Captio AI vs Koetora
Captio AI vs Koetora (こえとら): running captions or one turn at a time, a free app built on NICT research, offline use, typed text read aloud, and English.
Facts checked on each company's own pages. How we compare
The short answer
Pick Koetora if you want a free, publicly backed replacement for writing notes back and forth: short turns, your typed words or saved phrases read aloud for the hearing person, and it works offline on supported phones. Pick Captio AI if the conversation won't wait for turns: it captions everyone as they talk, shows who said what (saved names on iPhone, the speaker's side of the table on iPhone 16 and later), notes sounds like a doorbell in the text, and keeps a recording you can summarise.
Choose Koetora if
you want a free tool for one-to-one exchanges at a counter, a station or a shop: speak or type one turn, show a saved phrase, and let the app say it aloud, even with no signal.
Choose Captio AI if
you need running captions of everyone in the room, with names on iPhone, sounds like a doorbell written in, a recording you keep, and captions or translation beyond Japanese.
Captio AI vs Koetora, feature by feature
Tap any fact to see the details and the page it comes from.
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Captions people in the roomSpeech picked up by the phone's microphone, for face-to-face conversations. | Yes, from the phone's microphoneSpeech in the room appears as text while the person is still talking. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Partly: One turn at a time, about 20 seconds eachTap Answer by voice and speak; recording stops by itself after about 20 seconds, or when you stop talking if that setting is on. Each spoken turn becomes one message on the screen. Sources: Manual: talking by voice (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Group conversationsAt a table or in a meeting, voices come from every side. | Partly: One phone: speaker labels, names, directionOne phone captions the whole table and labels each speaker. On iPhone it can name people by their voice, and on iPhone 16 and later a wave shows which side a voice comes from. Shared folders let several people add recordings to one place; live captions are not joined across phones. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI) | Partly: Each person on their own phone: nearby or online chatSeveral phones can connect so each person speaks or types on their own device, and every phone keeps the history. Nearby chat over Bluetooth is iPhone only; internet chat between registered users takes up to 10 people a room. Sources: App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Manual: nearby chat (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: internet chat (Koetora) (FEAT Limited) |
| Shows who is talkingWithout it, a group conversation is one block of text. | Yes, live and saved; names by voice on iPhoneSeparates speakers (Speaker 1, Speaker 2). On iPhone it can learn saved voices and show their names instead. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI) | Not statedTelling speakers apart on one phone is not described. In a chat, each person uses their own phone. Sources: App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Manual: internet chat (Koetora) (FEAT Limited) |
| Remembers people's voicesCaptions that say "Mum" instead of "Speaker 2", every time she talks. | Yes, Recognize Voices (iPhone)Save someone's voice once (about 20 seconds of talking, or an audio file) and their name and emoji show on every line they say, live and in saved recordings, instead of "Speaker 2". Voiceprints are made on the iPhone and never uploaded. When someone new talks for a while, Captio AI asks who it is. Free plan: your own voice plus one other person; Plus: more people. Source: Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI) | Not statedRemembering people by their voice is not described. Source: Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Shows where a voice comes fromAt a busy table, knowing where to look helps you follow who is talking. | Yes, on iPhone 16 and laterWith the iPhone flat on the table, a wave grows at the edge of the captions on the side the voice comes from, in that speaker's colour, while new words appear. It uses the iPhone's spatial microphones (not AirPods or an external mic), works in Live Captions and Live Translator, is calculated on the phone, and is free. Source: Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI) | Not statedShowing which direction a voice comes from is not described. Source: Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Alerts for soundsDoorbells, alarms and a baby crying, as a notification. | Yes, sounds in the captions; alerts vibrateRecognize Sounds (iPhone and iPad) writes sounds into the captions where they happen, like [doorbell rings], in Live Captions, Live Translator and uploaded files. A doorbell, knocking, a smoke alarm, a siren, a phone ringing or a baby crying makes the phone vibrate, with a notification when the screen is locked during a recording. It works while Captio AI is recording, not as an always-on alarm. Recognized on the phone; free; not on Android yet. Source: Recognize sounds (Captio AI) (Captio AI) | Not statedA vibration can mark when your text is being read aloud; alerts for sounds like a doorbell are not described. Source: Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited) |
