Braina vs Talon

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

Talon

• People with limited or no use of their hands
• Programmers who want to write code by voice
• Users willing to customize commands with scripts

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.

Talon

• Talon recognizes no commands until scripts are added; the suggested start is cloning the talonhub/community repository.
• Eye-tracking mouse control needs a separate Tobii 4C, Tobii 5 or equivalent eye tracker.
• On Linux it requires an X11 session, and Wayland support is not planned.
• The app is closed-source freeware, and earlier access to new features is tied to the $25-a-month Talon+ tier on Patreon.

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.

Talon

Voice commands and dictation

Control apps, edit text and dictate by voice. Commands come from user scripts, and the talonhub/community repository supplies a ready-made command set.

Eye-tracking mouse control

Several algorithms move the pointer by gaze. This depends on a Tobii 4C, Tobii 5 or equivalent eye tracker.

Noise input

A noise recognition system reacts to mouth sounds: by default a pop clicks and a hiss scrolls.

Custom commands in .talon files

Short text files map a spoken phrase to typed text or key presses, such as saying "select all" to send Cmd-A.

Python scripting

Behavior can be extended in Python 3 through an embedded interpreter, so no separate Python installation is needed.

Built-in or Dragon speech engine

Talon comes with a free speech recognition engine, installed from its Speech Recognition menu, and also works with Dragon without extra setup.

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.

Talon

• Talon$0

  The public release for macOS, Windows and Linux with voice commands, dictation, eye tracking, noise input and Python scripting.

• VIP Slack Channel$5

  per month on Patreon, or $51 per year

  A supporter tier that adds access to the #vip channel on the Talon Slack.

• Talon+$25

  per month on Patreon, or $255 per year

  Earlier access to new features and higher-priority support, with invites to the #beta and #vip Slack channels.

• Professional$100

  per month on Patreon, or $1,020 per year

  For people who depend on Talon for their living and want to help fund it. Includes Talon+ access.

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.

Talon

• Annual discount

  15% less with annual Patreon billing

  Talon+ is $255 a year on Patreon against $25 a month, which is 15% less. The $5 and $100 tiers follow the same ratio at $51 and $1,020 a year.