# Shofar vs CaptionMate

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Shofar at 12.0 against CaptionMate's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shofar ships an update every 4 weeks, CaptionMate monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shofar | CaptionMate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (268 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captionmate/id1465233104/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **268** |
| Positive reviews | — | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 39 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Evans Francis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1128059971) | [Mezmo Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/579808323) |

## What reviewers say

### Shofar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shofar/id1463318712)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### CaptionMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captionmate/id1465233104)

This app offers free, real-time captions for phone calls, benefiting individuals with hearing loss. It supports multiple devices and languages, ensuring private and accessible communication. Users can retain their existing phone numbers and access past transcripts.

**Highlights:** Real-time call captioning, FCC-certified and free for eligible users, Captions both sides of calls, AI-powered private captioning, Customizable font sizes and colors, Supports over 100 languages, Access past call transcripts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Life-changing for hearing loss
- 👍 Excellent transcription accuracy
- 👍 Saves conversations for review
- 👍 Great for understanding phone calls
- 👍 Helpful for those who are deaf or hard of hearing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Calls not ringing/going through
- 🐛 Calls showing as 'scam likely'
- 🐛 App crashes sometimes
- 🐛 No incoming call vibration
- 🐛 Different caller ID than expected

**Reported bugs**

- Missed calls and voicemails
- Calls bouncing back and not ringing
- No voicemail alerts
- App crashes during incoming calls
- Calls appearing as 'scam likely'

**Requested features**

- Fix calls showing as 'scam likely'
- Implement incoming call vibration
- Allow registration without referral code
- Address issues for autistic users
- Improve call routing/ringing reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shofar free?

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

### Is CaptionMate free?

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

### Do Shofar or CaptionMate have ads?

Neither Shofar nor CaptionMate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shofar or CaptionMate?

Shofar ships an update every 4 weeks, and CaptionMate monthly. Most recently, Shofar was updated on September 29, 2026 and CaptionMate on October 14, 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.*