Primary Job
- Screenpipe
- Remember and analyze how work happens
- HeyClicky
- Help or act in the current moment
VS
Product comparison · reviewed August 1, 2026
Screenpipe vs HeyClicky: which is right for your workflow?
An on-demand Mac agent vs local workflow history that can trigger repeatable automations. A side-by-side look at scope, data control, platform support, and extensibility—without pretending one product is best for everyone.
Same criteria
Both products are evaluated against the same feature and deployment questions.
Trade-offs included
HeyClicky's strengths are shown alongside Screenpipe's.
No winner score
The right choice depends on the job, risk model, and operating environment.
The practical differences
Where the products differ
Start with the criteria that can actually change your decision. Marketing category labels are less useful than concrete operating constraints.
Capture Trigger
- Screenpipe
- Continuous screen + audio
- HeyClicky
- Only after pressing the hotkey
Screen Context
- Screenpipe
- Searchable history across apps and monitors
- HeyClicky
- What is visible when invoked
Voice and Audio
- Screenpipe
- Continuous mic + system audio with local transcription options
- HeyClicky
- On-demand voice conversation
Active On-Screen Guidance
- Screenpipe
- AI chat and configurable agents
- HeyClicky
- Voice guidance + drawings on screen
Data Path
HeyClicky's privacy policy names Anthropic, OpenAI, Deepgram, and Cerebras as third-party AI providers.
- Screenpipe
- Local-only capture and search available
- HeyClicky
- Payloads sent via backend to AI providers
Side by side
Screenpipe vs HeyClicky
Capabilities can change. Treat this as an evaluation starting point and verify purchase-critical requirements with each vendor.
| Criterion | Screenpipe | HeyClicky |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Job | Remember and analyze how work happens | Help or act in the current moment |
| Capture Trigger | Continuous screen + audio | Only after pressing the hotkey |
| Screen Context | Searchable history across apps and monitors | What is visible when invoked |
| Voice and Audio | Continuous mic + system audio with local transcription options | On-demand voice conversation |
| Active On-Screen Guidance | AI chat and configurable agents | Voice guidance + drawings on screen |
| Data PathHeyClicky's privacy policy names Anthropic, OpenAI, Deepgram, and Cerebras as third-party AI providers. | Local-only capture and search available | Payloads sent via backend to AI providers |
| Screenshot Storage | Stored locally for durable memory | Not stored after processing |
| Stored Context | Local database you control | Basic text summaries stored by HeyClicky |
| Platform Support | Mac, Windows, Linux | Mac only; Windows waitlist |
| Source Visibility | Public source-available app repository | Public release feed, no app source |
| Developer Surface | REST API, MCP, CLI, scheduled tasks | No public API documented |
| Automation Model | Manual, event, or schedule triggers with agents | User invokes an agent for the current task |
| Workflow Discovery | Compare history to surface repeated steps and handoffs | No continuous history between invoked sessions |
| After-Call Workflows | Use transcript + prior context, then trigger connected tools | Ask an agent to take a specific action |
| Human Approval | Configurable approval step before an automation acts | User starts and directs the live session |
Evidence review
Choose based on the job, not the mascot
HeyClicky's public product and privacy pages describe a polished live assistant. The core buying question is whether you need help with the screen in front of you or an owned record of how work unfolds over time.
HeyClicky product, pricing, and FAQ
Official claims for the hotkey interaction, voice guidance, on-screen drawing, agents, supported platforms, pricing, and screenshot retention.
HeyClicky privacy policy
Official description of screenshots, voice, transcripts, prompts, backend proxying, third-party AI providers, analytics, storage, and deletion.
HeyClicky public release repository
The repository describes itself as the auto-update feed and contains the appcast plus release binaries, not the application source.
| Decision criterion | HeyClicky | Screenpipe | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Teach, explain, or act on the current Mac screen | Remember, search, and analyze work across time | HeyClicky optimizes the live interaction. Screenpipe supplies durable context before and after it. |
| Capture boundary | Screen and voice captured after a hotkey | Continuous screen, app, microphone, and system-audio history | On-demand capture is less ambient. Continuous capture is what enables retrospective workflow discovery. |
| Data architecture | Payloads pass through a backend to third-party AI; basic summaries are retained | Core capture and search can remain local, with optional cloud paths separated | HeyClicky minimizes screenshot retention. Screenpipe gives the operator control of the durable raw memory. |
| Agent surface | On-demand agents inside a packaged assistant | REST, MCP, CLI, event triggers, schedules, and configurable scheduled tasks | HeyClicky is simpler for immediate tasks. Screenpipe is the broader substrate for custom and team workflows. |
| Operational loop | A user asks the agent to complete the task in front of them | An event can gather context, propose actions, request approval, and continue through connected tools | Screenpipe fits repeatable cross-tool processes. HeyClicky fits live assistance and execution inside an active session. |
I am stuck in a Mac app and want someone to show me where to click
- Choose HeyClicky
- HeyClicky is purpose-built for spoken guidance and drawing directly on the current screen.
