---
title: "Dragon vs SpeechBee (2026): dictation on a Mac now that Dragon is Windows-only"
description: "Dragon Professional is Windows software, and Nuance no longer sells a Mac version; third-party sellers list it at about $699. SpeechBee is on-device dictation plus Read Aloud for Mac, iPhone and iPad at $79 a year or $99 once."
url: "https://speechbee.app/compare/dragon-vs-speechbee"
---

# Dragon vs SpeechBee

SpeechBee is our own app. If you used Dragon on a Mac, there is no current Mac version to buy: Dragon Professional is Windows software. SpeechBee replaces the dictation side of Dragon on a Mac; for voice commands, macOS Voice Control is the closer match.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 13 October 2026.

> ### The short answer
>
> - **Stay with Dragon** if you work on Windows, rely on Dragon's voice commands to control the computer, or your organisation standardises on it.
> - **Pick SpeechBee** if you work on a Mac, iPhone or iPad and mainly used Dragon to write: hold a key, talk, and the text lands at your cursor, with a dictionary for names and terms.

## Side by side

| | Dragon Professional | SpeechBee |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Nuance shows no price; third-party sellers list about $699 once | $9/mo, $79/yr, or $99 once |
| Platforms | Windows | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Mac version | Not sold; Dragon for Mac is a legacy product | Native Mac app (Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later) |
| Dictation into any app | Yes | Yes |
| Controlling the computer by voice | Yes, extensive commands | No; use macOS Voice Control |
| Custom vocabulary | Yes | Dictionary and snippets |
| Read text aloud | Not its focus | Yes, natural local voices |
| Where speech is processed | Installed Windows software | On your device |

## Is there still a Dragon for Mac?

No current one. Nuance, now part of Microsoft, sells Dragon Professional as Windows software and asks buyers to contact it for pricing; third-party sellers list version 16 at about $699 as a one-time purchase. The old Mac product is no longer sold. Our [Dragon alternatives for Mac](https://speechbee.app/compare/dragon-alternatives-mac) guide covers every Mac option.

## Writing versus commanding

Dragon combined two jobs: turning speech into text, and controlling the computer by voice. SpeechBee does the first. Hold a shortcut in any app, talk, let go, and your words appear at the cursor, with filler words removed (44 languages on the Mac) and names spelled the way your dictionary says. Snippets expand a short phrase like "my signature" into full text.

For the second job, macOS Voice Control is free and built in: open apps, click buttons by name, and edit text by voice. Many former Dragon users combine the two.

## Reading, not just writing

SpeechBee also reads selected text aloud in natural local voices, which helps you check a dictated draft by ear.

## Price

Dragon Professional, where you can still buy it, is a one-time purchase of about $699 at third-party sellers, for Windows. SpeechBee is $9 a month, $79 a year or $99 once, for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

[Compare any apps in the interactive tool](https://speechbee.app/compare/tool)

## Questions

### Can I run Dragon on an Apple silicon Mac?

Not as a current Mac app. Dragon Professional is Windows software.

### Does SpeechBee have voice commands like Dragon?

It understands spoken formatting such as "new paragraph" in English on the Mac, but it does not control the computer. Use macOS Voice Control for that.

### Is SpeechBee accurate with technical terms?

Add names and terms to its dictionary once and SpeechBee spells them that way from then on.

## Keep comparing

- [Dragon alternatives for Mac](https://speechbee.app/compare/dragon-alternatives-mac)
- [The best dictation apps for Mac](https://speechbee.app/compare/best-dictation-app-mac)
- [How to dictate on a Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/how-to-dictate-on-mac)

## More on dictation

- [Every dictation guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-mac)
- [MacWhisper vs SpeechBee](https://speechbee.app/compare/macwhisper-vs-speechbee)
- [OpenWhispr vs SpeechBee](https://speechbee.app/compare/openwhispr-vs-speechbee)
- [SpeechBee vs Apple Dictation](https://speechbee.app/compare/speechbee-vs-apple-dictation)
- [Spokenly vs SpeechBee](https://speechbee.app/compare/spokenly-vs-speechbee)
- [superwhisper alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/superwhisper-alternatives)
- [Every read-aloud guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-text-aloud)

## Sources

Checked on 13 October 2026.

- [Nuance Dragon Professional](https://dragon.nuance.com/en-us/dragon-professional)
- [Third-party Dragon listing](https://nuancedragonsoftware.com/shop/)
- [Apple: Use Voice Control commands on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-voice-control-commands-mh40719/mac)
- SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)