| Live captions without internetPlanes, basements, hospitals and trips abroad often have no signal. | Partly: Records offline, captions laterLive captions need internet. Without a connection it keeps recording and transcribes automatically when the phone is back online. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Yes, on iOS 13+ and Android 10+ (1 GB)Speech recognition and the synthesized voice work without internet on these phones, and everything except the map works offline. When connected, a setting uses the higher-performance online recognition. After the 2024 Noto earthquake, FEAT pointed out that a downloaded app works without internet. Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited) |
| Free planWhat you can do without paying. | Yes: 100 free credits a day + 3 summariesFree every day: 100 free credits a day for live captions or transcription, and 3 AI summaries in total. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt) | Yes: Free, with no paid featuresFree for individuals; you pay only your own mobile data. Using it as an organisation needs FEAT's permission. Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Koetora terms and privacy policy (FEAT Limited), Koetora announcements (FEAT Limited), App Store data (Japan) (Apple) |
| Paid plansPrices as listed by the company, with the country and date. | Yes: US$14.99/month or US$79.99/yearCaptio AI Plus on the US App Store, October 2026. No free trial. Prices differ by country. Source: Apple App Store listing | NoneNo paid plan or in-app purchase is listed on the Japanese App Store (November 2026). Sources: App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Japan) (Apple) |
| Free through a government programmeSome services are paid for by public programmes for eligible users. | NoNo government funding programme; see captioai.app/organizations for licences through an organisation. Source: Captio AI for organizations | Partly: Free; sponsored by telecoms, built on NICT researchBuilt on speech research from NICT, a Japanese government research institute, which released it in June 2013 and transferred it to FEAT in January 2015, as announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Telecom companies sponsor it so individuals use it for free, and FEAT added standing donations in August 2026. Sources: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications press release (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省)), Koetora sponsors (FEAT Limited), Koetora announcements (FEAT Limited) |
| Account neededSome people want to open the app and start, with no sign-up. | Partly: OptionalSign in with Apple or Google to sync, or skip and use it on one phone. Source: Captio AI privacy policy | Partly: Not needed; internet chat needs registrationConversations on one phone need no account. Internet chat needs a user ID, an email address and a display name. Sources: Manual: the screens (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: internet chat (Koetora) (FEAT Limited) |
| Where speech is processedOn the phone or in the cloud, and whether audio is kept. | Yes: Cloud; audio not stored on its serversSpeech is processed by third-party speech recognition after you agree. Audio is not stored on Captio AI's servers; content is never sold or used to train AI models. Source: Captio AI privacy policy | Partly: Cloud or on the phone; input not stored, per policySpeech recognition and synthesis run in the cloud when online, and on the phone when offline. The privacy policy says only usage history, device information (with an ID) and chat account details are stored; spoken words, text, drawings and locations are not. The App Store privacy label lists audio data and precise location as collected. Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Koetora terms and privacy policy (FEAT Limited), App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store) |
| Languages for live captionsThe number of spoken languages it can caption live. | Yes: 60+ languagesCaptions and translation in 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Partly: Japanese; English in a separate app (KoeTra)Koetora is the Japanese app. KoeTra, the English version, is a separate iPhone app. Other spoken languages are not described. Sources: Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), KoeTra English page (FEAT Limited), KoeTra App Store data (US) (Apple) |
| Live translationFor a conversation in a language you don't read. | Yes, live, two-way modeLive translation next to the original captions, with a two-way mode where each person reads the other in their own language. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI) | Not statedTranslation between languages is not described. Source: Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Saves transcriptsTo read a lecture, appointment or meeting again later. | Yes, with audio, syncedRecordings are saved with their audio in a searchable library and synced to your account. | Yes: History on the phoneEvery conversation is kept in a history you can browse by calendar or as a list, and each connected phone keeps its own. Sources: Manual: the screens (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store) |
