# Penman vs Voice Memos Speechify

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penman at 58% against Voice Memos Speechify's 0%. Penman also leads on ratings volume (252 vs 25). Voice Memos Speechify's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penman sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Voice Memos Speechify sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Voice Memos Speechify holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penman has 252 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Penman's written reviews are positive against 0% of Voice Memos Speechify'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, Voice Memos Speechify fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penman | Voice Memos Speechify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098/reviews) | **[4.4 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-memos-speechify/id6465683848/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **252** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 104 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SER_INT](https://appshunter.io/developer/525443615) | [Younes Oubari](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706657878) |

## 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


### Voice Memos Speechify

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-memos-speechify/id6465683848)

This app uses AI to convert voice recordings into accurate text notes. It offers features like automatic summarization and natural-sounding playback, helping users organize ideas and save time on note-taking.

**Highlights:** AI-powered voice to text transcription, Automatic note summarization, Natural speech playback of notes, Organize ideas and action items, Edit and share text transcripts, Generate meeting notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all features | $14.99 | per month |
| All features | $59.99 | per year |
| One hour audio transcription | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 hours audio transcription | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penman free?

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

### Is Voice Memos Speechify free?

Voice Memos Speechify is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Penman or Voice Memos Speechify?

Voice Memos Speechify is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while Voice Memos Speechify averages 4.4 from 25 ratings.

### Do Penman or Voice Memos Speechify have ads?

Neither Penman nor Voice Memos Speechify shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penman or Voice Memos Speechify?

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and Voice Memos Speechify fortnightly. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 26, 2026 and Voice Memos Speechify 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.*