Handy vs MacWhisper

Handy

• People who want free dictation that never uploads audio
• Dictating on Linux as well as macOS and Windows
• Developers who want a small codebase to fork and extend

MacWhisper

• Transcribing interviews, lectures and podcasts without uploading files
• Mac users who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
• Producing .srt or .vtt subtitles from audio and video

Handy

• It transcribes microphone input only and cannot capture system audio from calls or videos.
• There is no live streaming transcription: Handy records a segment, then transcribes it, and recordings work best under 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spoken punctuation commands are not supported, and AI post-processing is an alpha feature that needs your own API key or a local model.
• There are no mobile apps; downloads cover macOS, Windows and Linux.

MacWhisper

• Mac only on the desktop, and it needs macOS 14 or later. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate App Store product called Whisper Transcription.
• The Pro price is set in euros, and checkout runs through Gumroad.
• License keys work only in the direct-download version; the App Store edition is sold by subscription and has fewer AI provider options.
• Speaker recognition (with local models, M-series Macs only), batch transcription, integrations and most export formats require Pro.

Handy

Shortcut-driven dictation

Press a shortcut to start and stop recording, or hold it for push-to-talk, and the text is pasted into the app you are typing in. Shortcuts can be remapped in settings.

Local speech models

Choose from Parakeet, Whisper, Moonshine and other models that run on the device, with GPU acceleration when available. Parakeet V3 covers 25 European languages and Whisper 99+.

Optional AI post-processing

An experimental feature runs the transcript through a language model to fix grammar or reformat it, using a cloud provider key, an OpenAI-compatible local endpoint or Apple Intelligence.

Custom words

List names and jargon that are often misheard, and Handy corrects similar-sounding words to match. The docs describe this matching as imperfect.

Transcription history

Past transcriptions are kept with a timestamp and the original audio, and entries can be copied, starred or deleted. A limit setting controls how many are stored.

Command-line control

Flags such as --toggle-transcription and --cancel control a running instance, and --start-hidden launches Handy straight to the system tray.

MacWhisper

Local file transcription

Transcribes audio and video files such as mp3, wav, m4a, mov and mp4 with models that run on the Mac, so recordings are processed offline and do not leave the computer.

System-wide dictation

Dictate into any text field on the Mac. Free includes dictation; Pro adds a higher-quality mode, automatic grammar improvement and dictation with AI prompts.

Meeting and app audio recording

Records Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype and Discord calls in the background, or the audio of any Mac app, and transcribes the result.

Speaker recognition and batch jobs

Pro labels different speakers automatically, transcribes many files in one batch and can transcribe YouTube and other media URLs.

Subtitle and document export

Free exports .txt plus .srt and .vtt subtitles. Pro adds .md, .pdf, .html and .docx and can translate subtitles automatically.

AI summaries and chat

Summarize or chat with a transcript by connecting your own provider, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI or local models through Ollama.

Handy

• Handy$0

  The full app for macOS, Windows and Linux with every local model. Donations and GitHub Sponsors are optional.

MacWhisper

• MacWhisper Free€0

  Microphone recording, file transcription in 100 languages, system-wide dictation and export to .txt, .srt and .vtt.

• MacWhisper Pro€65

  one-time payment, 1 license for personal use

  Lifetime updates. Adds speaker recognition, batch transcription, more export formats, higher-quality dictation and integrations.

• 5 licenses (Pro)€269

  one-time payment (€54 per license)

  Five Pro licenses bought together. Larger packs of 10, 20 and 50 licenses are also sold.

Handy

No public discounts listed.

MacWhisper

• Lifetime license

  Pro is a one-time €65 license

  MacWhisper Pro is a pay-once license at €65 that includes lifetime updates, with no subscription on the direct-download version. The Gumroad listing promises a refund if you ask within 7 days.

• Education

  25% off for students on request

  The Gumroad listing says students, journalists and nonprofits can email support, describe their work and get 25% off.

• Nonprofit

  25% off for nonprofits on request

  Nonprofits are covered by the same offer as students and journalists: email support with details of your work to get 25% off.

• Other savings

  Volume packs from €54 per license

  Pro license packs lower the unit price: 5 licenses for €269 (€54 each), 10 for €490 (€49 each), 20 for €899 (€45 each) and 50 for €2,199 (€44 each).