# Private Notes vs Monologue

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Monologue at 300 against Private Notes's 12. Monologue also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). Private Notes's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 84%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Monologue sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Private Notes against 4.8 for Monologue. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monologue has 300 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Private Notes's written reviews are positive against 84% of Monologue's.

Private Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, Monologue every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Notes | Monologue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041/reviews) | **[4.8 (300 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monologue-smart-dictation/id6755956193/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **300** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 83.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [App Incubator Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527929929) | [Every Media Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823595072) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041)

This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.

**Highlights:** 100% on-device processing, Real-time transcription, AI-powered summaries, Multilingual support (10 languages), Offline functionality, Export in Markdown

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $24.99 | per year |


### Monologue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monologue-smart-dictation/id6755956193)

This app transforms your spoken words into polished text, capturing your intended meaning and tone. It automatically cleans up filler words and offers smart formatting, a personal dictionary, and multilingual support. Enhance your writing with flexible modes tailored to emails, notes, or documents.

**Highlights:** Smart formatting for clear structure, Personal dictionary for custom vocabulary, Flexible writing modes (email, docs, notes, code), Multilingual dictation in 100+ languages, Privacy-focused with no data retention, Tone matching for casual or professional output

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Access (Early Bird) | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Pro Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro Access | $143.99 | per year |
| Yearly Pro Access (Early Bird) | $144.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Notes free?

Private Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Monologue free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Private Notes or Monologue?

Monologue is rated higher. Private Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Monologue averages 4.8 from 300 ratings.

### Do Private Notes or Monologue have ads?

Neither Private Notes nor Monologue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Notes or Monologue?

Private Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Monologue every 2 weeks. Most recently, Private Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Monologue on October 30, 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.*