Comparison

SayWave vs Workaholic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SayWave

Convert text to natural-sounding speech or speech to text privately and offline. Supports various voices, languages, and reading speeds. Import PDFs, scan text from images, and organize your library with ease. Export audio files in multiple formats.

Highlights
  • Text to speech with natural Apple voices
  • Speech to text with on-device transcription
  • Import PDFs and scan text from images
  • Continuous reading and adjustable speed
  • Export audio in MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, FLAC
  • Offline functionality
  • Organized library with search
Features
Read full description

Turn text into natural speech — and speech into text. Instantly, privately, everywhere. Even offline. SayWave is the fastest way to speak and be heard. Type anything and hear it in stunning, natural Apple voices. Or tap the mic and watch your words appear as you talk — transcribed entirely on your device. TEXT TO SPEECH • Every Apple voice, every language and accent — including Premium and Enhanced voices • Follow along as each word is highlighted while it's spoken • Continuous Reading: one message flows into the next, hands-free • Reading speed from 0.5x to 3x — you set the pace • Tap any message to hear it again, anytime SPEECH TO TEXT • Unlimited on-device transcription — fast, accurate, and private • Automatic end-of-speech detection: just stop talking, and your words become text • Dictate in dozens of languages READ ANYTHING • Import PDFs — every page becomes its own tappable message • Point your camera at any text, or pick a photo — instant text recognition • Share PDFs from WhatsApp, Mail, or Files straight into SayWave with "Open in SayWave" YOUR LIBRARY • Every text is saved in Topics — pin favorites and keep everything organized • Search your whole Library and jump straight to the right text • Recent Texts widget for your Home Screen • The page follows the spoken word, with optional Sentence Pauses • Polish your text with Apple Intelligence Writing Tools SHARE AS AUDIO • Export anything you write as MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, or FLAC • Files named by date and time — ready to send anywhere EVERYWHERE YOU ARE • iMessage app: dictate and insert text right in your chats • Apple Watch: speak from your wrist • Home Screen quick actions and Siri shortcuts for instant dictation • Designed for iPhone and iPad PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Works completely offline — no internet connection required • No data collection. Ever. Your voice never leaves your device. BUILT FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, and more • Localized in 29 languages • Free Family Sharing included Works on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 and later. Download SayWave and give your words a voice. Terms of use : https://iapps.app/Terms Privacy-policy: https://iapps.app/Privacy

About

Workaholic

Features
Read full description

Workaholic is a simple time tracker for tasks. - create different tasks with custom colours - check in and check out for each task, everyday - calendar view for all check ins in colours of tasks - each task has a summary for total hour spent on selected day, week and month

Screenshots

SayWave4 screens
Workaholic2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Workaholic at none against SayWave's 2. Workaholic also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). SayWave's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. SayWave sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Workaholic asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SayWave ships an update every 4 days, Workaholic daily. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SayWave versus Workaholic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSayWaveWorkaholic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (167 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings167 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaryam DerakhsheshHAOZHE XU

Bugs and requests

SayWave

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Forward and backward option not working after iOS update
  • App freezes when requesting 'get audio'
  • Ebook reader exports texts and then reads them
  • Speech reading is terrible, pronunciation slows down
  • App does not work on iPad
Show 5 more
  • Playback location setting doesn't work
  • Freezes for 10 seconds when pressing play
  • Does not keep PDF formatting
  • Text conversion from images is unreadable
  • Does not sync to other devices

Requested features

9 requests
  • Update for iOS compatibility
  • Improve audio player controls
  • Option to change speaker voice
  • Improvements in interface/highlighting
  • Browser integration
Show 4 more
  • Apple Watch controller
  • iMessage app for easier sharing
  • Play again on records
  • Voice recorder feature

Workaholic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SayWave

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$24.991 Year
None

Workaholic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SayWave free?
SayWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Workaholic free?
Workaholic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SayWave or Workaholic have ads?
Neither SayWave nor Workaholic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SayWave or Workaholic?
SayWave ships an update every 4 days, and Workaholic daily. Most recently, SayWave was updated on November 12, 2026 and Workaholic on November 3, 2026.

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