# Penman vs TALKBrush

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TALKBrush at none against Penman's 12. TALKBrush also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Penman's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, TALKBrush weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penman | TALKBrush |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **252** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SER_INT](https://appshunter.io/developer/525443615) | [SIMPLEIT4U PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805800148) |

## 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


### TALKBrush

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talkbrush/id6756251071)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penman free?

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

### Is TALKBrush free?

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

### Do Penman or TALKBrush have ads?

Neither Penman nor TALKBrush shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penman or TALKBrush?

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and TALKBrush weekly. Most recently, Penman was updated on October 26, 2026 and TALKBrush on October 25, 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.*