| Transcribes audio and video filesFor recordings and videos that have no captions. | Yes: Audio and video filesUpload audio or video and get a full transcript with speaker labels. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Audio Transcription (Captio AI) | Not statedTranscribing audio or video files is not described. Source: Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| AI summariesKey points and to-dos from a long transcript. | Yes: Summary, key points, to-dosTurns transcripts into summaries, key points, notes, to-dos and follow-up messages. Free plan: 3 summaries in total. Sources: Apple App Store listing, AI Summary (Captio AI) | Not statedSummaries are not described. Source: Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Text size and coloursCaptions have to be readable at arm's length, flat on a table. | Yes: Text size, colours, contrastText size, background colour and contrast can be adjusted. Source: Live Captions (Captio AI) | Partly: Hiragana-only option, drawings, emojiA setting shows recognised speech in hiragana and katakana only. You can also draw, show a place on a map, or add emoji. Text size settings are not described. Sources: Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora features (FEAT Limited) |
| Works onThe phone you already have decides what you can use. | Yes: iPhone, iPad, AndroidOn the App Store (also listed for Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision) and on Google Play since October 2026. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing | Yes: iPhone, iPad, AndroidOn the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and on Google Play for Android. An English version, KoeTra, is a separate iPhone app. Sources: App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Google Play listing (Japan), Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), KoeTra App Store data (US) (Apple) |
| Where it's availableSome services only work in one country. | Yes: WorldwideAvailable on the App Store and Google Play; prices differ by country. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing | Partly: Japan: Japanese App Store and Google PlayThe App Store lookup finds Koetora in the Japanese store but not in the US store (November 2026). Its support site is in Japanese. Sources: App Store data (Japan) (Apple), App Store data (US) (Apple), Google Play listing (Japan) |
What actually sets them apart
Does Koetora caption a whole conversation?
No, it works one turn at a time: tap, speak for up to about 20 seconds, and that turn appears as one message. Captio AI captions continuously while people talk, labels each speaker, and keeps recording with the iPhone screen locked.
Sources: Manual: talking by voice (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), Koetora features (FEAT Limited), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Captio AI widgets and Live Activity
Is Koetora really free?
Yes. Koetora has no paid plan: telecom companies sponsor it, and you pay only your own mobile data. Captio AI works with a daily allowance instead, 100 free credits a day. Unlimited use takes Captio AI Plus, US$14.99 monthly or US$79.99 yearly (US App Store prices, October 2026), which has no free trial.
Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Koetora terms and privacy policy (FEAT Limited), Koetora announcements (FEAT Limited), App Store data (Japan) (Apple), App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications press release (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省)), Koetora sponsors (FEAT Limited), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)
Will Koetora work offline on an older Android phone?
Not below Android 10, which Koetora no longer supports at all. On Android 10 or later with at least 1 GB of memory, and on iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 or later, speech recognition and the synthesized voice work without signal, and only the map needs a connection. Captio AI's Live Captions need a connection; without one it records now and writes the captions when you're back online.
Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Can Koetora speak for me?
Yes. What you type, or a phrase you saved, is read aloud in a male or female voice, and the other person can answer by voice, text, a drawing, a map or a ready-made choice. Captio AI is built for the other direction: it turns what the people around you say into captions.
Sources: Koetora features (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: getting a reply (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Can Koetora help with an English-speaking visitor?
Not in the same app: Koetora is Japanese, its English version KoeTra is a separate iPhone app, and translation isn't described. Captio AI's Live Translator has a two-way mode where each of you reads the other in your own language, across 60+ languages, and its Japanese captions use kanji, hiragana and katakana.
Sources: Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), KoeTra English page (FEAT Limited), KoeTra App Store data (US) (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI), Captio AI in Japanese
Where each one wins
Where Koetora is the better choice
It is free for everyone, with no plan to choose and nothing to buy inside the app; telecom sponsors pay for it.
Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Koetora terms and privacy policy (FEAT Limited), Koetora announcements (FEAT Limited), App Store data (Japan) (Apple), App Store listing (Japan) (Apple App Store), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications press release (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省)), Koetora sponsors (FEAT Limited)
Speech recognition and the synthesized voice work offline on supported phones, and FEAT reminded people of this after the 2024 Noto earthquake.
