Comparison

TextHear vs Dictation Speech to Text

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

Head to head
About

TextHear

This app provides real-time speech-to-text transcription to assist individuals with hearing impairments. It can be used for non-stop dictation or to convert phone calls and conversations into text, making communication more accessible.

Highlights
  • Real-time transcription
  • Non-stop dictation
  • Phone call captioning
  • Face-to-face conversation aid
  • High-precision speech recognition
Features
Read full description

* Please note: app is free to download & test for 1 minute. After that - you will have to purchase transcription minutes at ±$0.3 a minute. We hope you will find it worthwhile for its return in reliability, accuracy, elegancy & simplicity - a single touch to transcribe non-stop. We understand it's a bit pricy in today's market, but it's cause we ourselves pay for the transcription by the minute to our service provider (we chose to use Google's paid Speech-to-Text service for its accuracy and reliability). --- As many amongst us suffer from reduced hearing, our mission is to help make everyday-life better for the hearing impaired, using cutting-edge technologies. TextHear's app does non-stop high-precision speech transcription, suitable as a stand-alone app for non-stop dictation and for use with the TextHear phone adapter and microphone to aid hearing-impaired. As such, TextHear transforms any land line phone to a caption-phone, without the need for a second line. Using it with a microphone, in face to face conversations, enables the hard of hearing to SEE what is being said. It is much easier than lips-reading and you won't miss a word. Simply place the microphone in front of them, click the mic - and let our app transcribe for you in real-time what they are saying.

About

Dictation Speech to Text

This app converts spoken words into written text in real-time, ensuring accurate capture of conversations in any environment. It's designed to aid individuals with hearing impairments, promote inclusive communication, and boost productivity by providing instant captions.

Highlights
  • Real-time audio transcription
  • High accuracy
  • Intuitive interface
  • Captioning for deaf/hard of hearing
  • Productivity enhancement
  • Inclusive communication
Features
Read full description

Live Transcribe revolutionizes communication by transforming spoken words into written text in real-time. Whether you're in a bustling meeting, a noisy café, or a quiet lecture hall, this app ensures that every word is captured accurately and instantly. With its intuitive interface and high accuracy, Live Transcribe empowers individuals with hearing impairments, facilitates inclusive communication, and enhances productivity in various settings. Live Transcribe provides captioning in real-time to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Say goodbye to missed conversations and hello to effortless communication with Live Transcribe. You can subscribe to Live Transcribe Pro for Deaf unlimited subscription by selecting one of the following options: - 3 days free and then annual subscription at $19.00 a year, - Each subscription is automatically renewed on iTunes each month unless explicitly canceled using iTunes before the start of the next billing cycle.

During the period of your subscription, you will be provided with unlimited access to all premium features.

 - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase
 - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period
 – Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal
 – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase
  – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription, where applicable

 Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pragmapp.top/privacy/livetranscribe_privacy.html

Screenshots

TextHear3 screens
Dictation Speech to Text4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dictation Speech to Text at 4.3 against TextHear's 1.3. Dictation Speech to Text also leads on review sentiment (41% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). TextHear's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (9.2 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. TextHear sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Dictation Speech to Text sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dictation Speech to Text holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictation Speech to Text has 183 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of TextHear's written reviews are positive against 41% of Dictation Speech to Text's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TextHear ships an update every 8 months, Dictation Speech to Text every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
TextHear versus Dictation Speech to Text: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextHearDictation Speech to Text
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.3 (10 ratings)4.3 (183 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews40.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10183 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.2 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWellSource Ltd.Kostiantyn Liubevych

Customer experience

TextHear

All ratings10 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative90.0%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative93.8%

Dictation Speech to Text

All ratings183 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive40.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative59.4%

Bugs and requests

TextHear

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Dictation Speech to Text

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes during recordings
  • Recordings are not saved when app crashes
  • Transcription errors occur
  • Live transcription provides only a few words
  • Keyboard does not allow for line changes
Show 5 more
  • App does not function at all for some users
  • Audio file import causes app to spin endlessly
  • Recording button is unresponsive
  • Cannot restore lifetime purchase after reinstallation
  • Audio conversion feature fails

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve live transcription accuracy
  • Fix keyboard line change functionality
  • Ensure recordings are saved
  • Make free lifetime access functional

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TextHear

One-time1
  • Transcription credits pack: 30 minutes$8.99
6 purchases

Dictation Speech to Text

Subscriptions4
  • Unlimited usage$7.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited usage$19.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited usage3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Discounted lifetime usage$39.99
  • Lifetime usage$79.99

Questions

Is TextHear free?
TextHear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dictation Speech to Text free?
Dictation Speech to Text is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TextHear or Dictation Speech to Text?
Dictation Speech to Text is rated higher. TextHear averages 1.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Dictation Speech to Text averages 4.3 from 183 ratings.
Do TextHear or Dictation Speech to Text have ads?
Neither TextHear nor Dictation Speech to Text shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TextHear or Dictation Speech to Text?
TextHear ships an update every 8 months, and Dictation Speech to Text every 3 weeks. Most recently, TextHear was updated on October 8, 2026 and Dictation Speech to Text on October 23, 2026.

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