Choose Handy if you want plain, local push-to-talk dictation that costs nothing, has public MIT-licensed source code, needs no account and runs on Linux as well as Mac and Windows. Choose Superwhisper if you want more than dictation: AI modes that rewrite what you say, file transcription, a meeting recorder, phone apps on the same licence, and a vendor with a SOC 2 report. Both can recognise speech on your Mac with free local models, so this is not a local-versus-cloud choice. It is a choice between a deliberately simple open-source tool and a broader commercial app with a free tier and paid Pro features.
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 to pay nothing and read the code: Handy. Superwhisper's pages do not describe it as open source.
- You want AI rewriting, file transcription or meeting recording: Superwhisper Pro.
- You also use an iPhone or Android phone: Superwhisper. Handy lists Windows, macOS and Linux only.
- You use Linux: Handy. Superwhisper lists Linux as "Coming soon".
- You have an Intel Mac and want local models: Handy's latest release includes an Intel Mac build. Superwhisper says "Intel Macs work best with Cloud models".
- Your employer wants audit documents: Superwhisper offers a SOC 2 report under NDA, a DPA and a BAA. Handy is a free project with no warranty.
How do Superwhisper and Handy compare?
As of 3 October 2026. Handy details are from its README, releases page, site and privacy policy. Superwhisper details are from its plans page, introduction, quickstart, sensitive-data guide and compliance page.
| Handy | Superwhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | On your computer. "This happens on your own computer without sending any information to the cloud" | Your choice per mode: a local voice model on the device, or a cloud voice service |
| Speech models | Whisper (Small, Medium, Turbo, Large) and Parakeet V3 | Local Whisper models on Free; cloud models on Pro |
| Price | Free | Free tier; Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once |
| Source code | MIT licence on GitHub | Not described as open source |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux. v0.9.8, released 3 October 2026, has Mac builds for Apple Silicon and Intel | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android; Linux "Coming soon" |
| How you dictate | Configurable shortcut: hold to record and release, or tap to toggle | Option-Space by default: press to start, press again to stop |
| Text cleanup | Optional post-processing; with a cloud provider, the transcript goes to the provider you choose | AI modes on Pro (two modes without AI on Free), with local or cloud language models |
| Other features | Transcript history, custom words | Custom vocabulary, file transcription, meeting recorder, system audio recording, speaker separation (Pro) |
| Telemetry | "Does not contain advertising, behavioral analytics, or user-tracking telemetry" | Enterprise admins can review the metadata collected when usage analytics is on |
| Network use it documents | Update checks to GitHub Releases, model downloads from Hugging Face, optional cloud post-processing | Cloud voice and language models when you select them; providers under zero-data-retention terms |
| Audit documents | None found on the pages we read | SOC 2 report through its Trust Center under NDA; DPA and BAA |
| Refund | Not applicable | 30 days from first purchase on superwhisper.com |
How do their privacy approaches differ?
Handy is local by design. Its privacy policy, effective 18 September 2026, says recordings, transcripts, history, custom words and settings are stored on your device. The network traffic it lists is update checks, model downloads and, only if you turn it on with a cloud provider, post-processing that sends "the transcription, selected prompt, model information, and the authentication credential" to that provider. Because the code is public, a developer can check these claims; a download is only proven to match the code if you build it. Is Handy safe? covers signature checks.
Superwhisper is local if you set it up that way. Its sensitive-data guide says voice-to-text and AI processing are separate stages, "Each stage is independently configurable", and that a fully on-device setup means "no audio or text ever leaves your machine". Its plans page says that on Free, "nothing you dictate leaves your device". On Pro, check each mode. Is Superwhisper safe? lists what to review.
We have not audited either app's network traffic.
What does each cost over three years?
List prices as of 3 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax, assuming prices do not change.
| Option | Year 1 | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Handy | $0 | $0 |
| Superwhisper Free | $0 | $0 |
| Superwhisper Pro, annual | $84.99 | $254.97 |
| Superwhisper Pro, Lifetime | $249.99 | $249.99 |
If you add a cloud provider to Handy's post-processing, that provider bills you. Superwhisper's plans page says App Store and Google Play purchases cost more than buying on its website. Superwhisper pricing covers the details.
Choose Handy if…
- You want free, local dictation and nothing else.
- You want to read, build or modify the code.
- You use Linux, or an Intel Mac with local models.
- You prefer an app that says it has no tracking telemetry.
Choose Superwhisper if…
- You want AI modes that reshape your words, without building your own setup.
- You transcribe files or record meetings.
- You want the same licence on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
- Your organisation needs a SOC 2 report, DPA or BAA.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Both are free to start. Use made-up content.
- Install both (4 minutes). Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Download one local model in each and note its name. Give Handy a shortcut other than Option-Space.
- Keep it local. In Handy, leave post-processing off. In Superwhisper, confirm the mode's voice model is local.
- Dictate in your mail app (3 minutes). "Hi Ottilie, the pallet count is 1,936, not 1,639. Collection is Tuesday the 13th, sorry, Wednesday the 14th. Copy Mr. Szymanski-Obi."
- Check both names, both numbers 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 Superwhisper's vocabulary, and retry.
If Handy's output is good enough for you, you may not need to pay for anything.
A third option
Handy already gives free local dictation, so most readers can stop there. 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 free or open-source software (Handy), Linux, Windows or phone apps, file transcription or a meeting recorder (Superwhisper). It needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. SuprFlow vs Handy and SuprFlow vs Superwhisper compare them.
Questions people ask
Is Handy a free Superwhisper alternative?
For plain dictation, yes. Handy is free, MIT licensed and transcribes on your computer. Superwhisper's own free tier also gives unlimited local Whisper dictation, so compare both. Handy has no file transcription, meeting recorder or phone app.
Does Handy or Superwhisper work offline?
Both, with local models after they are downloaded. Handy's README says it "works completely offline"; Superwhisper says "Local voice models transcribe without an internet connection".
Does Handy run on an Intel Mac?
Yes. Its v0.9.8 release, dated 3 October 2026, includes a Mac download for Intel as well as Apple Silicon.
Is Superwhisper open source like Handy?
No. Superwhisper's pages do not describe it as open source. Handy publishes its code under the MIT licence.
Related guides
- Is Handy safe and open source?
- Handy alternatives
- Superwhisper pricing
- Is Superwhisper safe and local?
- Open-source Wispr Flow alternatives
- Superwhisper alternatives for Mac
Sources
- Handy — GitHub repository and README
- Handy — Releases (v0.9.8)
- Handy — official site
- Handy — Privacy Policy (effective 18 September 2026)
- Superwhisper Docs — Plans and Pricing
- Superwhisper Docs — Introduction
- Superwhisper Docs — Quickstart
- Superwhisper Docs — Sensitive Data Best Practices
- Superwhisper Docs — Compliance and Trust
- Superwhisper — official site
- Superwhisper — Refund Policy