Saying Speech vs Whisper Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Saying Speech
This app converts spoken words into editable text, supporting multiple languages and audio/video imports. It allows for text editing, subtitle adjustments, and various export formats like Word and PDF. Users can also convert text back into speech.
- Speech-to-text transcription
- Import audio and video files
- Edit text and subtitle timestamps
- Export as Word, PDF, SRT/VTT
- Convert text to speech
- Organize notes with search and favorites
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Saying — Speak it, record it. From spontaneous ideas to the content of meetings, lectures, and interviews, Saying helps you transform your voice into text that you can edit, store, and share. Speech-to-Text Instantly transcribe spoken words. With support for various languages—including Cantonese, Mandarin, and English—Saying lets you focus on expressing your thoughts while capturing key points with ease. Import Audio and Video Import audio files (such as M4A, MP3, and WAV) or video files (MP4). For videos, the app extracts the audio track for transcription, leaving your original file untouched. Edit Text and Subtitles Organize your transcriptions, refine the text, and adjust subtitle timestamps to tailor your notes and captions exactly to your needs. Export and Share Export your content as editable Word documents, PDF reports, or subtitle files (SRT/VTT). You can also generate a shareable card that includes a QR code for others to download the Saying app. Turn Text into Speech Listen to your notes by choosing your preferred language and playback speed. You can also create M4A audio files from your text to save to your device’s "Files" app or share with others. Customize Your Note-Taking Space Organize your notes using search and favorites. Switch between Chinese and English interfaces, and adjust font sizes and background color schemes to create a comfortable reading experience. Notes are stored locally on your device. The availability and accuracy of speech recognition may vary based on language, device, network conditions, and audio quality; some recognition features require an internet connection.
Whisper Notes
This app provides accurate, on-device transcription of audio and video files in over 100 languages. It offers a secure, offline experience with no subscriptions or cloud uploads. Easily record or import files and export transcripts with timestamps.
- 100% offline transcription
- Record voice or import audio/video
- Supports 100+ languages
- Export transcripts with timestamps
- Lock screen widget for quick capture
- Secure, on-device data storage
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Maybe the best offline transcription app — 70,000+ journalists, researchers, and professionals seem to think so. Turn meetings, lectures, and voice memos into accurate text with speaker labels — fast, 100% offline, on your device. No subscription. One purchase, yours forever. ■ Core Features - Record voice memos and capture ideas instantly—from the Lock Screen, widgets, Control Center, the Action button, or just say "Hey Siri" - Import audio and video from any app (WhatsApp, Photos, Voice Memos, etc.), several files at once—even extract subtitles - Turn meetings, lectures, and interviews into transcripts with speaker labels—see who said what and name each speaker - Fix a word where you read it: double-tap any paragraph to edit in place - 101 languages, auto-detected (optimized for English), accurate even in noise and mixed languages—three models (Parakeet, Whisper, SenseVoice), switch freely - Export as SRT, VTT, or TXT—timestamps and speaker labels included—or auto-save every new transcript to Files or iCloud Drive ■ Privacy & Speed Because everything runs on your device, there is nothing to upload—and nothing to leak. Turn on airplane mode before you record and leave it on: Whisper Notes works exactly the same. That matters when the recording is an interview, a client meeting, or something you would never put on someone else's server. Transcribing 5 minutes of audio on iPhone 15: ~18 seconds with Parakeet, ~1 minute with Whisper. SenseVoice is much faster than Whisper and strongest for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Each model has its strengths—choose freely based on language and use case. Older devices are slower but work fine. ■ Honest Pricing Because transcription runs on your device, we have no server costs—so there is nothing to charge you monthly for. Most similar apps charge $100+/year; we charge once. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads. Not satisfied? Tap Settings → Request Refund. ■ Common Questions Does it work completely offline? Yes. Your audio never leaves your device. Works on flights, in remote areas, anywhere. Can I transcribe WhatsApp voice messages or videos? Yes. Share or save audio/video from WhatsApp to Whisper Notes and transcribe offline. Perfect for extracting subtitles without uploading to cloud services. Is there a recording time limit? Up to 24 hours per recording, and hours-long recordings transcribe on every supported iPhone. Longer recordings just take more time. Does it support real-time transcription while recording? Not during recording, but yes during transcription—after you finish recording, you'll see the transcript appear in real-time as it's being generated. Do you support speaker labels (diarization)? Yes—fully offline. Tap ⋯ on a note → Detect Speakers, then rename each speaker. Where is my data stored? Only on your device. We have zero access. Note: If you delete the app, your recordings are deleted too (because we don't keep secret backups). Please export important files regularly. Can I summarize a transcript? Yes — copy it into whichever AI tool you prefer. Whisper Notes itself never uploads anything; your audio and text stay on your device. What if I switch apps while transcribing? iOS limits background processing, so transcription pauses and continues automatically when you come back. Which devices are recommended? iPhone 12 and newer. Older devices (iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2nd gen) are not recommended—the app will not function properly on these devices. What languages are supported? English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, Italiano, Nederlands, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Hindi, Arabic, Русский, Türkçe, Polski, Українська, Tiếng Việt, Thai, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Svenska, Norsk, Dansk, Suomi, Čeština, Greek, Hebrew, Română, Magyar, Persian, Urdu, and 65+ more languages. ■ Contact Questions? Email support@whispernotes.app Learn more: whispernotes.app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Whisper Notes at 66% against Saying Speech's 0%. Whisper Notes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). Saying Speech's advantage is price (Free vs $7.99) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On 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
Saying Speech is free to download; Whisper Notes costs $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Whisper Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whisper Notes has 687 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Saying Speech's written reviews are positive against 66% of Whisper Notes's.
Saying Speech ships an update every 6 days, Whisper Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Saying Speech | Whisper Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $7.99 |
| Rating | 3.8 (55 ratings) | 4.7 (687 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 66.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 55 | 687 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #8 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 656 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Huaping Ye | SmashMelon LLC |
Customer experience
Saying Speech
Whisper Notes
Bugs and requests
Saying Speech
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Whisper Notes
Reported bugs
4 issues- Recordings disappearing after transcription
- Transcription process getting stuck at 1%
- Crashes on certain iOS/iPadOS versions
- Inability to import audio files consistently
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for speaker diarization
- Implement real-time transcription mode
- Allow customization of hotkey/shortcut
- Improve integration with Apple Shortcuts
- Provide option to choose transcription model size
In-app purchases
Saying Speech
No in-app purchases
Whisper Notes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Saying Speech free?
Is Whisper Notes free?
Which has better reviews, Saying Speech or Whisper Notes?
Do Saying Speech or Whisper Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Saying Speech or Whisper Notes?
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