Dragon NaturallySpeaking vs Hedy: the honest comparison.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the Windows-first dictation workhorse. Hedy is the bot-free meeting coach across Mac, Windows, mobile, and web. Ottex is the Mac/iOS reference when you want dictation and meetings in one product.
Ottex
Mac, iOS · Free tier · $14/mo · PAYG
Ottex is unusually broad for a young Mac/iOS-first tool: it turns dictation and meetings into emails, tickets, CRM updates, notes, and docs, but it is not the pick if you need Windows, Android, web, browser extension, or compliance paperwork.
Choose if
You want one tool for system-wide dictation, meeting recording, and finished written outcomes like follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs
You want a real free path: unlimited local dictation, file transcription, and meetings on Mac with Whisper/Parakeet, or BYOK instead of a forced subscription
You need multilingual dictation with 100+ languages, auto-detection, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules
Look elsewhere if
You need Windows, Android, Linux, web access, or a browser extension
You need mature team infrastructure such as a shared workspace, API/webhooks, third-party note destinations, or assistant chat over transcripts today.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Windows, iOS, Android · Pricing not published
Dragon is still a serious Windows-first dictation workhorse with custom vocabulary, macros, local desktop transcription, and batch audio processing, but it is not a meeting assistant and its pricing is contact-sales instead of transparent.
Choose if
You want heavy-duty Windows dictation with custom words, Auto-Texts, and voice commands/macros.
You need local desktop dictation and audio-file transcription in Dragon Professional v16, including batch/watch-folder transcription.
You work in Windows apps and want recognized text inserted at the cursor rather than managing a separate web recorder.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recording, speaker identification, summaries, action items, follow-up drafts, or cross-meeting search.
You need macOS, Linux, web, or browser-extension support; the published desktop product line is Windows-based, with mobile apps on iOS and Android in the US and Canada.
Hedy is strongest as a bot-free live meeting coach and searchable conversation memory, with local/offline options and broad platform support, but it is not a system-wide dictation tool and lacks proven speaker labels, hotkeys, snippets, or
Choose if
You want real-time coaching during meetings, with questions, blind-spot alerts, talking points, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps after the session.
You need bot-free capture for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, in-person conversations, or imported audio/video, with apps across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and web
You value privacy controls: local speech recognition by default, optional local AI, optional cloud sync, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type I claims.
Look elsewhere if
You need system-wide dictation that inserts polished text into any app; Hedy explicitly does not support system-wide insertion or context-aware dictation.
You need meeting transcripts with publicly claimed speaker identification, timestamp exports, or speaker labels; those claims are not present here.
The evidence
What actually differs, claim by claim.
Each section opens with the takeaway. The table underneath is the receipt — every cell carries its source and the date we checked it.
Pricing
Hedy is the transparent buy: Free includes up to 5 hours per month, Pro is $12.99/mo, and Lifetime is $299 one-time. Dragon NaturallySpeaking publishes no prices for Dragon Professional v16, Dragon Professional Anywhere, or Dragon Anywhere Mobile, so it is harder to budget without sales contact. Ottex is the cheaper flexible reference if Mac/iOS works for you: free local or BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, or $14/mo Pro.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Hedy
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
NoNo free plan
PartialSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Up to 5 hours per month; Real-time AI insights (first 30 min/session)
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
NoNo subscription plan
$12.99/moSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pro adds unlimited sessions, recording import, cross-session organization, Zapier, and API integrations.
Pay-as-you-go / one-timeEscape the flat subscription
$0.2/hourSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).
NoSubscription only
$299 one-timeSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026All future updates included
Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026OpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026No BYOK support is published.
No public claim
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
No public claim
No public claim
Platforms
Hedy wins coverage with Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Web. Dragon NaturallySpeaking covers Windows, iOS, and Android, but its desktop line is Windows-based and it does not cover Mac, Linux, web, or browser extension workflows. Ottex is narrower than both on platform because it is Mac and iOS only.
See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Hedy
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
Windows, iOS, AndroidSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: hedy.ai/downloads — checked Jun 2026
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM.
YesSource: nuance.com/products — checked Jun 2026Dragon Professional v16 is installed as a Windows application.
YesSource: hedy.ai/post — checked Jun 2026Vendor describes a native macOS application.
Meetings & team memory
Hedy wins meeting capture because it records bot-free meetings and conversations on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, in-person sessions, and imported audio/video, with a 5-hour free monthly tier. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has no meetings capability, even though it does dictation and file transcription. Ottex also records meetings, but only on Mac and iOS.
See the evidence — 17 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Hedy
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Hedy records live sessions and meeting conversations.
Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Jun 2026Feature page says no bot joins calls.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
No public claim
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Google Calendar is listed in the help center and news page.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Jun 2026Pro users can group sessions and ask questions across conversations weeks ago.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Sharing sessions and topics is listed in the help center.
From meeting to finished work
Hedy beats Dragon NaturallySpeaking for meeting intelligence because it provides real-time questions, blind-spot alerts, talking points, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has 0 meeting assistant capability, so it cannot produce action items, summaries, or cross-meeting memory. Ottex is the broader work-output reference when follow-ups, CRM updates, tickets, PRDs, and docs matter.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Hedy
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: play.google.com/store — checked Jun 2026Google Play listing says Hedy can find decisions across past conversations.
Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Drafted from templates or your own.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Auto-recap emails are listed for sharing insights.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
No public claim
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: hedy.ai/post — checked Jun 2026Hedy 3 added in-meeting note-taking that powers AI suggestions.
Dictation & transcription AI
Dragon NaturallySpeaking wins dictation because it is built for system-wide Windows dictation, custom words, Auto-Texts, voice commands, macros, and audio-file transcription. Hedy is not a system-wide dictation tool, though it has file transcription, 30 languages, local speech recognition by default, and optional local AI for meetings. Ottex is the reference if you need Mac/iOS dictation plus 100+ languages, local models, BYOK, and per-app output rules.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Hedy
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
Nuance Deep Learning speech engineSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Dragon Professional v16 uses a speech engine powered by Nuance Deep Learning technology.
Two local and two cloud speech recognition providersSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Users can choose between private on-device transcription and cloud-based speech recognition.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.
PartialSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026Dragon Professional v16 is installed locally; Dragon Anywhere Mobile uses cloud dictation.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Local speech recognition and local AI processing can run on-device and offline.
Model selection per task
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider.
NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Jun 2026No user-selectable recognition model is published.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Speech recognition provider can be changed in Settings > Speech & AI.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.
No public claim
YesSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Jun 202630+ languages · App Store listing says Hedy supports multilingual conversations while returning insights in the preferred language.
Per-app output rules
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.
No public claim
No public claim
Cost
What a year actually costs at your volume.
Personal or team — switch tabs. Subscriptions are flat; usage-based pricing depends on how much you speak and meet.
OttexSubscription - Pro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
Estimates, not quotes. Striped bar segments are the cost of the second app you picked above to cover the gap — rankings use that combined total. PAYG uses hosted at-cost estimates ($0.2/h dictation, $0.5/h meetings); BYOK is estimated at about a third of that because you pay the model provider directly. Bring-your-own-key plans still pay the model provider per use. One-time licenses are amortized over 2 years. Subscriptions use published pricing, checked Jun 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking vs Hedy: which should I pick?
Pick Dragon NaturallySpeaking if you need heavy Windows dictation, custom words, Auto-Texts, macros, and text inserted at the cursor. Pick Hedy if you need bot-free meeting capture, live coaching, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Web.
Is Dragon NaturallySpeaking free?
No free Dragon NaturallySpeaking plan is listed in the input, and Dragon pricing is not published. If price transparency matters, Hedy is easier to evaluate because it has a Free plan, $12.99/mo Pro, and a $299 one-time Lifetime plan. For a genuinely free dictation path, consider Ottex because it offers free local AI or free BYOK on Mac and iOS.
Is Hedy free?
Yes, Hedy has a Free plan with up to 5 hours per month and real-time AI insights for the first 30 minutes per session. That can work for occasional meetings, but Pro at $12.99/mo is the real plan for unlimited meeting length and sessions. Hedy is still not a system-wide dictation tool.
How much does Dragon NaturallySpeaking cost compared with Hedy?
Dragon NaturallySpeaking pricing is not published for Dragon Professional v16, Dragon Professional Anywhere, or Dragon Anywhere Mobile. Hedy publishes $0/mo Free, $12.99/mo Pro, and $299 one-time Lifetime. If you need a known price before talking to sales, Hedy wins.
Is Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Hedy safer for privacy?
Hedy is the clearer privacy pick in this input because it claims local speech recognition by default, optional local AI, optional cloud sync, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type I. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is stronger for desktop dictation workflows, but the digest does not give the same privacy-control detail here.
Is it worth switching from Dragon NaturallySpeaking to Hedy?
Switch to Hedy if your main work has moved from dictating into Windows apps to recording meetings, getting live coaching, and creating summaries or follow-up recaps. Stay on Dragon NaturallySpeaking if you rely on Windows cursor insertion, custom vocabulary, Auto-Texts, macros, or batch audio transcription.
Does Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Hedy work on Windows and Android?
Both cover Windows and Android in the input. Hedy also covers Mac, iOS, and Web, while Dragon NaturallySpeaking covers Windows, iOS, and Android and is not listed for Mac, Linux, web, or browser extensions.