Sources: Koetora FAQ (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited)
It talks back for you: typed text and saved phrases are read aloud, and the other person can reply by picking a ready-made answer, so neither side has to type much.
Sources: Koetora features (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: getting a reply (Koetora) (FEAT Limited)
Ready-made phrasebooks for trains and buses, taxis, airports, hotels, shops, schools and the workplace download straight into the app.
Source: Phrasebook downloads (Koetora) (FEAT Limited)
It comes from NICT, a Japanese government research institute, and its expansion was announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications press release (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省))
Where Captio AI is the better choice
Captions keep flowing through a whole conversation, from one phone, with every speaker labelled; nobody waits for a turn or passes the phone around.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Manual: talking by voice (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), Koetora features (FEAT Limited)
In a group, names matter: Recognize Voices (iPhone) needs about 20 seconds of someone talking, then labels their lines with their name from then on, and Speaker Direction (iPhone 16 and later) adds a wave toward the person speaking.
Sources: Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI)
Koetora vibrates only when it reads your own text aloud. Captio AI's Recognize Sounds (iPhone and iPad) also listens to the room: a knock, a siren or a baby crying is written into the captions, and alarms buzz the phone.
Sources: Recognize sounds (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Manual: conversation settings (Koetora) (FEAT Limited)
Each recording is kept with its audio and synced, can become a summary with to-dos, and audio or video files can be transcribed too.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, AI Summary (Captio AI), Audio Transcription (Captio AI)
Captions and live translation cover 60+ languages, where Koetora's app is Japanese and English needs a separate app.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Live Translator (Captio AI), Koetora support site (FEAT Limited), KoeTra English page (FEAT Limited), KoeTra App Store data (US) (Apple)
Try Captio AI free
It depends on where you are
Asking for help at a station or a taxi rank
Pick a sentence from Koetora's trains-and-buses or taxi phrasebook and it is read aloud; the staff answer by voice and you read their reply.
Captions for this situationA quick question at a bank or shop counter
Short questions and answers are what Koetora is made for, and it costs nothing. For the business side, FEAT makes a separate app for counters, SpeechCanvas.
A doctor explains a diagnosis at length
A long explanation doesn't fit into 20-second turns. Captio AI follows the doctor sentence by sentence, and afterwards you can replay the audio and pull out the to-dos.
Captions for this situationFamily talking over each other at home
Nobody has to wait for the phone: Captio AI captions everyone from the middle of the table, names saved voices on iPhone, and marks the doorbell when it rings.
Captions for this situationKeeping in touch with a friend in another city
Koetora's internet chat connects registered users, up to 10 in a room, by voice input, typing or saved phrases. Captio AI doesn't caption phone or video calls.
A conversation in English or Chinese
Koetora is Japanese, with English only in its separate KoeTra app. Captio AI captions and translates 60+ languages live, Chinese and English included.
Captions for this situationFacts you can check, not opinions.
From their own pages
Every fact comes from the company's website, help pages, privacy policy or store listing. Tap any fact to see the page it comes from.
Checked 28 October 2026
Each source has the date we opened it. If a company doesn't say something publicly, the table says "Not stated" instead of guessing.
We make Captio AI
So it's described with the same rules as every other app, limits included, and each page says where the other app is the better choice.
Something out of date? hello@captioai.app
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Koetora, and is it a government app?
FEAT Limited, a Tokyo company, makes it from speech research by NICT, a Japanese government research institute. NICT released it in June 2013 and transferred it to FEAT in January 2015; telecom companies sponsor it so individuals use it for free. Captio AI is an independent app from Slovenia with a free plan and a paid Captio AI Plus subscription.
Can a hospital or city office in Japan use Koetora at its counter?
Koetora's terms cover personal use; an organisation needs FEAT's permission, and FEAT makes a separate app, SpeechCanvas, for counters. Anyone can use Captio AI on the free plan, and organisations can get licences for their deaf and hard of hearing people, paid by invoice.
