Comparison

Whisper Notes vs Private Notes

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

Head to head
About

Whisper Notes

This app converts audio recordings and voice memos into accurate text with speaker identification, all processed offline on your device. It supports multiple languages and offers various export formats for easy sharing and editing.

Highlights
  • Offline audio transcription
  • Speaker identification and labeling
  • Support for 101 languages
  • Multiple export formats (TXT, Markdown, SRT)
  • Import from various sources
  • One-time purchase, no subscription
Features
Read full description

Whisper Notes turns meetings, lectures, interviews and voice memos into accurate text with speaker labels, 100% offline on your iPhone and iPad. One-time purchase, no subscription. Trusted by 70,000+ journalists, researchers and professionals. ■ Record and import - Record from the Lock Screen, widgets, Control Center, the Action button, Apple Watch, or "Hey Siri". - Import from WhatsApp, Voice Memos, Photos or Files, several at once. ■ Transcribe - 101 languages through Whisper, detected automatically, even when speakers mix languages. - Choose your on-device model: Parakeet, Whisper (OpenAI's open-source model) or SenseVoice, plus Apple Speech on supported devices with iOS 26. - Speaker labels (speaker diarization) show who said what. Rename each speaker. ■ Edit and export - Double-tap any paragraph to fix a word. - Export TXT, Markdown or SRT subtitles with timestamps and speaker labels. Works for videos too. - Auto-save every new transcript to Files or iCloud Drive. ■ Private by design Your audio never leaves your device. Turn on airplane mode and Whisper Notes works exactly the same, which matters when the recording is an interview, a client meeting, or anything you wouldn't put on someone else's server. ■ One-time purchase No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads. Not satisfied? Settings → Request Refund. ■ Quick answers Does Whisper Notes work completely offline? Yes. It transcribes on your iPhone or iPad, so it works in airplane mode. The built-in Parakeet model covers 25 European languages offline from the first launch; for other languages, download Whisper or SenseVoice once in the app. Can it transcribe WhatsApp voice messages? Yes. Share a voice message to Whisper Notes and it is transcribed offline. Does it identify speakers? Yes. Tap ⋯ on a note → Detect Speakers, and each passage is labeled by speaker. Which model is best for Chinese, Japanese or Korean? SenseVoice, built for Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Cantonese. Is there a time limit? Each recording can be up to 24 hours long. Which iPhones are supported? Whisper Notes needs iPhone 12 or newer. Your notes live only on your device, so deleting the app deletes them. Export what matters. Questions? support@whispernotes.app · whispernotes.app

About

Private Notes

This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.

Highlights
  • 100% on-device processing
  • Real-time transcription
  • AI-powered summaries
  • Multilingual support (10 languages)
  • Offline functionality
  • Export in Markdown
Features
Read full description

Your meetings stay private. Every word, every summary, every action item - processed entirely on your device. No servers. No uploads. No accounts. Just you and your notes. COMPLETELY OFFLINE - TRULY PRIVATE Unlike other AI notetakers that upload your audio to cloud services, Private Notes - AI Note Taker processes everything using Apple Intelligence directly on your iPhone. Your sensitive work discussions, confidential calls, and personal voice memos never leave your device. No internet required (except for time you subscribe). Sync is off by default. No data collection. Period. REAL-TIME TRANSCRIPTION Watch your words appear instantly as you speak. Private Notes - AI Note Taker uses Apple's speech recognition for real-time transcription with minimal latency. AI-POWERED SUMMARIES Stop wasting hours reviewing recordings. When your meeting ends, Apple Intelligence instantly generates: • Comprehensive narrative summary • Key points and highlights • Important decisions made • Action items with assignees • Main topics and themes discussed • Handles recordings of any length with full context preserved. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT Transcribe in 10 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. DESIGNED FOR PRIVACY FROM DAY 1 • Zero data collection - we literally cannot access your data • No account required - start recording in seconds • Audio never leaves your device - all processing happens on-device • Optional encrypted iCloud backup - sync transcripts across devices • Works in airplane mode - recording and AI work fully offline • Encrypted local storage - iOS-level security built in • No analytics or tracking - your usage is your business SIMPLE AND POWERFUL FEATURES • One-tap recording with elegant, intuitive interface • Background recording - switch apps without stopping your session • Full searchable transcript with accurate timestamps • Beautiful dark mode support • Compact app size - no bloated AI models to download • Export transcripts and summaries in Markdown DEVICE REQUIREMENTS AI summaries require Apple Intelligence enabled device. Speech transcription works on all devices. WHY PRIVATE NOTES - AI NOTE TAKER Most AI notetakers and voice recorder apps process your voice on remote servers. That means your confidential discussions - therapy sessions, doctor visits, legal consultations, salary negotiations, business strategies - travel through the internet and sit on someone else's computer indefinitely. Private Notes - AI Note Taker is different. We built this offline note taker from the ground up to be 100% local and on-device. No compromises. No "mostly private" half-measures. Paid users who want backup can enable optional iCloud sync - encrypted by Apple, with no third-party access. Sync is off by default, and we still can't see your data. When you delete a recording, it's gone forever - because we never had access to it in the first place. PERFECT FOR • Lawyers and legal professionals • Business professionals who value confidentiality • Students and academic researchers • Journalists and content creators • Anyone who wants AI without surveillance FREE TO TRY Start recording with Private Notes - AI Note Taker for free and experience truly private AI note-taking. No account required, no time limits. Start recording with Private Notes for free — no account required, no time limits. Get 3 recordings per month, real-time transcription, AI summaries, and export features - all processed 100% on your device. When you're ready for more, upgrade to Premium: • Unlimited recordings • Full export and sharing • Optional encrypted iCloud sync • Monthly or yearly subscription options — cancel anytime Download Private Notes - AI Note Taker and experience the future of note-taking — intelligent, instant, and completely private. Terms of Use: https://privatenotes.app/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Whisper Notes4 screens
Private Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Private Notes at Free against Whisper Notes's $7.99. Private Notes also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 66%). Whisper Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (700 vs 12). On rating, update cadence and ads 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

Private Notes is free to download; Whisper Notes costs $7.99 up front. Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whisper Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Whisper Notes against 4.8 for Private Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whisper Notes has 700 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Whisper Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whisper Notes ships an update every 10 days, Private Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Whisper Notes versus Private Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhisper NotesPrivate Notes
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (700 ratings)4.8 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings700 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size659 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmashMelon LLCApp Incubator Inc.

Customer experience

Whisper Notes

All ratings700 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews337 reviews
Positive66.2%
Neutral10.1%
Negative23.7%

Private Notes

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Whisper Notes

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Recordings disappearing after transcription
  • Transcription process getting stuck at 1%
  • Crashes on certain iOS/iPadOS versions
  • Inability to import audio files consistently

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for speaker diarization
  • Implement real-time transcription mode
  • Allow customization of hotkey/shortcut
  • Improve integration with Apple Shortcuts
  • Provide option to choose transcription model size

Private Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Whisper Notes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Private Notes

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Whisper Notes free?
Whisper Notes costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Private Notes free?
Private Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Whisper Notes or Private Notes?
Private Notes is rated higher. Whisper Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 700 ratings, while Private Notes averages 4.8 from 12 ratings.
Do Whisper Notes or Private Notes have ads?
Neither Whisper Notes nor Private Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whisper Notes or Private Notes?
Whisper Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Private Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Whisper Notes was updated on November 7, 2026 and Private Notes on October 30, 2026.

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