Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Google voice typing is a free feature inside Google Docs in the browser and the Gboard keyboard on Android and iOS, with no separate app for Windows or macOS. Recognition in Docs is cloud-based, and Russian is officially supported. Potok (potok.now) is an alternative for any app on a computer: the Ctrl+Space hotkey and 2500 words per week for free.
You can open Google voice typing in only two places: in a Google Docs tab in the browser, or through the Gboard keyboard on a phone. Switch to a desktop app, such as an email client, a code editor or Word, and the feature is simply unavailable: Google has no separate program for Windows or macOS with a single hotkey for any field. Some people run into this limit after dictating a paragraph in Docs and trying to do the same in another window; others look for a replacement in advance, before they hit the boundaries of a browser tab. A list of such options is collected in the section voice input alternatives.
Why people look for a replacement for Google voice typing
The main reason is the scope. Google voice typing works only where Google itself built it in: inside Google Docs in the browser and in the Gboard keyboard on a phone. There is no separate app for Windows or macOS that would catch dictation in any text field with the same hotkey. For email, messengers, code and documents outside Docs you need another tool.
The second reason is where the voice is physically processed. In Google Docs recognition is cloud-based, and the legal entity responsible for the service is Google LLC, registered in the USA. For companies and users who care about speech processing specifically in Russian jurisdiction, this can be a significant factor, not just a matter of convenience.
The third reason is the lack of personalization. It is not publicly described whether Google voice typing has a personal dictionary for terms, names and abbreviations that the model gets wrong again and again. By all appearances, you cannot tune recognition to your own vocabulary.
The fourth is that the offline mode is not everywhere and not always. In Gboard some advanced voice input features run on the device for certain languages and do not go to Google servers, but what share of locales this covers is not officially disclosed, and ordinary voice input generally remains cloud-based.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Google voice input (Google Docs voice typing + Gboard) | Web (Google Docs, Chrome/Edge/Safari, current versions), Android (Gboard), iOS (Gboard) | free, built into Google Docs and the Gboard keyboard | — | not disclosed | cloud: in Google Docs, speech recognition is handled by the browser, which manages the speech-to-text service and determines speech processing, after which the text is sent to Google Docs (that is, a cloud service of the browser or Google is used, not local processing). In Gboard some advanced voice typing features for certain locales run on the device and are not sent to Google servers by default, but ordinary Gboard voice input is generally cloud-based |
| Wispr Flow | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | 2000 words/week on desktop, 1000 words/week on mobile | $15/mo (Pro, monthly payment); $12/mo (Pro, when paid for a year ($144/year)) | there is no standard payment with a Russian card: on Windows/Mac/web payment is only in USD; per earlier data, from Russia it is actually possible to pay through an iOS subscription in the App Store, but the exact amount in rubles is not verified (not confirmed) | cloud (the data center country is not publicly disclosed) (not confirmed) |
| Aqua Voice | macOS, Windows, iOS | Starter: 1000 free words (Avalon model), no card required | $8/mo (Pro, billed yearly); $10/mo (Pro, monthly); $24/mo (Max, billed yearly) | unknown: the website shows payment in USD, and there is a separate purchase through the iOS App Store; acceptance of Russian cards is not confirmed (not confirmed) | cloud (own Avalon model; the country of the data center is not publicly disclosed) (not confirmed) |
| Win+H (Windows voice typing) | Windows | free, built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 | — | not disclosed | cloud (Azure Speech services, Microsoft) — an internet connection is required |
| Dragon NaturallySpeaking | Windows | not disclosed | $699.99/one-time (Dragon Professional Individual v16, perpetual licence) | not disclosed | device (offline) — local acoustic engine (~8 GB neural network) after installation; internet is only needed to activate the licence |
| Glas (LidFly) | Windows, macOS | 0 ₽ — 2000 words per week free for life, no card and no email sign-up; the first 2 weeks have no word limit | — | rubles directly: payment via SBP; invoices for companies and sole proprietors | cloud (Russia) — the site says “Russian servers, works without a VPN” |
| Typeless | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | 8000 words per week (Free plan); new users get a 30-day Pro trial, then move to Free if they do not pay | $12/mo (Pro billed yearly (effectively $144/yr)); $30/mo (Pro billed monthly) | Visa/Mastercard cards; whether Russian cards are accepted is not stated | cloud (the server country is not officially disclosed; the privacy policy only says 'processed in real time on our cloud servers') (not confirmed) |
| Voice Access in Windows 11 | Windows | free, built into Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer | — | not disclosed | on the device (offline): speech recognition on the device after a one-time download of the language pack; the internet is needed only for the initial language download |
| SpeechPad (voice notepad) | Web (Chrome), Chrome extension, Android, iOS, integration modules for Windows/Mac/Linux | basic voice input in the notepad is free; transcription of audio/video up to 15 minutes is free | 100 ₽/mo (extended mode (integration of voice input with Windows/Linux OS, removal of the 15-minute transcription limit): the amount appears in user comments/reviews, and no exact official price list was found on the site) | yes: Robokassa and bank cards are accepted (for payment from abroad, an alternative site voicenotebook.com with PayPal is mentioned) | not disclosed |
| WhispeRu | Windows | 7-day free trial (no card) | 290 ₽/mo (monthly license); 1990 ₽/yr (yearly license); 4990 ₽/one-time (lifetime license) | rubles directly (payment via YooKassa) | device (offline) |
What to check in a replacement
Before moving away from Google voice typing, work out what from your usual setup will definitely stay and what you will have to replace separately.
