Comparison

Speak Me vs HW Journal

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

Head to head
About

Speak Me

This app allows users to communicate by writing on a screen, which is then spoken aloud. It's useful for individuals with speech difficulties or those learning English or Japanese, offering handwriting recognition, text typing, and a dictionary.

Highlights
  • Handwriting recognition to speech
  • Text typing input
  • Dictionary with definitions
  • Save words and phrases
  • Passcode lock for settings
  • Buzzer for attention
  • Favourites for quick phrases
Features
Read full description

Speak Me helps you communicate when speaking or typing is difficult. Write a word, phrase, or sentence with your finger or a stylus. Speak Me recognises your handwriting and reads it aloud with a tap. Use it to communicate with family, friends, carers, teachers, and healthcare professionals. Keep useful phrases close at hand, type when that is easier, and get someone’s attention with the built-in call button. KEY FEATURES • Handwrite text and hear it spoken aloud • Type with the keyboard when preferred • Save frequently used words and phrases for quick access • Choose English or Japanese handwriting recognition • Use the call button to attract attention • Keep a history of spoken phrases • Work without a network connection • Optional controls to prevent accidental changes Speak Me is designed for people who need a simple, direct way to make themselves heard.

About

HW Journal

Features
Read full description

Work plans, personal errands, and the thoughts that pop up in between. Your whole day, in a notebook that is yours alone. HW Journal is a notebook app for people who love to write by hand. Write and expand ideas on iPad; check tomorrow and wrap up the day on iPhone. Two devices, one notebook. ■ What you didn't finish comes back to you Circle something, or underline it, with the Carry-over Pen, and it moves to the top of tomorrow's page at its original size. It stays every day until you erase it, so even if you forget you wrote it down, it finds you. Each morning, Today's Summary gathers carried-over items, events, and to-dos in one place. ■ A big A3 page to write freely (new in 2.0) The memo area is one full A3 sheet. In portrait you see the A4 half; slide right to reach the rest. Whatever the device or orientation, what you wrote looks the same. ■ Photos and stickers Place photos, rotate them, resize them. Lift the subject out of a photo and stick it on the page as a sticker. ■ Sticky notes Small handwritten notes you can put anywhere on the screen. ■ Daily records beside the date Show medication, blood pressure, weight, steps, and trash-day reminders next to the date. Turn off whatever you don't use, one by one. Health records are stored only on your device, never in iCloud. Connecting to Health is optional and off by default. ■ A small touch for other pens If you use a pen other than Apple Pencil, double-tap the page with a finger to switch between pen and eraser (turn it on in Settings). You can also trigger the switch from the Shortcuts app. ■ And more - Day view, week view, and month calendar, linked with Apple Calendar and Reminders - Five-year diary and Day Diary, protected by Face ID or passcode - Extra pages with blank, ruled, or grid backgrounds, plus PDF markup - Holiday colors, and Japanese rokuyo, holiday names, and weather - Touch mode lets you use the app with just your finger - Most display items can be switched on or off in Settings - You can go back to the previous layout (1.x): Settings > Display & Layout > Screen Layout ■ Pricing The app itself is free. The Supporters Pack (one-time purchase) unlocks more pages, backgrounds, search, passcode lock, and more. Tips are also available. ■ Note If you use both iPad and iPhone, update both to 2.0 before using.

Screenshots

Speak Me3 screens
HW Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HW Journal at Free against Speak Me's $7.99. HW Journal also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 months). Speak Me's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#193 vs unranked). On ads 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

HW Journal is free to download; Speak Me costs $7.99 up front. HW Journal sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Speak Me asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speak Me ships an update every 8 months, HW Journal every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Speak Me versus HW Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeak MeHW Journal
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#193 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCatalystwoKAZUTO IIDA

In-app purchases

None

Speak Me

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

HW Journal

One-time3
  • Tip Small$1.99
  • Tip (Large)$3.99
  • HW Journal PRO$6.99

Questions

Is Speak Me free?
Speak Me costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is HW Journal free?
HW Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Speak Me or HW Journal have ads?
Neither Speak Me nor HW Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speak Me or HW Journal?
Speak Me ships an update every 8 months, and HW Journal every 4 days. Most recently, Speak Me was updated on November 9, 2026 and HW Journal on October 31, 2026.

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