# Voice Memos vs Recorder for iPhone

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 5 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

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 3K, 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.

Voice Memos ships an update every 5 months, Recorder for iPhone every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Voice Memos | Recorder for iPhone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-memos/id1069512134/reviews)** | [4.4 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recorder-for-iphone/id1537387586/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 3K |
| Positive reviews | **79.8% of reviews** | 29.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 17 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [GREEN DYGITAL CONSULTING LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482111344) |

## What reviewers say

### Voice Memos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-memos/id1069512134)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recorder-for-iphone/id1537387586)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Voice Recorder "SUPER" | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Voice Recorder | $9.99 | per month |
| Voice Recorder "POPULAR" | $32.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to record calls
- Inability to transfer files between devices
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Seamless Dropbox integration
- Ability to record multiple callers
- Improved file management and export options


## Frequently asked 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 3K 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 5 months, and Recorder for iPhone every 4 weeks. Most recently, Voice Memos was updated on October 22, 2026 and Recorder for iPhone on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*