Dictation apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Superwhisper vs Handy

Superwhisper ranks #2 and Handy ranks #3 in our guide to the best dictation apps for Mac and iPhone. Superwhisper is the better pick for most people, and Handy is the best free option.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Better for most peopleSuperwhisper app iconSuperwhisperPick Superwhisper if you want to choose between offline and cloud models and never hit a weekly word cap.Free to startBest freeHandy app iconHandyPick Handy if you want hold-to-talk dictation in any Mac app at no cost, with audio kept offline.Free, open source

What decides it

  • Handy costs less over 3 years: Free, against $249.99 for Superwhisper.
  • Both run on Mac. Only Superwhisper runs on iPhone and iPad.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceSuperwhisper app iconSuperwhisperHandy app iconHandy
PriceFree with local models. Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 onceFree and open source
How you payFree, with paid upgradesFree
3 years of use$249.99Free Cheaper
Free trialFree to startFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac
Where to buyDeveloper, App StoreDeveloper
FeaturesOffline, Free trialOpen source, Offline
Last updated29 Oct 2026Not tracked

Who should get which

Get Superwhisper if

You think faster than you type and want to speak emails and notes into whatever app is in front of you.

Get Handy if

You want to talk instead of type in any app, without a subscription or sending audio to the cloud.

Skip Superwhisper if

You dictate a sentence or 2 a day, and the free dictation built into macOS handles that fine.

Skip Handy if

You send short texts by voice now and then, and the Mac's built-in dictation does that free.

Our verdicts

Superwhisper app iconSuperwhisper

Talk into whatever app is open on your Mac, and custom modes reshape your words so a rambling thought comes out as a tidy email or a short message. The free plan already runs local Whisper models offline with no word limit, in more than 100 languages. Pro at $8.49 a month adds cloud models and file transcription, and if you mostly transcribe recordings rather than dictate, MacWhisper's one-time license fits better.

Handy app iconHandy

Free and open source, Handy does push-to-talk dictation into any app using Whisper or Parakeet models that run fully offline, so your voice never leaves your computer. Wispr Flow and Superwhisper charge a subscription for their best features, and Handy also runs on Windows and Linux. It only does live dictation, so for transcribing recorded audio or meetings MacWhisper is the better fit.

What each one helps you do

Superwhisper app iconSuperwhisper

  • Dictate text into any app on your Mac
  • Turn rambling speech into a clean email
  • Transcribe audio and video files
  • Record and transcribe your meetings

Handy app iconHandy

  • Dictate into any app with 1 shortcut
  • Keep your voice recordings off the cloud
  • Type long emails by talking
  • Pick a faster or more accurate speech model

Where to get them

Superwhisper

Free with local models. Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once

  • From the developerYour first 3,000 words include every Pro feature
    Free downloadGet it
  • iPhone and iPad appCompanion app on the App Store
    Free downloadApp Store

Handy

Free and open source

  • From the developer
    FreeGet it

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best dictation apps for Mac and iPhone.

Read the full guideAll Superwhisper alternativesAll Handy alternatives

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