# Color Notes vs Transcribe Audio to Text Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Color Notes at free with in-app purchases against Transcribe Audio to Text Notes's subscription. Color Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown). Transcribe Audio to Text Notes's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Color Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month and Transcribe Audio to Text Notes sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Transcribe Audio to Text Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transcribe Audio to Text Notes has 3.8K ratings behind it against 640, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 23% and 24% positive.

Color Notes ships an update every 6 weeks, Transcribe Audio to Text Notes fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Color Notes | Transcribe Audio to Text Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (640 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-notes/id830515136/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcribe-audio-to-text-notes/id1460290478/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 640 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | **23.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 62 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **14.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Hagens Media, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452501582) | [WBS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1459630157) |

## What reviewers say

### Color Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-notes/id830515136)

Capture thoughts and tasks with a digital notebook. Create, edit, and organize notes with customizable colors. Sync across devices to keep your ideas accessible anywhere, eliminating the need for physical notepads.

**Highlights:** Create, delete, and edit notes, Organize with customizable colors, Virtual online notebook, To-do list functionality, Cloud synchronization, Multiple device support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and fast
- 📝 Great note-taking app
- 🎨 Useful color-coding
- 👍 Versatile and useful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lost all notes after update
- 🐛 Syncing issues
- 🔍 Difficult to find old notes
- 💸 Too many ads
- 🔒 Unable to access account on new device

**Reported bugs**

- Losing all notes after updates
- Inability to access old notes
- Saving and syncing issues

**Requested features**

- Reminders feature
- Ability to print notes
- Better syncing across devices


### Transcribe Audio to Text Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcribe-audio-to-text-notes/id1460290478)

This app uses AI to transcribe audio and video into text, generate summaries, and rewrite recordings. It's designed for students, professionals, and creators to save time and organize notes efficiently. Features include speaker identification, translation, and secure storage.

**Highlights:** AI-powered transcription, Audio and video summarization, Speaker identification, Instant translation, Export to PDF, TXT, DOCX, Record or import audio/video

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30-minute Transcription Plan | $4.49 | per month |
| 30-minute Transcription Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| 30-minute Transcription Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| 2-hour Transcription Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Weekly Plan | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| 2-hour Transcription Plan | $10.99 | per month |
| Monthly Basic Plan | $13.99 | per month |
| 2-hour Transcription Plan | $13.99 | per month |
| 5-hour Transcription Plan | $22.49 | per month |
| 5-hour Transcription Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| 5-hour Transcription Plan | $29.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Yearly Plan | $99.99 | per year |
| Transcribe 2 Hours | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Time-saving transcription
- 👍 Excellent assistant for meetings
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Accurate transcription
- 👍 Helpful for lectures and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate transcription
- 🐛 Transcription quality issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Lack of trial or free option
- 🐛 Transcription errors and gibberish

**Reported bugs**

- Transcription not working
- Recordings not being saved
- Inability to cancel subscription
- Crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Free trial option
- Improved accuracy and quality of transcription
- Better speaker differentiation
- More affordable pricing options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Color Notes free?

Color Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Transcribe Audio to Text Notes free?

Transcribe Audio to Text Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Color Notes or Transcribe Audio to Text Notes?

Transcribe Audio to Text Notes is rated higher. Color Notes averages 4.1 out of 5 from 640 ratings, while Transcribe Audio to Text Notes averages 4.6 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Color Notes or Transcribe Audio to Text Notes have ads?

Transcribe Audio to Text Notes shows ads; Color Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Color Notes or Transcribe Audio to Text Notes?

Color Notes ships an update every 6 weeks, and Transcribe Audio to Text Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Color Notes was updated on September 19, 2026 and Transcribe Audio to Text Notes on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*