SpeechBee

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Handy vs SpeechBee

Handy and SpeechBee agree on the important thing: your voice should be turned into text on your own computer, not on someone's server. Handy does that for free, in the open, on every desktop system. SpeechBee charges for it and adds a lot around it. Here is what the difference buys you.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 15 October 2026

  • SpeechBee
On this page
  1. Side by side
  2. What they share
  3. What free gets you
  4. What the money gets you
  5. Which to choose
  6. Questions
  7. Keep comparing
  8. Sources

Side by side

HandySpeechBee
PriceFree$9/mo, $79/yr, or $99 once, after 7 days free
Source codeOpen source on GitHubClosed source
Where speech is processedOn your computerOn your device
Works offlineYes, after a model downloadYes, after a model download
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxMac (Apple silicon), iPhone, iPad
Puts text into any appYes, pastes into the active text fieldYes, at the cursor in any app
Filler words removedNot listed on its siteYes, in 61 languages
Custom wordsYesYes, a dictionary plus snippets
SnippetsNot listed on its siteYes
AI rewriting and translationPost-processing, marked alpha: you write the prompt and bring a cloud API key, a local model, or Apple Intelligence on macOS 26Built-in writing modes and 20 translation languages, on your Mac (macOS 26)
Read text aloudNoYes, with natural local voices

What they share

Both apps put your words into whatever you are typing in, and both do the speech recognition locally. Handy's privacy policy says ordinary dictation does not send your audio or text to Handy's servers. SpeechBee keeps audio in memory on the device and never uploads or records it. If privacy is your reason for looking, either one passes.

What free gets you

Handy costs nothing, and you can read every line of its code. That matters to some people more than any feature. It runs on Windows and Linux too, which SpeechBee does not.

The trade is that Handy's main job is speech in, text out. Custom words help with names. Deleting every "um" is left to you. Reformatting a rambling paragraph into an email is possible through its alpha post-processing feature, but you write the prompt yourself and connect your own AI provider, a local model or Apple Intelligence.

What the money gets you

Voice to text
New message

Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.

SpeechBee's listening indicator on Mac
Hold your key, talk, let go. The text lands at the cursor.
Text to speech
Article

Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.

SpeechBee's Read Aloud player on Mac
Select text, press your reading key, listen.

SpeechBee is built for people who dictate a lot and want less editing afterwards:

  • Filler words removed before the text lands, in 61 languages, and spoken commands such as "new paragraph".
  • A dictionary for names and terms, so you fix them once.
  • Snippets, so "booking link" types your full calendar URL.
  • Writing modes such as Email, Message, Notes and Prompt for AI, set per app, running on your Mac with Apple Intelligence.
  • Translation as you speak, between 20 languages, with Apple's on-device translation.
  • Read Aloud. Select text and press your reading key to hear it in a natural voice.
  • iPhone and iPad apps and a voice keyboard, in the same purchase.

It is $79 a year, $9 a month, or $99 once, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Which to choose

Try Handy first if money is tight, if you are on Windows or Linux, or if open source is a requirement. If you find yourself deleting "um"s every day, wishing it would format an email for you without a prompt and an API key to set up, or wanting it on your phone too, that is the work SpeechBee takes off your hands. The first week is free, so you can compare both on your own writing.

Try SpeechBee free for 7 days.

Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.

Download for MacGet it for iPhone & iPad

Questions

Is Handy free?

Yes. Handy is free and open source.

Does Handy work offline?

Yes. Once a speech model is downloaded, Handy transcribes on your computer without an internet connection. So does SpeechBee.

Does Handy work on Mac?

Yes. Handy runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.

What does SpeechBee add over Handy?

Filler-word removal, snippets, ready-made writing modes and translation with no prompt or API key to set up, Read Aloud, and iPhone and iPad apps. Handy has custom words and an alpha post-processing feature you configure yourself. Handy is free; SpeechBee is $79 a year or $99 once.

Keep comparing

Sources

Checked on 15 October 2026.