Comparison

Live Translator vs Captionify

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

Head to head
About

Live Translator

This app provides real-time translated captions for conversations, lectures, and live events, supporting up to 39 languages. It offers features like speaker identification, AI summaries, and the ability to broadcast captions to multiple devices, aiding communication and comprehension for diverse users.

Highlights
  • Live translation for 39 languages
  • Real-time speech-to-text captions
  • Distance capture for clear audio
  • Speaker identification
  • AI-generated transcripts and summaries
  • Broadcast captions to multiple devices
  • Floating captions for multitasking
Features
Read full description

Ekto helps you understand in-person conversations, meetings, lectures, live events with continuous real-time translated captions. Tap once to see speech as text in the original language or translated into your language. Works from across the table and the back of the room. It automatically detects up to 39 languages. LIVE TRANSLATION FOR LECTURES, MEETINGS & CONVERSATIONS Ekto is also a full live translator. Follow lectures, meetings, and sermons in a foreign language. Understanding the speaker in the moment, means getting ahead in class abroad or advancing your career in a non-english conference. It can also make your overseas trips or expat life easier before listening skills become fluent. SUBTITLES FOR LIVE TV & LIVESTREAMS Catch every word of the news, the game, and your favorite shows. Set your phone near the TV or monitor and read the dialogue as it's spoken. LIVE CAPTIONS FOR HEARING LOSS Reliable captions in noisy rooms, group conversations, and at a distance, alongside hearing aids or without them. Large, readable text. Simple enough for less-technical family members to use every day. BROADCAST CAPTIONS TO A ROOM (LIVE LINK) With Live Link, a speaker, teacher, or pastor shares a web link and up to 100 people read live captions on their own phones, each in their own language. KEY FEATURES - Live Translation: 39 languages, translated as people speak with automatic language detection. - Live Captions: real-time speech-to-text with multi language transcription. - Distance Capture: picks up speech from across the room - Large, Readable Text: designed for tired eyes and distant viewing - Audio from Other Apps: get live captions and translations for livestreams, podcasts and voice messages playing in other apps, while listening through AirPods or other headphones. - Floating Captions: keep captions on screen while you use other apps - Speaker identification – See who is speaking with clearly labelled captions - Transcripts & AI Summaries: every session saved and ready to review - Two-Way Conversations: translation in both directions, with voice playback - Live Link: broadcast captions to up to 100 people on any device - Private & Secure: no audio stored, no AI training on your conversations MADE FOR - International students and travellers - Anyone living and working abroad - Deaf and hard-of-hearing users, at home and at work - Hearing aid users, for when aids fall short in noise or groups - Spouses, adult children, and caregivers supporting a loved one - Teachers, tour guides, churches, and event organizers Try Ekto with 30 min free preview. Get PRO for unlimited captions and translation. Internet connection and microphone access required. Terms of Service: https://www.verby.co/ekto/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.verby.co/ekto/privacy

About

Captionify

This app converts speech to text in real-time using on-device AI, offering live translation and AI-powered summaries. It prioritizes privacy by keeping all processing and data local, with no cloud reliance or account needed.

Highlights
  • Real-time transcription
  • Live translation
  • Face-to-face conversation mode
  • AI summaries
  • Apple Watch support
  • Save and search transcripts
  • On-device processing
Features
Read full description

Captionify turns speech into text in real time, entirely on your device. Transcribe meetings, lectures, and conversations. Translate across languages instantly. No subscription. No account. Nothing sent to the cloud. REAL-TIME TRANSCRIPTION Using on-device AI, Captionify converts spoken words to text the moment they're said — no internet connection required. Ideal for lectures, meetings, interviews, and noisy environments where you can't afford to miss a word. LIVE TRANSLATION Understand any language as it's spoken. Captionify translates speech in real time so you can follow along in any conversation, anywhere in the world. FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION MODE Talking with someone who speaks a different language? Face-to-Face mode lets two people hold a natural bilingual conversation on a single device — one speaks, the other reads, then you swap. No interpreter. No awkward pauses. AGENT MODE Talk to an on-device AI assistant that can use tools, connect to your own MCP servers, and remember saved chats — all without sending anything to the cloud. CUSTOM PIPELINE (BETA) Mix and match independent transcription, translation, and voice engines — on-device or your own custom endpoint — to build a live pipeline that's entirely your own. AI SUMMARIES Powered by Apple Intelligence, Captionify distills long transcripts into the key points that matter. Everything runs on-device — your words never leave your phone. APPLE WATCH SUPPORT See live captions on your wrist and control recording remotely. Keep your phone in your pocket while staying connected to every word. SAVE & SEARCH YOUR TRANSCRIPTS Every session can be saved and searched later. Build a personal library of transcripts — no cloud storage, no account, no limits. PRIVACY BY DESIGN Captionify uses Apple's on-device AI for all processing. Your voice and your transcripts stay on your device always. 100% FREE No subscription. No paywall. No account required. Every feature, available from the moment you open the app.

Screenshots

Live Translator4 screens
Captionify4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Captionify at 100% against Live Translator's 63%. Captionify also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Live Translator's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price 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. Live Translator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Captionify asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Captionify holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live Translator has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Live Translator's written reviews are positive against 100% of Captionify's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Live Translator ships an update every 3 days, Captionify every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Live Translator versus Captionify: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLive TranslatorCaptionify
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (22 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB133 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony HoJonathan Gregorio

Customer experience

Live Translator

All ratings22 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative12.5%

Captionify

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Live Translator

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly Unlimited PRO7 Days trial$14.997 Days
  • Monthly Unlimited PRO$34.991 Month
  • Quarterly Unlimited PRO$79.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Unlimited PRO$199.001 Year
None

Captionify

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Live Translator free?
Live Translator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Captionify free?
Captionify is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Live Translator or Captionify?
Captionify is rated higher. Live Translator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Captionify averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Live Translator or Captionify have ads?
Live Translator shows ads; Captionify does not.
Which is updated more often, Live Translator or Captionify?
Live Translator ships an update every 3 days, and Captionify every 10 days. Most recently, Live Translator was updated on October 30, 2026 and Captionify on October 7, 2026.

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