Dragon NaturallySpeaking dominated speech recognition for decades. Whisper changed everything. Here's how they compare in 2025.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Whisper | Dragon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free/One-time | $300-700 |
| Platform | Any | Windows only |
| Languages | 99 | ~10 |
| Training | None needed | Improves over time |
| Real-time | Near real-time | Real-time |
Accuracy
Both achieve 95%+ accuracy on clear speech. Dragon's voice training can push higher for your specific voice, while Whisper handles accents and multiple speakers better out of the box.
Where Dragon Wins
- Deep Windows/Office integration
- Voice commands for computer control
- Custom macros and automation
- True real-time transcription
Where Whisper Wins
- Works on Mac, Linux, Windows
- 99 languages vs ~10
- No training required
- Open source and free
- Better with accents and noise
The Verdict
Dragon is still the choice for Windows power users who need voice commands and deep system integration. For everyone else, Whisper-based tools offer better value and cross-platform support.
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