Disclosure: Keepsay, one of the apps reviewed here, is made by Proxima Digital LLC, the author's company. To keep the comparison fair, every fact is numbered and linked to a public source in Sources & methodology, Keepsay included, and the article says where another app is the better choice.
Research conducted November 4, 2026 from official vendor sites, U.S. App Store listings and Apple Support. Prices and features change often, so check them before you buy.
Short answer: Need something free and already on your phone? Start with Apple Voice Memos. Want a meeting recorder that transcribes on your iPhone, needs no account and has no recording time limit? Try Keepsay, keeping in mind it is new. Teams that share transcripts in the cloud may prefer Otter or Fireflies. For notes that follow you from laptop to phone, look at Granola. For many languages with translation, Notta. For an app that collects no data, Aiko or Just Press Record. For a separate recorder, Plaud.
How the apps were chosen
The comparison includes iPhone apps that record a conversation in the room, with the phone's microphone (or, for Plaud, with its own recorder and an iPhone app). Tools that only join video calls as a bot, and Google's Recorder, which is Pixel-only, are left out. For each app, it looks at:
- where the audio is transcribed (on device or in the cloud)
- free-tier limits and price
- languages
- what the App Store privacy label declares
- when the app was released
No accuracy or audio-quality tests were run. Everything below comes from what each company publishes.
At a glance
U.S. prices from vendor sites and the App Store, checked November 4, 2026.
| App | Released | Where audio is transcribed | Account | Free tier | Paid (U.S.) | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keepsay | 1.0 Oct 2026; 1.4 Nov 2026 | On iPhone; optional Cloud AI gets text only | Not needed | Recording + transcription, no limit; 3 Cloud AI h/mo | Plus $4.99/mo, Pro $9.99/mo | 12 |
| Voice Memos | Transcripts since iOS 18 (2024) | On iPhone | Apple Account | Free, built in | — | 10 |
| Otter | Feb 2018 | Cloud | Yes | 300 min/mo, 30 min each | Pro $16.99/mo or $8.33/mo yearly | 6 |
| Fireflies | Mobile app Nov 2023 | Cloud | Yes | — | Pro $10/seat/mo yearly ($18 monthly) | Dictation 90+ |
| Granola | iPhone app 2025 | Not stated | Yes | Basic: 30 days of history | Business $14/user/mo | English listing |
| Notta | Company founded 2020 | Cloud | Yes | 120 min/mo, 3 min each | Pro $8.17/mo yearly | 58 |
| Plaud | Plaud Note 2023 | Cloud | — | 300 min/mo with a device | Device $179–$189; Pro $99.99/yr | 112+ |
| Just Press Record | Sep 2015 | Not stated | No | — | $6.99 once | 30+ |
| Aiko | — | On device (Whisper) | No | 14-day trial | $24 once | About 100 |
1. Keepsay: on-device transcription, no account
Good fit for: people who want recording and transcription to stay on their iPhone.
Reminder: Keepsay is made by the author's company, so read this section with that in mind. It is also the newest app here: version 1.0 shipped on October 22, 2026 and 1.4 on November 4, 2026, and it had one App Store rating on November 4, 2026 [1]. The others have years of use behind them.
Keepsay records meetings of any length, even with the screen locked, and a phone call pauses the recording instead of ending it [1]. Microphone changes such as AirPods connecting also pause it [2]. Each recording gives you an MP3, a full transcript and a summary with key points, decisions and action items [1].
The transcript is made on your iPhone with Apple's speech model, after a one-time model download per language. Summaries are written on the iPhone with Apple Intelligence by default. Keepsay Cloud AI is optional: it is used only after you agree, and it sends transcript text, never audio, to Anthropic's Claude [1][3]. Free includes 3 Cloud AI hours a month; Plus is $4.99 a month for 30 hours and Pro $9.99 a month for 80 hours [2].
Version 1.4 added a New recording sheet where you pick the mode (Meeting, Interview, Lecture or General), the spoken language and a translation language; live translation shown next to the original, with an optional natural voice that reads it aloud; a To-dos tab; and export to PDF, Markdown or text [1]. Signing in with Apple is optional, and Plus and Pro work on every iPhone that uses the same Apple Account [3]. Translation uses Apple's Translation framework [29].
- Pros: transcribes on device; no account; no recording time limit; 12 recording languages [1][2].
- Cons: brand new, with almost no reviews yet; iPhone only, iOS 26 or later [1]; no Zoom or Teams bot, no team workspace, no speaker labels; anonymous usage stats are on by default (you can turn them off) [3].
