Comparison

Compass vs Live Transcribe

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

Head to head
About

Compass

This application displays your current direction and heading in a large, easy-to-read format. Customize the look by selecting your preferred background and arrow style to suit your needs.

Highlights
  • Large format display
  • Direction and heading indicator
  • Selectable background
  • Selectable arrow style
Features
Read full description

Compass- is a simple app that shows the direction and heading in a large format that is easy to read. Features: 1) Select the desired background 2) Select the desired arrow 3) Point to get the direction and heading If you like this app, please consider giving it a rating. Your support will help keep the updates coming! Thank you for your support!

About

Live Transcribe

This app provides real-time speech-to-text transcription for d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. It supports over 145 languages and offers features like adjustable text size, dark mode, and the ability to save and share transcripts, making conversations more accessible.

Highlights
  • Real-time transcription
  • 145+ languages supported
  • Adjustable text size
  • Dark mode
  • Save and share transcripts
  • Offline transcription for 9 languages
Features
Read full description

Live Transcribe by Mighty Fine Apps. Accurate live captions for d/Deaf and hard of hearing. Reliable in noisy places and group settings. Perfect alongside hearing aids when they aren’t enough. BUILT DIFFERENT • Accuracy — Best-in-class captions in 145+ languages. • Noisy Places — Works well in restaurants, in groups, and at distance. • Offline Mode — Continue when Wi-Fi or cellular drops. • Privacy — You choose if and when to share your transcripts. • Readability — Large, bold text for tired eyes and distant viewing. • Speaker Detection — Follow group chats with color-coded words. • Simplicity — Easily adopted by older and less-technical people. • Independent — Sustainable, iOS only, not affiliated with Google. DESIGNED FOR YOU • Deaf & Hard of Hearing — Stay independent at home and at work. • Hearing Aid Users — When aids fall short in noise or in groups. • Recent Hearing Loss — Rejoin the conversation right away. • Hearing Spouses & Family — Communicate more easily with a loved one. • Caregivers & Adult Children — Support a parent, child, or patient. • Faith-Community Members — Follow sermons, prayers, and group study. TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS • 6+ years on the market. • 15m+ conversations captioned. • 100m+ minutes transcribed. • 20k+ paying customers. • 10k+ App Store reviews at 4.6 stars. • 100+ hours per year of customer interviews. Your privacy is our top priority, and the app is designed to give you full control over whether your conversation transcripts — medical, legal, family, end-of-life, or otherwise — are summarized or shared. LIFE-CHANGING FOR FAMILIES “This app has changed my 86-year-old mother’s life. It is simple and easy for her and her friends to use. This is so important for the elderly since so many other apps are way too complicated. She can really have one-on-one conversations.” — Mark M SIMPLE TO USE • Place iPhone or iPad near the conversation. • Read what each person is saying on-screen as they speak. • Follow family dinners, doctor’s appointments, meetings, and more. HERE TO STAY Live Transcribe is an independent paid product, and we’re confident in its value. Your subscription allows us to run our captioning service day and night, and keep the app running smoothly on Apple’s devices. We answer to you — our customers and community — not advertisers, so when you need us next year, we’ll still be here. Current pricing is shown in-app and on our website. MADE IN CALIFORNIA Live Transcribe is built and supported by Mighty Fine Apps, a tight-knit team based in San Francisco. Our founder Rob Norback first created the app to communicate with his grandfather who was deaf in his later years, and we continue to shape it around the real communication needs of older adults and all those with some level of hearing loss. FURTHER READING • About Us: https://livetranscribe.app • Privacy Policy: https://livetranscribe.app/legal/privacy • Terms & Conditions: https://livetranscribe.app/legal/terms We love your questions and feedback! Get in touch at support@mightyfine.app.

Screenshots

Compass4 screens
Live Transcribe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Live Transcribe at 4.6 against Compass's 4.1. Live Transcribe also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 41 months) and ratings volume (8.1K vs 190). Compass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (73% vs 57%). On price, ads and device support 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. Live Transcribe sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Compass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Live Transcribe holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live Transcribe has 8.1K ratings behind it against 190, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Compass's written reviews are positive against 57% of Live Transcribe's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass ships an update every 41 months, Live Transcribe every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Compass versus Live Transcribe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompassLive Transcribe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (190 ratings)4.6 (8.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews — better57.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1908.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 41 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#116 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB108 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHorizon Business, Inc.Mighty Fine Apps LLC

Customer experience

Compass

All ratings190 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral6.3%
Negative15.3%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative20.0%

Live Transcribe

All ratings8,019 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews581 reviews
Positive57.3%
Neutral6.4%
Negative36.3%

User reviews

Compass

From 190 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Large and easy to see
  • 👍 Works well and dependable
  • 👍 Quick and no setup
  • 👍 Accurate and spot on

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate readings
  • 🐛 Does not work on iPad
  • 🐛 Only works when flat
  • 🐛 Ads present
  • 🐛 Wildly different readings between devices

Live Transcribe

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate transcription
  • 💡 Helpful for hard of hearing
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Great for doctor's appointments
  • 👍 Saves conversations

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Limited free trial
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance
  • 🐛 Struggles with background noise and accents
  • 🔒 Confusing subscription model

Bugs and requests

Compass

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inaccurate readings compared to native app
  • Compass does not work if phone is mounted on dash
  • Compass does not work on iPad
  • Compass readings are all over the map

Requested features

2 requests
  • Indicate reciprocal bearing
  • Option to remove ads

Live Transcribe

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Transcription stops unexpectedly
  • Deletes correct transcription
  • Incompatible with some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Distinguish between multiple speakers
  • Ability to use on Mac
  • More than 5 hours of premium transcription per month
  • Improved accuracy for medical/technical terms

In-app purchases

None

Compass

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Live Transcribe

Subscriptions8
  • Live Transcribe Monthly2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Live Transcribe Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Live Transcribe Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Starter$9.991 Month
  • Try Real-Time Transcription3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Live Transcribe Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Starter3 Days trial2 variants$79.991 Year
  • Live Transcribe Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Compass free?
Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Live Transcribe free?
Live Transcribe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Compass or Live Transcribe?
Live Transcribe is rated higher. Compass averages 4.1 out of 5 from 190 ratings, while Live Transcribe averages 4.6 from 8.1K ratings.
Do Compass or Live Transcribe have ads?
Neither Compass nor Live Transcribe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Compass or Live Transcribe?
Compass ships an update every 41 months, and Live Transcribe every 4 days. Most recently, Compass was updated on November 6, 2026 and Live Transcribe on November 10, 2026.

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