Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
GigaType or Potok is a choice between offline recognition on the device and a cloud service. GigaType is built on GigaAM, Sber's neural network trained specifically for Russian, and works without the internet on Windows and macOS. Potok (potok.now) recognizes speech in the cloud, on servers in Russia, with a free limit of 2500 words per week. GigaType's prices and payment terms are not published on its site.
GigaType is a dictation program for Windows and macOS that recognizes speech entirely on the device, using GigaAM, Sberbank's neural network trained specifically for Russian. It is a ready solution for those for whom offline mode and a domestic recognition model matter. Prices, a free plan and the payment method are not published on the developer's site.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| GigaType | Windows, macOS | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — | not needed: there are no paid plans | device (offline, Sber's GigaAM neural network) |
When to take GigaType
GigaType makes sense if offline mode matters: the sound does not leave the computer, recognition runs entirely on the device, and work does not depend on the internet at all. For tasks where it matters that audio physically does not leave the computer (confidential documents, closed meetings, work without a stable network), this is a direct advantage over cloud services. The program is available on Windows and macOS, so the choice of platform is not a limit here.
The recognition model itself also plays a role: GigaAM was developed by Sberbank specifically for Russian, and for those who care that recognition is built on a domestic development for Russian speech specifically, this is a separate argument in favor of GigaType.
Prices, a free plan and the payment method are not published on the developer's site, though. Those who need to know the cost and cancellation terms in advance should ask the developer directly before installing.
When to take Potok
Potok makes sense if you need dictation in any app by hotkey: emails, chats, documents, code, all in one tool with the same behavior. It works the same on Windows and macOS, with the same default hotkey, Ctrl+Space. The free limit is 2500 words per week with no card, and for the first 14 days all Pro features are available.
Potok also has a personal dictionary and snippets by voice: words from the dictionary are recognized the way you wrote them. This is handy for those who dictate a lot of specific vocabulary: terms, names, brands.
At the same time Potok is always in the cloud: it does not work without the internet, and the sound goes to a server, even if in Russia. For those for whom offline mode matters, this is a limit that a subscription does not remove.
| Service | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Potok | Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed | Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly |
| GigaType | free with no limits: open source under the MIT license (Copyright (c) 2026 Disrupt Builders), all features are available without payment | — |
A third option for Russian speech
If neither GigaType nor Potok fit, when choosing a third option it is worth checking the same three points that already decided the choice between the first two. First: where speech is physically recognized, on the device as with GigaType or on a server as with Potok. This determines whether the internet is needed and where the sound goes. Second: whether the model is trained specifically for Russian, like GigaAM at GigaType and Potok's own model, or is a general multilingual model adapted for Russian later. Third: whether the price and payment terms are published openly on the site. GigaType, for example, does not have this information yet.
Other options are worth looking at by the same three points, for example Molvi and Aqua Voice in Russian: where the sound is recognized, whether the model is trained for Russian and whether the price is published openly.
When Potok is not needed here
Potok is not needed if offline mode is a hard requirement for you rather than a wish: where the sound should not leave the computer at all, GigaType or a similar offline program fits better by definition, and no Potok subscription will change that. Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work at all without the internet. Potok also has no voice editing commands like “udali poslednee slovo” (delete the last word). Such an edit is still made by hand.
Another situation where Potok is excessive: if you only need transcription of finished recordings, not dictation on the fly. Potok recognizes only what is spoken right now and does not work with files. Here it is worth looking not at the two programs from this comparison but at a separate class of tools, transcribers.
Frequently asked questions
GigaAM is Sberbank's neural network for speech recognition, trained specifically for Russian. GigaType uses it for offline recognition on the device, without sending sound to a server.
Pages with plans, the free limit and the payment method are not published on the developer's site. For current terms it is worth contacting the developer directly.
Potok has no separate browser extension: it is a desktop app that works on top of any window and input field, including the browser, not a separate plugin.
No. Potok (potok.now) is a desktop app for voice text input on Windows, macOS and Linux: hold the hotkey, dictate, and the text is inserted into the active field. It has nothing to do with investment services or financial platforms with a similar name.
Download the installer from potok.now/download → install → register by email → in any text field hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default) → speak → release the hotkey, and the text appears in the field.
Yes, there are similar voice input services on the market: the foreign Wispr Flow, as well as Talkpad, Voisty and others. Potok differs in that it is made for Russian speech, data is processed on servers in Russia (the 152-FZ mode), and payment is accepted in rubles from a Russian card.
How to start
Potok is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. For two weeks everything is open for free, after that 2500 words per week without paying. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokA voice message from a messenger or a call recording can be forwarded to the bot @potok_now_bot, and it sends back the text. The bot is part of the same subscription as the Potok app.
Primary sources: gigatype.app · support.microsoft.com