superwhisper vs Handy: the two compared on their own makers' numbers

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superwhisper and Handy can both dictate without sending your voice anywhere. superwhisper is a commercial app with AI modes on a Pro plan. Handy is free and open source on Mac, Windows and Linux, with fewer features and more choices left to you.

I built YapToText, a free dictation app for the Mac, so read this knowing I make a rival to both. Each fact comes from the maker's own pages, on the dates under the table.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

Side by side

superwhisper checked October 5, 2026, on superwhisper.com. Handy checked October 5, 2026, on handy.computer and its GitHub repository. YapToText from its own settings. Prices change, so confirm on each maker's site.

superwhisperHandyYapToText
Built forDictation with AI modesFree local dictation you assemble yourselfDictation, with files as plain text
FreeUnlimited local Whisper dictation, vocabulary, replacements, two modes without AIEverything. It is funded by donationsEverything
PaidPro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 onceNo paid tierNo paid tier
Where speech is processedOn the Mac with local models, or cloud models with ProOn your computer, with Parakeet V3 or Whisper modelsOn the Mac
Without internetYes, with local modelsYesYes
CleanupAI modes and Super Mode, with ProExperimental post-processing with a provider and prompt you setBuilt in, on the Mac
PlatformsMac, Windows, iPhone and AndroidMac on Apple silicon and Intel, Windows and LinuxApple silicon Macs, macOS 14 or later
Open source licenseNot statedMITGPL-3.0

Pick by what you need

  • Free and open source. Handy, under MIT.
  • Linux. Handy.
  • AI modes that rewrite. superwhisper Pro.
  • iPhone or Android. superwhisper.

For more on each: superwhisper and Handy.

The free third option

YapToText does dictation with cleanup and dictionaries on the Mac, free, with no account, and gives plain text from audio and video files. It runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later and nowhere else. If you need Windows, a phone, subtitles or speaker labels, one of the two above fits better. The superwhisper alternative page and the Handy one compare each with YapToText directly.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

The short version

  • superwhisper. Dictation with AI modes. Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once.
  • Handy. Free local dictation you assemble yourself. No paid tier.
  • YapToText. Free dictation with cleanup on one Apple silicon Mac.

If a price or feature here has changed, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

What is the difference between superwhisper and Handy?

superwhisper: dictation with ai modes. Handy: free local dictation you assemble yourself.

Is superwhisper or Handy free?

superwhisper: Unlimited local Whisper dictation, vocabulary, replacements, two modes without AI. Handy: Everything. It is funded by donations.

Do superwhisper and Handy work offline?

superwhisper: Yes, with local models. Handy: Yes.

Is there a free app that runs on the Mac?

YapToText is free, with cleanup built in, on Apple silicon Macs.