Handy
Free and open-source speech to text that works completely offline
Overview
Handy is a free, open-source speech-to-text application that runs entirely on your Mac using local AI processing. Press a keyboard shortcut, speak, and release to instantly transcribe your words into any text field. Built with Tauri, React, and Rust, Handy uses OpenAI's Whisper models and Parakeet for accurate transcription while keeping your audio completely private—nothing is sent to the cloud. With support for GPU acceleration, automatic language detection, and customizable keyboard shortcuts, Handy offers a fast, privacy-focused alternative to cloud-based dictation tools.
Pricing: Free
Architecture: Apple Silicon, Intel
Key Features
- On-device speech-to-text powered by Whisper and Parakeet models
- Complete privacy - audio never leaves your device
- Push-to-talk mode with customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Toggle transcription mode for continuous recording
- GPU acceleration when available
- Automatic language detection across 100+ languages
- Voice activity detection with Silero for silence filtering
- Works with any text field across macOS
- Support for multiple Whisper models (Small, Medium, Turbo, Large)
- Built with Tauri v2, React, TypeScript, and Rust
- Free and open-source under MIT license
- Active community with Discord support
- Cross-platform support (macOS, Windows, Linux)
Tags
Handy Alternatives
OpenWhispr
Open-source voice-to-text dictation with local and cloud processing
FreeWhisper
Free open-source Whisper dictation app for macOS
VoiceInk
Open-source local dictation for Apple Silicon Macs
inlaut
Local push-to-talk dictation for the Mac, free and open source