Glaido vs Talon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Talon grades higher than Glaido: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Glaido grades higher on ease of use. Talon grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Glaido
Hold-a-key voice dictation for macOS, Windows 11 and Linux
Talon
Hands-free computer control by voice, eye tracking and noises
Which one is for you
Pick Glaido if
- Fits if you dictate on a desktop and want per-app formatting rules
- Works for developers who talk into Cursor, Claude Code or Slack
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you dictate a lot: the free plan stops at 2,000 words a week
- Skip it if you want a phone or browser version, as none exists
- Pricey if you want Pro: $17 a user a month on yearly billing, and the monthly price wasn't visible
- Watch out: SSO, SAML, API access and dedicated data processing need Enterprise
Pick Talon if
- Fits if you have limited or no use of your hands and need the whole computer, not just typing
- Works for programmers who want to code by voice and will script their own commands
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you just want to talk and have text appear, because it needs scripts added before it does anything
- Not for you if you're on Linux with Wayland, as it needs X11 and Wayland isn't planned
- Pricey if you want eye control, since that needs a separate Tobii 4C, Tobii 5 or similar tracker
- Watch out: it's closed-source freeware, and earlier access to new features costs $25 a month on Patreon
- Not for you if you want it on a phone, as it's macOS, Windows and Linux only, with no API on record
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGlaidoFair | 2.8GPATalonGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $17 a user a month on yearly billing, above the category's dearer-quarter line of $12 but short of its dearest tenth. | AThe public release is free to download and use, speech engine included. The Patreon tiers are support, not a paywall: $5 a month gets a Slack channel, Talon+ at $25 gets new features earlier, and you need neither. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free forever with 2,000 words a week. That's a cap you'll hit if you dictate daily. | AFree gets you the lot: the built-in speech engine, voice commands, dictation, eye tracking, noise input and Python scripting. Nothing you need day to day sits behind the paid tiers. |
| Features | BPush-to-talk in any app, dictionary, snippets, per-app formatting and voice commands. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. | BVoice commands and dictation, a pointer you move by looking, a pop to click and a hiss to scroll, your own commands in .talon files and Python past that. It works with Dragon too. More than this category normally asks for, though it ships with no command set of its own. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. A desktop app you install and use, with push-to-talk. | DNo rating on record, and this one is configuration files and a terminal. Talon recognises nothing until you add scripts, and the suggested start is cloning the talonhub/community repository. Then you're editing .talon files to change a command. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only: macOS, Windows 11 and Linux. No iOS, Android or browser version. | CmacOS, Windows and Linux, and that's the lot: computers only, no phone app and no API on record. On Linux it needs an X11 session, and Wayland support isn't planned. |
| Best for | push-to-talk dictation on a desktop | working a computer with no hands at all |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Glaido and Talon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Glaido starts at $17 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Talon starts at $5 a month and scores 2.0.
Glaido scores higher, and starts $12 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other voice dictation apps on the chart, 5 score higher than Glaido for less, and 7 score higher than Talon for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Glaido also covers clipboard manager and text expansion.
- Talon also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Glaido | Talon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $17 per user / month, billed annually | $5 per month on Patreon; the Talon+ tier is $25 per month |
| Free plan | Basic plan: free forever, 2,000 words a week, all apps, 100+ languages and AI auto-edits. | The public release is free to download and use, including the built-in speech recognition engine, eye tracking, noise input and scripting. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Glaido | Talon Voice, LLC |
| Price read from | glaido.com | patreon.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Glaido
- The free plan stops at 2,000 words a week.
- Desktop only: macOS, Windows 11 and Linux are listed, with no iOS, Android or browser version.
- The pricing page shows the annual-billing price, $17 per user / month; the monthly price was not visible in the page text.
- SSO, SAML, API access and dedicated data processing need Enterprise.
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.
Key features
Glaido
- Push-to-talk dictation in any app
- Hold a hotkey and speak; the text is cleaned up and pasted into the focused app, such as Slack, Gmail or a code editor.
- Dictionary and snippets
- Names and technical terms can be added once so they are spelled correctly, and short triggers expand into saved text.
- Per-app formatting rules
- Each app can get its own style, for example relaxed in chat and formal in email, with custom prompts.
- Voice commands
- A Commands area lets you act on the spoken text or trigger actions by voice.
- Built-in utilities
- Every plan includes a color picker, clipboard history, text snippet expansion, a process viewer and a keep-awake tool.
- Privacy stance
- The vendor says history stays on your device, transcripts are not saved to its database, and it holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.
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.
Plans
Glaido
Basic$0
2,000 dictated words a week, works in every app, 100+ languages, AI auto-edits and agent mode.
Pro$17
per user / month, billed annually
Unlimited words, multiple seats on one bill, prioritized processing and support, and early access to new features.
EnterpriseCustom
Pro plus SSO and SAML, dedicated data processing, API access and integrations, and custom billing.
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.
Ways to pay less
Glaido
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
The pricing page's annual toggle is labelled 2 months free.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Glaido or Talon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Glaido starts at $17 per user / month, billed annually, and Talon starts at $5 per month on Patreon; the Talon+ tier is $25 per month. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Glaido or Talon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Glaido and Talon have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.