Dictaphone Voice Recorder vs Dictate⁺
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dictaphone Voice Recorder
This app offers high-quality audio recording with advanced digital signal processing and voice activation. Easily share and export recordings in various formats, with options for transcription and background recording. It includes safety features like shake-to-undelete and auto-recovery.
- Advanced digital signal processing for clear sound
- Voice activated recording with real-time feedback
- Easy bulk export and individual sharing
- Compact, high-quality MP4 file format
- Background recording and playback
- Shake to undelete and auto-recover recordings
- Optional professional transcription service
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•••• Ad supported. No limited functions. Optionally remove Ads with In App Purchase •••• Dictaphone Voice Recorder features advanced digital signal processing to give a super clear recording. Direct on-screen feedback for recording levels and voice activation with a realtime graphical representation of the recording. Recordings are easily bulk exported with iTunes or shared individually on your device. No limits on the size or length of recordings you can share. • modern iOS7+ design • compact high quality mp4 file format • DSP for loud clear sound • Professional voice activated recording all to a single file without clipping the start and end of words • share / export / import your recordings, Cloud Drive support for super easy export to your computer • trim your recordings, even ones imported from other apps • x2 playback speed • background recording and playback • keeps your recordings save with "shake to undelete" and auto recover recorded audio if your device experiences a problem during recording. • Built in support for a high quality audio transcription service (provided by dictate2us) - pay to have your files professionally transcribed and emailed to you • Record directly on your Apple watch
Dictate⁺
Transform your mobile device into a professional dictation tool. Record, edit, and securely transmit audio with advanced features like voice activation, encryption, and offline speech recognition. Organize and manage your recordings efficiently for seamless workflow.
- Professional dictation recording
- Lightning-fast recording control
- Impressively accurate voice activation
- Secure AES-256 encryption
- Offline speech recognition
- Easy editing and transcription
- Wide range of transmission options
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Dictate⁺ turns your iPhone or iPad into a professional dictation device that can do more than most high-end dictation devices. Dictate⁺ is an indispensable app for doctors, lawyers, tax consultants, surveyors, journalists and anyone who wants to record speech and send it in accordance with the highest security standards. Dictate⁺ offers excellent sound quality, impressively accurate voice activation, secure encryption and a wealth of transmission options for your dictations and recordings. Professional dictation recordings ∙ Lightning-fast recording control and precise voice activation ∙ Configurable recording quality (8 - 48 kHz) ∙ Control with Bluetooth footswitch possible ∙ Recording in the background¹ Easily edit and transcribe dictations ∙ Smooth rewinding, overwriting and inserting ∙ Move and delete section in the dictation ∙ Set bookmarks in the dictation ∙ Different playback speeds ∙ Offline speech recognition Transmission according to the highest security standards ∙ Highest data security thanks to AES-256 encryption ∙ Access control (also biometric) possible ∙ No collection of usage or telemetry data² ∙ Wide range of sending options (email, download, FTP, WebDAV, SFTP, Dropbox and more) ∙ Preconfiguration of sharing destinations ∙ Dictate⁺ Transfer: end-to-end encrypted transfer of dictations to PC or Mac at no extra cost Easy management of dictations ∙ Organize dictations in folders ∙ MP4/AAC, WAV and AIFF formats ∙ Barcode scanner ∙ File attachments (photos, PDF, etc.) ∙ Document scanner JOTOMI has been developing dictation apps since 2008. “Dictamus” first became “Dictate + Connect” and now “Dictate⁺”. With more than 500,000 downloads worldwide, we are one of the most successful app developers in the field of professional dictation. Together with users from a wide range of industries, we are constantly working on improvements. Dictate⁺ offers all functions out of the box, but the recording length is limited to 15 seconds. Purchase a subscription to remove this limitation. With a "Feature Unlock" subscription, the length of each individual dictation is limited to 24 hours at “Normal” recording quality (5 hours at “Studio” recording quality). Your iTunes account will be charged immediately after confirmation of the subscription purchase. A subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal in your iTunes account settings. If you purchase a subscription, any existing free usage will expire and your account will be charged immediately. You can find the terms of use for the Feature Unlock subscription at https://www.dictate-plus.com/dictateplus-termsofuse ¹ Calls made from the iPhone itself cannot be recorded ² When using cloud services to transfer dictations, usage data and telemetry may be collected by the respective cloud provider
