Comparison

Virtual Microphone vs PhoneMic

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

Head to head
About

Virtual Microphone

Transform your iPhone into a wireless microphone. Stream audio to speakers, apply fun voice effects, and record high-quality audio. No account is needed for this simple, intuitive utility.

Highlights
  • Live microphone streaming
  • Bluetooth and AirPlay output
  • Real-time voice effects
  • Audio recording and playback
  • Recording management
  • Intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

AirMic – Wireless Mic, Karaoke & Voice Effects Turn your iPhone into a wireless microphone. Stream your voice to Bluetooth, AirPlay, wired or USB speakers, sing over your own songs or Apple Music, add voice effects, and record it all. No account required. MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER - Live Microphone: tap the mic and your voice plays on any connected speaker or TV. - Any Output: switch between AirPlay, Bluetooth, wired and USB speakers. - Live Level Meter: see your voice level at a glance. - Volume & Mic Control: fine-tune speaker and music volume, and choose your mic pattern. - Lock Screen: lock AirMic while you perform so nothing gets tapped by accident. KARAOKE MODE - Play your own songs or Apple Music as background music while you're live. - Remove Vocals: turn imported songs into karaoke tracks on your device, with a soft guide vocal to follow. Try it free; unlimited with Pro. - Playlists: keep your songs and vocal-free tracks organized. 15 VOICE EFFECTS - Free: Echo • Reverb • Monster • Underwater • Baby Voice • Auto-Tune - Pro: Robot • Chipmunk • Deep • Girl • Megaphone • Telephone • Old Radio • 8-Bit Retro • Fighter Pilot - Apply effects live while you stream or record. RECORD & PLAY BACK (PRO) - Record your voice with effects and background music, captured at the balance you hear. - Recording Library: play, rename, share and delete recordings. - Recordings stay on your device as .m4a files. CONTROL IT ANYWHERE - Start and stop the mic from the Lock Screen, Control Center or your Apple Watch. - Great for karaoke, parties, talks, announcements and practice. HOW IT WORKS 1) Open AirMic and allow microphone access. 2) Pick your speaker. 3) Tap the mic to go live. 4) Optional: choose a voice effect, add music, and tap Record. PRICING - Free to download. Upgrade to AirMic Pro: • Lifetime — $29.99 (one-time) • Yearly — $19.99/year • Weekly — $2.99/week - Prices are in USD and may vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Requires iOS 17 or later. Privacy Policy: https://airmic.app/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://airmic.app/terms-of-use

About

PhoneMic

Transform your phone into a wireless microphone for your Windows PC. Enjoy low-latency, uncompressed audio for streaming, calls, and more. Seamlessly integrates with popular PC applications.

Highlights
  • Wireless microphone for PC
  • Low latency audio
  • Works with Zoom, Teams, Discord
  • Stream with phone locked
  • Mute from Lock Screen
  • Live level meter
  • Private audio transmission
Features
Read full description

PhoneMic turns your phone into a wireless microphone for your Windows or Linux PC. BEFORE YOU START: PhoneMic comes in two halves. This app is the microphone; a small free app on your PC is the other half. Install it first - download it at phonemicapp.com - or the phone has nowhere to send your voice. SETUP ON WINDOWS 1. On your PC, open phonemicapp.com and run PhoneMicSetup.exe. It is free. 2. Install VB-CABLE when the installer asks, then reboot the PC once. 3. Put the phone and the PC on the same Wi-Fi. Your PC appears in PhoneMic by itself - tap it, then tap Start. Then in Zoom, Teams, Discord, OBS or any other app on the PC, choose CABLE Output as the microphone. SETUP ON LINUX 1. On your PC, open phonemicapp.com and paste the one-line install command into a terminal. No driver and no VB-CABLE. 2. Put the phone and the PC on the same Wi-Fi, pick the PC in PhoneMic, then tap Start. 3. In Zoom, Meet, Discord, OBS or any other app, choose Phone Mic as the microphone. The app also has a full step-by-step guide built in, under the question mark in the top left. FEATURES - Low latency - uncompressed 48 kHz audio over your Wi-Fi, delay of a few dozen milliseconds - Works everywhere - shows up as a standard microphone on Windows and Linux - Keep streaming with the phone locked or the app in the background - Mute straight from the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island - Live level meter so you can see your voice coming through - Private by design - audio never leaves your local network REQUIREMENTS - A Windows 10 or 11 PC, or a Linux PC with a PipeWire desktop (Fedora 36+, Ubuntu 22.10+, Debian 12+, Arch), with the free PhoneMic receiver installed - Phone and PC on the same Wi-Fi network SUBSCRIPTIONS PhoneMic requires an active subscription to use the microphone and PC connection features. Choose $4.99 per week, with a 3-day free trial for eligible subscribers, or $24.99 per year, charged when you subscribe. Prices are in US dollars; local prices are shown in the app. Existing monthly subscribers keep their current plan. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, or after the free trial ends if eligible. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in Settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://phonemicapp.com/iphone-mic-pc/privacy/

Screenshots

Virtual Microphone4 screens
PhoneMic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Virtual Microphone at free with in-app purchases against PhoneMic's subscription. PhoneMic's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, review sentiment, 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. Virtual Microphone sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and PhoneMic sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virtual Microphone ships an update every 2 weeks, PhoneMic every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Virtual Microphone versus PhoneMic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtual MicrophonePhoneMic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRodney CyprianSerdar Oztetik

Customer experience

Virtual Microphone

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral15.4%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

PhoneMic

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Virtual Microphone

Subscriptions2
  • AirMic Pro - Premium3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • AirMic Pro - Premium$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • AirMic Pro - Premium$29.99
3 purchases

PhoneMic

Subscriptions3
  • PhoneMic1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • PhoneMic Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • PhoneMic Yearly$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Virtual Microphone free?
Virtual Microphone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhoneMic free?
PhoneMic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Virtual Microphone or PhoneMic have ads?
Neither Virtual Microphone nor PhoneMic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virtual Microphone or PhoneMic?
Virtual Microphone ships an update every 2 weeks, and PhoneMic every 5 days. Most recently, Virtual Microphone was updated on October 28, 2026 and PhoneMic on October 28, 2026.

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