Handy vs Spokenly
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Spokenly
Dictation app with free local models and optional cloud accuracy
Where they differ
- Handy is free. Spokenly starts at $8.33 per month, billed yearly at $99.99 ($9.99 billed monthly).
- Only Spokenly lists an iOS app.
- Handy is open source, according to its own site.
- Spokenly also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Handy | Spokenly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8.33 per month, billed yearly at $99.99 ($9.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Entirely free and open source under the MIT License, with no subscription or cloud service. The project is supported by sponsors and optional donations. | On-device Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word caps, time limit or account. Connecting your own provider API keys is also free of Spokenly charges. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | CJ Pais | Vadim Ahmerov |
| Price read from | handy.computer | spokenly.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Spokenly
- People who want unlimited free dictation that runs offline
- Users who already pay for speech or LLM API keys
- Developers who talk to coding agents on a Mac
Worth knowing
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.
Spokenly
- Without Pro, cloud models need your own provider API keys, and the provider bills you for usage.
- Meeting recording, Agentic Actions and the MCP server are Mac features; the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build.
- There is no Android app; the site offers a waitlist.
- The Team price needs at least 2 seats.
Key features
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.
Spokenly
- Dictation in any app
- Hold a shortcut, speak and release, and the text is typed wherever the cursor is, in 100+ languages with automatic detection. On iPhone it works through a custom keyboard.
- Free local models
- Whisper and Parakeet models run on the device at no cost and with no usage limits. Local Only Mode blocks network requests so audio stays on the machine.
- Cloud models, your keys or Pro
- Use cloud engines by connecting your own keys from providers such as OpenAI, Deepgram and Groq, or subscribe to Pro for managed models like GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3 and Soniox.
- AI Instructions and modes
- Modes with AI Instructions fix grammar, remove filler words and format text for the app in use. Pro hosts this processing; otherwise it runs on your own LLM key or Apple Intelligence.
- Meeting recording on Mac
- Records the microphone and system audio without a bot joining the call, saves the recording to History, and transcribes it afterward with a local or cloud model.
- Voice input for coding agents
- The macOS sideload build includes an MCP server so Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can ask for spoken answers, plus Agentic Actions for voice-controlled Mac automation.
Plans
Handy
Handy$0
The full app for macOS, Windows and Linux with every local model. Donations and GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Spokenly
Local Models$0
Unlimited offline dictation with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models. No account needed.
Your API Keys$0
All local features plus cloud and real-time transcription through your own OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq or other keys. The provider bills usage.
Pro$8.33
per month, billed yearly ($99.99), or $9.99 billed monthly
Managed high-accuracy cloud models, hosted AI text cleanup, settings sync across devices and priority support, with no API keys to set up.
Team$6.99
per seat / month, or $69.99 per seat / year
Full Pro for each member on one subscription, 2-seat minimum. Shown as a permanent 30% off the $9.99 and $99.99 Pro prices.
Ways to pay less
Handy
No public discounts listed.
Spokenly
- Annual discount
2 months free with yearly billing
Pro costs $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, which the pricing page describes as 2 months free.
- Education
50% off Pro for students
Verified students get 50% off Pro by signing in with an academic email address and contacting support to claim it.
- Other savings
30% off Pro for teams of 2 or more
Team seats cost $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year each, 30% below the individual Pro price for the life of the subscription. The minimum is 2 seats.
