Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
SpeechPad is a voice notepad in the browser: open a tab on speechpad.ru, dictate the text, copy it where you need it. The service also transcribes ready-made recordings for free, up to 15 minutes of audio or video. Potok (potok.now) works differently: it is a desktop program with a hotkey that inserts text right into any field, with a free limit of 2500 words per week.
The SpeechPad voice notepad is a service that lives in the browser: you go to speechpad.ru, turn on the microphone and dictate the text right on the page, without installing a program. The same service can transcribe ready-made audio and video, not only live dictation. Russian is stated as the main language, but SpeechPad's list of supported languages is much wider than most competitors': besides Russian and English there are more than ten others. The design of such services in general is covered in the material about the voice notepad.
SpeechPad: how the voice notepad works
The basic scenario is simple: you open the notepad page on speechpad.ru, allow access to the microphone and speak, and the text appears right in the text field on the site, without downloading an app. This sets SpeechPad apart from most desktop voice input programs: the entry threshold is lower because nothing needs to be installed.
The same service solves a second task, transcription: you can upload a ready-made audio or video recording and get a transcript instead of dictating again. For free this works up to 15 minutes of recording, and after that the extended mode is needed.
Besides the browser version, SpeechPad has a Chrome extension, apps for Android and iOS, and separate integration modules for Windows, Mac and Linux. They extend voice input beyond one browser tab to the level of the operating system. The terms and capabilities of these modules should be checked separately: the notepad page describes mainly the browser scenario.
Where the speech recognition servers are physically located is not stated on the site. For most everyday tasks this is not critical, but those who care about the jurisdiction of voice processing should ask the developer directly.
| SpeechPad (voice notepad) | Potok | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | SpeechPad (voice notepad): Web (Chrome), Chrome extension, Android, iOS, integration modules for Windows/Mac/Linux | Potok: Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Free | SpeechPad (voice notepad): basic voice input in the notepad is free; transcription of audio/video up to 15 minutes is free | Potok: Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed |
| Price | SpeechPad (voice notepad): 100 ₽/mo (extended mode (integration of voice input with Windows/Linux OS, removal of the 15-minute transcription limit): the amount appears in user comments/reviews, and no exact official price list was found on the site) | Potok: Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly |
| Payment from Russia | SpeechPad (voice notepad): yes: Robokassa and bank cards are accepted (for payment from abroad, an alternative site voicenotebook.com with PayPal is mentioned) | Potok: Russian bank cards, rubles |
| Where speech is recognized | SpeechPad (voice notepad): not disclosed | Potok: cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Russian language | SpeechPad (voice notepad): Russian is the service's main language; Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Ukrainian, Estonian, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian are also stated | Potok: primary language |
| Company | SpeechPad (voice notepad): Sole proprietor Alexey Vladimirovich Shechkov (stated in the payment details on the website) | Potok: Sole proprietor, Russia |
Sources: speechpad.ru · speechpad.ru · speechpad.ru
Who the SpeechPad voice notepad suits
SpeechPad is closest to several usage scenarios.
- those who need one-off dictation without installing a program: open a tab and start working;
- those who want to transcribe an already recorded conversation, lecture or voice message: SpeechPad handles this too, not only dictation on the fly;
- users for whom a smartphone is enough to work: there are apps for Android and iOS;
- those who dictate not only in Russian: SpeechPad's list of supported languages is noticeably wider than most competitors'.
Those who need a single hotkey in any app on the computer should look at the integration modules for Windows, Mac and Linux or at separate desktop programs. The integration modules connect SpeechPad voice input to the system itself and not only to a browser page, but the details of each module should be checked separately: on the notepad's main page they are described briefly, without a step-by-step installation guide. A general review of whether a computer has voice input at all is a separate article.
Limits for a user from Russia
SpeechPad's payment is designed for a Russian user: the service accepts Robokassa and bank cards directly. For those who pay from abroad there is a separate site, voicenotebook.com, which accepts PayPal. The developer has provided for this case too.
The price of the extended mode, with OS integration and no transcription limit, is not officially published on the site: the amount appears only in user comments and reviews, and there is no official price list on the site. Before paying, check the current price on the site itself, since figures from third-party sources may become outdated.
The legal entity is named in the payment details: a sole proprietor registered in Russia. Where the speech recognition servers are physically located is not disclosed, though. For most users this is not critical, but those who care about the jurisdiction of voice processing should ask the developer separately from the question of payment.
| 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 |
| SpeechPad (voice notepad) | Web (Chrome), Chrome extension, Android, iOS, integration modules for Windows/Mac/Linux | basic voice input in the notepad is free; transcription of audio/video up to 15 minutes is free | 100 ₽/mo (extended mode (integration of voice input with Windows/Linux OS, removal of the 15-minute transcription limit): the amount appears in user comments/reviews, and no exact official price list was found on the site) | yes: Robokassa and bank cards are accepted (for payment from abroad, an alternative site voicenotebook.com with PayPal is mentioned) | not disclosed |
When Potok is not a replacement for the SpeechPad voice notepad
Potok will not replace SpeechPad where you need transcription of ready-made recordings: SpeechPad transcribes audio and video, while Potok recognizes only what you say right now and does not work with files at all.
Potok will not replace the mobile scenario either: SpeechPad has apps for Android and iOS, while Potok has no mobile clients, only versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. Keep the architecture in mind too: Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Frequently asked questions
No, the basic scenario works right in the browser on speechpad.ru. There is also a Chrome extension, apps for Android and iOS, and separate integration modules for Windows, Mac and Linux if you need voice input at the system level.
Yes, transcription of audio and video is a separate free feature, up to 15 minutes of recording. This sets SpeechPad apart from programs that only do real-time dictation.
Built-in system tools (Win+H in Windows, Dictation in macOS, Voice Typing in Google Docs, Gboard on Android), voice browser extensions, and specialized desktop and web services (Potok and similar) that work on top of any app via a hotkey.
Any microphone the system sees as a recording device will do. In Potok you choose it in the app settings or in the tray icon menu; system access to the microphone is required.
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.
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.
Download Potok
Works with a single key in any program. 14 days of full access, then Free with 2500 words per week or Pro at 690 ₽/mo (499 ₽/mo paid yearly). 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: speechpad.ru · speechpad.ru · speechpad.ru