How long can I speak into Koetora at once?
About 20 seconds per turn; then recording stops by itself. Typed messages can be up to 250 characters. Captio AI doesn't work in turns: it captions while people keep talking, even with the iPhone screen locked.
Does Koetora work after an earthquake with no signal?
Yes, on supported phones speech recognition and the synthesized voice work offline, and only the map needs a connection; FEAT suggests downloading it in advance. Captio AI can't caption live without a network; it saves the audio and fills in the text once the connection comes back.
Does Koetora keep my conversations on its servers?
Its privacy policy says spoken words, text, drawings and locations are not recorded on its servers; usage history, device information and chat account details are. The Japanese App Store privacy label lists audio data and precise location as collected. Captio AI also processes speech in the cloud, after you agree; its servers don't store the audio, and your recordings never go into training AI models.
Is there an English version of Koetora?
Yes, KoeTra, a separate iPhone app from the same company. Captio AI captions and translates 60+ languages in one app, on iPhone and Android.
Can Koetora alert me when the doorbell rings at home?
No such alert is described; its vibration setting only marks when your own text is being read aloud. Captio AI notices a doorbell while it is recording captions on iPhone or iPad, not as an always-on alarm; then it marks the ring in the text, vibrates three times, and sends a notification if the screen is locked.
Does Koetora show who is speaking in a group?
On one phone, telling speakers apart isn't described; in a chat, each person uses their own phone. Captio AI is built for exactly that: one phone gives each voice its own label, saved voices show by name on iPhone, and on iPhone 16 and later Speaker Direction marks where that person sits.
Try Captio AI
Free to start, iPhone and Android
Download for free
More comparisons
Captio AI vs UD Talk
A Japanese app, on the market since 2013, that makes conversations visible: speech recognition and translation shared live to phones, browsers and projectors at lectures, events and offices, with word registration and corporate plans.
Captio AI vs Vosual
A free Japanese iPhone and iPad app from BarrierBreak that turns speech into text with one button, made to replace written notes (筆談) with people who are hard of hearing.
Captio AI vs Google Translate
Google's free translation app for Android and iPhone; its Live translate and Transcribe modes show spoken words as text, translated into another language.
Sources
Every page this comparison uses, with the date we checked it.
Captio AI
- Live Captions - Captio AI on the App StoreApple App Store, checked 28 October 2026
- Live CaptionsCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Recognize Voices: Captions That Show Who Is Talking by NameCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Speaker Direction: See Where a Voice Is Coming FromCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Recognize Sounds: Doorbells and Alarms in Your CaptionsCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)Captio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI for organizationsCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Privacy PolicyCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Live TranslatorCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Audio TranscriptionCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- AI SummaryCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI on Google PlayGoogle Play, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI widgets and Live ActivityCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Japanese Live Captions & TranscriptionCaptio AI, checked 2 November 2026
Koetora
- 音声で会話しよう (iOS manual)FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- 会話の設定をしてみようFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとらアプリサポートページFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとらの特長FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとら (App Store, Japan)Apple App Store, checked 2 November 2026
- 近くの人とチャットをしてみよう(iOSのみ)FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- インターネットで友達とチャットしてみようFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- よくある質問FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- 利用規約・プライバシーポリシーFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとらアプリお知らせページFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとら (App Store lookup data, Japan)Apple, checked 2 November 2026
- 聴覚障害者支援アプリ「こえとら」を機能拡充 (報道資料, 2015年2月25日)Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省), checked 2 November 2026
- 協賛・関係機関FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- 画面の説明 (iOS manual)FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- KoeTra (English support page)FEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- KoeTra (App Store lookup data, US)Apple, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとら (Google Play, Japan)Google Play, checked 2 November 2026
- こえとら (App Store lookup data, US)Apple, checked 2 November 2026
- 返事をしてもらおうFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
- 定型文ダウンロードFEAT Limited, checked 2 November 2026
Published 2 November 2026. App names and trademarks belong to their owners. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies it compares.


