What is the best dictation software for writing a book?

The best dictation software for most book writers is the dictation already built into your computer. It is already on your computer, and on a Mac it accepts text of any length without a timeout ¹. A paid app is worth its cost when a full manuscript needs something the built-in tool does not give you.

The built-in tool is the best start, but check where your audio goes

Length is rarely the problem on a Mac, because a book is written across many sessions anyway. The question that matters for a manuscript is where recognition runs. Apple's Mac Help says you can check whether general text Dictation is processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers ². Check that setting before you dictate chapters that are not yet published.

On Windows, the check is different. Microsoft says voice typing converts speech to text using online speech recognition ³. That does not rule it out for a book, but you should know it before you start, not after the first chapter.

Paid apps earn their cost when the free allowance runs out

The usual reason to pay is a word limit. Wispr Flow's free plan allows 2,000 dictated words per week on desktop ⁴. A manuscript of 50,000 words, about the typical minimum for a short novel, would use that weekly allowance for 25 weeks ⁵. Writers who draft every day should count their words for a week before they choose a plan.

Some paid apps send audio to a service, and that is the second thing to check. Wispr Flow's privacy page says dictated audio is sent to its servers over an encrypted connection, TLS 1.2 or later, so cloud processing is part of its design ⁶. Many writers accept that trade. An unpublished manuscript deserves the same care as any other confidential document. Our glossary entry on cloud dictation explains the difference between cloud and on-device processing.

Dragon is the established paid choice, and its custom words stay in your profile

Dragon is a long-established paid option for long dictation. Nuance defines a Dragon user profile as the set of files Dragon uses to process your speech, and it stores information such as your custom words ⁷. For a novel with invented names, that matters. Because the profile stores your custom words, they can carry over from one session to the next. Vendor claims about speed and accuracy are not independent tests, so check them against your own text before you buy.

Names and the edit matter more than which app you pick

Whichever app you choose, expect errors in a raw draft. In a study of clinical notes dictated in 2016, the draft produced by speech recognition had 7.4 errors per 100 words ⁸. Those were medical notes dictated with one engine, so your own rate will differ. The lesson is the direction: the draft is a first version, and the edit is where you catch its errors.

Keep a list of invented names at the top of your outline, and search for each one in the edit. The glossary entry on custom vocabulary explains how apps use word lists.

How to choose for your book

1. Test the built-in tool on one chapter with dialogue and names, then read the result back.
2. Check the privacy setting for where your audio is processed, before you dictate unpublished text.
3. Count your words for one week of drafting. If the total would pass a free allowance, compare the paid plans on their pricing pages before you buy.
4. Do the edit by keyboard, and budget as much time for it as for the drafting.

Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows, so it is one of the options here. Current platforms and downloads are on our download page. For a wider comparison of apps, see our guide to the best dictation software, and for the short answer for all writers, see the best dictation software for writers. The full method for drafting a book is in our guide to writing a book by dictation, and the wider subject is covered in our overview of dictation for work and study.