Nuance Communications Reviews

Dragon 16 works pretty well for basic dictation, but it's loaded with frustrating design problems that make it impossible to recommend. The core dictation feature is solid enough, but everything else is problematic. Profile migration even within the same version is a nightmare. In theory it should be doable, but we've spent a lot of time trying unsuccessfully. Setting up or tweaking vocabulary is also really difficult. It's unclear what accuracy tuning actually does or if it does anything.

My older Dragon version quit working when I upgraded to Windows 11, so I called support. They gave me the new Dragon 16 software completely free of charge. Leo handled my call and was incredibly helpful and professional. Can't recommend them enough. I've been using Dragon NaturallySpeaking for two decades and always found it valuable. I usually don't bother writing reviews, but their service was outstanding and Leo deserves recognition. Interestingly, I'm composing this review using Dragon itself and it hasn't made a single mistake.

I'm typing this review manually because I can't trust Dragon Home Version 15 to do it accurately, and that's the whole problem. I paid a lot for this software. Arthritis is affecting my hands, so voice recognition should help. The setup instructions promise that once you create a profile, the app will keep learning and improving accuracy. That's simply not true. Simple words get misspelled consistently, and I have to keep correcting them. The software randomly makes up words like 'Andy' when I say 'and he.' It capitalizes letters randomly and throws commas everywhere for no reason. My arthritic fingers end up doing the correcting work anyway. I switched back to Windows 7 basic speech recognition, which is primitive but actually accurate and doesn't do its own thing. Avoid this at all costs.

I've relied on Dragon Speech recognition for the last ten years as a disabled person, and it's been crucial for helping me write more effectively. When my old computer died, I needed to get a new one running Windows 11, which doesn't work with my older version. So I checked their website for pricing on an upgrade. The shock hit hard when I realized as someone living on disability benefits, the only product they sell is the Professional version at double the old price and then some. They clearly don't care about disabled users unless you're wealthy enough to drop 700 dollars. It's greedy and heartless. Look elsewhere for a company that actually values accessibility for all income levels.

I'm a high-level quadriplegic and have relied on Nuance Voice Control for 17 years. Since switching from Windows 8 to Windows 10 and then Windows 11, my computer keeps freezing constantly. Even after reinstalling, troubleshooting with their support, and purchasing a new expensive computer, the problem persists. I can't be the only one experiencing this. My strong recommendation is to stay away from this product entirely.

Got Dragon 16 and regret it. The software hasn't evolved much since Dragon 12. It still lacks AI grammar recognition, so it can't tell the difference between 'to' and 'two.' Looking up Dragon and Gmail integration, it pushes you toward Firefox on Windows, which then has you install an extension that doesn't work. Turns out that feature was discontinued for older Mac versions and no longer exists on any platform. This is software that gets worse while getting more expensive.

Nuance sells software but it's really a disguised subscription with no clear endpoint. They sold me what I thought was a license, not a subscription agreement. It's still Windows 11 from when I bought it two and a half years ago. They now refuse support claiming the version is discontinued. Their answer is for me to buy the software again. This is a subscription model they're hiding. You either keep buying new versions regularly or the software stops functioning well after a couple of years.

This company deserves a class action lawsuit if one isn't already in progress. Here's what happened: bought the CD version in 2015 and it worked fine for years, then purchased the online version which was good for a few months, then got another CD in 2023 that won't recognize the serial number clearly printed on the envelope. On top of that, customer service is basically nonexistent.

Got hit with a fraudulent renewal charge in April 2022. I tried canceling last January but it never went through. They don't offer online cancellation and provide no email address, so calling their 800 number was my only option, except it has super limited hours. Figured everything was taken care of since I called to cancel and my old card had expired anyway. But their company automatically updated my card expiration without permission. I specifically requested cancellation a year earlier but never got confirmation. Now I'm out 150 dollars for a renewal I never authorized and a product I never used. Nuance updated my credit card information without my consent, which is fraudulent. This whole situation seems intentionally sneaky. I have a graduate degree so it shouldn't be this complicated and manipulative to cancel a subscription. Adding insult to injury, the software itself was unusable with my laptop despite meeting system requirements and slowed my computer to a crawl, interfering with my work from home situation.

Horrible support experience and frustrating business practices. They auto-renewed annual contracts even though I requested cancellation multiple times. They managed my Dragon Medical account for my practice, and after my business closed due to COVID, it took over two years and countless requests before they could help me set up proper auto-pay. People there seemed unable or unwilling to help. Stay far away from this company.