# Penman vs Beacon MAX

The clearest difference is rating: Beacon MAX at 5.0 against Penman's 4.1. Beacon MAX also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Penman's advantage is ratings volume (252 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penman sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Beacon MAX asks for nothing beyond the download.

Beacon MAX holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penman has 252 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, Beacon MAX every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penman | Beacon MAX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-max/id6450903708/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **252** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 104 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SER_INT](https://appshunter.io/developer/525443615) | [Mass Luminosity](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275905433) |

## 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 Speech to Text Live | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Voice to Text plan | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Speech Voice to Text | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $14.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $19.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $79.99 | 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


### Beacon MAX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-max/id6450903708)

This app offers advanced communication features including 8K video calls, real-time translation, and unlimited VoIP calls. It also includes a virtual assistant and seamless call transfer between devices. Share large files and stream high-resolution content effortlessly.

**Highlights:** 8K video calls, Real-time translation, Unlimited VoIP calls, Virtual assistant (SAMI), Instant call transfer, Large file sharing, 8K streaming

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penman free?

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

### Is Beacon MAX free?

Beacon MAX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Penman or Beacon MAX?

Beacon MAX is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while Beacon MAX averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Penman or Beacon MAX have ads?

Neither Penman nor Beacon MAX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penman or Beacon MAX?

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and Beacon MAX every 11 days. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 12, 2026 and Beacon MAX on October 3, 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.*