Comparison

Summary vs Open Transcription

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

Head to head
About

Summary

This app records, transcribes, and summarizes audio conversations, making meetings and lectures more productive. It uses AI to generate accurate transcripts with speaker labels and provides instant answers to questions about the content. Users can easily export and share notes.

Highlights
  • One-tap audio recording
  • Accurate transcription with speaker labels
  • AI-powered summaries and key points
  • Ask questions about conversation content
  • Smart search and timestamp jumping
  • Unlimited recording time
  • Background recording
Features
Read full description

Summary AI makes meetings more productive by automatically recording, transcribing, and summarizing conversations. Whether it’s a business meeting, interview, classroom lecture, or podcast, Summary AI captures everything clearly so you can stay present and focus. With one tap, the app records audio, generates accurate transcripts with speaker labels, and creates easy-to-read summaries. You can even ask questions like, “What were the key action items from the marketing strategy session?” and get instant answers, thanks to built-in AI. Why Use Summary AI? Take and share professional meeting notes effortlessly Record and transcribe interviews, lectures, webinars, and podcasts Generate captions for people with hearing impairments or quiet audio environments Who Uses Summary AI? Professionals: Capture meeting notes, action items, and client discussions Students: Record and review lectures, study groups, and seminars Journalists & Researchers: Transcribe interviews with precision Everyone: From voice memos to webinars, it handles it all Key Features One-Tap Recording Start recording instantly and stay focused. Summary AI takes care of the rest. Unlimited Recording Time Record as much as you need, no time limits, no interruptions. Records in the Background or with Screen Locked Keep recording while your phone is locked or you're using other apps. Perfect for discreet, uninterrupted sessions. Accurate Transcription with Speaker Labels Transcripts that make sense, clearly labeled, searchable, and easy to review. AI-Powered Summaries & Key Points Don’t just get a transcript, get the big picture with bullet-pointed summaries. Smart Search & Timestamp Jumping Type a keyword, jump straight to that moment in the recording. Ask Questions About the Conversation Get instant answers from the AI like “Who was assigned the budget review?” Automatic Punctuation, Capitalization & Line Breaks Clean, easy-to-read transcripts without any manual formatting. Boost Your Productivity Save time reviewing meetings, just skim the summary Stay present in conversations, not distracted by note-taking Export notes to PDF, share with teams, or save for personal reference Never lose a detail, everything is searchable Your recordings and notes are private, always. Summary AI prioritizes security, and your data is never shared with third parties. Privacy Policy: https://summary.ai/privacy Terms of Use: https://summary.ai/terms

About

Open Transcription

This app converts voice recordings into text and organized notes using on-device or cloud-based AI. It offers features like automatic summarization, translation, and project organization, with options for offline use and system-wide call audio capture.

Highlights
  • On-device and cloud transcription
  • AI-powered summarization and translation
  • Automatic note processing with templates
  • Project-based organization
  • System-wide call audio capture
  • Apple Watch app and widgets
Features
Read full description

Open Transcription turns your voice into usable text and organized notes — privately, on your iPhone, even offline. TRANSCRIBE YOUR WAY • On-device Whisper — fully private, works offline, multiple model sizes to balance speed and accuracy • Apple Speech — fast, on-device, powered by Apple's Neural Engine • NEW: Speaker detection — know who said what, up to 8 voices, fully on-device (NVIDIA Nemotron 3) • Transcribe long meetings, interviews, and brainstorms without limits • Capture another app's call audio (Teams, Zoom, etc.) system-wide — nothing to set up mid-call • Import multiple audio files at once — pick several, watch them transcribe one by one AI THAT DOES THE WORK FOR YOU • Magic Edit — clean up, summarize, or translate any transcript in one tap • Central LLM automation — auto-processes every transcript the moment it's done, using a template you pick • Templates turn raw transcripts into ready-to-send emails, meeting minutes, and more • Smart Titles — every note gets a clear, AI-generated headline automatically STAY ORGANIZED • Projects — file notes under Home, Work, or your own custom projects, each with its own icon • Personal Dictionary — teach the app names, acronyms, and jargon so it always gets them right • Multi-select — combine, copy, or export several notes together in one go • Fast search across every transcript you've ever recorded EVERYWHERE YOU ARE • Apple Watch app — record and browse your transcripts right from your wrist, with live status sync and a Watch face complication for one-tap recording • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, plus Siri Shortcuts — start recording in one tap • Auto-export every finished transcript straight to Files, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive 100% PRIVATE, NO ADS • On-device transcripts and audio never leave your iPhone • No trackers, no analytics, ever • See exactly how much time transcription has saved you, this week and all-time • Custom app icons to match your style — beautiful Liquid Glass design throughout Open Transcription is built for anyone who talks faster than they type: students, journalists, therapists, founders, and anyone who'd rather speak their thoughts than type them.

Screenshots

Summary4 screens
Open Transcription4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Open Transcription at free against Summary's free with in-app purchases. Open Transcription also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Summary's advantage is ratings volume (56K vs 7) and chart position (#20 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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. Summary sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Open Transcription sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Open Transcription holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Summary has 56K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Summary ships an update every 6 days, Open Transcription every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Summary versus Open Transcription: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSummaryOpen Transcription
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (56K ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings56K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#20 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLabhouse MobileChristoph Hanft

Customer experience

Summary

All ratings55,713 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews2,436 reviews
Positive72.4%
Neutral5.1%
Negative22.5%

Open Transcription

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Summary

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Buttons don't function properly
  • Transcription never completes

Requested features

2 requests
  • More detailed and accurate transcription and summarization
  • Ability to handle longer meetings without issues

Open Transcription

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Summary

Subscriptions12
  • Weekly Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription7 Days trial$8.997 Days
Show 9 more
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial2 variants$8.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription2 variants$8.997 Days
  • Summary AI Monthly7 Days trial$17.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$29.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$99.991 Year
3 purchases

Open Transcription

One-time3
  • Small Coffee$1.99
  • Medium Coffee$3.99
  • Large Coffee$5.99

Questions

Is Summary free?
Summary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Open Transcription free?
Open Transcription is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Summary or Open Transcription?
Open Transcription is rated higher. Summary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 56K ratings, while Open Transcription averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Summary or Open Transcription have ads?
Neither Summary nor Open Transcription shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Summary or Open Transcription?
Summary ships an update every 6 days, and Open Transcription every 5 days. Most recently, Summary was updated on October 28, 2026 and Open Transcription on October 24, 2026.

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