Murmur vs PDF Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Murmur
This app records audio and converts it into searchable text, distinguishing between different speakers. It offers on-device processing for privacy, offline functionality, and the ability to translate transcripts into other languages.
- On-device transcription
- Speaker identification
- Offline functionality
- Transcript translation
- Multiple export formats
- Searchable transcripts
- Audio compression
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Privacy first: everything is transcribed on your device. Recordings are never uploaded, no account is needed, and your voice stays on the phone that recorded it. Murmur is the recorder that knows who said what. Meetings, lectures, interviews — the text is there as soon as you stop, with every line labeled by speaker. Transcription and speaker identification both run on your iPhone. WHAT MURMUR DOES ON DEVICE, NEVER UPLOADED Transcription, speaker identification and translation all run on your iPhone. No servers, no sign-up, no account. It works on a plane, in a basement meeting room, anywhere with no signal. KNOWS WHO SAID WHAT Every line is labeled with its speaker and color-coded, so a conversation with several people is easy to follow. Name someone once, and Murmur recognizes them in later recordings. TALK, AND GET THE TEXT Hit record, and the words are waiting when you stop. Around 100 languages are supported: the spoken language is detected automatically, or set it once in Settings. IMPORT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE A voice memo, a meeting recording, a lecture, any audio or video file. Transcribed and labeled exactly like something recorded in the app. TRANSLATE LINE BY LINE Turn a transcript into another language inside the recording. Read the translation alone, or side by side with the original. On device, as always. EXPORT, OR HAND IT TO YOUR AI Export as plain text, Markdown, PDF or Word, with speakers, timestamps and your translation. Send it to Notes, to an email, or to whichever AI you already use. TAP A LINE, HEAR THAT LINE Read the transcript against the timestamps, and tap any sentence to replay just that one. Many people use it to learn a language a sentence at a time. CUT WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED Open the waveform editor: select and cut, keep only one stretch, append another recording, or remove every silence in one tap. The transcript re-times itself, so nothing needs transcribing again. SEARCH WHAT YOU SAID Find any phrase across every recording, highlighted where it appears. RECORD WITHOUT OPENING THE APP Put the widget on the Home or Lock Screen, add "Record with Murmur" to Control Center, or just ask Siri. One tap and you are recording. ICLOUD SYNC Turn it on and your recordings and transcripts follow you across devices through your own private iCloud. The data stays in your iCloud, where we cannot see it. SAVES SPACE ON ITS OWN Once a recording is transcribed, its audio is compressed in the background. Transcript and playback are untouched; the space comes back to your device and iCloud. IPAD AND IPHONE A universal app, with a roomier layout on iPad and larger screens. ABOUT MURMUR PRO FREE FOREVER: recording, playback, search, export, and everything already in your library. THE ONE LIMIT: without Pro, each recording is transcribed for up to 20 minutes. The audio itself is untouched. MURMUR PRO: lifts that limit. One purchase, kept forever, not a subscription, and it works with Family Sharing. ABOUT PRIVACY RECORDINGS AND TRANSCRIPTS: on your device only, never sent to our servers. ACCOUNT: not needed, and there is no sign-up. ANONYMOUS ANALYTICS: we collect anonymous usage statistics and crash diagnostics to improve the app. They contain no audio and no transcript text. ICLOUD SYNC: optional, through your own private iCloud, accessible only to you. Privacy policy: https://www.murmur-recorder.com/legal/ios/privacy.html More: https://www.murmur-recorder.com Download a model, hit record, and start talking.
PDF Tools
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PDF Tools helps you organize sensitive documents faster with on-device PDF workflows built for privacy and efficiency. Merge, edit, split, compress, sign, and convert images to PDF on your iPhone without uploading files to a server. It is designed for real tasks such as combining contracts before sending, compressing reports for sharing, organizing study materials, or signing documents while away from a desk. The workflow stays focused, fast, and easy to understand. If you want a PDF tool that balances privacy, daily usefulness, and a clean native iOS experience, this app gives you practical document actions together with a built-in local library for follow-up access and export. Key features: - Merge multiple PDF files in your preferred order - Edit pages with reorder, delete, and split actions - Compress PDFs for easier sharing and storage - Add text watermarks for document ownership and archive control - Insert handwritten signatures for common approval and signing workflows - Convert multiple images into one PDF document - Manage processed files locally with preview, rename, delete, and export Best-fit use cases: - Office work: contracts, invoices, reports, and meeting materials - School work: lecture notes, handouts, assignments, and revision packs - Privacy-focused users: local processing for documents that should not leave the device Why it converts better: - Private by design with on-device processing - Covers a full document workflow instead of a single task - Reduces friction with focused actions and native iPhone interaction - Keeps processed files accessible in a local library for ongoing use Notes: - Premium benefits, pricing, and trial availability must match the actual StoreKit configuration - Future metadata updates should prioritize conversion and search term performance [Protocol Description] End User Software Usage Terms https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use https://www.sharezer.com/app/agreement/TermsofUse.html Privacy Policy https://www.sharezer.com/app/agreement/PrivacyPolicy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Murmur at none against PDF Tools's shown. PDF Tools's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Murmur sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Tools sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Murmur ships an update every 6 days, PDF Tools every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Murmur | PDF Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bin Yang | 少泽 梁 |
In-app purchases
Murmur
- Murmur Pro$9.99
PDF Tools
- One Month VIP7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- One-year membership$4.991 Year
- Permanent VIP$12.99









