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Handy vs TypeMic on Linux
Handy is a free, open-source speech-to-text app that runs on Linux and keeps audio on your machine. It deserves respect. TypeMic is the engineered option beside it: a benchmarked 0.9 seconds on any hardware, a cleanup pass, a signed self-updating package, and a team of security engineers behind it.
Every Handy number on this page was read from Handy’s own website on September 3, 2026. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
| Criterion | TypeMic | Handy |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Built Linux-first: a signed .deb for Ubuntu, Debian, Mint and Pop!_OS, self-updating. Available now, and macOS ships too. | Yes. Version 0.9.4 ships an AppImage, a .deb and an .rpm for x64 and ARM, plus Mac and Windows builds. Open source. |
| What happens to your voice | Processed, typed, discarded. Never stored, never used to train. No voice logs. | Stays on your computer: transcription runs locally and no audio is sent to the cloud, per their site. |
| The engine | TypeMic’s own Predator engine, running on Cloudflare’s global infrastructure, certified to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II,: load-balanced across numerous nodes worldwide, so users everywhere are served close to where they are by the same engineering. Benchmarked at 0.9 seconds from release to text, about a second at any dictation length, on any machine. | Open-source models running on your own CPU or GPU, so speed and accuracy depend on your hardware. |
| Cleanup | A cleanup pass punctuates and capitalizes, so what lands at the cursor reads as typed. | Their site describes one job: transcribe what you say and put it into a text box. |
| Price | $12/mo, or $114/yr ($9.50/mo effective) | Free, funded by sponsors and donations. |
| Free tier | First 7 days unlimited, then 2,000 words/week, forever | Everything, free and open source. |
“Your voice stays on your computer. Get transcriptions without sending audio to the cloud.”
, handy.computer, retrieved September 3, 2026
What it costs over time
Over 3 years, TypeMic’s annual plan is $90 less than paying monthly.
Common questions
Is Handy a good dictation app for Linux?
Yes. As of September 3, 2026 Handy ships Linux builds as AppImage, .deb and .rpm, is free and open source, and runs transcription on your own machine. If you want a local, no-account tool and your hardware is up to it, it is a fair choice. TypeMic is the option for people who want the engineered version: a signed self-updating package, a cleanup pass, and the same 0.9-second benchmark on a thin laptop as on a workstation.
Why pay for TypeMic when Handy is free?
Because of what you get for it. Handy's speed and accuracy come from your CPU or GPU. TypeMic's Predator engine runs on Cloudflare's global infrastructure, benchmarked at 0.9 seconds from release to text at any dictation length, on any machine. Add the cleanup pass, accounts that carry your allowance across devices, and a team whose day job is enterprise security, and the price is the cost of that engineering.
Which is more private, Handy or TypeMic?
Both keep your words off anyone's disk. Handy never sends audio anywhere. TypeMic sends each utterance to its own engine over an encrypted connection, types the result, and discards both: never stored, never used to train, no voice logs, and the app tells you so at every start. The difference is where the work happens, not whether anything is kept.
How do Handy and TypeMic prices compare?
Handy is free. TypeMic Pro is $12 per month or $114 per year, and every account starts with 7 days unlimited and keeps 2,000 dictated words a week free forever, so trying both side by side costs nothing.
TypeMic Pro is $12/month or $114/year. Free Google sign-in, no card, first 7 days unlimited.
See TypeMic pricing →Sources, all retrieved September 3, 2026: handy.computer · handy.computer/download · TypeMic pricing