Handy vs Talon
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Talon
Hands-free computer control by voice, eye tracking and noises
Where they differ
- Handy is free. Talon starts at $5 per month on Patreon; the Talon+ tier is $25 per month.
- Handy is open source, according to its own site.
- Talon also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Handy | Talon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $5 per month on Patreon; the Talon+ tier is $25 per month |
| 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. | The public release is free to download and use, including the built-in speech recognition engine, eye tracking, noise input and scripting. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | CJ Pais | Talon Voice, LLC |
| Price read from | handy.computer | patreon.com |
| 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
Talon
- People with limited or no use of their hands
- Programmers who want to write code by voice
- Users willing to customize commands with scripts
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.
Talon
- Talon recognizes no commands until scripts are added; the suggested start is cloning the talonhub/community repository.
- Eye-tracking mouse control needs a separate Tobii 4C, Tobii 5 or equivalent eye tracker.
- On Linux it requires an X11 session, and Wayland support is not planned.
- The app is closed-source freeware, and earlier access to new features is tied to the $25-a-month Talon+ tier on Patreon.
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.
Talon
- Voice commands and dictation
- Control apps, edit text and dictate by voice. Commands come from user scripts, and the talonhub/community repository supplies a ready-made command set.
- Eye-tracking mouse control
- Several algorithms move the pointer by gaze. This depends on a Tobii 4C, Tobii 5 or equivalent eye tracker.
- Noise input
- A noise recognition system reacts to mouth sounds: by default a pop clicks and a hiss scrolls.
- Custom commands in .talon files
- Short text files map a spoken phrase to typed text or key presses, such as saying "select all" to send Cmd-A.
- Python scripting
- Behavior can be extended in Python 3 through an embedded interpreter, so no separate Python installation is needed.
- Built-in or Dragon speech engine
- Talon comes with a free speech recognition engine, installed from its Speech Recognition menu, and also works with Dragon without extra setup.
Plans
Handy
Handy$0
The full app for macOS, Windows and Linux with every local model. Donations and GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Talon
Talon$0
The public release for macOS, Windows and Linux with voice commands, dictation, eye tracking, noise input and Python scripting.
VIP Slack Channel$5
per month on Patreon, or $51 per year
A supporter tier that adds access to the #vip channel on the Talon Slack.
Talon+$25
per month on Patreon, or $255 per year
Earlier access to new features and higher-priority support, with invites to the #beta and #vip Slack channels.
Professional$100
per month on Patreon, or $1,020 per year
For people who depend on Talon for their living and want to help fund it. Includes Talon+ access.
Ways to pay less
Handy
No public discounts listed.
Talon
- Annual discount
15% less with annual Patreon billing
Talon+ is $255 a year on Patreon against $25 a month, which is 15% less. The $5 and $100 tiers follow the same ratio at $51 and $1,020 a year.
