# Voice Recorder vs Shelf

The clearest difference is price: Voice Recorder at Free against Shelf's $1.99. Voice Recorder also leads on iOS requirement (16.2 vs 26.0). Shelf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Voice Recorder is free to download; Shelf costs $1.99 up front. Voice Recorder sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

Voice Recorder ships an update every 3 weeks, Shelf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Voice Recorder | Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-recorder-ai-note-taker/id6503227362/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 188 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.2** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Voice Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463498615) | [James Milillo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735155852) |

## What reviewers say

### Voice Recorder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-recorder-ai-note-taker/id6503227362)

Record, transcribe, and summarize audio from meetings, lectures, and interviews with advanced AI. Instantly convert speech to text, organize notes into folders, and edit audio for clear, shareable content. Supports multiple languages and offers AI-powered summaries for efficient review.

**Highlights:** Effortless audio recording, AI-powered transcription, Instant AI summaries, Folder organization, Audio editing tools, Multi-language support, Shareable transcriptions

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium_Weekly_Free_3D | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium_Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium_Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $16.99 | per month |
| Premium_Monthly_Free_3D | $16.99 | per month |
| Premium_Yearly_Discount | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium_Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual Pro Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient voice recording
- 👍 Useful for transcription and summarization
- 🎉 Awesome message and glory to God

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Costs money
- 🐛 Recording issues (choppy, cuts off, stops)
- 🔒 Can't unsubscribe
- 🤔 Not user-friendly, hard to find recordings

**Reported bugs**

- Timer keeps stopping
- Recordings get lost
- Doesn't work half the time

**Requested features**

- Ability to listen to recorded audio
- More free/affordable options
- Improved reliability and performance


### Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf-control/id6758061316)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Voice Recorder free?

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

### Is Shelf free?

Shelf costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Voice Recorder or Shelf have ads?

Voice Recorder shows ads; Shelf does not.

### Which is updated more often, Voice Recorder or Shelf?

Voice Recorder ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shelf every 2 weeks. Most recently, Voice Recorder was updated on November 11, 2026 and Shelf on October 31, 2026.

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