# iPA Phonetics vs IPA Scribe

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iPA Phonetics at 83% against IPA Scribe's 36%. iPA Phonetics also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9). IPA Scribe's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

IPA Scribe is free to download; iPA Phonetics costs $3.99 up front. iPA Phonetics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and IPA Scribe sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iPA Phonetics holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 67 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of iPA Phonetics's written reviews are positive against 36% of IPA Scribe's.

iPA Phonetics ships an update every 6 months, IPA Scribe every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPA Phonetics | IPA Scribe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetics/id869642260/reviews)** | [3.9 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-scribe-ipa-transcriptions/id1518487858/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **67** |
| Positive reviews | **83.0% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 900 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [John Esling](https://appshunter.io/developer/926141478) | [Blue Mountain Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684812115) |

## What reviewers say

### iPA Phonetics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetics/id869642260)

Explore the International Phonetic Alphabet and voice production with an intuitive touch interface. Hear and see accurate examples of symbols and articulations, enhanced by real-life laryngoscopic and ultrasound videos. Adjust playback speed for detailed study.

**Highlights:** Interactive IPA chart, Voice quality exploration, Articulations demonstration, Laryngoscopic videos, Ultrasound videos, Adjustable playback speed, Full-screen video viewing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Voice Qualities Plus | $1.99 | one-time |


### IPA Scribe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-scribe-ipa-transcriptions/id1518487858)

This app instantly transcribes speech or text into IPA notation, saving professionals time. It offers real-time phonetic transcription, audio playback of symbols, and easy sharing options. Advanced features and unlimited transcriptions are available through a pro version.

**Highlights:** Instant IPA transcription from text or voice, Real-time phonetic notation display, Audio playback of IPA symbols, Export transcriptions as text, images, or spreadsheets, Advanced IPA keyboard for typing, Local, private transcription processing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IPA Scribe Pro | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| IPA Scribe Pro | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $8.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $16.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro - Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| IPA Scribe Pro: Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPA Phonetics free?

iPA Phonetics costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is IPA Scribe free?

IPA Scribe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iPA Phonetics or IPA Scribe?

iPA Phonetics is rated higher. iPA Phonetics averages 4.2 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while IPA Scribe averages 3.9 from 67 ratings.

### Do iPA Phonetics or IPA Scribe have ads?

Neither iPA Phonetics nor IPA Scribe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iPA Phonetics or IPA Scribe?

iPA Phonetics ships an update every 6 months, and IPA Scribe every 9 days. Most recently, iPA Phonetics was updated on September 24, 2026 and IPA Scribe on September 5, 2026.

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