Dragon NaturallySpeaking was the gold standard for desktop dictation for decades, but at $699 for the Professional edition, Windows-only support, and declining consumer focus, it is no longer the best option for most users. Chirp is $9.99/year, runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, weighs ~95MB, and uses the modern whisper.cpp engine.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Chirp | Dragon |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $9.99/yr unlimited | $699 one-time (Professional) |
| Free tier | 28 free transcriptions | No free tier |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows only (Mac discontinued) |
| Privacy | 100% local processing | Local processing |
| Internet required | No | No (some features may require connection) |
| Auto-paste | Yes, into any app (Fn / Alt+M) | Yes, with dictation mode |
| Transcription history | Searchable local history, CSV export | Limited history |
| App size | ~95MB | ~4GB+ |
| Setup difficulty | Download, install, start speaking | Complex install, voice profile training |
| Actively maintained | Yes, regular updates | Infrequent updates, enterprise focus |
Pricing
Dragon Professional costs $699 as a one-time purchase. That is a significant upfront investment, especially when you are unsure if desktop dictation will become part of your daily workflow. Chirp lets you try 28 transcriptions for free, then charges $9.99 per year for unlimited use. Over a decade of use, Chirp would cost approximately $100 total -- less than one-seventh of Dragon's one-time price.
Size and Performance
Dragon requires roughly 4GB or more of disk space and has significant system requirements. Installation involves setting up voice profiles and training the system to recognize your speech patterns. Chirp is a ~95MB download built with Tauri 2.0 and Rust. It installs in seconds and works immediately -- no voice training, no profile setup, no configuration wizard.
Platform Support
Nuance discontinued Dragon for Mac in 2018. Today, Dragon NaturallySpeaking is exclusively a Windows product. If you use a Mac or Linux machine, Dragon is simply not available. Chirp supports macOS (both Intel and Apple Silicon with Metal acceleration), Windows 10+, and Linux from a single lightweight application.
Modern Engine
Chirp uses whisper.cpp, an optimized C/C++ implementation of OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition model. This is a modern, actively developed engine that benefits from ongoing open-source improvements. Dragon uses Nuance's proprietary speech engine, which has a long track record of accuracy but receives less frequent updates as Nuance (now Microsoft) focuses on enterprise healthcare and legal products.
When Dragon Still Makes Sense
Dragon remains a strong choice for professionals in legal and medical fields who need specialized vocabulary recognition, custom voice commands, and deep integration with industry-specific software. Dragon's vocabulary training and custom command features are more advanced than what Chirp offers. For enterprise environments with existing Nuance contracts, Dragon may also be the expected standard.
Verdict
For most people, Dragon's $699 price tag and Windows-only limitation make it a hard sell in 2026. Chirp delivers fast, accurate voice-to-text at $9.99/year across all major desktop platforms with a fraction of the disk space and zero configuration. If you need specialized enterprise dictation with custom vocabularies, Dragon still has an edge. For everything else, Chirp is the modern, affordable alternative.
Last updated: February 2026. Pricing and features may change. Dragon is a product of Nuance Communications (Microsoft). Check each product's website for the latest information.