Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
A-Golos and Potok (potok.now) solve one task in different ways: A-Golos counts its plan in minutes of audio and works on macOS, Windows and Android, while Potok works on Windows, macOS and Linux with a limit of 2500 words per week on the free plan. The main difference is in recognition: Potok has its own model for Russian speech, and A-Golos uses an OpenAI model with Russian prompts and a dictionary.
A-Golos and Potok solve the same task in different ways: A-Golos counts its plan in minutes of audio and has an Android version, while Potok has a weekly word limit and versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. The difference is deeper than the platforms: A-Golos recognizes Russian speech with an OpenAI model with Russian prompts and a dictionary, while Potok has its own model trained for the Russian language.
Where A-Golos is strong
A-Golos's main advantage is Android support on a par with Windows and macOS. This is a weighty argument for those who dictate from a phone as often as at a computer: Potok has no mobile apps at all.
The second plus is a flexible line of paid plans by the volume of audio minutes per month: three levels, from small to substantial, with a noticeable discount for yearly payment compared with monthly. This lets you match the volume to your real load, and not overpay for an unused reserve of minutes or hit the limit of the minimum plan in the middle of the month.
Payment is also simple for a user from Russia: rubles are charged directly through an external payment provider, with no need to look for workarounds, and the free plan, 20 minutes of audio per month, does not require a card at all.
One more plus is easy to miss: Russian is supported here separately, with prompts, a dictionary of filler words and formatting tuned specifically for Russian speech.
| 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 |
| A-Golos | macOS, Windows, Android | 20 minutes of audio per month free, no card attached | 490 ₽/mo (Lite, 120 min/mo); 4900 ₽/yr (Lite, yearly); 950 ₽/mo (Pro, 300 min/mo) | rubles directly (through an external payment provider, card data is not stored by the service) | cloud: the policy states that personal data is stored on servers in Russia, but the speech recognition itself is performed by OpenAI (USA); results and audio are not stored on the company's servers |
| 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) |
Payment and where data is stored
Both services accept payment in rubles directly, without workarounds: for Potok it is a card from a Russian bank, for A-Golos also rubles through an external payment provider, which itself stores the card data, not the service. In terms of ease of payment, there is almost no difference for a user from Russia.
The difference begins where the audio is physically processed. In Potok, recognition runs on servers in Russia, on its own model. In A-Golos it is more complicated: the privacy policy states that personal data is stored on servers in Russia, but the speech recognition itself is performed not by the company itself but by OpenAI, an organization from the USA. At the same time, according to the same policy, audio and recognition results are not stored on A-Golos servers.
For users for whom it is essential that the voice never leave Russia at any stage of processing, this is a substantial difference, not a formality.
The exact data transfer scheme, if the question is important to you, is worth clarifying with support separately: the general wording in the policy does not reveal the architecture.
How each handles Russian
Potok has its own model trained for Russian speech: it recognizes names, professional terms and mixed Russian-English speech.
In A-Golos, recognition is performed by an OpenAI model. Russian is supported by prompts, a dictionary of filler words and formatting; according to the developer, all three elements are tuned specifically for Russian speech.
It is impossible to say in advance which of the two approaches will better handle the specific names and terms from your practice: accuracy on specific vocabulary cannot be predicted from a description on a website. You can check with your own phrases: both services have free access with no card attached, so the comparison costs nothing except a few minutes for a trial dictation with the names, terms and phrases that you really use at work.
| A-Golos | Potok | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | A-Golos: macOS, Windows, Android | Potok: Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Free | A-Golos: 20 minutes of audio per month free, no card attached | Potok: Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed |
| Price | A-Golos: 490 ₽/mo (Lite, 120 min/mo); 4900 ₽/yr (Lite, yearly); 950 ₽/mo (Pro, 300 min/mo) | Potok: Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly |
| Payment from Russia | A-Golos: rubles directly (through an external payment provider, card data is not stored by the service) | Potok: Russian bank cards, rubles |
| Where speech is recognized | A-Golos: cloud: the policy states that personal data is stored on servers in Russia, but the speech recognition itself is performed by OpenAI (USA); results and audio are not stored on the company's servers | Potok: cloud; internet required |
| Russian language | A-Golos: prompts, a dictionary of filler words and formatting are tuned for Russian speech | Potok: primary language |
| Company | A-Golos: “MARKET LINK” (LLC form OsOO on the website, LLC form OOO in the privacy policy), INN 9909692242, OGRN 303671-3301-000, registered in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (not confirmed) | Potok: Sole proprietor, Russia |
Sources: agolos.ru · agolos.ru
| 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 |
| A-Golos | 20 minutes of audio per month free, no card attached | 490 ₽/mo (Lite, 120 min/mo); 4900 ₽/yr (Lite, yearly); 950 ₽/mo (Pro, 300 min/mo) |
When it is better to stay with A-Golos
For those who already use a per-minute plan on Android and do not plan to sit down at a computer, Potok gives no replacement: it has no mobile version at all.
There are also two less obvious cases. Potok does not transcribe already finished recordings (meetings, podcasts, voice messages): it inserts only what is said right now, not a file from the past. And if you need to dictate all working day, Potok's free limit of 2500 words per week will not be enough, and a paid plan is needed after that.
And most important: Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work at all without the internet. A-Golos is no better in this sense (both services are cloud ones and do not work without a network): the difference is only in where and how the data goes next. Other options on the market can be assessed with the help of the section comparing voice input programs, and specific facts about another service are in the review of WhisperU.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, A-Golos supports macOS, Windows and Android. Potok has no mobile apps; it has versions for Windows, macOS and Linux.
The A-Golos policy states that personal data is stored on servers in Russia, but the speech recognition itself is performed by OpenAI in the USA, and according to the same policy, audio and results are not stored on A-Golos servers. In Potok, recognition and storage are on servers in Russia, on its own model.
Potok or A-Golos. 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 Potok or A-Golos you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Potok or A-Golos. 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 Potok or A-Golos you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Potok or A-Golos. 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 Potok or A-Golos you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Potok or A-Golos. 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 Potok or A-Golos 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.