JustVoice vs Handy
JustVoice vs Handy, free open source vs polished product
Handy is a free, open-source local dictation app for Mac, Windows, and Linux. JustVoice is a polished commercial product with code mode, app profiles, and snippets, for $35 once.
Last updated:
TL;DR
The verdict
JustVoice is the better pick over Handy when you want a polished, supported product with code mode and app profiles, for a $35 one-time licence. Both run Whisper locally with nothing sent to the cloud. The honest caveat: Handy is free and open source under the MIT licence on Mac, Windows, and Linux, so if zero cost and full openness are the priority, Handy wins outright.
At a glance
Side-by-side summary
JustVoice
Local Whisper on macOS. $35 once — lifetime license, no subscription. Code mode, app profiles, custom vocabulary.
Handy
Free, open-source, fully local dictation for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Free (open source, MIT). macOS, Windows, Linux.
Pricing verified May 24, 2026 from the official source.
Handy is a free, MIT-licensed, fully local dictation app for Mac, Windows, and Linux, community-built with no monetization. JustVoice runs the same local Whisper foundation but ships a polished commercial product, code dictation with IDE detection, per-app profiles, snippets, and active support, for a $35 one-time lifetime licence.
Why switch
Is JustVoice a good Handy alternative?
Yes, for most Mac users switching from Handy, JustVoice covers the same core voice-to-text job and adds fully local Whisper processing (your voice never touches the cloud), custom vocabulary, voice-activated snippets, and code dictation with IDE detection — all included in one $35 lifetime license. Fit depends on your platform needs and the trade-offs below.
- Polished, paid-product UX with active development and support
- Code dictation mode with IDE detection
- App profiles, per-app behaviour and hotkeys
- Voice-activated snippets with variable substitution
- $35 once for a lifetime licence, every feature included
- GPU-accelerated local Whisper tuned for Apple Silicon
When to stay
When should I pick Handy over JustVoice?
An honest comparison means flagging where Handy still wins outright. If any of these are deal-breakers for you, stay on Handy.
- Completely free and open source (MIT licence)
- Cross-platform: macOS, Windows, and Linux
- No account, no monetization, fully self-hostable
Bottom line: Choose JustVoice if you want a polished, supported product with code mode and app profiles for a $35 one-time licence. Choose Handy if you want free, open-source, cross-platform local dictation and are happy to trade polish for openness.
Features
JustVoice vs Handy, feature-by-feature
| Feature | JustVoice | Handy |
|---|---|---|
| Local Whisper transcription | ||
| Open source (MIT) | ||
| FreeJustVoice is a $35 one-time licence; Handy is fully free | ||
| Polished UX | ||
| Code dictation mode | ||
| IDE detection | ||
| App profiles | ||
| Active commercial support | ||
| Windows / Linux support |
Bottom line
The takeaway
For a polished product with code mode and app profiles at $35 one-time, choose JustVoice. For free, open-source, cross-platform dictation, Handy.
FAQ
Common questions
- Yes. JustVoice covers the same core voice-to-text job, system-wide dictation on macOS, and adds GPU-accelerated local Whisper transcription, custom vocabulary, and voice-activated snippets, all for a $35 one-time lifetime licence. Most users switching from Handy cite price, privacy, or features as the deciding factor.
- Absolutely. JustVoice is a $35 one-time purchase with no subscription, less than three months of a typical cloud dictation plan, so there's little risk in installing it alongside Handy and trying both for a week. Most users settle on one, but they can coexist on the same Mac without conflict.
- Five minutes. Download JustVoice from justvoice.ai/download, activate your $35 lifetime licence, grant microphone and accessibility permissions, set a hotkey, and you're dictating into any app immediately. Custom vocabulary and snippets carry no migration overhead, they're entered as you go.
- No. JustVoice is a closed-source commercial product with a $35 one-time lifetime licence. Handy is fully open source under the MIT licence and runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Both use the same open OpenAI Whisper model for transcription, so core accuracy is comparable; the difference is polish, features, and support versus openness and zero cost.
More comparisons
Compare with other apps
Ready to switch from Handy?
JustVoice is $35 once — a lifetime license, no subscription. Your voice never leaves your Mac.