# Penman vs SpeechNotes ·

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penman at 58% against SpeechNotes ·'s 29%. SpeechNotes ·'s advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penman sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SpeechNotes · sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SpeechNotes · holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 252 and 125 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Penman's written reviews are positive against 29% of SpeechNotes ·'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, SpeechNotes · fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penman | SpeechNotes · |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098/reviews) | **[4.4 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speechnotes/id1631733323/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **252** | 125 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 104 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SER_INT](https://appshunter.io/developer/525443615) | [Farwa Shahid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1590183870) |

## What reviewers say

### Penman

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Discount Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Penman Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| 3 Months Penman Premium | $8.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Voice to Text Live | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Discount Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| 6 Months Penman Premium | $16.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Voice to Text plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Speech to Text Live | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Speech Voice to Text | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $29.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $39.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate speech-to-text transcription
- ⚡ Fast and efficient note-taking
- 🎨 Beautiful, intuitive UI design
- 🌍 Supports multiple languages
- 📱 Easy text export to various formats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 💾 Data loss and disappearing text issues
- 🔄 Unreliable syncing across devices
- ⏸️ Recording stops when phone sleeps
- ❌ Inconsistent speech-to-text accuracy

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Persistent highlighting tool color selection
- Export to Markdown (.md) format
- Custom photo book covers
- More font options
- Ability to keep handwritten notes without conversion


### SpeechNotes ·

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speechnotes/id1631733323)

Effortlessly convert spoken words into text for notes and recordings. This app also offers text-to-speech functionality and customizable themes for a personalized experience. Enhance your productivity with its advanced voice-to-text capabilities.

**Highlights:** Voice-to-text transcription, Text-to-speech playback, Customizable themes, Dark mode, Note-taking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Good Notes Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Offer | $4.99 | per month |
| Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| NoteBook Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Transcribe | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Offer | $14.99 | per year |
| Notepad Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penman free?

Penman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SpeechNotes · free?

SpeechNotes · is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Penman or SpeechNotes ·?

SpeechNotes · is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while SpeechNotes · averages 4.4 from 125 ratings.

### Do Penman or SpeechNotes · have ads?

Neither Penman nor SpeechNotes · shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penman or SpeechNotes ·?

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and SpeechNotes · fortnightly. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 23, 2026 and SpeechNotes · on October 24, 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.*