Comparison

STE vs Synopsule

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

Head to head
About

STE

Features
Read full description

The app name speaks for itself. SimpleTextEditor allows you to create and edit any TXT files on your iPhone, iPad and iCloud like the way you create and edit TXT files on your Mac with TextEdit. Just make a long press on a TXT file, select Share and pick SimpleTextEditor from the list and you can start modifying the content right away without any distractions. It's that easy. Plus, STE also includes the Clear clipboard option, which comes in handy and allows you to clear all the content from the system clipboard to prevent other apps from reading it.

About

Synopsule

This app transforms your iPhone and Apple Watch into a private transcription studio. It records conversations, provides live transcripts, and identifies speakers locally on your device. Optional AI summaries can be generated using your own keys or through a subscription.

Highlights
  • On-device recording and transcription
  • Speaker identification and labeling
  • Local AI summarization
  • Time-anchored notes and flags
  • Full-text search
  • Multiple export formats
  • Playback and editing tools
Features
Read full description

CALENDARS & MEETING REMINDERS Choose Apple calendars, including synced Google accounts, for optional meeting reminders. Recording starts only when you choose Record. Synopsule turns your iPhone and Apple Watch into a private transcription studio. Record any conversation, see a live transcript as you talk, and when you stop, see who said what - all on your device. Everything runs locally by default. Your audio never gets uploaded. RECORD ON iPHONE OR APPLE WATCH Tap record on iPhone for live transcription while you talk. Start from Apple Watch when your phone is not in hand, pause or resume, add markers, and send the saved recording to your paired iPhone for local processing. TRANSCRIBES LOCALLY WITH WHISPER OpenAI's open-source Whisper model runs entirely on your iPhone, optimized for Apple silicon. It transcribes 100 spoken languages: choose one or let Automatic detect it, and optionally translate the speech into English. Accuracy is best for widely spoken languages and larger models. Synopsule itself is available in 41 languages. LABELS AND RECOGNIZES SPEAKERS When a recording finishes, Synopsule figures out who said which line and assigns colored speaker labels on device. Name speakers and reuse saved voices across recordings. Voiceprints stay on your iPhone. NOTES AND FLAGS, ANCHORED IN TIME Jot notes while you record or read. Each note is pinned to the moment, so tap to seek straight back, and your notes can feed into the AI summary as context. OPTIONAL AI SUMMARIES, ON YOUR TERMS Press Summarize, pick a template, and get a structured, speaker-aware recap with action items and open follow-ups. Then choose where it runs: - Bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google Gemini key. Transcript text goes directly to that provider. - On an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone, summarize on-device when available. - Or subscribe to Synopsule Pro and run summaries without managing your own key. Synopsule names the destination and asks consent before any text leaves your phone. Your audio is never sent anywhere - only transcript text, only when you ask. SEARCH EVERYTHING Full-text search runs across every transcript. EXPORT ANYWHERE Export to Markdown, Word (.docx), plain text, SRT and VTT subtitles, or interactive HTML. PRIVACY YOU CAN VERIFY - iPhone microphone audio is captured and transcribed on your iPhone. - Apple Watch recordings are stored locally on the Watch until transferred to your paired iPhone for on-device processing. - Transcripts live in protected app storage. Delete any recording whenever you want. - No ads and no cross-app tracking. Optional anonymous product analytics can be turned off in Settings. SYNOPSULE PRO (OPTIONAL) Subscribe monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($99.99) to run AI summaries without managing your own API key. Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled; manage or cancel any time in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. The same subscription works on Synopsule for Mac. Requires iOS 17 or later. Apple Watch recording requires watchOS 26 or later and a paired iPhone. Read the full privacy policy at synopsule.com/privacy. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

STE3 screens
Synopsule4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: STE at none against Synopsule's 2. STE also leads on price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Synopsule's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On 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

STE costs $0.99 and Synopsule $4.99 up front. Synopsule sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. STE asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

STE ships an update every 6 weeks, Synopsule weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
STE versus Synopsule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSTESynopsule
Price$0.99 — better$4.99
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB214 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHuy DaoSunny Nagra

In-app purchases

None

STE

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Synopsule

Subscriptions2
  • Synopsule Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Synopsule Pro Yearly$99.991 Year

Questions

Is STE free?
STE costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Synopsule free?
Synopsule costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do STE or Synopsule have ads?
Neither STE nor Synopsule shows ads.
Which is updated more often, STE or Synopsule?
STE ships an update every 6 weeks, and Synopsule weekly. Most recently, STE was updated on October 30, 2026 and Synopsule on October 29, 2026.

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