What is the best voice to text software for business?

There is no single best option for every business. The best tool is usually the dictation built into the program where your team already writes, as long as your license covers it. A paid product such as Dragon Professional Anywhere or a one-user Dragon Professional license is a second step, for when the built-in tools do not fit your apps or your accuracy needs. The sources we checked for this page include no independent test that ranks these products on the same recordings, so any ranking would rest on vendor claims. Test before you pay, using the steps at the end.

For the time side of the decision, see our guide to how much time dictation saves at work, and for the wider subject, see dictation for work and study.

Start with the dictation built into the program where you write

Most teams already own a dictation tool. Each one has a different rule about cost, connection or data, so check the rule before you check the accuracy.

Read the table by the job, not by the brand. A team that writes mostly in Word and Outlook has a licensing question before it has an accuracy question. A team that works on Macs in many apps may find that the built-in Dictation covers most of the day.

Microsoft's dictation depends on your subscription and a steady connection

Dictate in Word is the clearest example of a license rule. Microsoft says the dictation feature in Word is available only to Microsoft 365 subscribers ¹. If your company buys Office as a one-time purchase, check the version before you plan a rollout around Dictate.

The connection rule matters as much. Microsoft says dictation in Office needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection ². The same page does not say how much bandwidth is enough, so a slow or unstable network is a likely cause of missed words. Test Dictate on the connection your team actually uses, not only on the office network.

Windows has two built-in tools with different rules

Windows is the case where the name hides the difference. Voice typing needs an internet connection before it types what you say ⁴. Voice Access, a separate feature in Windows 11, lets you control the PC and write text without an internet connection ⁵. If your team works offline, on a poor connection, or with data that must not leave the machine, test Voice Access first. Microsoft's FAQ does not explain which engine handles each command, so confirm the data behavior with your own IT team before you approve it.

A paid product makes sense when the built-in tools fail your work

Dedicated products cost money, and the prices change by reseller. On the day we checked, one US reseller listed a one-user Dragon Professional (v. 16) license at $685.99 ⁷, which the listing calls a license, not a subscription. Another reseller listed the Dragon Professional Anywhere annual subscription at $660 per year on a one-year term ⁸. Those two prices differ in kind, so compare them over the period you plan to keep the tool, not by sticker price alone.

A paid tool earns its cost when the built-in tool fails on your apps, your jargon or your team. A ranking by a reviewer does not show that, so test it on your own writing, as the steps below describe.

Yap, which we make, runs on-device on Mac and Windows. It is one option to test against the built-in tools on the same work, and its plans are on our pricing page. If the built-in tool does what you need, it is the cheaper answer.

Check the data terms before you dictate client or patient information

Where your speech goes is set by the product and its terms, and it changes the answer for regulated work. Apple's on-device processing for general Mac text is a different case from Office or Windows voice typing, which need a connection. For health, legal or financial information, ask the vendor in writing how it handles audio and transcripts, and whether it will sign a business associate agreement if your work requires one. Keep a record of the answer. Our glossary entry on cloud dictation explains what sending audio to a server involves.

Choose by testing one week of real work

The steps below take one working week and cost nothing if you start with the tools you already have.

1. List where your team writes most. Count email, documents, slides and notes, and note which app each one lives in.
2. Check the licenses your team already holds. A built-in tool you already pay for is the cheapest test. Word's Dictate, for example, depends on a Microsoft 365 subscription ¹.
3. Dictate real work with the built-in option. Log every correction and every re-dictation. Use the same method as the formula for dictation time savings.
4. Only if the built-in tool fails, price a paid product. Compare the reseller price and the vendor's own price over the period you plan to keep it. Use custom vocabulary and perpetual license to check what you are buying.
5. Keep the cheapest option that passes. If none passes, keep typing for the parts of the job that dictation does not fix.

Related questions

• Best dictation software for Word, for document work in Microsoft's app
• Best dictation app for Google Docs, for browser-based writing
• Best voice to text app for email, for inbox work
• Is dictation software worth it for a business?, for the cost side of the decision
• Can you dictate in an open-plan office?, for the room and the people around you

For the terms used here, see the glossary entry on dictation software.