Handy vs Superwhisper
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Superwhisper
Voice-to-text app with offline models and custom AI modes
Where they differ
- Handy is free. Superwhisper starts at $8.49 per month, billed monthly ($84.99 billed yearly).
- Only Handy lists a Linux app.
- Only Superwhisper lists iOS and Android apps.
- Handy is open source, according to its own site.
- Superwhisper can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Superwhisper also covers meeting notes and transcription.
At a glance
| Handy | Superwhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8.49 per month, billed monthly ($84.99 billed yearly) |
| 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. | Unlimited dictation with any local Whisper model, custom vocabulary, text replacements and up to 2 modes without AI processing. |
| Free trial | None listed | New users get 3,000 words of access to all Pro features, then the app falls back to the Free plan. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | CJ Pais | SuperUltra, Inc. |
| Price read from | handy.computer | superwhisper.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 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
Superwhisper
- People who want dictation that runs on-device and offline
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Users who want to choose their own voice and language models
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.
Superwhisper
- AI-powered modes, cloud voice models, file transcription and speaker separation all need Pro.
- The Free plan is limited to 2 modes, and those run without AI processing.
- Cloud voice models send audio to hosted servers; only the local models keep audio on the device.
- A Linux version is listed as coming soon and is not yet available.
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.
Superwhisper
- Dictation in any app
- Speak and have the text typed into whatever app is in front of you, such as Slack, Gmail, Notion or a code editor. More than 100 languages and dialects are supported.
- Local models that work offline
- Whisper models run entirely on your device and are free to use without limits, so dictation works with no connection and audio is not uploaded.
- Cloud voice models on Pro
- Pro adds hosted voice models such as S1-Voice, Nova and Scribe, along with real-time transcription. With these models audio is sent to hosted servers.
- Modes
- A mode sets how speech is processed, from plain transcription to AI modes that rewrite it for a context such as email. Free allows 2 modes without AI; Pro is unlimited.
- Meetings and file transcription
- Records meetings and produces notes, and Pro adds system audio recording, speaker separation and transcription of audio or video files.
- Custom vocabulary
- Add names and terms the models tend to get wrong, plus text replacements. Both are included on the Free plan.
Plans
Handy
Handy$0
The full app for macOS, Windows and Linux with every local model. Donations and GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Superwhisper
Free$0
Unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, custom vocabulary, text replacements and up to 2 modes.
Pro$8.49
per month, or $84.99 per year
Cloud voice models, AI-powered modes, unlimited modes, file transcription, system audio recording and speaker separation.
Pro Lifetime$249.99
one-time payment
The same Pro features as the subscription, paid once. One license covers Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
EnterpriseCustom
Seat-based licensing with SSO and centralized deployment for teams.
Ways to pay less
Handy
No public discounts listed.
Superwhisper
- Annual discount
About 17% less with the yearly plan
Pro costs $84.99 a year against $8.49 a month, which Superwhisper describes as a saving of about 17%.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Pro license for $249.99
A one-time payment of $249.99 buys Pro for life, with the same features as the subscription. All individual plans have a 30-day refund window.
- Education
40% off for students and educators
Verified students, faculty and academic institutions get 40% off list price. The discount is requested by email from an institutional address before purchasing.
- Nonprofit
40% off for nonprofits
Verified non-profit and charitable organizations get 40% off list price, requested by email before purchasing.
