Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
Of the 35 voice input programs and services in our database, 20 work on both Windows and macOS, another 8 only on Windows and 3 only on macOS. 4 services have neither a Windows nor a macOS version: they are web, mobile apps or browser extensions. Potok (potok.now) works on Windows, macOS and Linux, but is not part of this count.
Before choosing a voice input service, it is important to know whether it works on your system. We counted in our database how many of the 35 programs have versions for Windows, for macOS or for both systems at once. Similar counts on other features are collected in the section with voice input statistics.
How we counted
We took our own verified potok.now database of 35 voice input programs and services and went through the platforms field of each. Windows was counted if the row contained the word "Windows", macOS if it contained "macOS" or "Mac", and Linux if it contained "Linux". The categories do not overlap: a service falls into either "both systems", or Windows only, or macOS only, or neither, in which case it is web, a mobile app or a browser extension. SpeechPad and Otter.ai fell into the "both" category because their data separately name modules or desktop versions for Windows and Mac. Potok (Windows, macOS, Linux) is not part of this count of other companies' services.
| Platforms | Services | Which |
|---|---|---|
| Windows and macOS | 20 | Diktuy, Talkpad, Voisty, GigaType, Molvi, Lispr, v2txt.ru, Typeless, A-Golos, Airword, Glas (LidFly), Wispr Flow, Willow Voice, Aqua Voice, Spokenly, SuperWhisper, Voibe, SpeechPad (a voice notepad), Otter.ai, VoiceHotKey |
| Among computers, Windows only | 8 | SpeakFlow, WhispeRu, RechFlow, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Speechify, Win+H (Windows voice input), Voice Access in Windows 11, Voco (TsRT) and Laitis: legacy voice input programs for Windows |
| Among computers, macOS only | 3 | MacWhisper, VoiceInk, Apple Dictation |
| Neither Windows nor macOS | 4 | Google voice input (Google Docs voice typing + Gboard), Yandex dictation (Alice / Yandex Keyboard), Transkriptor, Lynote |
| Has a Linux version | 3 | Spokenly, SpeechPad (a voice notepad), VoiceHotKey |
| Total | 35 | — |
Windows, Mac or both: platforms of 35 voice input services
"Both systems" is the biggest group, 20 of 35: it includes Russian services like Diktuy and GigaType and foreign ones like Wispr Flow, SuperWhisper and Otter.ai. Some of them also have versions for phones: for example, Wispr Flow also works on iOS and Android, and Spokenly also on Linux. Whether Wispr Flow accepts payment by a Russian card is covered in a separate breakdown of paying for Wispr Flow from Russia (in Russian). "Windows only" is 8 services, among them not only third-party programs like WhispeRu and Dragon NaturallySpeaking but also ones built into the system itself: Win+H and Voice Access in Windows 11. "macOS only" is 3: MacWhisper, VoiceInk and Apple's built-in Dictation, which also works on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS. In the group "neither Windows nor macOS" there are 4 services with no separate app for these systems: Google voice input works in the web version of Google Docs (in the browser) and in Gboard, and Yandex dictation works in Yandex Keyboard on Android.
Where these figures are not about Potok
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. In the count of 35 services above, Potok is not included: it has only other companies' programs, and we did not count our own support for Windows, macOS and Linux there.
Frequently asked questions
3 of the 35 services in the count have Linux versions: Spokenly, SpeechPad (a voice notepad) and VoiceHotKey. Potok also has a Linux version, but it is not part of this count of other companies' services.
Windows, Mac or both. 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 Windows, Mac or both you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Windows, Mac or both. 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 Windows, Mac or both you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Windows, Mac or both. 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 Windows, Mac or both you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Windows, Mac or both. 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 Windows, Mac or both you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Download Potok
Works with a single key in any program. 14 days of full access, then Free with 2500 words per week or Pro at 690 ₽/mo (499 ₽/mo paid yearly). Potok is a cloud service, so it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokThe Potok subscription also includes the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message or a long meeting recording and it returns the text. Without a subscription the bot gives 60 minutes per month for free.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |