Comparison

Forward vs Phrase

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

Head to head
About

Forward

Read full description

Forward is a goal setting app encouraging users to dream big. Set your mind on the impossible, make daily progress towards your goals, and discover what you are capable of. Includes optional companion watchOS app for goal tracking and reminders on the go! 1. Add Goals Create your goals with milestones for tracking and a number of customization options within the app. Goals should feel improbable if not impossible when setting them and should be achievable within a year. They should also be goals that will have a significant impact on your personal growth. 2. Daily Progress Make daily progress towards your goals and track them in the app. Receive reminders from Forward to add your progress and keep your streak going! 3. Track Progress View a number of metrics that show you how much progress you've made, including the percentage complete for each goal, your total percentage complete, and a personal growth metric based on your daily progress and compounding growth. Graphics use: https://icons8.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Phrase

This AI-powered tool records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings, lectures, and voice memos. It transforms raw audio and documents into searchable notes, actionable to-dos, and versatile content artifacts like slide decks and mind maps.

Highlights
  • Record meetings, lectures, and voice notes
  • Transcribe audio to text
  • Generate AI summaries and to-dos
  • Ask questions about your notes
  • Import PDFs, photos, and videos
  • Create content artifacts (slides, mind maps)
  • iCloud sync
Features
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Phrase is an AI note taker for meetings, lectures, and voice notes on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Record or import audio, get a transcript in 100+ languages and a clear summary, then edit any part of the note. At work, meetings become notes with the decisions and to-dos. With Pro, Phrase adds them to Reminders and drafts the recap, and it asks first. In class, lectures become study notes. With Pro, turn them into flashcards and quizzes. FOR WORK • Meeting notes and minutes: a summary, the decisions, and action items with owners and due dates when they're mentioned. • Record in-person meetings, 1:1s, client meetings, interviews, and research sessions. It's bot-free: nothing joins your meeting. • With Pro, ask Phrase to add action items to Reminders, put the next meeting on your Calendar, or draft a recap email or message. Phrase asks for your OK first and never sends anything on its own. • With Pro, ask the assistant across all your notes, like "What did we decide about pricing?" Answers show the notes they came from. FOR STUDENTS • Lectures and classes become study notes: key ideas, terms and definitions, examples, and assignments. • Turn a PDF, lecture slides, or up to 8 photos of the whiteboard into one organized note. • With Pro, review with flashcards, quizzes, and mind maps made from your own notes. USE IT FOR Team meetings, 1:1s, client meetings, interviews, lectures, seminars, study groups, research, brainstorms, sermons and talks, voice memos, and audio or video files you already have. AI NOTES YOU CAN ACTUALLY EDIT Every note is a document you can edit, not a read-only summary. Retype a line, drag a section, check off to-dos, and add headings, colors, images, code, math, or diagrams. Undo any change. With Pro, ask Phrase to rewrite a section, see exactly what changed, and undo it in one tap. CHECK THE SOURCE The original stays attached. Play the audio with a timestamped, speaker-labeled transcript that follows along, and tap any line to jump to that moment. Phrase transcribes 100+ languages and keeps up when a conversation switches languages. TURN NOTES INTO SOMETHING NEW With Pro, ask for a slide deck, a one-page brief, a dashboard, flashcards, a quiz, or a mind map. Present decks on an external display or export them as PDF. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No sign-up and no Phrase account. Phrase is local-first: your notes live on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and with Pro they sync through your own iCloud. We never store your notes. QUICK ANSWERS • Does a bot join my meeting? No. Phrase records the room from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. • Does it work on Mac? Yes. Phrase is a native Mac app with the same features, recording included, and one subscription covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • How do I start recording fast? Jump straight to a new recording from Control Center, the Lock Screen, or Siri, or start one on Apple Watch. • Do I need an account? No. There's no sign-up, and your notes stay on your devices and in your own iCloud. PHRASE PRO Phrase Pro unlocks more AI notes from recordings and files, Ask AI, the assistant, flashcards, decks and other Artifacts, iCloud sync, and unlimited notes. AI features have usage limits. One subscription works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Please get consent before you record other people. Phrase is made by Eversight Studio LLC. Website: https://phrase.so Privacy Policy: https://phrase.so/privacy Terms of Use: https://phrase.so/terms

Screenshots

Forward4 screens
Phrase4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Phrase at weekly against Forward's every 3 weeks. Phrase also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Forward's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Forward sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and Phrase sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forward ships an update every 3 weeks, Phrase weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Forward versus Phrase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForwardPhrase
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB83 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDylan Patrick LloydEversight

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Forward

Subscriptions1
  • Fast Forward$4.991 Year
3 purchases

Phrase

Subscriptions3
  • Phrase Pro Weekly$9.007 Days
  • Phrase Pro Monthly$20.001 Month
  • Phrase Pro Yearly$129.001 Year

Questions

Is Forward free?
Forward is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phrase free?
Phrase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Forward or Phrase have ads?
Neither Forward nor Phrase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forward or Phrase?
Forward ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phrase weekly. Most recently, Forward was updated on October 11, 2026 and Phrase on October 28, 2026.

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