Comparison

Penman vs Depict

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

Head to head
About

Penman

Effortlessly convert spoken words into text notes in over 120 languages using advanced speech-to-text technology. Enhance your writing with AI-powered actions and organize your notes with a powerful, intuitive editor. Sync securely across devices and export your work in various formats.

Highlights
  • Speech to text transcription
  • AI-powered writing enhancements
  • Intuitive text editor
  • Note organization and categorization
  • Cross-device iCloud sync
  • Export to PDF, TXT, Image, HTML
  • Multiple language support
Features
Read full description

Penman turns your voice into notes — and your notes into knowledge. Record lectures, meetings, and ideas with real-time voice transcription in 120+ languages, chat with your notes through Spaces AI, and let built-in study tools create flashcards and quizzes for you. VOICE TO TEXT, LIVE - Real-time speech transcription in 120+ languages - Import audio files and transcribe them in minutes - Dictate hands-free, then refine with AI actions (summarize, reorder, rewrite) SPACES — AI CHAT WITH YOUR NOTES - Ask questions and get grounded answers with citations and source cards - Knowledge retrieval across your notes, documents, and recordings - On-device intelligence with Apple Foundation Models AI STUDY TOOLS - Generate flashcards from any note in one tap - Build quizzes automatically and test yourself - Summarize, reorder, and run custom AI prompts SCAN, LISTEN, CREATE - OCR: turn photos and scans into editable text - Text-to-speech playback with word highlighting - Create images with Apple Image Playground EVERYWHERE YOU WORK - iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Export to PDF, TXT, JPG, and HTML - App Intents and Shortcuts for automation - Rich text editor with fonts and bidirectional writing support PREMIUM Unlock unlimited transcription, all AI features, and every export format with Penman Premium. Download Penman today and turn every conversation, lecture, and meeting into notes that work for you. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account, and will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscriptions in the App Store Account Settings. Terms of Use: https://penmanai.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://penmanai.app/privacy

About

Depict

Capture thoughts and reminders using your voice. This app transcribes speech on-device, allowing you to record audio notes and access searchable transcripts. Enhance productivity with voice reminders and organize notes with tags, images, and locations.

Highlights
  • On-device audio transcription
  • Voice reminders with scheduled notifications
  • Searchable transcripts
  • Tagging and archiving notes
  • Append images and text notes
  • Save and sort by location
  • Export transcript text
Read full description

Depict makes it easy to boost your productivity, and extend your memory with audio notes. Create notes and reminders quickly, by using your voice. Depict transcribes speech on-device as you speak. Record audio notes, and receive playable transcripts. INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY: Voice reminders: create reminders with scheduled notifications using your voice AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION: On-device audio transcription Record speech, and playback transcripts NOTE-TAKING FEATURES: - Tagging - Pinning - Archiving - Searchable transcripts - Append images - Append text notes - Save locations - Sort by location SEARCH, & FIND: - Quickly search through past transcribed notes - Filter recorded notes by tags TRANSCRIBE, AND SHARE: Export transcript text from audio notes Depict includes an optional in-app purchase. Subscriptions can be canceled at any time. Terms of use: https://depict.app/terms-of-use Privacy policy: https://depict.app/privacy-policy Website: https://depict.app Support: support@depict.app ---- Instagram: @depict.app Twitter: @depict_app TikTok: @depict.app Medium: @depict

Screenshots

Penman4 screens
Depict4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Depict at every 5 days against Penman's every 2 weeks. Depict also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 58%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Penman's advantage is ratings volume (252 vs 11). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Penman sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Depict sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Penman against 4.1 for Depict. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penman has 252 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Penman's written reviews are positive against 75% of Depict's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, Depict every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Penman versus Depict: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPenmanDepict
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (252 ratings) — better4.1 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings252 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSER_INTDepict, Incorporated

Customer experience

Penman

All ratings252 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral4.4%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive57.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative38.5%

Depict

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Penman

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes on launch or during use
  • Text disappears without user action
  • Transcription halts when device enters sleep mode
  • iCloud sync failures between devices
  • Notes deleted when free trial expires
Show 6 more
  • Highlighting loses color after copy-paste
  • Recording continues but doesn't transcribe after interruption
  • App force closes when deleting notes
  • Restore purchase button non-functional
  • Perpetual onboarding loop after trial signup
  • Transcription accuracy drops after initial sentences

Requested features

10 requests
  • Persistent highlighting tool color selection
  • Export to Markdown (.md) format
  • Custom photo book covers
  • More font options
  • Ability to keep handwritten notes without conversion
Show 5 more
  • Keep phone active during recording
  • Recently deleted folder for recovery
  • Standalone keyboard replacement
  • Unlimited recording time in free version
  • Auto-save and local backup system

Depict

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Penman

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Discount Premium7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Monthly Penman Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • 3 Months Penman Premium3 Days trial$8.993 Months
Show 6 more
  • Annual Voice to Text Live$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Discount Premium$14.991 Year
  • 6 Months Penman Premium3 Days trial$16.996 Months
  • Yearly Voice to Text plan7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Speech to Text Live6 Months trial$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Speech Voice to Text7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Unlimited Voice to Text$29.99
  • Unlimited Voice to Text$39.99
  • Unlimited Voice to Text$59.99
2 purchases

Depict

Subscriptions2
  • Depict Plus3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Depict Plus3 Days trial$37.991 Year

Questions

Is Penman free?
Penman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Depict free?
Depict is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Penman or Depict?
Penman is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while Depict averages 4.1 from 11 ratings.
Do Penman or Depict have ads?
Neither Penman nor Depict shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Penman or Depict?
Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and Depict every 5 days. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 19, 2026 and Depict on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons