CaptionKit: CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services. Handy: Handy is a free, open-source, cross-platform push-to-talk app that transcribes your speech to text completely offline and pastes it into any text field. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist CaptionKit when providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events matters most, and Handy when privacy-sensitive voice-to-text where audio must stay on-device matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services.
Handy is a free, open-source, cross-platform push-to-talk app that transcribes your speech to text completely offline and pastes it into any text field.
CaptionKit is a browser-based platform that produces live, AI-generated captions and translations during spoken sessions, designed primarily for churches and other faith-based organizations serving deaf, hard-of-hearing, and multilingual audiences. A host starts a captioning session from the web dashboard, and the system transcribes speech in 65+ languages and translates it into 85+ languages, including a bilingual English and Spanish mode. Attendees follow along by joining a shared web link or QR code, or through the free iOS and Android apps; captions can also be displayed on screen as lower-third overlays or full-screen scrolling text. It integrates with common presentation and streaming software including ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme, and supports automation via cURL and Bitfocus Companion. Accuracy can be improved with boosted keywords for names and uncommon terms, and the platform records session history. No installation is required, making it suited to live in-person or streamed events where on-screen accessibility and language access matter.
Best suited for
Handy is a free, open-source desktop application that turns your voice into text completely offline, with no audio ever leaving your computer. You press a configurable keyboard shortcut, speak, and release (push-to-talk), or use a toggle mode to start and stop; Handy transcribes what you said and automatically pastes the result into whatever text field is active. Because it runs entirely on-device, it is built for privacy-conscious users who want dictation without cloud uploads or subscriptions. Under the hood it is built with Tauri (a Rust backend with a React/TypeScript frontend) and supports multiple local speech-recognition models, including OpenAI's Whisper variants with GPU acceleration and the CPU-friendly Parakeet V3 model with automatic language detection. Silero Voice Activity Detection filters out silence so only speech is processed. Handy runs on macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux, and is released under the MIT license. It positions itself as an accessible, extensible alternative to paid dictation tools, and is best suited for hands-free typing rather than recording multi-party meetings.
Best suited for
CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Handy is open source (open source). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | CaptionKit | Handy |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Real-time AI speech-to-text captioning in 65+ languages | Push-to-talk and toggle dictation modes with a configurable global keyboard shortcut |
| Standout feature | Live translation into 85+ languages, including bilingual English/Spanish mode | Fully offline, on-device transcription with no cloud uploads |
| Team usage | Attendee access via web link, QR code, or free iOS and Android apps | Multiple local speech models including Whisper (GPU-accelerated) and Parakeet V3 (CPU, auto language detection) |
| Integrations | On-screen display options (lower-third overlays, full-screen scrolling captions) | Silero Voice Activity Detection to filter silence and process only speech |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme | Automatically pastes transcribed text into any active application text field |
| Best-fit workflow | Boosted keywords to improve accuracy for names and uncommon terms | Cross-platform desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) built with Tauri |
CaptionKit
Choose CaptionKit if you need providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events — strengths include browser-based with no installation required for hosts or attendees.
Handy
Choose Handy if you need hands-free dictation into emails, documents, chat apps, and code editors — strengths include completely free, open-source (mit) with no subscription or paywall.
CaptionKit
Handy
It depends on your workflow. CaptionKit is strong for providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events, while Handy is strong for hands-free dictation into emails, documents, chat apps, and code editors. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades and Handy is open source. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
You can — some teams pair them when each covers a different part of the meeting workflow.
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