Comparison

Penman vs TranscribeAI

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

TranscribeAI

This intelligent assistant transforms audio files, podcasts, and YouTube videos into accurate text transcriptions. It offers AI-powered summaries and an interactive chat feature to engage with your content. Save time and easily access information from any audio source.

Highlights
  • Audio to text transcription
  • Podcast episode transcription
  • YouTube video transcription
  • AI-powered summaries
  • Interactive content chat
  • Secure transcription storage
Features
Read full description

Transform your podcasts, recordings, and audio files into accurate text with TranscribeAI, the intelligent note-taking assistant that helps you capture, organize, and interact with your audio content. Powerful Transcription for All Your Audio TranscribeAI converts any audio into precise text transcriptions. Whether you're recording meetings, lectures, interviews, or your own thoughts, our advanced AI technology delivers exceptional accuracy that saves you time and effort. Podcast Transcription Made Simple Love podcasts? TranscribeAI can transcribe your favorite Apple Podcasts episodes, giving you searchable text versions of audio content. Find key information without replaying entire episodes. YouTube Video Transcription Extract text from YouTube videos with our seamless transcription feature. Capture important information from educational videos, interviews, and presentations without taking manual notes. Smart Summaries Don't have time to read full transcriptions? Our AI summarization tool condenses lengthy content into concise summaries that capture the essential points, helping you review and understand information faster. Interact with Your Content Go beyond passive reading with our chat functionality. Ask questions about your transcribed content, request explanations, or extract specific information. It's like having a conversation with your audio files. Key Features: • Fast and accurate transcription of audio recordings • Apple Podcasts integration for direct episode transcription • YouTube video transcription capability • High-quality AI-powered summaries of long content • Interactive chat to engage with your transcribed materials • Simple, intuitive interface for easy navigation • Secure storage of all your transcriptions and notes Perfect For: • Students capturing lecture content • Researchers conducting interviews • Professionals recording meetings • Podcast enthusiasts who prefer reading • Content creators repurposing audio material • Language learners studying spoken content • Anyone who wants to save time converting audio to text Transform the way you capture and interact with audio content. Download TranscribeAI today and experience the future of intelligent note-taking. Note: Transcription requires an internet connection. Contains in-app purchases and auto-renewing subscriptions that continue until canceled in Settings. Terms of Service: https://www.riponsoftwarehouse.com/transcribe-ai/terms

Screenshots

Penman4 screens
TranscribeAI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Penman at 4.1 against TranscribeAI's 3.7. Penman also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 44%) and ratings volume (252 vs 58). TranscribeAI's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, 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 TranscribeAI sells 7 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

Penman holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 252 and 58 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Penman's written reviews are positive against 44% of TranscribeAI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Penman versus TranscribeAI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPenmanTranscribeAI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (252 ratings) — better3.7 (58 ratings)
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews — better44.4% of reviews
Number of ratings252 — better58
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSER_INTRipon Soum

Customer experience

Penman

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

TranscribeAI

All ratings58 ratings
Positive65.5%
Neutral5.2%
Negative29.3%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative50.0%

User reviews

Penman

From 252 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

TranscribeAI

From 58 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Solid app
  • 🚀 Great function
  • 👍 Simple use
  • 👍 Nice interface
  • 👍 Improved significantly

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Freezes up and stops working
  • 💰 Greedy & unethical
  • 💰 False lifetime offer
  • 💰 Billing Errors
  • 💰 Needs to buy credits

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

TranscribeAI

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Transcription failed
  • Audio files not found the next day
  • Inaccurate transcription in multiple languages

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more languages, especially Arabic
  • Add preview of sample being worked on
  • Implement dark mode
  • Add share audio feature

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
7 purchases

TranscribeAI

Subscriptions2
  • premium monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • premium yearly$34.991 Year
One-time5
  • 1 Hour$1.99
  • 20 Hours$4.99
  • 5 Hours$8.99
Show 2 more
  • 10 Hours$14.99
  • Premium One Time Purchase$24.99

Questions

Is Penman free?
Penman is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TranscribeAI free?
TranscribeAI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Penman or TranscribeAI?
Penman is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while TranscribeAI averages 3.7 from 58 ratings.
Do Penman or TranscribeAI have ads?
Neither Penman nor TranscribeAI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Penman or TranscribeAI?
Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and TranscribeAI every 2 weeks. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 26, 2026 and TranscribeAI on October 21, 2026.

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