Braina vs Dragon Professional

Braina

• Windows users who want dictation together with voice control of the PC
• People who want dictation, AI chat and automation in one program
• Dictating specialist vocabulary with custom words and templates

Dragon Professional

• Professionals who dictate long documents on a Windows PC
• People who need to control a computer entirely by voice
• Organizations that want central control of dictation licenses

Braina

• The free Lite edition does not include dictation; that starts with Pro at $99 for one year.
• Licenses run for fixed terms of 1, 2 or 3 years, and Pro is Windows only: macOS support, on Apple Silicon, needs Pro Plus or Pro Ultra.
• Refunds must be requested within 7 days, apply only to a first purchase of up to 3 licenses, and have 12% deducted.
• The Android and iOS apps are remote microphones for the desktop program, not standalone dictation apps.

Dragon Professional

• Windows only: it runs on Windows 10 and 11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022. There is no Mac version.
• The Dragon site publishes no price and directs orders to a sales phone line; the figure recorded here is one reseller's advertised price.
• File transcription is built for one speaker's voice at a time, not for recordings with several speakers.
• An internet connection is required to download and activate the product, and moving a voice profile between PCs also needs one.

Braina

Dictation in any program

With dictation mode on, speech is typed into whichever field has focus, in Word, Outlook, Gmail, Google Docs or other software. No voice training or user profiles are needed. Paid editions only.

Spoken editing commands

Commands such as "new paragraph", "delete that", "undo" and "change language to German" edit and navigate while dictating, alongside a list of spoken punctuation marks.

Custom vocabulary and templates

Teach Braina uncommon names, addresses and technical jargon, and set up dictation templates and canned answers. The vendor says it already recognizes most medical, legal and scientific terms.

Voice assistant and automation

Built-in voice commands open apps, files and websites, control windows, play media and set alarms. Custom commands, hotkeys and keyboard macros automate repetitive steps.

AI chat and local language models

Chat by voice or text with cloud models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others using Advanced AI Credits, or run open models such as Llama, Qwen and Gemma on the computer.

File transcription and phone microphone

Audio files, and video files in Pro, are transcribed on the computer without an internet connection. Android and iOS apps turn a phone into a wireless microphone over Wi-Fi.

Dragon Professional

Dictation into Windows applications

Types what you say into documents, spreadsheets, presentations and form-based reports. The speech engine adapts to the speaker's voice, accent and surroundings while dictating.

Custom voice commands and macros

Step-by-Step and Auto-text commands launch applications or insert boilerplate text and signatures, and a Macro Recorder captures keystrokes and mouse clicks to replay by voice.

Audio file transcription

Transcribes recorded notes or audio files from a single speaker into text, and the Auto Transcribe Folder Agent works through batches of recordings.

Vocabulary management

Add custom words and word lists, import or export industry terminology, edit word properties and share the results with other users.

Hands-free computer control

Accessibility commands open applications, navigate menus and position the cursor by voice using a mouse grid that works across multiple monitors.

Nuance Management Center

In group deployments, administrators track usage, reassign licenses and distribute custom words, commands and auto-texts from one console.

Braina

• Braina Lite$0

  For 1 Windows or macOS computer: voice commands in 90 languages, AI chat with 300 Advanced AI Credits, local language models and offline audio transcription. No dictation.

• Braina Pro$99

  for 1 year, 1 Windows PC

  Adds unlimited dictation in any software or website, custom vocabulary, dictation templates, offline video transcription and 10,000 Advanced AI Credits. Windows only.

• Braina Pro Plus$199

  for 2 years, up to 2 computers

  Everything in Pro plus macOS support, 20,000 Advanced AI Credits and priority support. The page calls $199 a limited-time offer and always shows the next day as its end date.

• Braina Pro Ultra$299

  for 3 years, up to 3 computers

  Everything in Pro plus macOS support, 50,000 Advanced AI Credits, priority support, onboarding and training.

Dragon Professional

• Dragon Professional v16 (1 user)$685.99

  per 1-user download license, as advertised by reseller CDW

  Single-user Windows license, not a subscription. The Dragon site lists no price and sends buyers to its sales line, so this is a reseller's figure.

• Volume licensingCustom

  Group deployments managed through the Nuance Management Center, which assigns licenses and shares custom words and commands. Quoted by the Dragon sales team.

Braina

• Other savings

  Volume discounts on request

  The pricing page says discounts are available for volume purchases and asks buyers to contact Brainasoft for a quote. No amounts are published.

Dragon Professional

• Education

  Education volume license programs

  Qualified K-12 and higher-education organizations can buy through the Open License Program, which carries education discounts. A K-12 School License covers up to 250 school computers at one site.