Choose Handy if you want free, ready-to-install dictation that does one job, runs on Intel Macs, Windows and Linux too, and comes under the permissive MIT licence. Choose VoiceInk if you work only on an Apple Silicon Mac and want more writing help (a personal dictionary with text replacements, app-aware modes, screen context and an iPhone app) and are happy to pay $25 once for the ready-made app, as of 3 October 2026. Both publish their source and both transcribe on your Mac by default, so open source is not the deciding point here. The decision is a free, minimal, cross-platform tool against a Mac-focused app whose compiled build is paid.
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
We have not run a controlled benchmark of either app, so nothing here says which is more accurate.
Who should pick which?
- You want a free download you do not have to build: Handy. VoiceInk is free only if you build it from source.
- You have an Intel Mac: Handy's latest release includes an Intel Mac build. VoiceInk says it "Works only on Apple Silicon Macs".
- You also use Windows or Linux: Handy.
- You want app-aware modes, screen context and text replacements: VoiceInk.
- You want an iPhone app from the same developer: VoiceInk lists an iOS app. Handy lists desktop systems only.
- You plan to modify and redistribute the code: read both licences. Handy is MIT, a permissive licence; VoiceInk is GPL v3, a copyleft licence.
How do Handy and VoiceInk compare?
As of 3 October 2026. Handy details are from its README, releases page, site and privacy policy. VoiceInk details are from its site, pricing page, privacy policy, README and releases page.
| Handy | VoiceInk | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | MIT | GPL v3; the ready-made app is a paid download |
| Price of the ready-made app | Free | $25 (1 Mac), $39 (2), $49 (3), one-time, "Lifetime of updates"; free trial first |
| Where speech is processed | On your computer: "without sending any information to the cloud" | "All transcription processing happens entirely on your device using local AI models" by default |
| Speech models | Whisper (Small, Medium, Turbo, Large) and Parakeet V3 | Whisper and Parakeet, among others the README credits |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Mac; a separate iOS app |
| Mac requirement | v0.9.8 (3 October 2026) ships Apple Silicon and Intel builds | Apple Silicon only; pricing page says macOS 14.4 or later, README says macOS 15.0 or later |
| Latest release | v0.9.8, 3 October 2026 | v2.21, 28 September 2026 |
| How you dictate | Hold to record and release, or tap to toggle | Keyboard shortcut; "Works across all applications" |
| Text cleanup | Optional post-processing; with a cloud provider, the transcript goes to that provider | Optional AI enhancement: "Only the transcribed text (never audio) is sent to your selected provider" |
| Other features | Transcript history, custom words | Personal dictionary with smart replacements, context-aware AI, Smart Modes, journal notes |
| Telemetry | "Does not contain advertising, behavioral analytics, or user-tracking telemetry" | Not addressed in the privacy policy we read |
| Contributions | Invites contributors on its site | "Not accepting pull requests at this time" |
| Refund | Not applicable | "14-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked" |
What does each app's privacy page actually promise?
Handy's privacy policy, effective 18 September 2026, says recordings, transcripts, history and custom words stay on your device. It lists three kinds of network use: update checks to GitHub Releases, model downloads from Hugging Face, and, only if you turn it on with a cloud provider, post-processing that sends the transcript, prompt and your credential to that provider. Is Handy safe? shows how to verify a release signature.
VoiceInk's privacy policy, updated 27 September 2026, says it does not store your transcriptions or audio on its servers. If you choose cloud transcription, your audio goes to that provider; if you turn on AI enhancement, only text goes. The policy does not describe licence activation or update traffic. Is VoiceInk safe? covers that.
For both, public source lets someone check the claims, but a downloaded app is only proven to match the code if you build it yourself. We have not audited either app's network traffic.
What does each cost?
List prices as of 3 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax.
| Option | You pay |
|---|---|
| Handy, downloaded or built | $0 |
| VoiceInk, built from source | $0 |
| VoiceInk Solo, 1 Mac | $25 once |
| VoiceInk Personal, 2 Macs | $39 once |
| VoiceInk Extended, 3 Macs | $49 once |
Any cloud provider you add to either app bills you separately. The README says VoiceInk's compiled version adds "automatic updates, priority support via Discord and email". VoiceInk pricing covers discounts and refunds.
Choose Handy if…
- You want a free app you can install without building it.
- You use an Intel Mac, Windows or Linux.
- You want plain dictation with as few features as possible.
- You prefer the MIT licence.
Choose VoiceInk if…
- You only use Apple Silicon Macs on a recent macOS.
- You want context-aware modes, text replacements and a personal dictionary.
- You want an iPhone app as well.
- You are happy to pay a small one-time fee for updates and support.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Handy is free and VoiceInk has a free trial. Use made-up content.
- Install both (4 minutes). Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Download one local model in each and note its name. Give the two apps different shortcuts.
- Keep it local. Leave Handy's post-processing and VoiceInk's AI enhancement off.
- Dictate in your mail app (3 minutes). "Hi Philippa, the grant total is 58,300 pounds, not 53,800. The panel meets Monday the 2nd, no, Tuesday the 3rd. Copy Professor Adeyemi-Lund."
- Check both names, both amounts and the corrected date.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and repeat (3 minutes). Both should keep working with local models.
- Try your jargon (5 minutes). Add misses to Handy's custom words and VoiceInk's dictionary, and retry.
If they tie and you do not need VoiceInk's extras, Handy costs nothing.
A third option
Both apps already give local dictation for $25 or less, with source you can read, so most readers do not need anything else. SuprFlow is a paid, proprietary Mac app: hold Fn, speak, release, and text from an on-device model is pasted at the cursor, with Default formatting doing local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. Optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to the provider you pick. It costs $125 once for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with a 7-day refund on a first purchase and no trial. It is the wrong choice if you want open source, a free app, the lowest price, an Intel Mac, Windows, Linux or a phone app. It needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. SuprFlow vs Handy and SuprFlow vs VoiceInk compare them.
Questions people ask
Is Handy a free VoiceInk alternative?
Yes for plain local dictation. Handy's ready-made app is free; VoiceInk's costs $25 once for one Mac unless you build it yourself. VoiceInk adds modes, screen context and text replacements that Handy does not describe.
Are Handy and VoiceInk both open source?
Yes. Handy is MIT licensed; VoiceInk is GPL v3, and its README says it is not accepting pull requests at this time.
Does VoiceInk work on an Intel Mac like Handy?
No. VoiceInk's pricing page says it works only on Apple Silicon. Handy's v0.9.8 release includes an Intel Mac build.
Do Handy and VoiceInk work offline?
Yes, with local models once downloaded. Cloud post-processing in Handy, and cloud transcription or AI enhancement in VoiceInk, need a connection.
Related guides
- Is Handy safe and open source?
- Handy alternatives
- VoiceInk pricing
- Is VoiceInk safe and open source?
- Open-source Wispr Flow alternatives
- Does open-source dictation prove privacy?