- Check whether text is inserted into any app on the computer with the same hotkey, and not only in a browser tab with a particular service.
- Find out where speech is physically processed and in which jurisdiction. For tasks involving personal data this may matter more than the recognition quality itself.
- Find out whether there is a personal dictionary for terms, names and abbreviations that a general model usually does not tell apart without a hint.
- Compare language specialization: whether the model is built specifically for Russian speech and mixed Russian and English text, and not just one of a hundred languages in a general list.
- Check whether there is a separate app for Windows and macOS, and not only a browser extension or a mobile keyboard.
- Find out the free limit and the terms of the paid subscription. Google voice typing has no subscription at all, while paid alternatives usually have a volume limit.
- Check how the program responds on live text with professional vocabulary, not on a short demo phrase.
- Assess what happens to the text on a weak internet connection: some cloud services lose the whole phrase if the connection breaks in the middle of a recording.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Google voice input (Google Docs voice typing + Gboard) | Web (Google Docs, Chrome/Edge/Safari, current versions), Android (Gboard), iOS (Gboard) | free, built into Google Docs and the Gboard keyboard | — | not disclosed | cloud: in Google Docs, speech recognition is handled by the browser, which manages the speech-to-text service and determines speech processing, after which the text is sent to Google Docs (that is, a cloud service of the browser or Google is used, not local processing). In Gboard some advanced voice typing features for certain locales run on the device and are not sent to Google servers by default, but ordinary Gboard voice input is generally cloud-based |
| Wispr Flow | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | 2000 words/week on desktop, 1000 words/week on mobile | $15/mo (Pro, monthly payment); $12/mo (Pro, when paid for a year ($144/year)) | there is no standard payment with a Russian card: on Windows/Mac/web payment is only in USD; per earlier data, from Russia it is actually possible to pay through an iOS subscription in the App Store, but the exact amount in rubles is not verified (not confirmed) | cloud (the data center country is not publicly disclosed) (not confirmed) |
Where Potok will not replace Google voice typing
Potok will not replace Google voice typing where you need to dictate straight from a phone. In Gboard it is the system keyboard on Android and iOS, while Potok has no mobile apps at all, only clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. If your main scenario is messages and notes from a phone, Gboard handles this task with no restrictions and for free.
On volume the comparison is not in Potok's favor either: Google voice typing in Docs and Gboard has no limit on the number of words per week, while Potok's free plan is 2500 words, after which you need a paid subscription. For those who dictate a great deal and are not ready to pay, this is an argument for Google's solution, even given its limits on where it works.
Keep the architecture in mind too: Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet, like Google voice typing in the browser. A direct comparison with one of the well-known services of this type is in the article Potok versus Wispr Flow (in Russian).
Frequently asked questions
On a computer, only inside Google Docs in the browser; there is no separate app for other programs. On a phone the same recognition is available more widely, through the Gboard keyboard in any app where you can type.
In Google Docs, no: recognition is cloud-based. In Gboard some advanced features for certain languages run on the device, but what share of locales the offline mode covers is not officially disclosed.
Google voice typing alternatives. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Google voice typing alternatives you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Google voice typing alternatives. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Google voice typing alternatives you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Google voice typing alternatives. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Google voice typing alternatives you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Google voice typing alternatives. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Google voice typing alternatives you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Try it on your own texts
Download Potok for Windows, macOS or Linux: full access for the first 14 days, no card needed. After that, 2500 words per week for free or Pro for 690 ₽ per month. Potok is a cloud service, so it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokA voice message from a messenger or a call recording can be forwarded to the bot @potok_now_bot, and it sends back the text. The bot is part of the same subscription as the Potok app.
Primary sources: support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com