Penman vs Live Transcribe Voice Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Live Transcribe Voice Notes
This app offers fast, private, and accurate live speech-to-text transcription. It works offline and is designed for accessibility, making it ideal for meetings, lectures, and everyday conversations. Transcriptions can be easily exported.
- Live speech-to-text transcription
- Offline transcription capability
- Private and secure processing
- Export transcriptions
- Light and dark modes
- Accessibility features
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Live Transcribe Voice Notes: Fast, Private, Offline Transcription Effortless, Private Transcription at Your Fingertips Discover the ultimate transcription experience with Live Transcribe Voice Notes, your go-to app for fast, private, and accurate live transcription. Designed for everyone, including the deaf and hard of hearing, this app is a game-changer in personal and professional settings. Fast and Private - Your Words, Securely Transcribed Experience lightning-fast transcription without compromising your privacy. Our advanced technology ensures your conversations stay private, providing peace of mind in every interaction. Offline Functionality - Transcribe Anywhere, Anytime Don't let connectivity limit you! Our offline mode empowers you to transcribe speeches, lectures, and conversations with high accuracy, even when you're not connected to the internet. Live Transcription - Capture Every Moment Activate live transcription from your microphone and watch as spoken words are transformed into text in real-time. Ideal for meetings, interviews, and everyday conversations. Accessibility for All - Inclusive Communication With a strong focus on accessibility, our app is a valuable tool for the deaf and hard of hearing community, ensuring everyone is part of the conversation. Light + Dark Mode - Comfortable Viewing Experience Choose between light and dark mode for a comfortable text viewing experience, tailored to your preference and environment. Export Transcription - Share and Save with Ease Easily export your transcriptions for further use. Whether it’s for record-keeping, sharing with colleagues, or reviewing notes, transferring your text is just a tap away. Live Transcribe Pro Subscription for Unlimited Live Transcriptions. Premium Subscription Details: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off, by going to iTunes Subscriptions after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.sylva.llc/terms_of_use Privacy Policy: https:/www.sylva.llc/privacy_policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Penman at 4.1 against Live Transcribe Voice Notes's 3.0. Penman also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (252 vs 2). Live Transcribe Voice Notes's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 58%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Penman sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Live Transcribe Voice Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Penman holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penman has 252 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Penman's written reviews are positive against 100% of Live Transcribe Voice Notes'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, Live Transcribe Voice Notes every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Penman | Live Transcribe Voice Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (252 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 252 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SER_INT | Grails |
Customer experience
Penman
Live Transcribe Voice Notes
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
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- 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
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- 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
Live Transcribe Voice Notes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Penman
- 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
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- 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
- Unlimited Voice to Text$29.99
- Unlimited Voice to Text$39.99
- Unlimited Voice to Text$59.99
Live Transcribe Voice Notes
- Live Transcription - Month$4.991 Month
- Live Transcription - Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Penman free?
Is Live Transcribe Voice Notes free?
Which has better reviews, Penman or Live Transcribe Voice Notes?
Do Penman or Live Transcribe Voice Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Penman or Live Transcribe Voice Notes?
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