Comparison

Captionify vs MoonShine

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

Head to head
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.

About

MoonShine

Features
Read full description

Meet MoonShine — Your Ultimate On-Device Voice Transcription Assistant. Tired of expensive subscription fees, arbitrary usage limits, or worrying about your private voice recordings being sent to the cloud? MoonShine is here to change that. Powered by cutting-edge, open-source AI technology, MoonShine delivers lightning-fast and highly accurate Speech-to-Text (ASR) capabilities entirely on your device. Whether you're dictating notes, transcribing interviews, or drafting emails on the go, MoonShine turns your voice into text instantly, safely, and for free. Why Choose MoonShine? Absolute Privacy (100% Local Inference) Your voice is your business. MoonShine runs completely offline. No audio data is ever uploaded to the cloud, stored on external servers, or used to train third-party models. What you say stays on your device. Completely Free, Forever No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no ads, and no API keys required. Enjoy unlimited transcription without spending a dime. Works Anywhere, Anytime (Offline Mode) Stuck on a plane, deep in the subway, or out in the wilderness? No problem. Because MoonShine processes everything locally, it requires absolutely zero internet connection to work. Fast & Lightweight Optimized for mobile and desktop, MoonShine transcribes your speech in real-time without draining your battery or slowing down your device. Perfect For: Journalists & Students: Transcribe interviews and lectures securely without internet access. Writers & Professionals: Dictate ideas and draft documents hands-free. Privacy-Conscious Users: Anyone who wants the power of AI without compromising their personal data. Powered by Open Source MoonShine is proudly built upon the incredible moonshine-ai/moonshine open-source project. We believe in democratizing AI technology and making powerful, private tools accessible to everyone. Download MoonShine today and experience the future of private, free, and offline voice transcription!

Screenshots

Captionify4 screens
MoonShine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Captionify at every 10 days against MoonShine's monthly. MoonShine's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Captionify ships an update every 10 days, MoonShine monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Captionify versus MoonShine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaptionifyMoonShine
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan Gregorio青兆 李

In-app purchases

None

Captionify

No in-app purchases

None

MoonShine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Captionify free?
Captionify is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MoonShine free?
MoonShine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Captionify or MoonShine have ads?
Neither Captionify nor MoonShine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Captionify or MoonShine?
Captionify ships an update every 10 days, and MoonShine monthly. Most recently, Captionify was updated on October 7, 2026 and MoonShine on October 18, 2026.

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