Quick Answer: Dragon NaturallySpeaking discontinued Mac support in 2018. The best modern alternative is a Whisper-based app like Voicci, which runs locally on your Mac and often exceeds Dragon's accuracy.
If you're a former Dragon user looking for a replacement, you're not alone. Nuance (now owned by Microsoft) stopped developing Dragon for Mac years ago, leaving thousands of users searching for alternatives.
The good news: speech recognition technology has advanced dramatically since then. Modern AI-powered transcription — particularly OpenAI's Whisper model — now matches or exceeds Dragon's legendary accuracy, and you can run it entirely on your Mac.
Why Dragon Left Mac (And What Replaced It)
Dragon NaturallySpeaking was the gold standard for dictation software for over two decades. When Nuance discontinued Mac support, they cited the difficulty of maintaining parity with their Windows version.
Since then, two major developments have changed the landscape:
- Apple improved built-in dictation — It's better than it was, but still not Dragon-quality
- OpenAI released Whisper — An open-source model that matches or beats Dragon's accuracy
Whisper is the real game-changer. It's trained on 680,000 hours of multilingual audio and achieves near-human accuracy. Best of all, it can run locally on Apple Silicon Macs without sending your voice to the cloud.
Best Dragon Alternatives for Mac
| Alternative | Technology | Privacy | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voicci | Whisper (local) | 100% local | $29 one-time |
| SuperWhisper | Whisper (local) | Local + cloud options | $10/month |
| Mac Dictation | Apple Neural Engine | Mostly cloud | Free |
| Windows VM + Dragon | Dragon | Local | $500+ (Dragon) + VM |
1. Voicci (Recommended)
Voicci runs Whisper entirely on your Mac. It's the closest experience to Dragon: high accuracy, works offline, and your voice never leaves your computer.
Why former Dragon users love it:
- Accuracy comparable to Dragon Professional
- Same privacy model — everything processed locally
- One-time purchase (no subscription like Dragon 15+)
- Works system-wide, just like Dragon did
- Handles medical, legal, and technical vocabulary well
Price: $29 one-time
2. SuperWhisper
Another excellent Whisper-based option with more customization features. It's more complex than Voicci but offers AI-powered text cleanup and formatting.
Best for: Power users who want workflow automation
Price: $10/month subscription
3. Mac Dictation (Built-in)
Apple's free option has improved but still doesn't match Dragon or Whisper accuracy. It's adequate for short messages but frustrating for extended dictation.
Best for: Occasional, casual use
Price: Free
4. Dragon via Windows VM (Not Recommended)
Some users run Dragon on Windows through Parallels or VMware. This works but is expensive ($500+ for Dragon Professional Individual), resource-intensive, and awkward.
Best for: Users with specialized Dragon vocabularies they must preserve
Price: $500+ plus VM software
How Whisper Compares to Dragon
Many former Dragon users are skeptical that anything can match it. Here's how they actually compare:
| Feature | Dragon Professional | Whisper (via Voicci) |
|---|---|---|
| General accuracy | 95-99% | 95-98% |
| Accent handling | Good (after training) | Excellent (no training) |
| Technical vocabulary | Excellent (custom training) | Very good (pre-trained) |
| Voice commands | Extensive | Basic/None |
| Custom vocabulary | Yes | Limited |
| Mac support | Discontinued | Native Apple Silicon |
| Price | $500+ (one-time) | $29 (one-time) |
The verdict: For pure transcription accuracy, Whisper is essentially equal to Dragon. Dragon's advantages were voice commands and custom vocabularies — features most users never fully utilized. For the majority of users, Whisper is not just an acceptable alternative; it's better.
Making the Switch
If you're coming from Dragon, here's what to expect:
- No training period: Unlike Dragon, Whisper doesn't need to learn your voice. It works immediately with high accuracy.
- No voice commands: You can't say "scratch that" or "new paragraph" — though macOS provides some basic dictation commands separately.
- Better out of the box: Dragon required careful microphone setup. Whisper handles various audio quality levels remarkably well.
- Faster setup: Download, install, start dictating. No registration, no profile creation, no internet required.
Bottom Line
Dragon was great, but it's gone from Mac. Whisper-based apps like Voicci offer comparable accuracy, better privacy (local processing), and cost a fraction of what Dragon did. If you've been limping along with Mac Dictation or avoiding voice input entirely, it's time to upgrade.
Experience Fast, Private Voice-to-Text
Voicci runs Whisper AI locally on your Mac for instant, offline transcription with complete privacy.
Try Voicci Free