SpeechBeeGuide
Told to use Dragon, but you have a Mac
Your disability office or needs assessor has recommended Dragon, and your laptop is a Mac. Dragon is Windows software now, so the recommendation as written doesn't fit your computer. You may not need a new laptop to fix that. What you need is a recommendation that names what you need to do, then a Mac tool for each part.
By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 11 November 2026
On this page
Why your office named Dragon
Dragon has long been a common recommendation for speech recognition at colleges. It did two jobs in one program: it typed what you said, and it let you control the computer by voice. It also learned a custom vocabulary, which matters when your course is full of terms an ordinary dictation tool gets wrong.
That is why it still appears on so many university pages, and some of them show its age. Colorado State's quick-start guides still offer Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13. The University of Illinois Chicago says Dragon is "currently available on Windows", and MIT lists it as "Dragon (Windows)".
In the UK, Dragon has long been part of DSA support. Oxford Brookes says Dragon v15 is available to students with a particular need in its Assistive Technology Suite. The Department for Education's 2026 consultation on DSA software classes Dragon Professional Individual as "demanding" software. In the proposal, demanding software is what makes a student eligible for a funded computer, with a £200 contribution, and it would be funded only where no suitable non-demanding software exists.
What "Dragon needs Windows" means for you
There is no Mac version to install. Nuance stopped selling Dragon Professional Individual for Mac on 22 October 2018 and has not updated it since. The current product, Dragon Professional 16, supports Windows 10 and Windows 11. Nuance says Dragon Professional is not supported in Parallels on a Mac, so running Windows inside your Mac is not a route your office can rely on. The phone route has closed too: Dragon Anywhere, the iPhone and Android app, stopped selling and renewing subscriptions on 1 July 2026.
So a recommendation that says "Dragon" pushes you towards a Windows computer. UK students describe what happens next on forums. One was offered a Windows laptop with Dragon by their assessor. Another says getting a MacBook through DSA meant paying the difference over the basic laptop as well as the usual £200 contribution.
Often none of that is necessary if the recommendation describes your needs instead. If you rely on speech for all writing and computer control, your assessor may still judge Dragon on a Windows computer the better fit. Ask them to say why.
Match each need to a Mac tool
Work out which of these needs the recommendation was meant to cover, then look at the Mac tool for each.
| What you need to do | Mac tool | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Control the computer hands-free: open apps, click, scroll, edit | Voice Control, built into macOS | Free |
| Dictate a sentence or a short reply now and then | Apple Dictation, built into macOS | Free |
| Dictate long essays full of course terms | Voice Control with a custom vocabulary, or a dictation app with a dictionary | Free, or a paid app |
| Proofread by hearing your work read back | Speak selection, built into macOS, or a read-aloud app | Free, or a paid app |
Voice Control is the closest match to Dragon's commands. It covers navigation, commands, dictation and editing, and it has a spelling mode for words it doesn't know. It takes a one-time download from Apple, then works without an internet connection. You can add up to 1,000 custom vocabulary terms per language and import or export the list, which is handy for a course glossary. You can also make your own commands. One catch: while Voice Control is on, standard macOS Dictation isn't available.
Apple Dictation is fine for short bursts. It stops automatically after 30 seconds without speech, which can cut you off when you pause to think in the middle of an essay. It understands spoken punctuation, "new line" and "new paragraph".
Speak selection reads selected text aloud. Turn it on under Accessibility, Read & Speak, then press Option-Esc. Hearing your own sentences is another way to catch mistakes, and our guide to proofreading by listening covers how to do it.
If you want to compare paid dictation apps as well, our list of Dragon alternatives for Mac covers them.
What to ask your disability office or assessor
You don't need to argue about Dragon. Ask for a recommendation that names your needs instead of a product.
- Ask them to write down what you need to do, such as "hands-free control of the computer" or "long-form dictation with subject vocabulary", rather than a product name.
- Tell them you study on a Mac and ask which Mac tool meets each need. Many offices already list Voice Control and Apple Dictation.
- Ask whether they can help you set up Voice Control, or point you to training. Learning its commands takes practice.
- Check whether any tool is allowed in your exams and assessed coursework, and whether you need it written into your exam arrangements.
- In the UK, ask your assessor how the 2026 DSA consultation affects you. The Department for Education proposed funding speech-to-text software, except in exceptional circumstances, only for students who rely on speech recognition as their main way to write and control a computer. Its illustrative software list includes Apple Dictation and Voice Control alongside Dragon. The consultation closed on 18 June 2026 and the outcome had not been published when we checked, so confirm the current position with your assessor.
