Is there a free alternative to Dragon NaturallySpeaking?

Yes, for plain dictation. The tools built into Apple's and Microsoft's systems type what you say into a text box, and free open source apps add offline choices. The limits are language coverage, internet use and how much the tool tidies your text. Test the free option on your own writing before you cancel Dragon, because a free tool that needs many corrections can cost you more time than a paid one saves.

The built-in tools on Mac and Windows need no separate purchase

Both platforms include dictation as part of the operating system. On a Mac running macOS 27, you turn Dictation on in System Settings:

1. Choose Keyboard in the sidebar.
2. Go to Dictation, turn it on and click Enable. ¹

Apple's Dictation covers 63 language and regional variants on the Mac ². Check your own language against Apple's list before you rely on it.

Windows 11 includes voice typing, which needs three things: an internet connection, a working microphone and the cursor in a text box ³. If you write offline, that requirement rules voice typing out.

Windows Voice Access works offline once it is set up

Voice Access is the Windows option that goes beyond typing, because it controls the PC by voice. Its first-time setup needs an internet connection ⁴. After that, Windows 11 Voice Access controls the PC and writes text by voice without an internet connection ⁵. So Voice Access, which is built into Windows 11, works offline once the setup is done. For the commands it supports and how it compares with Dragon's hands-free control, see the question on Dragon alternatives that control the computer.

Free open source apps work offline, but you set them up yourself

Handy describes itself as a free, open source speech-to-text application that works completely offline ⁶. It is the free choice to test if you need dictation without a connection and do not mind a separate app.

Buzz is another free, open source option. It describes itself as transcribing and translating audio offline on a personal computer, and its code is released under the MIT License ⁷. The license covers Buzz's code. Read the terms of each app you install, because the license of the app is not the same thing as the terms of the speech models it uses.

Superwhisper is a paid app with a free plan. On its Free plan, dictation uses local Whisper models without AI processing, and the company says nothing dictated leaves the device ⁸. If keeping audio on your device matters most, that free plan is the one to test first. Compare any paid tier with the cost of dictation software before you choose one.

The free options fall short on tidying, languages and internet use

The built-in tools differ in how much they tidy what you say, and the features depend on your version of the system, so check what your own version does. If you want full cleanup as you speak, that is what the paid AI apps add, and the question on whether AI dictation beats Dragon covers the evidence for them.

Language is the second limit. Each free tool supports a different list of languages, so the test is simple: find your language on the tool's own list and confirm it there. If you dictate in a language the free tool does not cover, Dragon's replacement is a different product, and the free option does not solve your problem.

Internet use is the third limit. Voice typing on Windows needs a connection, while Voice Access works offline after setup, and a free open source app works offline by design. Match the tool to the places you write.

Which free option fits your situation

• Mac, plain dictation: Apple Dictation, if your language is on Apple's list.
• Windows, plain dictation: Windows voice typing, when you have an internet connection.
• Windows, hands-free control: Voice Access, after its one-time setup.
• Offline, free, and willing to set up: an open source app such as Handy, tested on your own speech.

What to do before you cancel Dragon

1. Dictate a 300-word draft in the app where you write most, using the free tool you are testing.
2. Count the words you had to fix by hand, and how long the fixes took. Compare that with Dragon if you still have it.
3. Confirm your language and your operating system version on the tool's own list before you rely on it.
4. Copy any custom words you added to Dragon before you remove it, and check whether the new tool can import them. Read about custom vocabulary if the term is new.
5. Read the whole comparison in our guide to Dragon NaturallySpeaking alternatives, which covers paid options and their privacy settings, or start at dictation software for the whole subject.

The free tier term explains what free plans usually limit. For the free built-in options on their own, see the guide to free dictation software.