Comparison

Timely vs Private Transcribe

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

Head to head
About

Timely

Features
Read full description

Transform Your Time Control with Timely! ⏰ Total Control of Your Worked Hours Timely is the most complete app for work shift management, payroll calculation, and financial analysis. Ideal for freelancers, independent professionals, legal entities, and small businesses.

About

Private Transcribe

This app converts your voice to text privately and offline using on-device AI. Choose from various accuracy models and transcribe audio or video files. It offers features like custom vocabulary, timestamps, and export options, with an optional one-time purchase to remove ads and unlock translation.

Highlights
  • On-device, offline transcription
  • Multiple accuracy model options
  • Supports audio and video file import
  • Customizable vocabulary
  • Timestamped transcripts
  • Searchable and editable history
  • Optional one-time purchase for ad-free and export
Features
Read full description

Speech to text that never leaves your phone. Private Transcribe turns your voice into accurate text entirely on your device — Whisper AI runs on the phone itself, so nothing you say is ever uploaded, analyzed, or stored on a server. It even works in airplane mode. HOW IT WORKS 1. Download a speech model once (from 78 MB) 2. Tap the mic and talk — a live waveform shows you're being heard 3. Your words appear as text in seconds. Copy, edit, share, or export. After the one-time model download, no internet connection is ever needed. Transcribe on a plane, in the field, in a dead zone — anywhere. PICK YOUR ACCURACY Unlike cloud transcription apps, you choose the engine: • Quick (78 MB) — instant results for short notes • Balanced (148 MB) — everyday speed and accuracy (recommended) • Accurate (190 MB) — handles background noise and accents • Professional (539 MB) — high accuracy for meetings and interviews • Best (574 MB) — Whisper large-v3-turbo, the most accurate model that runs on a phone Quick to Professional each come in an English-optimized version (fastest) and a multilingual one that understands 99+ languages, including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Arabic; Best is multilingual. Pin the spoken language or let Whisper detect it. BUILT FOR REAL WORK • Voice memos that become editable text • Meeting notes and interview transcription • Lecture capture for students • Drafting messages, emails, and ideas by voice • Journaling — speak your thoughts, keep them private EVERYTHING YOU NEED • Import audio and video files — voice memos, meeting recordings, lecture videos, podcasts (m4a, mp3, wav, aac, mp4, mov) — transcribed on-device; videos contribute their audio track • Pause and resume while recording; keeps recording when the screen locks or you switch apps • Custom vocabulary: names, products and jargon come out spelled your way • Timestamps for every line — view, copy, or share a timestamped transcript • Searchable, editable transcription history, grouped by date • Cancel a long transcription; unfinished recordings are recovered if the app is closed • Back up all transcripts to a file you keep, and restore them on a new phone • Word counts and per-recording playback • Copy or share any transcript in one tap • Auto-copy each result to the clipboard (optional) • Keep recordings, or delete the audio automatically and keep only the text • Dark interface designed for long sessions FREE TO USE, PRO IF YOU WANT MORE Private Transcribe is free, supported by ads. A single one-time upgrade — never a subscription — removes all ads permanently, adds speech translation from 99+ languages into English text, and unlocks exporting transcripts as .txt files or .srt and .vtt subtitles with timestamps. PRIVACY, PLAINLY Your recordings and transcripts live only on your device. There is no account, no sign-up, and no server that receives your audio — the transcription engine physically runs on your phone. Delete everything at any time from Settings. If your voice is worth writing down, it's worth keeping private.

Screenshots

Timely3 screens
Private Transcribe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Timely at none against Private Transcribe's shown. Timely also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Timely sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Private Transcribe sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timely ships an update every 2 weeks, Private Transcribe every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Timely versus Private Transcribe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimelyPrivate Transcribe
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMateus MoraisNelson Lai

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Timely

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Plano anual7 Days trial$7.991 Year
1 purchases

Private Transcribe

One-time1
  • Private Transcribe Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Timely free?
Timely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Transcribe free?
Private Transcribe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Timely or Private Transcribe have ads?
Private Transcribe shows ads; Timely does not.
Which is updated more often, Timely or Private Transcribe?
Timely ships an update every 2 weeks, and Private Transcribe every 4 weeks. Most recently, Timely was updated on October 14, 2026 and Private Transcribe on November 6, 2026.

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