---
title: "Handy vs hora"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cjpais-handy-vs-hora-search-hora"
tools: ["cjpais-handy", "hora-search-hora"]
---

# Handy vs hora

*GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick Handy when license: Handy is MIT, hora is Apache-2.0; pick hora when license: hora is Apache-2.0, Handy is MIT.

[Handy](https://handy.computer) reports 26k GitHub stars, 2.3k forks, and 167 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [hora](http://horasearch.com/) has 2.7k stars, 78 forks, and 26 open issues, last pushed Feb 17, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [Handy's repository](https://github.com/cjpais/Handy) and [hora's repository](https://github.com/hora-search/hora).

| | [Handy](/tools/cjpais-handy.md) | [hora](/tools/hora-search-hora.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | A free, open source, and extensible speech-to-text application that works completely offline. | 🚀 efficient approximate nearest neighbor search algorithm collections library written in Rust 🦀 . |
| Stars | 26,254 | 2,663 |
| Forks | 2,257 | 78 |
| Open issues | 167 | 26 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Adopt for | - | - |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Categories | Computer Vision, Speech & Audio, Vector Databases | Computer Vision, Vector Databases |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [Handy](/tools/cjpais-handy.md) | [hora](/tools/hora-search-hora.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Slowing (36%) |
| Days since push | 0d | 143d |
| Open issues (now) | 167 | 26 |
| Owner type | User | Organization |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/cjpais-handy/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/hora-search-hora/trust.md) |

## Choose when

### Choose Handy if…

- License: Handy is MIT, hora is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to Handy: accessibility, cross-platform, rust, speech-to-text.
- Also covers Speech & Audio.

### Choose hora if…

- License: hora is Apache-2.0, Handy is MIT.
- Tags unique to hora: algorithm, approximate-nearest-neighbor-search, artificial-intelligence, data-structures.
- Leaner open-issue backlog (26).

## When NOT to use Handy

- Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

## When NOT to use hora

- Last GitHub push was 144 days ago (slowing maintenance, Feb 17, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hora.
- Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between Handy and hora?

Handy: A free, open source, and extensible speech-to-text application that works completely offline.. hora: 🚀 efficient approximate nearest neighbor search algorithm collections library written in Rust 🦀 .. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose Handy over hora?

Choose Handy over hora when License: Handy is MIT, hora is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to Handy: accessibility, cross-platform, rust, speech-to-text; Also covers Speech & Audio.

### When should I choose hora over Handy?

Choose hora over Handy when License: hora is Apache-2.0, Handy is MIT; Tags unique to hora: algorithm, approximate-nearest-neighbor-search, artificial-intelligence, data-structures; Leaner open-issue backlog (26).

### When should I avoid Handy?

Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

### When should I avoid hora?

Last GitHub push was 144 days ago (slowing maintenance, Feb 17, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on hora. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.

### Is Handy or hora more popular on GitHub?

Handy has more GitHub stars (26,254 vs 2,663). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are Handy and hora open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (Handy: MIT, hora: Apache-2.0).

### Where can I find alternatives to Handy or hora?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [Handy alternatives](/tools/cjpais-handy/alternatives) and [hora alternatives](/tools/hora-search-hora/alternatives) ([Handy markdown twin](/tools/cjpais-handy/alternatives.md), [hora markdown twin](/tools/hora-search-hora/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.

### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?

Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/cjpais-handy-vs-hora-search-hora.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, Handy or hora?

Handy: Very active. hora: Slowing. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.

### Where are the full trust reports for Handy and hora?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [Handy trust report](/tools/cjpais-handy/trust); [hora trust report](/tools/hora-search-hora/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cjpais-handy`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cjpais-handy)
- LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt)
- Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt)

_GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_
