Captio AI vs Mitreden
Captio AI vs Mitreden, the German caption app for family members losing their hearing: big text, one button, German or English, internet, who is talking, price.
Facts checked on each company's own pages. How we compare
The short answer
Pick Mitreden if you are setting up an iPhone or iPad for a parent or grandparent whose hearing is fading and want nothing but a red button, very large white text on black, and no cost at all. Pick Captio AI if they use Android, talk in languages beyond German and English, or want to see who is speaking at a busy table and keep what the doctor said as a recording with a summary.
Choose Mitreden if
Someone in the family hears less and less, uses an iPhone or iPad with wifi at home, and needs one button, the largest possible type and nothing to pay or sign up for.
Choose Captio AI if
They use Android or an iPhone that can't run iOS 17, need other languages or translation, want people's names on their lines (Recognize Voices on iPhone), or want appointments kept and summarised.
Captio AI vs Mitreden, feature by feature
Tap any fact to see the details and the page it comes from.
| Feature |  Captio AICaptio AI |  MitredenTobias Kazek |
|---|---|---|
| Works onThe phone you already have decides what you can use. |  Captio AIYes: 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 |  MitredenYes: iPhone, iPadMade for iPhone and iPad. The App Store also lists Macs with Apple M1 or later and Apple Vision, where the iPad version runs ("not verified for macOS"). A Google Play search for the developer finds no app. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Google Play search |
| NeedsOlder phones are often left out of built-in features. | Captio AIYes: iOS 15.1 or laterThe App Store lists iOS 15.1 or later for iPhone. Source: Apple App Store listing | MitredenYes: iOS 17 or lateriPhone needs iOS 17.0 or later and iPad needs iPadOS 17.0 or later. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Germany) (Apple) |
| Captions people in the roomSpeech picked up by the phone's microphone, for face-to-face conversations. | Captio AIYes, 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) | MitredenYes, tap the red button and speakTap the red button to start and tap again to finish. In Live mode the words appear while the person is still speaking, word by word like subtitles. Source: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store) |
| Text size and coloursCaptions have to be readable at arm's length, flat on a table. | Captio AIYes: Text size, colours, contrastText size, background colour and contrast can be adjusted. Source: Live Captions (Captio AI) | MitredenYes: Large white text on black; size adjustableText is shown large in white on black. In Live mode you set the size yourself; in Large mode the text fills the whole screen in the biggest possible type once the person has finished speaking. The text can be turned 180° for the person opposite. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Languages for live captionsThe number of spoken languages it can caption live. | Captio AIYes: 60+ languagesCaptions and translation in 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | MitredenYes: German or English (the device's language)It recognises speech in the language the iPhone or iPad is set to: German or English. You don't pick a caption language in the app. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Live captions without internetPlanes, basements, hospitals and trips abroad often have no signal. | Captio AIPartly: 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) | MitredenNo, needs internetSpeech recognition needs an internet connection. Its help page tells you to check the connection first when the app recognises nothing. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Group conversationsAt a table or in a meeting, voices come from every side. | Captio AIPartly: 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) | MitredenPartly: Made for the table; text turns 180°Built for conversations at the table: the text can be turned 180° for the person opposite, and you can type a reply. Its pages don't describe telling several speakers apart. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Shows who is talkingWithout it, a group conversation is one block of text. | Captio AIYes, 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) | MitredenNot statedThe App Store description and help page don't mention showing who is talking. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Remembers people's voicesCaptions that say "Mum" instead of "Speaker 2", every time she talks. | Captio AIYes, 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) | Mitreden Not stated |
| Shows where a voice comes fromAt a busy table, knowing where to look helps you follow who is talking. | Captio AIYes, 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) | Mitreden Not stated |
| Alerts for soundsDoorbells, alarms and a baby crying, as a notification. | Captio AIYes, 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) | MitredenNot statedIts pages don't describe alerts for sounds like a doorbell or an alarm. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Live translationFor a conversation in a language you don't read. | Captio AIYes, 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) | MitredenNot statedIts pages describe captions in the device's language only, with no translation. Source: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store) |
| Saves transcriptsTo read a lecture, appointment or meeting again later. | Captio AIYes, with audio, syncedRecordings are saved with their audio in a searchable library and synced to your account. | MitredenPartly: Last 10 texts, on the deviceThe last 10 texts come back with one tap. They are stored only on the device and can be cleared with "Verlauf leeren" (clear history). The recording itself is not saved. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| AI summariesKey points and to-dos from a long transcript. | Captio AIYes: 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) | Mitreden Not stated |
| Where speech is processedOn the phone or in the cloud, and whether audio is kept. | Captio AIYes: 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 | MitredenYes: Apple's speech recognition; audio goes to AppleThe app uses Apple's speech recognition, so the recording is sent to Apple and processed there. The developer receives neither the recording nor the text, the app doesn't store the recording, and texts stay on the device. The App Store privacy label says no data is collected. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Mitreden privacy policy (English) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Account neededSome people want to open the app and start, with no sign-up. | Captio AIPartly: OptionalSign in with Apple or Google to sync, or skip and use it on one phone. Source: Captio AI privacy policy | MitredenNo accountNo account, no ads and no analytics. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)) |
| Where it's availableSome services only work in one country. | Captio AIYes: WorldwideAvailable on the App Store and Google Play; prices differ by country. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing | MitredenYes: App Store: Germany, Austria, Switzerland and moreListed on the German, Austrian and Swiss App Stores (November 2026). The app's menus are in German and English. Not on Google Play. Sources: App Store data (Germany) (Apple), App Store data (Austria) (Apple), App Store data (Switzerland) (Apple), Google Play search |
| Free planWhat you can do without paying. | Captio AIYes: 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) | MitredenYes: Free, no in-app purchases listedFree on the German App Store (November 2026), with no in-app purchases listed and no limit described. Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Germany) (Apple) |
| Paid plansPrices as listed by the company, with the country and date. | Captio AIYes: 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 | MitredenNo paid planNo subscription or in-app purchase is listed on the German App Store (November 2026). Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Germany) (Apple) |
What actually sets them apart
Does Mitreden work without wifi or mobile data?
