.99 for Mac and from €9.99 for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, both with no subscription.
Questions about the comparison.
Is Dragon free?
No. Nuance does not state a public price on the product page. It points to a request form instead (as of 6 August 2026). No permanent free offer is stated there either. Diktat stays free permanently with 5 dictations a day, no account.
Does Dragon run locally on the PC?
Dragon Professional is a locally installed Windows application, separate from the cloud product Dragon Professional Anywhere (their distinction). Per the data sheet, it only needs internet for download and activation. Diktat runs locally on every device and never sends dictations online. Diktat only goes online to load a recognition model, Apple's language assets, unlock the purchase, and check for updates.
What is the main difference day to day?
Dragon controls your PC by voice command and automates workflows with macros. Diktat has exactly one flow: press the key, speak, the text is in the field and in the clipboard. There are no commands and no macros. The question is whether you want to control your computer by voice or just dictate.
What does Dragon cost compared to Diktat?
Nuance does not state a public price for Dragon Professional. The page points to a request form instead (as of 6 August 2026). Diktat for Mac is €19.99 at launch, later €39.99, a one-time purchase for Mac with three Macs included. For iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, it is a second one-time purchase: from €9.99 at launch, later €19.99. Diktat has no subscription.
Try Diktat.
5 dictations a day are free. No account, no subscription. The purchase is one-time.