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Dictate⁺ at none against Dictaphone Voice Recorder's shown. Dictate⁺ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Dictaphone Voice Recorder's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 41%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Dictaphone Voice Recorder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Dictate⁺ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Dictate⁺ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 195 and 685 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Dictaphone Voice Recorder's written reviews are positive against 41% of Dictate⁺'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Dictaphone Voice Recorder ships an update every 2 months, Dictate⁺ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Dictaphone Voice Recorder | Dictate⁺ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (195 ratings) | 4.7 (685 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews — better | 41.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 195 | 685 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dorada App Software Ltd | JOTOMI |
Customer experience
Dictaphone Voice Recorder
Dictate⁺
User reviews
Dictaphone Voice Recorder
From 195 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎤 Excellent voice activation feature with adjustable sensitivity
- 📝 Clear, high-quality audio recordings
- ⚡ Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🔄 Easy file sharing via AirDrop, email, and multiple formats
- ⏸️ Auto-pause during silence saves recording space and time
Room to improve
- 🐛 UI color scheme issue - white text on white background unreadable
- ❌ Poor customer support and no developer communication
- 💳 Unauthorized charges for ad removal subscription
- 🔊 Sensitivity slider doesn't work properly or resets
- 📱 App crashes and fails to open after updates
Dictate⁺
From 685 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Seamless dictation sending to colleagues
- ⭐ Life-changing functionality for professionals
- 🎯 Accurate and concise dictation quality
- 💼 Excellent for legal and medical practices
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription model ($60/year)
- 🔄 Transition from free/one-time purchase to subscription
- 🔊 Low volume playback issues
- ⏱️ Severely limited free trial (15-30 seconds)
- 🐛 Frequent upload failures and lost recordings
Bugs and requests
Dictaphone Voice Recorder
Reported bugs
16 issues- White text on white background rendering issue
- App crashes after 8+ hours of continuous recording
- Recording fails to save or save correctly
- Voice activation not working properly after updates
- App won't open or closes on launch
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- Recordings lose beginning and end portions
- Watch app loses recordings if save not tapped
- Choppy audio with missed syllables
- Audio shimmer/strobe effect on some devices
- Sensitivity slider has no effect
- Recording failures without notification
- App crashes when ads are tapped during recording
- Settings reset after closing app
- Editing features cause app shutdown
- iOS upgrade removes app and recordings
- Deleted files recovery mechanism unreliable
Requested features
16 requests- Bluetooth microphone support (especially AirPods)
- Timestamp feature for recordings
- Folder/category system for organizing recordings
- Option to disable auto-recording on app launch
- Mute recording activation sound
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- Ability to sort files by name
- Landscape mode support for iPad
- Adjustable microphone input levels
- Band pass filters and stereo controls
- Delay before pausing during silence
- MP3 quality recording options
- Advanced editing capabilities (mid-file trimming, merging)
- 3D Touch quick action for recording
- Settings accessible from main screen
- Persistent sensitivity settings between recordings
- Dark mode option
Dictate⁺
Reported bugs
9 issues- Low volume playback requiring maximum volume
- Uploads not forwarded or getting lost
- Recording stops unexpectedly mid-dictation
- Dictations cut off at 2/3 through playback
- Sync issues - green check but still shows as unsent next day
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- Stuttering sound bar visualization
- SSL function not working
- Invalid support email addresses
- Dictation window too small on screen
Requested features
5 requests- Extended free trial period (3+ days)
- Longer free recording duration
- Revert to previous UI design
- Improved backward compatibility with older iOS
- Stable recording indicator/sound bar visualization
In-app purchases
Dictaphone Voice Recorder
- Remove Ads$9.99
Dictate⁺
- Feature Unlock 1 month$5.991 Month
- Feature Unlock 1 year$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Dictaphone Voice Recorder free?
Is Dictate⁺ free?
Which has better reviews, Dictaphone Voice Recorder or Dictate⁺?
Do Dictaphone Voice Recorder or Dictate⁺ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dictaphone Voice Recorder or Dictate⁺?
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