No. Mitreden uses Apple's speech recognition, which needs an internet connection, and the recording goes to Apple to be processed. Captio AI also needs a connection for Live Captions; without one it keeps recording and writes the transcript once the phone is back online.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Mitreden privacy policy (English) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Does Mitreden understand languages other than German?
Only English. It recognises German or English, whichever language the iPhone or iPad is set to, and has no translation on its pages. Captio AI captions 60+ languages, German among them, and Live Translator shows a translation next to the original words.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Captio AI in German, Live Translator (Captio AI)
Can a grandparent with an Android phone use Mitreden?
No. Mitreden needs an iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 or later, and a Google Play search for its developer comes up empty. Captio AI has an Android app on Google Play, and on Apple devices it also runs on iPad and on iPhones back to iOS 15.1.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Google Play search, App Store data (Germany) (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing
Can Mitreden show who is talking when the whole family is at the table?
Its pages don't say so. Mitreden puts everyone's words into one large text, which you can turn 180° for the person opposite. Captio AI splits the voices into Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on, and on iPhone, Recognize Voices swaps in the name of anyone whose voice you saved: Grandma sees "Lena" on her granddaughter's lines.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Apple App Store listing, Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI)
Does Mitreden save what was said?
Briefly. It keeps the last 10 texts on the device and doesn't keep the recording; exporting isn't described. Captio AI files every session, audio included, in a searchable library tied to your account, can condense it with AI Summary, and sends it on as plain text, a shareable link, a PDF or an email.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, AI Summary (Captio AI)
Does Mitreden cost anything in Germany?
No. The German App Store lists it as free, with no in-app purchases (November 2026), so there is nothing to subscribe to or cancel. Captio AI gives 100 free credits a day; past that, Captio AI Plus is US$14.99 monthly or US$79.99 yearly in the US App Store (October 2026), and Plus has no free trial.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Germany) (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)
Where each one wins
Where Mitreden is the better choice
It is free, with no paid plan and no in-app purchases listed. Captio AI's free plan gives 100 free credits a day.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Germany) (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)
There is almost nothing to learn: tap the red button, speak, tap again. Large mode then fills the whole screen with the biggest type the app can show.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub))
It is built for sitting across from someone: the text turns 180° for the person opposite, and you can type a sentence when it has to be quiet or a word needs fixing.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub))
There is no account, no ads and no analytics, and the developer never receives the recording or the text; Apple does the speech recognition.
Sources: App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden privacy policy (German) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub)), Mitreden privacy policy (English) (Tobias Kazek (GitHub))
Where Captio AI is the better choice
It runs on Android phones, on iPad and on iPhones from iOS 15.1, so a parent with an Android phone or an older iPhone can use it too. Mitreden needs iOS 17 on an iPhone or iPad.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing, App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Google Play search, App Store data (Germany) (Apple)
It captions 60+ languages, German included, and Live Translator places a translation beside the captions, with a two-way mode for relatives who speak another language. Mitreden recognises German or English.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Captio AI in German, Live Translator (Captio AI), App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub))
Round a crowded Kaffee und Kuchen table, an iPhone 16 or later lying flat grows a wave at the edge facing whoever is talking, in that speaker's colour (Speaker Direction), and Recognize Voices on iPhone writes the names of saved relatives, such as Opa, on their lines.