If you want something to say at the meeting, try this: "I study on a Mac, and Dragon only runs on Windows. Can we write down what I need to do and find a Mac tool for each part?"
For accessibility and assistive technology staff
Several offices already do this well. George Mason's ATI notes that on a Mac, Voice Control lets students dictate text and control the operating system by voice. Cambridge's Disability Resource Centre describes Dragon Professional as a Windows product and says macOS has Keyboard Dictation and Voice Control. Cal Poly's DRC lists Mac OS Dictation alongside Dragon.
The built-in tools need no licence and no lab seat, and the student already has them. Voice Control is the built-in option for hands-free control; whether it is enough depends on the student and on practice time. Budget time for that practice, because the commands take a while to learn. SpeechBee is not on any funded assistive technology list, so treat it as the student's own purchase, not a substitute for a funded need.
SpeechBee for writing, if you want a paid app
SpeechBee, which we make, is a dictation app for Mac. It does one of Dragon's jobs: writing. You hold a shortcut in any app, talk, and release, or you can switch it to tap once to start and again to stop. The text appears at your cursor in Word, Google Docs in a browser, your notes app or an email.
It removes filler words and understands spoken punctuation and "new paragraph". It has a dictionary for names and course terms, and snippets for text you type often, such as your student number or a referencing format. Speech recognition runs on your Mac after a one-time model download, it works offline, and your audio is not uploaded. It can also read selected text aloud on your Mac, for proofreading by ear.
Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.
Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.
SpeechBee does not control your Mac by voice. If that is your need, use Voice Control, alone or alongside SpeechBee.
It needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later. It costs $9 a month or $79 a year, and both start with 7 free days. A one-time purchase is $99, charged straight away, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. One plan covers your Mac, iPhone and iPad. There is no student discount.
The free week is long enough to try it on a real assignment before you pay anything. Check your course and exam rules first, as you would for any tool.
Try SpeechBee on your next essay. Free for 7 days.
Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.
Mac, iPhone and iPad. No card needed.
Questions
Can I get Dragon for my Mac?
No. Nuance stopped selling Dragon for Mac in October 2018 and has not updated it since. The current Dragon Professional 16 runs on Windows, and Nuance says it is not supported in Parallels on a Mac.
Does DSA still fund Dragon?
That depends on your assessment and on the outcome of the 2026 Department for Education consultation. It proposed funding speech-to-text software, except in exceptional circumstances, only for students who rely on it as their main way to write and control a computer. Ask your needs assessor for the current position.
What is the free alternative to Dragon on a Mac?
Voice Control, built into macOS. It handles commands, dictation and editing, works offline after a one-time download, and takes up to 1,000 custom vocabulary terms. Apple Dictation is free for short passages.
Is there a student discount on SpeechBee?
No. The prices are $9 a month or $79 a year, both with 7 free days, or $99 once with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can I use dictation in exams and coursework?
It depends on your institution. Check the rules for each assessment and ask your disability office whether it should be part of your exam arrangements.
Does SpeechBee replace Voice Control?
No. SpeechBee types what you say. Voice Control lets you control the Mac by voice. If you need both, use both.
Dictate into any Mac app, on your Mac. Free for 7 days.
Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.
Mac, iPhone and iPad. No card needed.
Keep comparing
- Dragon alternatives for Mac
- Dragon vs SpeechBee
- What Dragon costs
- Dictation for students
- Dictation for dyslexia
- Typing less when your hands hurt
- How to dictate on a Mac
Sources
All accessed on 11 November 2026.
- Nuance: Dragon Professional for Mac 6, end of life and end of support dates
- Nuance: Dragon Professional 16 release notes
- Nuance support: Dragon support on Parallels Desktop for Mac
- Dragon Anywhere on the App Store
- Department for Education: Assistive software funded through Disabled Students' Allowance (consultation) and consultation document (PDF)
- George Mason University ATI: speech-to-text options
- University of Cambridge Disability Resource Centre: assistive technology advice
- Cal Poly DRC: assistive technology
- University of Illinois Chicago DRC: assistive technology
- MIT Student Life: assistive technology software and tools
- Colorado State University ATRC: quick-start guides
- Oxford Brookes University: DSA needs assessment
- Apple: Use Dictation on Mac
- Apple: Use Voice Control commands on Mac
- Apple: Turn Voice Control on or off on Mac
- Apple: Use a custom vocabulary with Voice Control
- Apple: Customise Voice Control commands
- Apple: Have your Mac speak text that's on the screen
- SpeechBee facts and prices from our homepage and privacy policy
Student forum posts, seen in search results: