Captio AI

Captio AI vs NALscribe

Captio AI vs NALscribe, the free caption app from NAL, Australia's public hearing research lab: Android, offline mode, auto-erase, translation and price.

Facts checked on each company's own pages. How we compare

NALscribe

by National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL), the research division of Hearing Australia

iPhone, iPad, Mac with M1; no Android

vs

Captio AI

Our app

iPhone, iPad, Android

The short answer

Pick NALscribe if you run a clinic, reception or enquiry counter, or just want free captions with no limit on an iPhone or iPad with a recent iOS: it works offline, NAL collects no data, and it can wipe the screen 20 seconds after speech stops. Pick Captio AI if you use Android, need to know who is talking (by name on iPhone), want everything translated as it is spoken, or want recordings kept with their audio and turned into summaries.

Choose NALscribe if

you are setting up a shared iPad at a counter or for appointments, want captions that cost nothing and run offline, or want an app from a public research body that collects no data.

Choose Captio AI if

You're on Android or your iPhone is stuck below iOS 26.6, you follow group conversations, you want every word translated live, or you want to keep and summarise what was said.

Side by side

Captio AI vs NALscribe, feature by feature

Tap any fact to see the details and the page it comes from.

Captio AI vs NALscribe: features compared, facts checked 28 October 2026
Free planCaptio AI
Yes: 100 free credits a day + 3 summaries

Free 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)

NALscribe
Yes: Everything free, unlimited minutes

Every feature is free to install and run, with unlimited minutes, offline languages and translation at no extra cost, and no in-app purchases on the Australian App Store (November 2026). The terms say NAL may charge or add advertising in the future.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Australia) (Apple), NALscribe terms (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Paid plansCaptio AI
Yes: US$14.99/month or US$79.99/year

Captio AI Plus on the US App Store, October 2026. No free trial. Prices differ by country.

Source: Apple App Store listing

NALscribe
No paid plan

The Australian App Store lists NALscribe as free with no in-app purchases (November 2026).

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Australia) (Apple)

Free through a government programmeCaptio AI
No

No government funding programme; see captioai.app/organizations for licences through an organisation.

Source: Captio AI for organizations

NALscribe
Yes: Free to all; made with Australian Government funding

NAL is the research division of Hearing Australia and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health; NAL says the NALscribe research was funded through the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Nobody has to qualify: the app is free for everyone.

Sources: Speech to text app project (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), About NAL (National Acoustic Laboratories), NALscribe project outcomes (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Works onCaptio AI
Yes: iPhone, iPad, Android

On 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

NALscribe
Yes: iPhone, iPad, Mac with M1; no Android

NAL's FAQ lists iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Macs with an M1 chip; the App Store also lists Apple Vision, and calls it an iPad app not verified for macOS. NAL says it can't offer NALscribe on Android or Windows because Google and Microsoft charge ongoing fees for their speech-to-text. Google Play has no NALscribe app.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), Google Play search

NeedsCaptio AI
Yes: iOS 15.1 or later

The App Store lists iOS 15.1 or later for iPhone.

Source: Apple App Store listing

NALscribe
Yes: iOS 26.6 or later

The App Store lists iOS 26.6 or later for iPhone and iPad, and macOS 26.6 on an M1 Mac or newer (version of 1 November 2026). NAL's older FAQ still names iOS 12.1 as the minimum, iOS 13 for offline mode and iOS 15 for translation.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Australia) (Apple), NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Live captions without internetCaptio AI
Partly: Records offline, captions later

Live 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)

NALscribe
Yes, after a one-time language download

Offline mode recognises speech on the device with nothing sent over the internet. The first time, each language's model has to download over the internet (about 10 minutes). NAL says online mode is slightly more accurate. Translation languages can also be downloaded for offline use.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store)

Where speech is processedCaptio AI
Yes: Cloud; audio not stored on its servers

Speech 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

NALscribe
Yes: Online: Apple's server; offline: on device

In online mode audio goes to Apple's speech recognition server and text comes back; in offline mode nothing is transmitted. Audio is never stored and is discarded when recording stops. NAL collects no data from the app (App Store: Data Not Collected). Auto-erase can clear the screen 20 or 60 seconds after speech stops.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store)

Account neededCaptio AI
Partly: Optional

Sign in with Apple or Google to sync, or skip and use it on one phone.

