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Saypane vs Handy: free open source dictation on Windows

Handy is the most popular open source dictation app: MIT licensed, about 34,800 stars on GitHub, and free for Windows, Mac and Linux. Press a shortcut, speak, and the text is pasted where you are typing, with everything processed on your computer. If that is all you need, Handy may be all you need. This page explains where Saypane is different.

SaypaneHandy
PriceDictation free; Pro is a one-time in-app purchaseFree, funded by sponsors and donations
Source codeClosed source app; open models and librariesOpen source, MIT
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Runs offlineYesYes
Hold to talk and toggleYesYes
ModelsParakeet, Whisper small, Whisper large v3 turboParakeet V3, Whisper Small, Medium, Turbo and Large
AI post-processingNoOptional, through an LLM you connect
File transcriptionYes, first 15 minutes per file freeNo; it describes itself as "one tool, one job"
Speaker labels and meeting recordingIn ProNo
InstallMicrosoft Store, with automatic updatesGitHub releases or its website; winget and Homebrew packages are maintained by others

What Handy does better

  • It is free and open source. You can read the code, change it and build it yourself.
  • It runs on Mac and Linux as well.
  • More Whisper sizes to choose from, and optional post-processing through a language model.

What Saypane adds

  • A transcription workbench. Drop in interviews, lectures or calls and get a transcript with timestamps, in the same app you dictate with.
  • Speaker labels and meeting recording of your microphone and PC sound (Pro).
  • Exports to SRT, VTT, Word and JSON (Pro).
  • Windows details: typed characters in terminals, a notice when an administrator window blocks input, and a microphone that opens on key press so the first word is kept. Text insertion and a slow microphone start are among the most discussed issues on Handy's GitHub.
  • Microsoft Store install and updates, which matters on PCs where only Store apps are allowed.

Which one to choose

  • Choose Handy if you only need dictation, want it open source, or use Mac or Linux too.
  • Choose Saypane if you want dictation and file or meeting transcription with speaker labels in one Windows app from the Microsoft Store.

Sources: handy.computer, Handy on GitHub (README, releases and issues).

Prices and plans of other apps were checked on their websites on October 27, 2026. They change often, so confirm them with the vendor before you buy.

Questions

Is Handy free?

Yes. Handy is free and open source under the MIT licence, supported by sponsors and donations.

Can Handy transcribe audio files?

Its website and README describe dictation only: press a shortcut, speak, and the text is pasted into the current app. For files on Windows, Saypane, Buzz and Vibe transcribe locally.

Last updated October 27, 2026.

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