# Aiko vs Cata!yst

The clearest difference is price: Cata!yst at Free against Aiko's $24.00. Cata!yst also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). Aiko's advantage is chart position (#26 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 1). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Cata!yst is free to download; Aiko costs $24.00 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Aiko ships an update every 6 weeks, Cata!yst every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aiko | Cata!yst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.00 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (325 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aiko/id1672085276/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **325** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sindre Sorhus](https://appshunter.io/developer/328077650) | [Nowhere Group Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1026704090) |

## What reviewers say

### Aiko

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aiko/id1672085276)

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Convert audio to text locally on your device using advanced AI. Export transcriptions as subtitles and fix common errors with a word-replacement feature. Supports over 100 languages for high-quality, private transcription.

**Highlights:** On-device AI transcription, OpenAI Whisper powered, Export as subtitles, Word replacement for corrections, Supports 100+ languages, Privacy-focused, no data leaves device

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Privacy-focused transcription
- 🚀 Accurate transcription
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎉 Free and open-source
- 💪 Powerful AI model (Whisper)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Slow transcription speed
- 🔋 Resource-intensive
- 🤔 Inconsistent formatting

**Reported bugs**

- Repeated sentences
- Incorrect language detection
- Transcription loss on app exit

**Requested features**

- Support for multiple speakers
- Ability to select transcription model
- Export options for timestamps and speaker labels
- Background transcription mode


### Cata!yst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catayst/id6761366250)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aiko free?

Aiko costs $24.00, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cata!yst free?

Cata!yst is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Aiko or Cata!yst have ads?

Neither Aiko nor Cata!yst shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aiko or Cata!yst?

Aiko ships an update every 6 weeks, and Cata!yst every 2 months. Most recently, Aiko was updated on October 20, 2026 and Cata!yst on October 15, 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.*