Features
- Recording: any length, screen locked, pause and resume; one MP3 per meeting [1]
- Transcription: on device, 12 recording languages; live translation next to the original [1]
- AI summaries: Apple Intelligence on device, or optional Keepsay Cloud AI [1]
- Cloud sync: none; recordings stay on the iPhone unless you share them [3]
- Export: MP3, PDF, Markdown or text [1]
- Platforms: iPhone, iOS 26 or later [1]
2. Apple Voice Memos and Notes: free and built in
Good fit for: quick personal notes on an iPhone you already own.
Voice Memos transcribes on iPhone 12 or later in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese, though not in every country or region. Transcripts arrived with iOS 18 in 2024 [4]. With Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or later), Writing Tools can summarize a transcript [30]. In some regions the Phone app can record a call, with a speaker-labeled transcript in Notes [5].
- Pros: free and built in; transcribes on device [4].
- Cons: transcripts need iPhone 12 or later and aren't in every region; summaries need Apple Intelligence; Apple doesn't document speaker labels or a meeting summary format for Voice Memos [4].
Features
- Transcription: on device, 10 languages [4]
- AI summaries: Writing Tools with Apple Intelligence [30]
- Call recording: Phone app, speaker-labeled transcript in Notes, in some regions [5]
- Export: copy the transcript text [4]
3. Otter: team sharing
Good fit for: teams that share transcripts across Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
Otter launched on February 26, 2018 [27]. Its iPhone app records in person and transcribes live, with shareable notes, speaker tagging and AI chat [7]. The free Basic plan includes 300 minutes a month but stops each conversation at 30 minutes. Pro costs $16.99 a month, or $8.33 a month billed annually, for 1,200 minutes and up to 90 minutes per conversation [6]; in the app, Pro is $99.99 a year [7].
Transcription happens in Otter's cloud. Its privacy policy (effective June 16, 2026) says it trains its AI on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions [8], and its App Store label lists identifiers used to track you [7].
- Pros: mature, with years of use; live transcript, speaker tagging, team sharing and AI chat [7].
- Cons: account required; free conversations stop at 30 minutes [6]; trains on de-identified audio and transcripts [8].
Features
- Recording: in person, live transcript; via AirPods; Siri Shortcut and widget [7]
- Transcription: cloud; English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese [6] (the App Store listing names English, Spanish, French and Japanese [7])
- AI: summaries, outline, keywords, AI chat [7]
- Integrations: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams; calendar sync [7]
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad (iOS 16 or later) and web [7]
4. Fireflies: meetings, calls and the room
Good fit for: teams that already use Fireflies' notetaker for video calls and want in-person recordings in the same place.
Fireflies launched its mobile app on November 7, 2023 to capture in-person conversations [22]. The app is free to download (iOS 15.1 or later) and also offers dictation in 90+ languages [23]. Pro costs $10 per seat a month billed annually or $18 monthly [31]; Business costs $19 per seat a month billed annually or $29 monthly, with no transcription limits for mobile recordings. AI credits are extra on both [24]. Recordings are stored in Fireflies' cloud [24].
- Pros: one place for video calls, phone dialers and in-person recordings [23].
- Cons: account and cloud required; Fireflies' official pages didn't state the Free plan's limits on November 4, 2026.
5. Granola: notes that follow you from laptop to phone
Good fit for: people who already take Granola notes on their computer.
Granola is bot-free on every plan [18]. Its iPhone app, launched in 2025 [21], takes notes during in-person meetings and outbound phone calls; it can't capture video calls on a phone [20]. Basic is free with 30 days of history; Business is $14 per user a month and Enterprise $35 [18]. Granola doesn't say whether transcription runs on the device or in the cloud. The app needs iOS 18 or later [19].
- Pros: no bot; notes sync with Granola on your computer and Apple Watch [19].
- Cons: account required; free history lasts 30 days [18]; its privacy label links audio data to you [19].
6. Notta: many languages with translation
Good fit for: multilingual teams that rely on integrations.
Notta, founded in 2020 [28], transcribes in real time in 58 languages and translates into 42 [10]. The free plan includes 120 minutes a month and 10 AI summaries but stops each recording at 3 minutes. Pro is $8.17 a month billed annually ($97.99 a year) for 1,800 minutes and up to 5 hours per recording [9]; in the app, Pro is $14.99 a month or $114.99 a year [10]. Customer data is hosted on AWS [11], and its App Store label lists identifiers used to track you [10].
- Pros: 58 transcription and 42 translation languages; speaker labels; exports to TXT, DOCX, Excel, PDF and SRT [10].
- Cons: free recordings stop at 3 minutes [9]; cloud transcription with an account.
