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Ask HN: What's the best alternative to Dragon NaturallySpeaking?

29 points - 10/11/2025


Looking for windows software that replaces the need for keyboard and mouse and lets me control Windows

  • mkbkn

    10/19/2025

    I use Handy.computer

    It's just an speec-to-text software.

    • atmanactive

      10/12/2025

      https://speechpulse.com/

      • raxrb

        10/14/2025

        I personally love Dictation Daddy. The support for windows and android app is amazing.

        • add-sub-mul-div

          10/12/2025

          Talon Voice is the best I've used.

            • dotancohen

              10/14/2025

              Seems that they have a Linux version a well. I might try this, thank you!

          • nitroedge

            10/12/2025

            I really like both Dictation Daddy and Wispr Flow

              • Openai2

                10/13/2025

                Are they better than Talon Voice?

            • brudgers

              10/14/2025

              Why not use Dragon?

              Just curious.

              • vayup

                10/12/2025

                I am the developer of VoiceBuddy. If you use windows, give it a try. I have been using Dragon for 15 years, and made VoiceBuddy because I thought it can be a lot better.

                www.voicebuddy.co

                  • authorfly

                    10/12/2025

                    What changes did you make?

                      • vayup

                        10/12/2025

                        With VoiceBuddy:

                        - You can just focus on the content and speak naturally. It is extremely smart in applying punctuation and formatting.

                        - You don't need expensive Microphones to get good accuracy. The crappy microphone that comes with your laptop should be good enough.

                        For me Dragon was pretty much unusable without expensive microphone setup. And even then, it needed constant intervention for punctuation and formatting.

                        Here's an example of what I mean. In these tests, I just spoke the words, I did not dictate any punctuation. Mistakes annotated by ~

                        VoiceBuddy (with microphone built into my cheap Logitech Webcam): The color of animals is by no means a matter of choice. It depends on many considerations, but in the majority of the cases tends to protect the animal from danger by rendering it less conspicuous. Perhaps it may be said that if coloring is mainly protective, there are to be but few brightly colored animals. There are, however, not a few cases in which vivid colors are themselves protective. The kingfisher itself, though so brightly colored, is by no means easy to see. The blue harmonizes with the water and the bird, as it darts along the stream, and looks almost like a flash of sunlight.

                        Dragon 15.6(with the same microphone), unusable due to recognition errors: ~the color of ~monuments~ is by no means a matter of choice~ ~it depends on many considerations~ but in the majority of the cases tends to protect the animals from danger by rendering it less conspicuous~ ~perhaps it may be ~saidthat~ if coloring is mainly protective~ ~and~ ~not~ to be but few brightly colored animals~ ~there are~ however~ not a few cases in which ~we~ ~would~ colors ~of~ themselves protective~ ~the kingfisher itself~ though so brightly colored~ is by no means easy to see~ ~the blue harmonizes with the water ~the~ bird~ as it darts along the stream~ and looks almost like a flash of sunlight~

                        Dragon 15.6 (with $220 high-end microphone setup - Sennheiser): The color of animals is by no means a matter of choice. It depends on many considerations~ but in the majority of the cases tends to protect the animals from danger by rendering it less conspicuous~ ~perhaps it may be ~saidthat~ if coloring is mainly protective~ there are to be but few brightly colored animals~ ~there are, however~ not a few cases in which we would colors are themselves protective~ ~the kingfisher itself, though~, so brightly colored~ is by no means easy to see~ ~the blue harmonizes with the water and the ~board~~ as it darts along the stream~ and looks almost like a flash of sunlight~