Captio AI vs Live Transcribe by Mighty Fine Apps

The App Store lists iOS 15.0 or later (visionOS 1.0 on Apple Vision). The help centre says Offline mode works best on iOS 26 or later; the terms still say iOS 13.0.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, App Store lookup (Apple), Modes Overview (Mighty Fine Apps), Terms (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

You place the iPhone or iPad near the conversation and read what each person says as they speak. It can also listen through an external microphone, or through a Bluetooth device such as a hearing aid if you turn that on.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps), Enable Bluetooth Audio Feature (Mighty Fine Apps)

The App Store listing says 145+ languages, while the company's website says 50+. No full list is published, and which languages work in Offline mode is not stated. The app itself is in English.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps), App Store lookup (Apple)

Offline mode captions without Wi-Fi or mobile data and has no hour limit on any plan. The company says it is meant for in-person conversations within 3 ft (about 1 m) with little background noise, is less accurate than Best mode and does not colour-code voices. It works best on iOS 26 or later.

Sources: Modes Overview (Mighty Fine Apps), Subscription plan options (Mighty Fine Apps), Apple App Store listing, Doctor's appointments guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

Best mode separates the voices by colour, so you can follow who is talking. Offline mode does not separate speakers. Showing names is not described.

Sources: Modes Overview (Mighty Fine Apps), Apple App Store listing

No alerts for non-speech sounds such as a doorbell or smoke alarm are described. Name alerts tell you when someone addresses you (see custom words).

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Work meetings guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

The App Store listing, website and help centre describe captions only; translating between languages is not described.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps)

Transcripts save automatically when you close them and are kept on the iPhone or iPad. The company does not store them in the cloud, so a deleted transcript cannot be brought back.

Source: Managing Transcripts (Mighty Fine Apps)

Each transcript has a share button. You can't print from the app; the company suggests emailing the transcript to yourself and printing it from there. The file format is not stated.

Sources: Managing Transcripts (Mighty Fine Apps), Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps)

The company describes live captions of speech around you; transcribing audio or video files is not described.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps)

The App Store listing says you decide whether transcripts are summarized or shared, and the company's pages mention summaries of saved transcripts. No help article says how summaries work, what they contain or which plans include them.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe vs. Otter (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps), Work meetings guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

You can add words so they are transcribed more accurately. The company's work guide also mentions name alerts, so you notice when someone addresses you.

Sources: Custom Words (Mighty Fine Apps), Work meetings guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

Large, bold text you can resize, a dark interface, and a flip button that turns the text upside down so the person across from you can read it. Colour themes are not described.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Transcribe website (Mighty Fine Apps), Doctor's appointments guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

Transcripts stay on the iPhone or iPad, not in the cloud. The App Store text says subscriptions pay to run its captioning service day and night, and Offline mode works without a connection, but the privacy policy (last updated August 2021) does not say where speech is processed or whether audio is kept. The terms say the app is not made to meet HIPAA. Apple's privacy label lists purchases and contact info as data that may be used to track you.

Sources: Managing Transcripts (Mighty Fine Apps), Apple App Store listing, Mighty Fine Apps privacy policy, Terms (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

The company says Live Transcribe does not require an account, and its privacy policy says giving an email address is optional. A subscription works on one device.

Sources: Live Transcribe vs. Ava (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps), Mighty Fine Apps privacy policy, Multiple devices (help centre) (Mighty Fine Apps)

Free to download, with a 3-day free trial of all features. The company calls it an independent paid product, offered as a paid subscription with a free trial; no free plan after the trial is described.

Sources: Starting a trial (Mighty Fine Apps), Apple App Store listing, Doctor's appointments guide (Mighty Fine Apps) (Mighty Fine Apps)

Four plans, each with unlimited Offline mode: Starter US$9.99/month (10 Best hours), Plus US$29.99 (20 hours), Premium US$74.99 (50 hours) and Unlimited US$149.99 (fair use; over 100 hours a month may be reviewed). Paying yearly costs less a month (Starter US$79.99/year). Extra Best hours cost US$1.49 each. Help centre, September 2026; the Starter prices match the US App Store's in-app purchases in October 2026, which also lists older options such as Live Transcribe Monthly at US$4.99.

Sources: Subscription plan options (Mighty Fine Apps), Modes Overview (Mighty Fine Apps), Apple App Store listing