Comparison

Whisper Notes vs basalt

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 provides accurate, on-device transcription of audio and video files in over 100 languages. It offers a secure, offline experience with no subscriptions or cloud uploads. Easily record or import files and export transcripts with timestamps.

Highlights
  • 100% offline transcription
  • Record voice or import audio/video
  • Supports 100+ languages
  • Export transcripts with timestamps
  • Lock screen widget for quick capture
  • Secure, on-device data storage
Features
Read full description

Maybe the best offline transcription app — 70,000+ journalists, researchers, and professionals seem to think so. Turn meetings, lectures, and voice memos into accurate text with speaker labels — fast, 100% offline, on your device. No subscription. One purchase, yours forever. ■ Core Features - Record voice memos and capture ideas instantly—from the Lock Screen, widgets, Action Button, or just say "Hey Siri" - Import audio and video from any app (WhatsApp, Photos, Voice Memos, etc.)—even extract subtitles - Turn meetings, lectures, and interviews into transcripts with speaker labels—see who said what, rename speakers, no length limits - 101 languages, auto-detected (optimized for English)—three models (Parakeet, Whisper, SenseVoice), switch freely - Export as SRT, VTT, or TXT—timestamps and speaker labels included ■ Privacy & Speed Because everything runs on your device, there is nothing to upload—and nothing to leak. Turn on airplane mode before you record and leave it on: Whisper Notes works exactly the same. That matters when the recording is an interview, a client meeting, or something you would never put on someone else's server. Transcribing 5 minutes of audio on iPhone 15: ~18 seconds with Parakeet, ~1 minute with Whisper. SenseVoice is much faster than Whisper and strongest for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Each model has its strengths—choose freely based on language and use case. Older devices are slower but work fine. ■ Honest Pricing Because transcription runs on your device, we have no server costs—so there is nothing to charge you monthly for. Most similar apps charge $100+/year; we charge once. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads. Not satisfied? Tap Settings → Request Refund. ■ Common Questions Does it work completely offline? Yes. Your audio never leaves your device. Works on flights, in remote areas, anywhere. Can I transcribe WhatsApp voice messages or videos? Yes. Share or save audio/video from WhatsApp to Whisper Notes and transcribe offline. Perfect for extracting subtitles without uploading to cloud services. Is there a recording time limit? No limit. Record for hours if you want. Longer recordings just take more time to transcribe on your device. Does it support real-time transcription while recording? Not during recording, but yes during transcription—after you finish recording, you'll see the transcript appear in real-time as it's being generated. Do you support speaker labels (diarization)? Yes—fully offline. Tap the speaker icon on any transcript to see who said what, right on your device. We keep improving accuracy and speed. Where is my data stored? Only on your device. We have zero access. Note: If you delete the app, your recordings are deleted too (because we don't keep secret backups). Please export important files regularly. Can I summarize a transcript? Yes — copy it into whichever AI tool you prefer. Whisper Notes itself never uploads anything; your audio and text stay on your device. Why does transcription stop when I switch apps? iOS limits background GPU usage for third-party apps. Just return to the app and tap "Re-transcribe"—it will restart. Which devices are recommended? iPhone 12 and newer. Older devices (iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2nd gen) are not recommended—the app will not function properly on these devices. What languages are supported? English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, Italiano, Nederlands, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Hindi, Arabic, Русский, Türkçe, Polski, Українська, Tiếng Việt, Thai, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Svenska, Norsk, Dansk, Suomi, Čeština, Greek, Hebrew, Română, Magyar, Persian, Urdu, and 65+ more languages. ■ Contact Questions? Email support@whispernotes.app Learn more: whispernotes.app

About

basalt

Features
Read full description

basalt is an AI notes app that helps you write better. Type anything and get real-time suggestions from the AI assistant. It helps you improve your writing, change phrasing, or think through ideas. The AI notes assistant works as you type. A bubble appears at the bottom with suggestions and questions. It helps you think deeper about what you're writing. You can customize the AI prompt to make it respond however you need. Every note gets an automatic summary. Makes it easy to find what you're looking for when you go back through your AI notes later. Quick way to see what each note is about without opening it. Everything runs locally on your device using Apple Intelligence. Your AI notes and writing stay completely private. Nothing gets sent to servers. All the AI processing happens on your phone. Good for journaling, brainstorming, or any kind of writing where you want AI assistance. The AI notes app adapts to your needs through custom prompts. Use it for creative writing, work notes, or thinking through problems. Fast and responsive AI notes experience. The assistant responds in real time as you write. No lag, no waiting. Just smooth AI-powered writing help that works as fast as you think. Your writing assistant that runs entirely on device. Private AI notes with automatic summaries. Customize how the AI responds to match what you need. A notes app that actually helps you write and think better. Unlocking full app functionality requires a subscription. Terms and privacy policy: https://hekec.notion.site/terms-privacy-policy-290a809cee65801882d9d13fc40c24b7

Screenshots

Whisper Notes4 screens
basalt4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: basalt at Free against Whisper Notes's $7.99. Whisper Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On 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

basalt is free to download; Whisper Notes costs $7.99 up front. basalt sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whisper Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whisper Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, basalt every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and December 2, 2025 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Whisper Notes versus basalt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhisper Notesbasalt
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (618 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings618 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size508 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmashMelon LLCIgor Diachuk

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

basalt

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Whisper Notes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

basalt

Subscriptions2
  • Basalt Weekly3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Basalt Yearly$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Whisper Notes free?
Whisper Notes costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is basalt free?
basalt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Whisper Notes or basalt have ads?
Neither Whisper Notes nor basalt shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whisper Notes or basalt?
Whisper Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and basalt every 10 days. Most recently, Whisper Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and basalt on December 2, 2025.

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