Comparison

Nova Voice vs Menu Bar Notes

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

Head to head
About

Nova Voice

Features
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Give any English script a natural voice. Nova Voice turns typed or pasted text into spoken audio with 28 American and British voice personas. Generation runs on device, so your scripts and generated audio stay on your device. Start with a ready-made template or write your own, then listen as Nova builds your audio. ONE PURCHASE. NO SUBSCRIPTION. Use the core workflow free with four included voices, up to three generations per day of 50 words each, your five most recent sessions, and one export. Premium voices can also be tried with your own text, while exporting those trials requires Pro. Nova Pro is a single permanent in-app purchase that unlocks all 28 voices, longer scripts, unlimited generations, full history, the pronunciation dictionary, and unlimited exports. CREATE THE RIGHT READ • Choose from 28 American and British voices • Preview personas before using them with your script • Adjust speech speed from 0.5× to 2× • Use quick templates for narration, explainers, mindfulness, and stories • Generate longer scripts in sections and begin listening as audio becomes ready LISTEN YOUR WAY Follow the synchronized transcript while your audio plays. Pause, resume, restart, loop, scrub through the timeline, or tap a transcript section to continue from that point. SAVE AUDIO AND CAPTIONS • Export, save, or share M4A audio • Export timed subtitles in SRT or WebVTT format • Replay saved audio directly from your history • Delete sessions whenever you no longer need them CONTROL PRONUNCIATION Create a personal pronunciation dictionary for names, brands, abbreviations, and other words that need special handling. Enable or disable individual entries and apply them consistently to future generations. BUILT FOR PRIVATE CREATION Speech generation happens on device. Your scripts and generated audio remain on your device while you create, listen, and organize your work. Use Nova Voice for video narration, podcast drafts, article listening, learning materials, audiobook previews, tutorials, and presentations. Create with the free essentials, then unlock Nova Pro forever with one purchase when you need every voice and the complete workflow.

About

Menu Bar Notes

Quickly capture thoughts, edit them across devices, and organize with markdown blocks and tabs. Notes sync privately via iCloud, with a 30-day trash recovery option. No accounts or data collection required.

Highlights
  • Block editor with markdown shortcuts
  • Collapsible toggle blocks
  • Tabbed notes with keyboard navigation
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Menu bar quick capture on Mac
  • 30-day trash recovery
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Easily reach into your menubar to quickly jot down a thought or reference, edit it on your synced iPhone and iPad app with your private iCloud keeping every device in step. No accounts or signups are needed and no data is collected. I always wanted a simple tool like this and I hope someone else finds it useful. On Mac, it sits in your menu bar. Click the icon or press ⌥⌘N from any app to open your notes, and click the icon again or press Esc to put them away. On iPhone and iPad, it's a clean, touch-first editor that stays out of your way. Markdown Style Blocks Every note is built from blocks: text, headings, collapsible toggles, to-dos with checkboxes, and code. Type shortcuts like "# ", "> ", or "[] " at the start of a line and the block transforms as you write. Toggles nest without limit, so a quick list can grow into a real outline. Browser Style Tabs Notes are tabs. Switch with ⌘1–⌘9, open a new note with ⌘T, close one with ⌘W. Privately Sync over iCloud- No Account Needed iCloud sync keeps iPhone, iPad, and Mac in step automatically. No account to create, no subscription — your notes live in your personal, private iCloud. Forgiving By Design Deleted notes and blocks go to the Trash, where they can be restored for 30 days. FEATURES • Block editor: text, Heading 1 and 2, toggles, to-dos, and code • Markdown-style shortcuts for instant block transforms • Collapsible toggle blocks with unlimited nesting • Duplicate any block along with its children • Menu bar quick capture on Mac, with a global ⌥⌘N (Option-Command-N) hotkey • Tabbed notes with full keyboard navigation on Mac • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • 30-day Trash with restore • No accounts, no tracking, no data collection Menu Notes stores your notes on your device and syncs them through your own private iCloud database. We can't read them, and we wouldn't want to.

Screenshots

Nova Voice4 screens
Menu Bar Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Menu Bar Notes at none against Nova Voice's 1. Menu Bar Notes also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Nova Voice sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Menu Bar Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nova Voice ships an update every 6 days, Menu Bar Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Nova Voice versus Menu Bar Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNova VoiceMenu Bar Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size371 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer振训 池Olamide Ojumu

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Nova Voice

One-time1
  • Nova Pro Lifetime$2.99
None

Menu Bar Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Nova Voice free?
Nova Voice is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Menu Bar Notes free?
Menu Bar Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Nova Voice or Menu Bar Notes have ads?
Neither Nova Voice nor Menu Bar Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nova Voice or Menu Bar Notes?
Nova Voice ships an update every 6 days, and Menu Bar Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Nova Voice was updated on October 26, 2026 and Menu Bar Notes on October 19, 2026.

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