There are many factors to consider when looking for the best voice dictation software. For example, one of the questions you will want to ask is what operating systems are supported? If you run Linux, there are limited options (although they do exist). On the flipside, if you want speech recognition on Mac, there are lots of options.
You also may want to take into account how easy the voice-to-text engine is. Some programs offer dictation improvements that allow for smoother typing.
Verbit
OS: Requires API
Price: upon request
Best for: People who need highly accurate transcriptions in professional or learning environments, but not immediately
G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Verbit claims a more than 99% accuracy rate, making it ideal for those times when accuracy is critical or when you don’t want to comb through the text to fix mistakes after it’s been created. Real-time transcription services are available, along with proofing and editing options, although it will take a few hours for the final version to be delivered. The service is used by court-reporting agencies, which by necessity must be very accurate, meaning it will also be sufficient for plenty of other uses.
Features
- Very high level of accuracy
- Real-time transcription
Pros
- Easy to operate
- Cost-effective compared to other solutions
- Good customer service
Cons
- Delays in receiving final transcribed text with proofing
- Proofing is not automated, which leaves room for human error and possible delays in delivery
Speechmatics
OS: Windows
Price: upon request
Best for: Businesses requiring transcription services
Capterra rating: 4.5 out of 5
Speechmatics is able to transcribe real-time or prerecorded audio and video files. It takes into account dialect and punctuation when transcribing and can handle multiple speakers and languages. The software was trained using speech from 40 countries. After processing tens of billions of words spoken in English from around the world, it is able to understand multiple accents. This makes it especially useful for international companies who need to transcribe meetings and have found other software unable to deal with the various accents.
Features
- Understands numerous English dialects and accents
- Enterprise-ready
Pros
- Accuracy has been deemed among the best among the long line of voice-to-text products
Cons
- Document outputs to a pdf, which can be difficult to edit or manage
- Has trouble with mumbled speech, making this less effective for users with speech impediments
Temi
OS: Chrome, Safari
Price: free trial / $0.25 per minute
Best for: American English users who don’t need a highly accurate transcription
TechRadar rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Temi works well when used in an environment free of background noise, and the person speaking has an American Accent. In other instances, such as noisy places with non-native English speakers, you may experience some roadblocks with the app. Designed for use with pre-recorded audio, the interface is easy to use if you have a meeting that you recorded and need transcribed, or a long interview that needs to be documented. Simply upload a file, check a few boxes about audio quality, and that’s it.
Features
- Has a mobile app for audio transcription on the go
- Works with pre-recorded audio
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Accepts multiple file types for uploading pre-recordings
Cons
- Doesn’t work well with non-American English accents
- Struggles to distinguish voices from background noise
Gboard
OS: Android
Price: free
Best for: Making quick notes on the go
Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Gboard is a keyboard app for Android users that offers increased functionality when compared to a mobile device’s built-in touchscreen keyboard. Voice typing, as Google calls it, allows you to compose hands-free text messages or notes. The app also adds swipe functionality to the keyboard for ease of typing.
Features
- Easily writes dictated texts and short messages
- Includes a translate function
Pros
- Allows convenient texting and note-taking without requiring touchscreen keyboard tapping, which can often be challenging for typing
Cons
- Does not fully understand slang language or colloquialisms, which are often included in text messaging
- Commonly experiences delays or lags in recording audio and writing the text
Just Press Record
OS: iOS
Price: free
Best for: iPhone users seeking a simple recorder
Apple App Store rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This is a simple app that uses your phone’s built-in microphone to record audio. As the name says, it is easy to use as it just includes a record button that you tap to capture speech. The app then creates a text transcription of the dictation. The app also backs up files in iCloud.
Features
- Works with Apple Watch
- Can edit audio-to-text results in the app
Pros
- Simple to operate
- Creates iCloud backups
Cons
- Not 100% accurate when recording audio and turning to text
- Punctuation needs to be dictated, which adds more time to the process
SpeechTexter
OS: Android
Price: free
Best for: Fans of the desktop version who need a mobile solution
Google Play rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
Like the desktop version, the app is simple and easy to use. It tends to be fairly accurate, but the lack of punctuation means you’ll have to edit the transcribed text to make it grammatically correct. There may still be some flaws in the system, as users have reported a tendency for the app to crash and delete their files. When it works, however, it can help with accurately transcribing speech.
Features
- Uses Google’s voice-to-text engine
Pros
- Good for quick notes to yourself
- Simple to use
Cons
- Tends to crash or delete files occasionally
- Advertisements on the program can be intrusive
Voice notes
OS: Android
Price: free
Best for: Making short notes on the go
Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Voice Notes is meant for short recordings and is ideal for capturing ideas on the go. This makes it a good option for creatives who need to record thoughts on the go with their voice quickly but need the idea written down as well. The app also includes an option to set reminders, making it operate similarly to an alarm clock for meeting or event reminders. The app also has an option to share notes with people through social networks or email.
Features
- Intuitive interface
- Reminder options
- Sharing notes via social media
Pros
- Accurate speech recognition
- Works well as a quick way to capture ideas and notes
Cons
- Stops recording after a short pause in speaking
- Can experience delays or lags in registering audio and turning to text
ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes
OS: Android
Price: free
Best for: Quick notes and to-do lists
Google Play rating: 4.1 out of 5
ListNote, like the name implies, works best for tasks such as list-making and jotting down quick ideas. The interface makes organizing or categorizing notes relatively easy, and notes can be color-coded to easily find them later. Because it’s made as a note-taking app and optimized for shorter text lengths, it’s not a good choice for dictating more extended texts.
Features
- Password protection
- Color-coding notes for better navigation
Pros
- Easy to quickly make notes
- Good speech recognition
Cons
- Ads on the app can be distracting
- Has a tendency to crash
Evernote
Platform: Android
As Evernote uses the built-in Android speech recognition software, the app requires you to be connected to a network to use it. The audio and text file are saved together to allow you to track down a note more easily.
There are also features to interact with other Evernote users such as in-app chat. Another free application, Evernote has been downloaded by over a million users from the Google Play Store.
OneNote
You might not immediately think of Microsoft’s note-taking app as a dictation tool, but it’s great for people who want to keep verbal notes and aren’t interested in the speech-to-text side.
OneNote even comes with a special microphone widget that you can add to your home screen. To use the dictation widget, long-press any empty space on your home screen and go to Widgets > OneNote > OneNote Audio Note.
Of course, Evernote offers similar functionality. However, since mid-2016, many of Evernote’s best features require a subscription. OneNote is free for all users.
Download: OneNote (Free)
Google Assistant
Google Assistant deserves a mention in this category. Similar to Voice Text, it’s not a pure productivity app like the first three on the list; it fulfills a different niche.
The virtual assistant has many features you’ll find useful, including location-based reminders, the ability to control your smart home devices, and a podcast player. We’re more interested in the talk-to-text feature.
You can use Google Assistant to make verbal reminders, create lists with your voice, and even manage your diary. The Assistant also lets you use speech-to-text to add events to your calendar.
To take the app’s voice-based capabilities to the next level, you should pair it IFTTT. There are lots of great IFTTT recipes for Google Assistant to get started with.
If you’re not a fan of Google Assistant, you could try Microsoft’s Cortana instead. The app, which has been available on Android since 2017, also lets you take verbal notes.
Download: Google Assistant (Free)
Conclusion
You could utilize this for any documentation that you would need to get done. By putting in some extra time, you will get it done, but also maintain all the other duties that you have within your company. It can be worth it to check out if you want to maximize the amount of work that gets done and also save employees from making mistakes.