Yes, completely. Handy is a free, open-source speech-to-text app released under the MIT licence, with ready-made downloads for Mac, Windows and Linux. There is no paid tier, no word limit, no trial and no account. What "free" does not include is a company standing behind it: the licence provides the software "AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND", help comes from the project's community, and the project is funded by sponsors and donations.
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.
What does free Handy include?
Everything the project makes. From the Handy README and handy.computer, as of 3 October 2026:
| Item | What Handy states |
|---|---|
| Price | Free. The website says "Accessibility tooling belongs in everyone's hands, not behind a paywall." |
| Licence | MIT, copyright CJ Pais (LICENSE) |
| How it works | Press a shortcut: hold it to record and release to stop, or tap to toggle. The text is pasted into the field you are typing in. |
| Speech models | Whisper (Small, Medium, Turbo, Large) and Parakeet V3, running on your computer |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Where to get it | The GitHub releases page or the website; Homebrew and winget packages also exist |
The latest release when we checked was v0.9.8, published 3 October 2026. You do not need to build anything to use Handy; building from source is optional.
What does "free" not cover?
This is where Handy differs from paid apps, and from free tiers of paid apps.
- No warranty. The MIT licence says the software is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, and that the authors are not liable for claims or damages arising from it. That is standard for open-source software, and it means there is no one contractually obliged to fix a problem for you.
- No company support desk. Handy is maintained by CJ Pais and contributors, per its privacy policy. Help comes through GitHub issues, Discord or email, and the policy notes that anything you post in a public GitHub issue or discussion is public. Do not paste private dictation into a bug report.
- Known issues are published, not promised away. The README has a Known Issues section and says the project "is actively being developed and has some known issues". On a Mac, two to know: a Bluetooth headset microphone may reduce playback quality while recording, and shortcuts using the fn (Globe) key only work on Apple keyboards.
- Packages you install from elsewhere are not the developers' own. The README says the Homebrew cask and winget package are not maintained by the Handy developers.
- Simple by design. The website describes Handy as "One tool, one job." It transcribes and pastes; the project does not describe snippets, meeting recording or file transcription.
How do updates work if it is free?
The ready-made app can update itself. Handy's privacy policy says that when update checking is enabled, Handy contacts GitHub Releases to find and download new versions, and that update checking is on by default and can be turned off in settings. If you build Handy yourself, you rebuild to update; BUILD.md lists Rust, Bun, Tauri's prerequisites and Xcode Command Line Tools.
Model downloads may contact Hugging Face. Optional cloud post-processing, if you turn it on, sends your transcript to the provider you pick, so "free" to Handy can still mean paying that provider. Is Handy safe and open source? covers the network details and how to verify a release.
Can you pay for Handy at all?
Only voluntarily. The website has a donate link and lists sponsors who "help keep it free and open source", and says you can donate, use GitHub Sponsors or contact the project. Donations do not buy a support contract or extra features.
What are the other free options?
- Apple Dictation. Built into macOS: choose Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation and turn it on, per Apple's Dictation guide (macOS 27; on older versions look for Dictation in Keyboard settings). Apple says there is no timeout on length; it stops after 30 seconds without speech. See How to use voice to text on a Mac.
- Spokenly's free local models or Superwhisper Free. Free, proprietary apps from companies with paid tiers and support. See Best free dictation app for Mac and Handy vs Spokenly.
Where does SuprFlow fit?
SuprFlow, which publishes this page, is not free and not open source. It costs $125 for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with no subscription and a 7-day refund on a first purchase, and it has no trial. Speech recognition runs on the Mac with an on-device model, and Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It is the wrong choice if you want free, want to read the code, or use Windows or Linux. Try Handy first; SuprFlow vs Handy explains when a paid app might be worth it.
Questions people ask
Is Handy really free, with no catch?
There is no paid tier or limit. The trade-off is the usual one for open source: no warranty, no company support contract, and a small, simple feature set.
Is Handy safe to use if it is free?
Free and safe are separate questions. Handy's privacy policy says it has no advertising, behavioural analytics or user-tracking telemetry, and the code is public for anyone to check. Read Is Handy safe and open source? before using it for sensitive work.
Can I use Handy at work for free?
The MIT licence permits commercial use. Whether your employer allows an unsupported open-source app is a question for your IT team.
Do I have to build Handy myself to get it free?
No. Ready-made releases are free on GitHub and the website.
Related guides
- Is Handy worth it?
- Is Handy safe and open source?
- Handy alternatives
- Handy vs Spokenly
- Handy vs VoiceInk
- SuprFlow vs Handy