# BeAware Deaf Assistant vs Hearing Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BeAware Deaf Assistant at none against Hearing Buddy's 14. BeAware Deaf Assistant also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Hearing Buddy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days) and chart position (#175 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hearing Buddy sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. BeAware Deaf Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

BeAware Deaf Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of BeAware Deaf Assistant's written reviews are positive against 30% of Hearing Buddy's.

BeAware Deaf Assistant ships an update every 10 days, Hearing Buddy every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeAware Deaf Assistant | Hearing Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (257 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beaware-deaf-assistant/id1609670787/reviews)** | [4.1 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearing-buddy-speech-to-text/id6747363502/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **257** | 156 |
| Positive reviews | **59.1% of reviews** | 30.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#175** |
| Size | 39 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Saamer Mansoor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609670789) | [Krager Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/641756538) |

## What reviewers say

### BeAware Deaf Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beaware-deaf-assistant/id1609670787)

This app offers advanced communication tools for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It features real-time voice-to-text transcription, customizable alerts for loud noises, and a unique text-to-speech function for phone calls. It also includes a notepad with preset phrases and an emoji board for easier communication.

**Highlights:** Real-time voice-to-text transcription, Customizable noise and alert notifications, Text-to-speech for phone calls, Note-taking with preset phrases, Flip text for easy viewing, Emoji and image communication board

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for hearing impaired
- 👍 Saves conversations
- 👍 Allows copying text
- 👍 Good speech recognition (some users)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Speech recognition inaccurate
- 🐛 App crashes regularly
- 🐛 Microphone not working
- 🐛 Drains battery quickly
- 🐛 Overheats phone

**Reported bugs**

- Speech recognition is finicky and not exact
- App crashes regularly
- Microphone does not capture sound for transcription
- App consumes battery very quickly
- App makes iPhone extremely hot

**Requested features**

- Improve speech recognition/transcription accuracy
- Implement true AI system for better accuracy
- Add automatic punctuation (commas, periods, question marks)
- Allow paragraph breaks for better text structure
- Distinguish between different voices


### Hearing Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearing-buddy-speech-to-text/id6747363502)

**Currently charting:** #175 Top Free · Medical (US App Store)

This app provides unlimited, real-time speech-to-text captions for conversations, designed by someone with hearing loss. It offers on-device processing for privacy and features like name and question alerts on your iPhone and Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Unlimited real-time captions, On-device privacy, Apple Watch alerts for names/questions, Conversation summaries, Customizable app personality, Adjustable text size

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Pro | $59.99 | per year |
| Buddy+ Annual | $79.99 | per year |
| Buddy+ Annual | $79.99 | per year |
| Pro | $79.99 | per year |
| Pro | $89.99 | per year |
| Buddy+ Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Buddy+ Friend | Free | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeAware Deaf Assistant free?

BeAware Deaf Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hearing Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BeAware Deaf Assistant or Hearing Buddy?

BeAware Deaf Assistant is rated higher. BeAware Deaf Assistant averages 4.5 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while Hearing Buddy averages 4.1 from 156 ratings.

### Do BeAware Deaf Assistant or Hearing Buddy have ads?

Hearing Buddy shows ads; BeAware Deaf Assistant does not.

### Which is updated more often, BeAware Deaf Assistant or Hearing Buddy?

BeAware Deaf Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Hearing Buddy every 4 days. Most recently, BeAware Deaf Assistant was updated on October 22, 2026 and Hearing Buddy on October 28, 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.*