Compare · Last checked Oct 2026
Wisper vs Dragon Professional
Dragon is the long-standing name in speech recognition, now built for Windows. Wisper is AI dictation for Mac, iPhone and Android. Here’s how they differ.
Choose Wisper if you’re on a Mac: Nuance lists Dragon Professional for Windows only, and Wisper adds AI clean-up, styles and translation for $49.99 a year. Choose Dragon if you work on Windows and want to control your PC by voice, transcribe recordings or manage vocabularies for a whole organization.
- Mac
- WisperYes, macOS 14+DragonNot listed
- Windows
- WisperNoDragonWindows 10 and 11
- Price
- Wisper$49.99/yearDragonNot listed
- Phone app
- WisperiPhone and AndroidDragonUS & Canada
Feature by feature
Wisper and Dragon Professional, side by side.
Every row is from each company’s own site or store listing. “—” means they don’t publish it.
| Feature | Wisper | Dragon Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | ||
| Mac | macOS 14+ | Not listed; Windows only |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11 | |
| iPhone | Wisper keyboard, iOS 17+ | Dragon Anywhere Mobile, US & Canada |
| Android | Floating bubble, Android 9+ | Dragon Anywhere Mobile, US & Canada |
| Dictation | ||
| Works in any appDictate wherever you can type | On Windows; Dictation Box as a fallback | |
| Languages | Any language | Not published |
| Offline / on-device | Android only | Mobile app needs a connection |
| Custom dictionaryNames and jargon spelled your way | Custom words | |
| SnippetsSay a phrase, insert saved text | Auto-texts | |
| AI editing | ||
| Clean-upRemoves fillers and false starts, formats | Not published | |
| Styles & tone | Presets; custom styles on Pro | Not published |
| Edit selected text by voice | Mac, iPhone and Android | Voice commands to edit and format |
| Translate as you speakTalk in one language, get text in another | Into 30 languages | Not published |
| Notes & files | ||
| Transcribe audio files | Transcribes recordings | |
| Privacy & teams | ||
| Team admin, SSO | Shared words, commands and auto-texts | |
| Pricing (USD) | ||
| Free plan | 20 dictations a day (5 on Android) | Not published |
| Paid, monthly | $19.99 | Not listed; contact sales |
| Paid, yearly | $49.99 ($4.17/mo) | Not listed; contact sales |
Last checked Oct 2026. Dragon Professional: dragon.nuance.com: Dragon Professional · dragon.nuance.com: Dragon Anywhere Mobile · dragon.nuance.com: Dragon Professional Anywhere · Microsoft Support: Learn Dragon Professional. Wisper: our pricing page and App Store / Google Play listings. Prices in USD. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Honestly
Where each one wins.
What you get with Wisper
- Runs on your MacHold a key in any Mac app — macOS 14 and later. Dragon Professional’s page lists Windows 10 and 11.
- Clean text, not just wordsFillers and false starts come out, spoken corrections are applied, lists get formatted.
- Styles and translationThe same thought as an email, a chat message or a prompt — or in another language, into 30 languages.
- A phone app anywhereThe Wisper keyboard on iPhone and a bubble on Android type into any app. Dragon Anywhere Mobile is listed for the US and Canada.
- A published price and a free plan20 dictations a day free; Pro $49.99 a year. Dragon’s pages ask you to contact sales.
Where they’re better
- WindowsBuilt and optimized for Windows 11 and 10; Wisper has no Windows app.
- Voice commandsNavigate, edit and format by voice, with your own custom commands.
- Transcribing recordingsDragon can transcribe a recording of your voice or someone else’s; Wisper doesn’t transcribe files.
- Organization-wide setupAdmins deploy and share custom words, commands and auto-texts across users.
Pricing
What it costs.
Individual plans in USD, from each company’s pricing page or store listing. Local prices can differ.
Wisper
- Free
- 20 dictations a day (5 on Android)
- Monthly
- $19.99
- Yearly
- $49.99
- Weekly
- $7.99
- Devices
- One plan covers Mac and iPhone; Android is bought on Google Play
Dragon Professional
- Dragon Professional
- Price not listed on the product page; “Contact us” for licensing
- Dragon Anywhere Mobile
- Subscription; price not listed on the product page
Which one is for you
Who should choose which.
You work on a Mac, iPhone or Android and want clean, styled text in any app without setup.
- You use a Mac
- You want fillers removed and text formatted for you
- You write in more than one language
- You want a published price and a free plan
You work on Windows and want deep voice control, recording transcription or centrally managed vocabularies.
- You work on Windows
- You control your computer by voice
- You transcribe recordings
- Your IT team manages dictation for many users
Moving from Dragon to a Mac
Try it next to Dragon Professional in 5 minutes.
- Install WisperMac App Store, App Store (iPhone and iPad) or Google Play. Free to start.
- Bring your wordsAdd the names and jargon you use — and any text you repeat as snippets. If you used Dragon, copy them over.
- Pick a style and languageChoose how your text should sound, and an output language if you write in another one.
- Run the same testDictate the same email with each and compare how much you had to fix.
Wisper vs Dragon Professional: questions.
Is there Dragon for Mac?
Nuance’s Dragon Professional page lists Windows 10 and 11 and doesn’t mention a Mac version. On a Mac, Apple Dictation is built in, and Wisper runs on macOS 14 and later.
Is Wisper a Dragon alternative for Mac?
For dictating text into any Mac app, yes — with AI clean-up, styles and translation. For controlling your computer by voice or transcribing recordings, Dragon on Windows does more.
How much does Dragon cost?
Nuance’s product pages don’t list a price; they point to sales for licensing. Wisper is free with 20 dictations a day, and Pro is $49.99 a year or $19.99 a month.
Can I bring my Dragon vocabulary?
Add the names and terms you use to Wisper’s Dictionary, and save your auto-texts as Snippets — say the phrase and Wisper inserts the text.
More comparisons
Compare Wisper with…
Try Wisper free.
Mac, iPhone and Android. Free every day; Pro from $49.99/year.