Features
- Recording and transcription: real time, 58 languages; translation into 42 [10]
- Speaker identification: yes [10]
- Export: TXT, DOCX, Excel, PDF or SRT, or a share link [10]
- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 15 or later), web, Mac and Windows [10]
7. Plaud: a separate recorder
Good fit for: people who want dedicated recording hardware.
Plaud Note launched in 2023 [14]. Plaud sells AI voice recorders such as the clip-on NotePin S ($179) and the Note Pro ($189) [13]. Every device includes the Starter plan with 300 transcription minutes a month; in the app, Pro is $99.99 a year and Unlimited $239.99 a year. The iPhone app (iOS 18 or later) gives transcripts and summaries in over 112 languages, synced to Plaud's cloud across mobile, web and desktop [12].
- Pros: a recorder that doesn't tie up your phone; over 112 languages [12].
- Cons: hardware cost before any plan [13]; Starter is 300 minutes a month; recordings sync to Plaud's cloud [12].
Features
- Recording: NotePin S, Note Pro and other Plaud devices [13]
- Transcription and summaries: over 112 languages, after every recording [12]
- Cloud sync: Plaud mobile, web and desktop [12]
8. Just Press Record: pay once, no data collected
Good fit for: Apple-ecosystem users who want simple one-tap recording.
Just Press Record has been on the App Store since September 21, 2015 [17]. It costs $6.99 once and runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision (iOS 18.6 or later), with transcription in over 30 languages; the developer doesn't say whether transcription runs on the device. Its App Store label says the developer collects no data, and the listing mentions no AI summaries [15][16].
- Pros: one-time price; Apple Watch recording; no data collected [16].
- Cons: no summaries or speaker labels listed [16].
Features
- Recording: one tap from the Lock Screen, Control Center, Action Button, Siri or a widget [16]
- Transcription: over 30 languages, independent of the device language [15]
- Storage: iCloud Drive or inside the app [15]
Just Press Record on the App Store
9. Aiko: accurate on-device transcripts, no live view
Good fit for: transcribing recordings you already have, privately, in many languages.
Aiko runs OpenAI's Whisper on your device and supports about 100 languages; the developer says nothing leaves the device and the App Store label says no data is collected. It costs $24 once for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, with a 14-day TestFlight trial. It doesn't transcribe live: you record first, then transcribe, and it has no speaker detection [25][26].
- Pros: on device; about 100 languages; no data collected [26].
- Cons: no live transcript, no summaries, no speaker labels [25].
What the App Store privacy labels say
Each developer declares these labels on its App Store listing; Apple doesn't verify them.
| App | Used to track you | Linked to you | Not linked to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keepsay | None | Purchase History, User ID | Product interaction, diagnostics; audio data and other user content (see note on Keepsay's label) |
| Otter | Identifiers | Location, contact info, contacts, user content incl. audio, search history, identifiers, usage, diagnostics | — |
| Notta | Identifiers | — | Purchases, location, contact info, user content incl. audio, identifiers, usage, diagnostics |
| Fireflies | None | Email, name, user content incl. audio, user ID, usage, crash data | Performance and diagnostic data |
| Granola | None | Location, contact info incl. phone, user content incl. audio, search history, identifiers, usage, diagnostics | — |
| Plaud | None | Email, user content, user and device ID | Precise location, product interaction, diagnostics |
| Just Press Record | Data Not Collected | ||
| Aiko | Data Not Collected | ||
A note on Keepsay's own label: it currently lists audio data (not linked to you) for app functionality. The app doesn't upload audio: recordings and transcription stay on the iPhone, and Cloud AI receives transcript text only [1][3]. The label will be corrected with the next app update.
Which iPhone meeting recorder should you choose?
- Confidential meetings (clients, legal, health, HR): pick an app that transcribes on the device: Keepsay, Voice Memos or Aiko [1][4][25]. If you turn on any cloud summary, including Keepsay Cloud AI, transcript text leaves the phone.
- Long meetings on a free plan: Keepsay or Voice Memos. Notta's free plan stops each recording at 3 minutes [9] and Otter's at 30 minutes [6].
- Shared team notes: Otter or Fireflies.
- Notes that follow you from computer to phone: Granola.
- Many languages with translation: Notta.
- No data collected at all: Aiko or Just Press Record.
- A separate recorder: Plaud.
FAQ
Can my iPhone record and transcribe a meeting for free?
Yes. Voice Memos transcribes in supported languages on iPhone 12 or later [4]. Keepsay records and transcribes on your device for free with no recording limit, and adds summaries and exports [1].
Which iPhone transcription app works offline?