Source: Captio AI privacy policy

NALscribe
None described; NAL collects no data

No sign-up is described, and the App Store privacy section says the developer collects no data from the app.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Captions people in the roomCaptio AI
Yes, from the phone's microphone

Speech in the room appears as text while the person is still talking.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)

NALscribe
Yes, continuous, no time limit

Speech from the microphone becomes text as the person speaks, with no timeout and unlimited minutes. You can pick which microphone to use, connect a Bluetooth or desk microphone, and turn the screen upside down so the iPhone's bottom microphone points at the talker.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Text size and coloursCaptio AI
Yes: Text size, colours, contrast

Text size, background colour and contrast can be adjusted.

Source: Live Captions (Captio AI)

NALscribe
Yes: Very large text, dark background

Caption size goes up to very large for a shared iPad, other text follows the device's text size, there is a dark background option, paragraphs are formatted automatically, and VoiceOver is supported. An English profanity filter keeps offensive words off the screen.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Saves transcriptsCaptio AI
Yes, with audio, synced

Recordings are saved with their audio in a searchable library and synced to your account.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy

NALscribe
Yes, on the device, when auto-erase is off

With auto-erase off, you choose Save or Clear when you stop. Saved transcripts stay on the device only, and you can open one later, edit it and keep adding to it. Nothing is saved automatically, and the 20- and 60-second privacy modes offer no Save.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store)

Export and shareCaptio AI
Yes: Text, link, PDF, email

Share a transcript or summary as text, a link, a PDF, an email, or a prompt for an AI chat.

Source: AI Summary (Captio AI)

NALscribe
Yes: Edit, then share by email or message

Transcripts can be edited on screen and then shared by email or text message from the app.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), NALscribe project outcomes (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Languages for live captionsCaptio AI
Yes: 60+ languages

Captions and translation in 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)

NALscribe
Yes: 13 languages, including 4 kinds of English

English (Australia, US, UK and Canada), French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch and Russian, online and offline. NAL's FAQ leaves out Dutch, which the App Store lists and which was added in an update.

Sources: App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories)

Live translationCaptio AI
Yes, live, two-way mode

Live 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)

NALscribe
Partly: Selected words and phrases, 12 languages

Select words or phrases in the transcript and tap Translate for a written and spoken translation, between 12 languages, offline once downloaded. It does not translate everything said as it is spoken.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store)

Shows who is talkingCaptio AI
Yes, live and saved; names by voice on iPhone

Separates 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)

NALscribe
Not stated

The iPhone and iPad app does not describe telling speakers apart. NAL's Vision Pro prototype, NALscribe AR, separated speakers by using each person's phone as a microphone.

Remembers people's voicesCaptio AI
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)

NALscribe
Not stated

Recognising people by their voice is not described.

Shows where a voice comes fromCaptio AI
Yes, on iPhone 16 and later

With 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)

NALscribe
Not stated

Not described for the iPhone and iPad app. In NAL's NALscribe AR prototype on Apple Vision Pro, captions were placed in 3D space next to each speaker; it is a finished research project, not a released app.

Alerts for soundsCaptio AI
Yes, sounds in the captions; alerts vibrate

Recognize 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)

NALscribe
Not stated

Alerts for sounds like a doorbell or an alarm are not described.

AI summariesCaptio AI
Yes: Summary, key points, to-dos

Turns 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)

NALscribe
Not stated

Summaries are not described.

Transcribes audio and video filesCaptio AI
Yes: Audio and video files

Upload audio or video and get a full transcript with speaker labels.

Sources: Apple App Store listing, Audio Transcription (Captio AI)

NALscribe
Not stated

NAL's pages describe live speech from the microphone, not transcribing audio or video files.

