Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Molvi voice input is a free-forever program for Windows and macOS that recognizes speech right on the device, without the internet and without an account. It supports Russian and English with auto-detection, and the best quality is on an NVIDIA graphics card. Potok (potok.now) is a cloud alternative with its own model for Russian speech and a free limit of 2500 words per week.
Molvi is a free voice input program for Windows and macOS: you install it once, and it works without an account, without payment and without the internet at all. Recognition runs right on the device, not on the developer's server, and the quality depends on whether the computer has an NVIDIA graphics card. The developer does not hide the price; there simply is none: the program is free forever, and donations through Telegram Tribute are voluntary.
How Molvi works
Molvi recognizes speech locally: the sound does not leave the computer, and the internet is not needed for dictation itself at all. On an NVIDIA graphics card the program uses a larger model and gives better recognition quality; without one it automatically switches to a lighter model for the processor, which is slower but still works.
Two languages are supported, Russian and English, with auto-detection of which one is being spoken now, without manual switching. This is convenient for those who mix Russian words with English terms in one sentence.
Molvi has no payment at all: no subscription, no one-time payment, no hidden limits after a free period. The program is free forever from the start. The developer accepts voluntary donations through Telegram Tribute for those who want to support the project, but this is not a condition of use.
Whether a legal entity or a private person is behind the development of Molvi is not stated on the website. For personal use this usually does not matter, and you can read more about the origin of the program in an article on vc.ru.
Installation goes without creating an account: you download the program, launch it, and it is ready to work right away, without a registration form and email confirmation.
| Molvi | Potok | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Molvi: Windows, macOS | Potok: Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Free | Molvi: free forever, no accounts and no payment | Potok: Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed |
| Price | Molvi: — | Potok: Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly |
| Payment from Russia | Molvi: not needed: the product is free; voluntary donations are accepted via Telegram Tribute or by card on the website, amounts are not fixed | Potok: Russian bank cards, rubles |
| Where speech is recognized | Molvi: device (offline; best quality on an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise a fast model on the CPU) | Potok: cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Russian language | Molvi: support for Russian, English and automatic language detection | Potok: primary language |
| Company | Molvi: not disclosed | Potok: Sole proprietor, Russia |
Sources: molvi.tech · vc.ru
Who Molvi suits
- Those for whom it is essential that the sound does not leave the computer at all: offline mode here is not an option but the only way of working, without exceptions.
- Those who are not ready to pay for voice input at all: the program is free forever, with no time limits on use and no trial period that then ends.
- Those who have an NVIDIA graphics card: on it recognition works faster and more accurately than on the processor alone.
- Those who dictate now in Russian, now in English within one conversation and value automatic language detection without switching by hand each time.
- Those who do not want to register.
- Those who are ready to use a program without a clearly stated legal entity of the developer: for personal tasks this is usually not critical, and for work correspondence it should be weighed separately.
- Those who want to try the program without risk: there is nothing to lose, and you can download and try it for free at any moment.
Molvi limitations
There are only two languages, Russian and English with auto-detection. For those who need dictation in other languages, Molvi will not do: the list of supported languages here is shorter than in multilingual cloud services.
A personal dictionary for terms and names is not mentioned on the website: it is unclear whether the program remembers specific vocabulary that you dictate often or recognizes it anew each time.
Quality on a weak computer without an NVIDIA graphics card is lower: without a GPU Molvi switches to a lighter model for the processor, and recognition accuracy in this mode may differ noticeably from the stated one.
The developer's legal entity is not named on the website. For use at home this is not a problem, but for corporate purchasing or official document flow you should clarify the details directly before relying on the program as a company work tool.
| 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 |
| Molvi | Windows, macOS | free forever, no accounts and no payment | — | not needed: the product is free; voluntary donations are accepted via Telegram Tribute or by card on the website, amounts are not fixed | device (offline; best quality on an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise a fast model on the CPU) |
When Potok is not a replacement for Molvi
Potok will not replace Molvi where offline mode is essential: Molvi works without the internet always, while Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Their free plans are arranged differently: Molvi has no volume limits at all, while with Potok 2500 words per week are free, and after that a paid subscription is needed. For those who dictate a lot and want to stay on a free plan without limits, Molvi is simpler in this sense. Other comparison options are in the section comparison of voice input programs, and a look at the built-in Windows tools is in the article does Windows 10 support keyboard voice input in Russian.
Frequently asked questions
Nothing: the program is free forever, with no subscription and no hidden limits. The developer accepts voluntary donations through Telegram Tribute, but this is not a condition of use.
No, but it improves recognition quality: with an NVIDIA graphics card the program uses a larger model, and without one it automatically switches to a lighter model for the processor.
By a model estimate, the average dictation speed with Potok is about 900 characters per minute versus about 200 characters per minute with ordinary typing, so speech is noticeably faster than the keyboard.
Voice input turns speech into text on the fly: the user speaks, the program transcribes the sound with speech recognition technology (ASR) and inserts the resulting text into the active field, such as email, a messenger or a document. In Potok this works through a hotkey: hold it, speak, release, and the text is inserted.
Yes: Windows has built-in voice typing via Win+H (Russian only in Windows 11, Windows 10 has no Russian; it does not work without the internet), and the Mac has system dictation in the keyboard settings. Both are free.
Dictation pays off most for long texts written in one go, such as email drafts, notes, messenger replies and lecture notes, and also when your hands are busy or tired (for example, with RSI). For short precise edits (one-word commands, code) typing is often faster.
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 PotokYou dictate in the app, and recordings and voice messages are transcribed by @potok_now_bot in Telegram. 60 minutes per month are free; the Potok subscription removes the limit in the bot and in the app.
Primary sources: molvi.tech · vc.ru