Apps that transcribe on the device work without a connection once their language model is downloaded: Keepsay (one-time download per language), Voice Memos and Aiko. Cloud apps such as Otter, Notta, Fireflies and Plaud need the internet to transcribe.
Does Keepsay upload my audio?
No. Recording and transcription stay on your iPhone, and summaries are written on the iPhone with Apple Intelligence by default. If you choose Keepsay Cloud AI for a summary or clean-up, only the transcript text is sent [3].
Can I transcribe Mandarin Chinese meetings on iPhone?
Yes. Mandarin Chinese is one of Keepsay's 12 recording languages, transcribed on device [1]. Voice Memos supports Simplified and Traditional Chinese [4], and Otter lists Chinese on its pricing page [6]. Pick the meeting's main language before you start.
Is it legal to record a meeting?
It depends on where you are. Many places require consent from everyone being recorded, so always tell people you're recording.
Does Keepsay work on Mac or join Zoom calls?
No. Keepsay is an iPhone app for iOS 26 or later, and it records the audio around your phone.
Sources & methodology
Methodology and disclosure. Keepsay is made by Proxima Digital LLC, the author's company. On November 4, 2026 the author read each app's official pricing page, product page and U.S. App Store listing (including its privacy label), plus Apple Support for built-in apps. Release dates come from App Store listings, company announcements and press coverage; two come from third-party sources and are marked. No benchmark tests were run, and no other vendor paid for or reviewed this article. Where an official source doesn't state a fact, the table shows a dash.
- Keepsay: Meeting Recorder, App Store listing (versions, privacy label, description), accessed Nov 4, 2026: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepsay-meeting-recorder/id6821143071
- Keepsay home and pricing pages, Proxima Digital LLC: https://keepsay.proximadigital.app/pricing/
- Keepsay privacy policy: https://keepsay.proximadigital.app/privacy
- View a Voice Memos transcription on iPhone, Apple Support: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/view-a-transcription-iph00953a982/ios
- Record and transcribe a call on iPhone, Apple Support: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/record-and-transcribe-a-call-iph57c6590e9/ios
- Otter pricing: https://otter.ai/pricing
- Otter Transcribe Voice Notes, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/otter-transcribe-voice-notes/id1276437113
- Otter.ai privacy policy, effective June 16, 2026: https://otter.ai/privacy-policy
- Notta pricing: https://www.notta.ai/en/pricing
- Notta Transcribe Voice to Text, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notta-transcribe-voice-to-text/id1480649572
- Notta security and compliance, accessed Oct 30, 2026: https://www.notta.ai/en/security
- Plaud: AI Note Taker, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plaud-ai-note-taker/id6450364080
- Plaud, “Plaud NotePin S vs Plaud Note Pro” (device prices): https://www.plaud.ai/blogs/articles/plaud-notepin-s-vs-plaud-note-pro
- Plaud blog, “Plaud Note just cracks $10 million in sales” (launched in 2023): https://www.plaud.ai/blogs/news/your-go-to-ai-voice-recorder-plaud-note-just-cracks-10-million-in-sales
- Just Press Record, Open Planet Software: https://www.openplanetsoftware.com/just-press-record/
- Just Press Record, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/just-press-record/id1033342465
- AppFollow, Just Press Record first release date (third party): https://apps.appfollow.io/ios/just-press-record/1033342465?country=us
- Granola pricing: https://www.granola.ai/pricing
- Granola: AI Meeting Notes, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/granola-ai-meeting-notes/id6739429409
- Granola iOS getting started, Granola Help Center: https://docs.granola.ai/help-center/ios/getting-started
- TechCrunch, “Granola launches an Apple Watch app”, July 28, 2026: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/28/granola-launches-an-apple-watch-app/
- Fireflies blog, “Fireflies Launches Mobile App for iOS and Android”, Nov 7, 2023: https://fireflies.ai/blog/fireflies-mobile-app
- Fireflies: AI notetaker, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fireflies-ai-notetaker/id6463164203
- Fireflies Help Center, Business tier pricing and features: https://guide.fireflies.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360020247498
- Aiko, Sindre Sorhus: https://sindresorhus.com/aiko
- Aiko, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aiko/id1672085276
- TechCrunch, “Otter's new app lets you record, transcribe, search and share your voice conversations”, Feb 26, 2018: https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/26/otters-new-app-lets-you-record-transcribe-search-and-share-your-voice-conversations
- CB Insights, Notta company profile (third party): https://www.cbinsights.com/company/notta
- Translation framework, Apple Developer Documentation: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/translation
- Get started with Apple Intelligence, Apple Support: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121115
- Fireflies Help Center, Pro tier features: https://guide.fireflies.ai/articles/1092250300-learn-about-fireflies-pro-tier-features