Sources: Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI)
If the doorbell or the smoke alarm goes off mid-conversation, Captio AI writes it into the captions, like "[doorbell rings]", and buzzes the phone (Recognize Sounds, iPhone and iPad). Mitreden describes nothing like this.
Sources: Recognize sounds (Captio AI) (Captio AI), App Store listing (Germany) (Apple App Store), Mitreden help page (Tobias Kazek (GitHub))
What the doctor explained isn't lost: Captio AI keeps the appointment with its audio in your synced library, and AI Summary pulls out key points and to-dos a son or daughter can read later.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, AI Summary (Captio AI)
Try Captio AI free
It depends on where you are
A grandparent who wants one button and big letters
One red button and the largest type the screen can hold, with no sign-up and nothing to pay. It suits an iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 with wifi at home.
Captions for this situationSunday lunch with the whole family talking at once
Captio AI keeps each voice on its own line and can put the names of saved relatives on them, so you know whether Tante Ute or Onkel Jens is talking. Mitreden shows everyone's words as one text.
Captions for this situationA visit to the family doctor that the children want to read later
Captio AI keeps the whole appointment, audio included, so nobody has to remember what was said about the tablets. Mitreden keeps the last 10 texts on the device.
Captions for this situationNo subscription, ever
Mitreden is free with no paid plan. Captio AI's free plan is 100 free credits a day, and more needs Captio AI Plus.
A hospital room or care home without wifi
Mitreden needs internet to recognise speech. Captio AI needs it for Live Captions too; it keeps recording and writes the transcript when the phone is back online.
Relatives visiting who speak another language
Captio AI captions and translates 60+ languages, with a two-way mode. Mitreden recognises German or English, depending on the device's language.
Facts 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
Is Mitreden made for grandparents with hearing aids?
Yes. Its description names grandparents, people with hearing aids, hard of hearing and deaf people, and everyone who talks with them, and it keeps the screen to a red button and large white text on black. Captio AI is made for deaf and hard of hearing people and lets you adjust text size, background colour and contrast.
Does Mitreden work in English?
Yes, as long as the iPhone or iPad itself is set to English, since Mitreden listens in the device's language, German or English. Captio AI handles 60+ languages and keeps up when a speaker drops from German into English halfway through a sentence.
Can I use Mitreden at the doctor's in Germany?
Its description names the doctor's visit as one of the places it is for. It needs internet there, and afterwards keeps only the last 10 texts on the device. Captio AI also needs internet for Live Captions, keeps the appointment as a recording with its audio, and can turn it into a summary with to-dos.
Does Mitreden send my conversations anywhere?
To Apple, for speech recognition: the recording is sent to Apple and processed there. The developer receives neither the recording nor the text, and there is no account, no ads and no analytics. With Captio AI the speech leaves the phone as well: once you agree, a third-party recognition service handles it in the cloud, and Captio AI's privacy policy promises the audio isn't stored on its servers and your words never train AI models.
Is Mitreden available in Austria and Switzerland?
Yes. The Austrian and Swiss App Stores list it free as well (November 2026), for iPhone and iPad. Captio AI can be downloaded in all three countries, from the App Store or from Google Play, with prices set per country.
Can the person sitting opposite read Mitreden's text?
Yes. The button with the turning arrow, bottom right, flips the text 180° so whoever sits across the table reads it the right way up. Captio AI's pages don't describe a flipped view for the person across the table.
Can Mitreden translate for relatives from abroad?
Not on its pages. For a cousin who speaks French or Arabic, Captio AI's Live Translator shows the translation beside the original words, and in two-way mode each of you reads the other in your own language.
Do I need an account for Mitreden?
No, Mitreden has no accounts. Captio AI can be used without signing up too, on one phone; signing in with Apple or Google adds syncing.
Try Captio AI
Free to start, iPhone and Android
Download for free
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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
- Captio AI on Google PlayGoogle Play, 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
- Live TranslatorCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Privacy PolicyCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- AI SummaryCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)Captio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- German Live Captions & TranscriptionCaptio AI, checked 2 November 2026
Mitreden
- Mitreden (App Store, Germany)Apple App Store, checked 2 November 2026
- Google Play search for "Tobias Kazek" (Germany)Google Play, checked 2 November 2026
- Mitreden (App Store lookup data, Germany)Apple, checked 2 November 2026
- Datenschutzerklärung für die App „Mitreden“Tobias Kazek (GitHub), checked 2 November 2026
- Mitreden: Hilfe & KontaktTobias Kazek (GitHub), checked 2 November 2026
- Privacy Policy for the App “Mitreden”Tobias Kazek (GitHub), checked 2 November 2026
- Mitreden (App Store lookup data, Austria)Apple, checked 2 November 2026
- Mitreden (App Store lookup data, Switzerland)Apple, 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.