- Choose Screenpipe
- Screenpipe can answer from context, but live visual coaching is not its clearest advantage.
After each customer call, we need to update systems and launch the approved follow-up
- Choose HeyClicky
- HeyClicky can help execute the steps when a user invokes it and supplies the task context.
- Choose Screenpipe
- Screenpipe can start from the call transcript and surrounding history, propose the workflow for approval, then act through connected CRM, project, and outbound tools.
We repeat the same onboarding process and want to automate the stable steps
- Choose HeyClicky
- HeyClicky can execute a known onboarding task during an invoked session.
- Choose Screenpipe
- Screenpipe can compare how onboarding actually happens across customers, expose the repeated steps and exceptions, and supply examples for a reusable agent skill.
We want to train or ground agents on our own work data
- Choose HeyClicky
- HeyClicky offers packaged agents but does not document a public raw-data API.
- Choose Screenpipe
- Screenpipe exposes local work memory through REST, MCP, CLI, SQL, and scheduled tasks while preserving an endpoint-first data boundary.
Decision guide
Choose based on the job
Choose HeyClicky if
- Friendly voice-first experience built around a simple hotkey
- Draws directly on the screen to guide users through unfamiliar tools
- Runs on-demand agents that can complete tasks
- Only captures screen context after the user invokes it
- Free plan available with no card required
Choose Screenpipe if
- You need continuous screen and audio context, not only meeting notes or active-window context.
- You want local-only capture and search as a supported operating mode.
- Your team uses a mix of macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- You need an auditable, source-available capture engine and an API for agents or internal workflows.
Context
Key trade-offs in detail
Different jobs, not identical products
HeyClicky focuses on the live interaction: you ask for help, it sees the current screen, and it teaches or acts. Screenpipe focuses on the history around the interaction: what led to the task, how the task was completed, what happened afterward, and which process repeats across the team. That distinction matters more than a raw feature count.
Privacy means understanding the data path
HeyClicky says it only captures the screen when you press its hotkey and never stores screenshots. Its privacy policy also says screenshot, transcript, and prompt payloads travel through its backend proxy to third-party AI providers, while basic summaries and account data are retained on its servers. Screenpipe can keep capture, transcription, indexing, and search on the device. Optional sync, cloud AI, exports, connectors, and team workflows are separate choices.
From a call to an approved business process
The practical difference appears after a meeting ends. Screenpipe can give an agent the transcript plus the surrounding work context, trigger a workflow, ask for approval in Slack or another system, and then act through APIs, MCP servers, or skills. A live assistant can still execute individual steps, but someone must invoke it and provide the task context. Screenpipe is designed for turning the recurring sequence into an operation the team can inspect and reuse.
Persistent context helps agents improve, but recording is not magic
Screenpipe gives agents a history they can search for prior decisions, repeated steps, tool configurations, and outcomes. That makes it possible to categorize work, find automation candidates, and refine skills from real examples. It does not mean every process becomes autonomous just because it was recorded. Teams still need to choose the workflow, connect the right systems, define permissions, and keep a human review step where mistakes would matter.
Where HeyClicky is the better choice
If you use a Mac and want an approachable voice assistant that can point at the interface, teach an unfamiliar tool, or take an immediate action, HeyClicky is purpose-built for that experience. Screenpipe is a better fit when persistent history, data ownership, cross-platform deployment, APIs, or process discovery matter more than animated live guidance.
FAQ
Questions worth asking
Disclosure: this comparison is written and maintained by Screenpipe, not an independent review publication.
Are Screenpipe and HeyClicky direct substitutes?+
HeyClicky is a voice-first AI assistant for macOS. Press a hotkey and it can see the current screen, answer questions aloud, draw guidance over the interface, or run an agent to complete a task. HeyClicky says screenshots are not stored, while basic text summaries are retained for context. The overlap depends on the job you are buying for: Screenpipe focuses on continuous, searchable screen and audio context, while HeyClicky may be a better fit for the narrower workflows described above.
Where is HeyClicky stronger?+
HeyClicky is a credible choice for teams that value friendly voice-first experience built around a simple hotkey, draws directly on the screen to guide users through unfamiliar tools, runs on-demand agents that can complete tasks. Those strengths should be weighed against the deployment, data-control, platform, and extensibility differences in the table.
Where is Screenpipe stronger?+
Screenpipe is designed for continuous screen and audio capture, local-only capture and search, cross-platform deployment, and programmatic access through its local API and MCP integrations. Those advantages matter most when privacy, broad work context, or custom automation is the buying criterion.
Is this an independent comparison?+
No. Screenpipe publishes this page. We include HeyClicky's strengths, avoid a numeric winner score, and state the criteria so readers can verify the claims that matter to them. Product capabilities change, so confirm critical details with each vendor before purchasing.
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