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Dragon Professional

Windows speech recognition for dictation and voice commands

From $685.99DictationChecked Oct 5, 2026
Visit dragon.nuance.com

What is Dragon Professional?

Dragon Professional v16 is speech recognition software installed locally on a Windows PC, made by Nuance, which is now part of Microsoft. It types what you dictate into documents, spreadsheets and form-based reports, runs custom voice commands and macros, and can transcribe recorded audio from a single speaker. Organizations can manage licenses and shared vocabularies centrally through the Nuance Management Center.

Dragon Professional is a paid product, starting at $685.99 per 1-user license (reseller CDW's advertised price). See every plan

Good for

  • 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

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Key features

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.

Dragon Professional pricing

Starts at
$685.99 per 1-user license (reseller CDW's advertised price)
Free plan
None
Free trial
None listed
Dragon Professional v16 (1 user)$685.99per 1-user download license, as advertised by reseller CDWSingle-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 licensingCustomGroup deployments managed through the Nuance Management Center, which assigns licenses and shares custom words and commands. Quoted by the Dragon sales team.

Dragon Professional’s own pricing page could not be read, so these figures come from cdw.com, checked Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Dragon Professional before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • EducationEducation 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.

    Stated on dragon.nuance.com

Works with

  • Microsoft Office
  • Citrix XenApp
  • Citrix XenDesktop
  • Nuance PowerMic 4

Dragon Professional alternatives

All Dragon Professional alternatives comparedAll voice dictation apps

Common questions

Is Dragon Professional free?

No. Dragon Professional is a paid product, starting at $685.99 per 1-user license (reseller CDW's advertised price).

How much does Dragon Professional cost?

Dragon Professional lists 2 plans. Dragon Professional v16 (1 user): $685.99 per 1-user download license, as advertised by reseller CDW. Volume licensing: custom pricing. Prices were read from cdw.com on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does Dragon Professional work on?

Dragon Professional is available on Windows.

Does Dragon Professional offer any discounts?

Dragon Professional publicly lists the following: Education volume license programs.

Does Dragon Professional have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Dragon Professional is listed for Windows.

Does Dragon Professional have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Dragon Professional is listed for Windows.

Is Dragon Professional open source?

Dragon Professional is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

What does Dragon Professional integrate with?

Dragon Professional's listing names Microsoft Office, Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenDesktop and Nuance PowerMic 4. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Dragon Professional have a student discount?

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.

Who makes Dragon Professional?

Dragon Professional is made by Nuance Communications (Microsoft).

What are the alternatives to Dragon Professional?

The closest alternatives to Dragon Professional in our directory are Braina, Talon, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and Voice In. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Dragon Professional.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.