Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
GigaType or Potok is a choice between offline recognition on the device and a cloud service. GigaType is built on GigaAM, Sber's neural network trained specifically for Russian, and works without the internet on Windows and macOS. Potok (potok.now) recognizes speech in the cloud, on servers in Russia, with a free limit of 2500 words per week. GigaType's prices and payment terms are not published on its site.
GigaType is a dictation program for Windows and macOS that recognizes speech entirely on the device, using GigaAM, Sberbank's neural network trained specifically for Russian. It is a ready solution for those for whom offline mode and a domestic recognition model matter. Prices, a free plan and the payment method are not published on the developer's site.
| 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 |
| GigaType | Windows, macOS | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — | not needed: there are no paid plans | device (offline, Sber's GigaAM neural network) |
| Molvi | Windows, macOS | free forever, no accounts and no payment | — | not needed: the product is free; voluntary donations are accepted via Telegram Tribute or by card on the website, amounts are not fixed | device (offline; best quality on an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise a fast model on the CPU) |
| 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) |
When to take GigaType
GigaType makes sense if offline mode matters: the sound does not leave the computer, recognition runs entirely on the device, and work does not depend on the internet at all. For tasks where it matters that audio physically does not leave the computer (confidential documents, closed meetings, work without a stable network), this is a direct advantage over cloud services. The program is available on Windows and macOS, so the choice of platform is not a limit here.
The recognition model itself also plays a role: GigaAM was developed by Sberbank specifically for Russian, and for those who care that recognition is built on a domestic development for Russian speech specifically, this is a separate argument in favor of GigaType.
Prices, a free plan and the payment method are not published on the developer's site, though. Those who need to know the cost and cancellation terms in advance should ask the developer directly before installing.
When to take Potok
Potok makes sense if you need dictation in any app by hotkey: emails, chats, documents, code, all in one tool with the same behavior. It works the same on Windows and macOS, with the same default hotkey, Ctrl+Space. The free limit is 2500 words per week with no card, and for the first 14 days all Pro features are available.
Potok also has a personal dictionary and snippets by voice: words from the dictionary are recognized the way you wrote them. This is handy for those who dictate a lot of specific vocabulary: terms, names, brands.
At the same time Potok is always in the cloud: it does not work without the internet, and the sound goes to a server, even if in Russia. For those for whom offline mode matters, this is a limit that a subscription does not remove.
| Service | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Potok | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly |
| GigaType | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — |
A third option for Russian speech
If neither GigaType nor Potok fit, when choosing a third option it is worth checking the same three points that already decided the choice between the first two. First: where speech is physically recognized, on the device as with GigaType or on a server as with Potok. This determines whether the internet is needed and where the sound goes. Second: whether the model is trained specifically for Russian, like GigaAM at GigaType and Potok's own model, or is a general multilingual model adapted for Russian later. Third: whether the price and payment terms are published openly on the site. GigaType, for example, does not have this information yet.
Other options are worth looking at by the same three points, for example Molvi and Aqua Voice in Russian: where the sound is recognized, whether the model is trained for Russian and whether the price is published openly.
When Potok is not needed here
Potok is not needed if offline mode is a hard requirement for you rather than a wish: where the sound should not leave the computer at all, GigaType or a similar offline program fits better by definition, and no Potok subscription will change that. Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work at all without the internet. Potok also has no voice editing commands like “udali poslednee slovo” (delete the last word). Such an edit is still made by hand.
Another situation where Potok is excessive: if you only need transcription of finished recordings, not dictation on the fly. Potok recognizes only what is spoken right now and does not work with files. Here it is worth looking not at the two programs from this comparison but at a separate class of tools, transcribers.
Frequently asked questions
GigaAM is Sberbank's neural network for speech recognition, trained specifically for Russian. GigaType uses it for offline recognition on the device, without sending sound to a server.
Pages with plans, the free limit and the payment method are not published on the developer's site. For current terms it is worth contacting the developer directly.
GigaType or Potok. 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 GigaType or Potok you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
GigaType or Potok. 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 GigaType or Potok you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
GigaType or Potok. 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 GigaType or Potok you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
GigaType or Potok. 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 GigaType or Potok you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to start
Potok is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. For two weeks everything is open for free, after that 2500 words per week without paying. 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: gigatype.app · support.microsoft.com