# Vienna Scribe vs Cleft

The clearest difference is update cadence: Vienna Scribe at every 5 days against Cleft's monthly. Vienna Scribe also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Cleft's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 66%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vienna Scribe sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Cleft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cleft holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 70 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Vienna Scribe's written reviews are positive against 80% of Cleft's.

Vienna Scribe ships an update every 5 days, Cleft monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vienna Scribe | Cleft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vienna-scribe/id6444012049/reviews) | **[4.7 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleft-for-verbal-thinkers/id6479458038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **70** |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | **80.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 11 MB | 270 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aqua Voice, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1651461809) | [Cleft AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1736012358) |

## What reviewers say

### Vienna Scribe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vienna-scribe/id6444012049)

This app provides highly accurate speech-to-text transcription using advanced AI models. It supports over 70 languages, offers high background noise tolerance, and ensures total privacy by storing data locally. Easily import audio and share transcripts.

**Highlights:** Accurate AI transcription, Supports over 70 languages, High background noise tolerance, Total data privacy, Import all audio file types, Share transcripts to any app

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vienna Scribe Ultra (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Audio Notes Ultra (Annual) | $99.99 | per year |


### Cleft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleft-for-verbal-thinkers/id6479458038)

This app is designed for verbal thinkers to capture their thoughts out loud, without typing. It offers real-time transcription, offline functionality, and smart organization. Ideal for those who prefer speaking their ideas, it provides a frictionless way to record and manage notes.

**Highlights:** Live transcription, Offline-first functionality, One-tap voice capture, Smart organization, Markdown export, Apple Watch support, On-device transcription

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plus Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Annual Plus Plan | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent transcription quality
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Helpful summarization and formatting
- 🚀 Seamless cross-device experience
- 👍 Responsive and helpful support team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable recording and syncing issues
- 🐛 Glitchy and unusable after recent update
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and frequent errors

**Reported bugs**

- Recording stops working after initial use
- Inability to append to existing notes
- Manual sync never works as expected
- Lack of support for non-English languages

**Requested features**

- Increase maximum recording time
- Improve editing and toggling between modes
- Add ability to retry processing failed summaries
- Allow custom storage locations for notes and audio
- Enhance integration with Obsidian and other tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vienna Scribe free?

Vienna Scribe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cleft free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Vienna Scribe or Cleft?

Cleft is rated higher. Vienna Scribe averages 4.5 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Cleft averages 4.7 from 70 ratings.

### Do Vienna Scribe or Cleft have ads?

Neither Vienna Scribe nor Cleft shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vienna Scribe or Cleft?

Vienna Scribe ships an update every 5 days, and Cleft monthly. Most recently, Vienna Scribe was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cleft on October 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*