Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
The main difference is where and how each tool works. Potok (potok.now) is a separate app for Windows, macOS and Linux with one hotkey in any program; Win+H is a Microsoft cloud feature for Windows only; macOS dictation is part of Apple's system itself. Win+H has Russian only in Windows 11, while macOS dictation always has it. Potok places punctuation and writes numbers in digits by itself, with no voice commands.
Three ways to dictate text solve different tasks: Potok, Win+H and macOS dictation differ in platform, in working without a network, and in what the automation does without your voice.
Voice input options
- Potok (potok.now) is a separate app for Windows, macOS and Linux: one hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default) inserts text into the active field of any program, recognition is in the cloud, on servers in Russia, punctuation, capital letters and numbers are placed automatically, and terms and names can be added to a personal dictionary on the Pro subscription.
- Win+H (Windows voice input) is a built-in Microsoft feature, works only in Windows and is free in Windows 10 and Windows 11; recognition runs in the Azure Speech services cloud, and without a connection to the internet the feature does not start; the Russian language is in it only in Windows 11, and Windows 10 has no Russian.
- macOS dictation is built into Apple's system itself, turned on in System Settings through the section Keyboard, Dictation; the Russian language is in it.
How to choose between Potok, Win+H and macOS dictation
If you need the same way of dictating in any program on several systems at once (Windows, macOS and Linux) and a personal dictionary for repeating terms and names, Potok fits. If you work only in Windows 11 and recognition without installing a third-party app is enough, you can do with Win+H, but remember: without the internet voice input will not start, and in Windows 10 the commands and dictation itself are available only in other languages, not in Russian. On Mac, dictation is already built into the system and works with Russian without extra installation, which may be enough if you do not need a single tool for several operating systems at once.
Where Potok is not the best option
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. It has no voice commands and no offline mode. For someone who needs a ready tool with no installation and no account at all, built-in Windows or macOS dictation is closer. Other similar comparisons, for example how Potok differs from Wispr Flow, are collected together with the other questions about voice input.
Frequently asked questions
No, neither Win+H nor Potok works without the internet: Win+H recognizes speech in the Microsoft cloud (Azure Speech services), and Potok on servers in Russia.
Yes, macOS and iOS have built-in dictation with the Russian language.
Wispr Flow is a foreign product aimed first of all at English. Russian is supported, but there is no standard payment by a Russian card on Windows and Mac. Potok is built specifically for Russian speech, data is processed on servers in Russia (152-FZ), and payment is accepted in rubles directly.
Wispr Flow is a foreign product aimed first of all at English. Russian is supported, but there is no standard payment by a Russian card (on Windows and Mac only in dollars), and the country of the servers is not publicly disclosed. Potok accepts payment in rubles, has servers in Russia, and its model is trained for Russian speech.
It is worth checking: whether the service is tuned for Russian speech (and not English with Russian supported as a second language), whether it accepts payment by a Russian card directly, where data is physically processed (important when working with personal data under 152-FZ), and whether it works in all the apps you need and not only in the browser.
Potok has a WER of 2.1% on our GolosTest benchmark. There are no independent measurements against specific services, so you cannot claim "Potok is more accurate than X".
Try it on your own texts
Download Potok for Windows, macOS or Linux: full access for the first 14 days, no card needed. After that, 2500 words per week for free or Pro for 690 ₽ per month. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokThe Potok subscription also includes the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message or a long meeting recording and it returns the text. Without a subscription the bot gives 60 minutes per month for free.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
| Task | Characters | Typing (200 chars/min) | Voice (900 chars/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chat reply | 300 | 2 min | 0.5 min |
| 1500 | 8 min | 1.7 min | |
| post or meeting minutes | 4000 | 20 min | 4.4 min |
| article | 10000 | 50 min | 11.1 min |
Primary sources: support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com