Comparison

Voice Memos vs Recorder for iPhone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Voice Memos

Capture, edit, and organize audio with this versatile recording tool. Easily transcribe speech to text, enhance sound quality, and share your creations across devices. Ideal for notes, ideas, and moments.

Highlights
  • Portable audio recording
  • Speech-to-text transcription
  • Audio editing tools
  • Vocal layer recording
  • iCloud sync
  • Noise reduction
Features
Read full description

Voice Memos turns your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch into a portable audio recorder, making it easy to capture and share personal notes, song ideas, family moments, classroom lectures, and more. Editing tools like trim, replace, and the new “Save As” feature let you fine-tune your recordings without altering the original. The transcription feature converts speech into text, simplifying the process of finding and referencing specific content. And the new feature to record a vocal layer on top of an existing instrumental recording* without the need for headphones making it easy to capture song ideas on the go. Users can then separate and edit the vocal and instrumental layers independently to continue expanding on those ideas. And with iCloud support, you can capture audio on the go with your iOS device, then use your Mac to do even more with your recordings. Features Record • Record using the built-in microphone, a Bluetooth headset, or a compatible external microphone. • Choose uncompressed audio for maximum sound fidelity, ensuring the highest quality recordings. • Opt for compressed audio to save storage space and record longer sessions. • Automatically name recordings based on your location. • Record a vocal layer* over an instrumental track without headphones. • Stereo recording adds greater depth and dimension to your audio**. • iCloud support keeps your recordings and edits in sync across all your devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Vision Pro. Edit • Pinch-to-zoom for more precision when editing. • Trim your recordings to save just the portion you want. • Replace and resume to fine-tune your recordings. • Save As lets you make edits and save them as a new recording without altering the original file. • Separate and independently edit the vocal and instrumental takes for layered recordings*. • Transcripts automatically convert speech into text for easy reference***. • Enhance Recording reduces background noise and room reverberation with a single tap. Organize • Quickly find recordings with the search feature. • Folders make it easy to organize your recordings. • Mark recordings as Favorites so you can quickly access them later. Listen and share • Speed up or slow down playback of your recordings, or jump 15 seconds forward or back. • Skip Silence analyzes your recordings and automatically skips over gaps in your audio. • Share multiple recordings at once via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, and more. • Import vocal layer* recordings into Logic Pro as a two-track project for advanced editing and production. * Adding a vocal layer on top of a Voice Memos recording is available only on the iPhone 16 Pro models. ** Stereo recording requires Apple devices equipped with stereo microphones and iOS 18 or later. *** Audio transcription is available on iPhone 12 and later in English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa), English (UK), and English (US).

About

Recorder for iPhone

Capture audio with a variety of formats and organize it into folders. Edit recordings with trimming and merging tools, and share them easily. Transcribe your voice memos into text for quick reference and accessibility.

Highlights
  • Multiple audio formats (MP3, M4A, AIFC, WAV)
  • Folder organization
  • Trim, cut, and merge recordings
  • Instant voice transcription
  • Easy sharing and export
  • Searchable recordings
Features
Read full description

Experience seamless voice recording with Recorder for iPhone. Our sleek, modern design simplifies capturing personal notes, lectures, meetings, interviews, and more. Plus, unlock our Transcribe feature for effortless transcription of your recordings, aiding language learning and enhancing accessibility. Exciting features: 1. Simple Recording: - Choose from MP3, M4A, AIFC, WAV formats. - Organize recordings into folders for easy access. 2. Easy Playback: - Search for recordings quickly. - Navigate easily with 5-second jumps. 3. Effortless Editing: - Trim, cut, and merge recordings with precision. - Rename and tag recordings. - Convert to various formats. 4. Seamless Sharing & Export: - Share via AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Dropbox, etc. - Export to files for easy access. 5. Transcribe Voice Recordings (New): - Instant, accurate transcriptions. - Save time with automated transcription. - Access recordings in text format for effortless reference. Subscription Details: - Weekly Subscription: $4.99/week. - Monthly Subscription: $9.99/month (with free trial). - Yearly Subscription: $32.99/year. Subscriptions are auto-renewing. Price is shown in the Purchase pane at purchase time. Payment charged at confirmation/end of Free Trial Period. Manage subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. Unused free trial period forfeited upon subscription purchase. Privacy Policy: https://voicememo.co/privacy-policy.html Terms: https://voicememo.co/terms-of-use.html EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Voice Memos4 screens
Recorder for iPhone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Voice Memos at 80% against Recorder for iPhone's 30%. Voice Memos also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). Recorder for iPhone's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 7 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Recorder for iPhone sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Voice Memos asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Voice Memos holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Voice Memos has 1.1M ratings behind it against 2.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Voice Memos's written reviews are positive against 30% of Recorder for iPhone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Voice Memos ships an update every 7 months, Recorder for iPhone every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Voice Memos versus Recorder for iPhone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVoice MemosRecorder for iPhone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1M ratings) — better4.4 (2.9K ratings)
Positive reviews79.7% of reviews — better29.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1M — better2.9K
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApple Inc.GREEN DYGITAL CONSULTING LLP

Customer experience

Voice Memos

All ratings1,085,641 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews3,290 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative14.4%

Recorder for iPhone

All ratings2,943 ratings
Positive83.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive29.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative66.3%

User reviews

Voice Memos

From 1.1M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless recording
  • 🎨 Attractive and minimalistic design
  • 🔍 Useful for capturing ideas and thoughts
  • 🎶 Great for musicians and singers
  • 📚 Helpful for students and academics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable recording (stops unexpectedly)
  • 🔇 Audio quality issues
  • 🔄 Inability to edit/resume recordings
  • 🗂️ Poor organization and folder management
  • ⚠️ Freezing and crashing issues

Recorder for iPhone

From 2.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Useful for recording meetings
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable recording
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 💰 Paywall for basic features
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🐛 Recordings mysteriously disappear

Bugs and requests

Voice Memos

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Recordings disappearing or not saving properly
  • Phantom data usage and storage issues
  • Playback issues (choppy, unresponsive)
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Inability to delete or export recordings

Requested features

5 requests
  • Repeat/loop playback feature
  • Ability to add notes/comments to recordings
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • Integration with other apps (e.g., transcription)
  • Selective sync option to manage storage

Recorder for iPhone

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fails to record calls
  • Inability to transfer files between devices
  • Frequent crashes and freezes

Requested features

3 requests
  • Seamless Dropbox integration
  • Ability to record multiple callers
  • Improved file management and export options

In-app purchases

None

Voice Memos

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Recorder for iPhone

Subscriptions3
  • Voice Recorder "SUPER"3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Voice Recorder3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Voice Recorder "POPULAR"3 Days trial$32.991 Year

Questions

Is Voice Memos free?
Voice Memos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Recorder for iPhone free?
Recorder for iPhone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Voice Memos or Recorder for iPhone?
Voice Memos is rated higher. Voice Memos averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Recorder for iPhone averages 4.4 from 2.9K ratings.
Do Voice Memos or Recorder for iPhone have ads?
Recorder for iPhone shows ads; Voice Memos does not.
Which is updated more often, Voice Memos or Recorder for iPhone?
Voice Memos ships an update every 7 months, and Recorder for iPhone every 4 weeks. Most recently, Voice Memos was updated on October 18, 2026 and Recorder for iPhone on October 16, 2026.

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