Key differences

What actually sets them apart

Is NALscribe on Android in Australia?

No. NAL says the ongoing fees Google and Microsoft charge for their speech-to-text keep NALscribe off Android and Windows, and a Google Play search in Australia finds nothing. Captio AI publishes on both the App Store and Google Play.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), Google Play search, Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing

Why is NALscribe free, and who pays for it?

NAL, the research arm of Hearing Australia, builds it with Australian Government money, so every feature is free with unlimited minutes. Captio AI has no public funding behind it: once the 100 free credits a day run out, Captio AI Plus is US$14.99 monthly or US$79.99 yearly on the US App Store (October 2026), and there is no free trial.

Sources: Speech to text app project (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), About NAL (National Acoustic Laboratories), NALscribe project outcomes (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), App Store data (Australia) (Apple), NALscribe terms (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), Captio AI for organizations, Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)

Does NALscribe work offline in a rural clinic with no signal?

Yes, once that language has been downloaded, which needs internet and about 10 minutes the first time; NAL notes that online mode is a little more accurate. Captio AI's Live Captions need a network, so in a dead zone it records the appointment and produces the transcript when coverage returns.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)

Can NALscribe translate a whole conversation?

Not as it is spoken. You highlight words or phrases in the transcript and get a written and spoken translation, in 12 languages. Captio AI's Live Translator turns every sentence into the other language as people talk, across 60+ languages, and has a two-way mode for both sides of the desk.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI)

Can NALscribe tell speakers apart in a family or team conversation?

Not in the iPhone and iPad app. NAL's Apple Vision Pro prototype, NALscribe AR, placed each speaker's captions next to them, but NAL calls it a finished proof of concept and it isn't on the App Store. Captio AI marks each speaker from a single phone; Recognize Voices (iPhone) writes the names of people you've saved, and Speaker Direction, on an iPhone 16 or newer lying flat, grows a wave at the edge nearest the voice.

Sources: NALscribe AR project (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), NAL's apps on the App Store (Australia) (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Live Captions (Captio AI), Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI)

What happens to the words when the session ends?

With NALscribe you choose: auto-erase wipes the screen 20 or 60 seconds after speech stops and offers no Save, or you save the transcript on the device only. Online, audio goes to Apple's speech server, and NAL collects nothing. Captio AI files each session, audio included, in a library synced to your account, and promises never to train AI models on your content.

Sources: NALscribe FAQ (NAL) (National Acoustic Laboratories), App Store listing (Australia) (Apple App Store), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy

Honest take

Where each one wins

Where NALscribe is the better choice

Where Captio AI is the better choice

Try Captio AI free

Which one should you use?

It depends on where you are

NALscribe

A reception or enquiry desk

Put NALscribe on a counter iPad with large text and the 20-second auto-erase, and each customer sees only their own conversation. It is free and needs no account.

Either one

An audiology or GP appointment

NALscribe on the clinic's iPad was trialled in hearing clinics across Australia. Captio AI on your own phone keeps the appointment with its audio and an AI Summary to read later.

Captions for this situation
NALscribe

No mobile coverage in the outback

NALscribe captions on the device once the language is downloaded. Captio AI records and transcribes when you are back in range.

Captio AI

A team meeting where several people talk

Captio AI labels each speaker and, on iPhone, names colleagues you saved. NALscribe's app doesn't describe speaker labels.

Captions for this situation
Captio AI

A Samsung or other Android phone

NALscribe has no Android app. Captio AI is on Google Play.

Neither: see below

Captions floating next to each speaker

NAL showed this on Apple Vision Pro with NALscribe AR, a finished research prototype that isn't on the App Store. Captio AI shows captions on a phone or iPad, and on iPhone 16 and later Speaker Direction marks the side a voice comes from.

How we compare

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

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is NALscribe free, and could that change?

Today every feature is free, with unlimited minutes and nothing to buy on the Australian App Store (November 2026). NAL's terms keep the right to charge or add advertising later. Captio AI has a free tier of 100 free credits a day and a paid Plus plan whose price differs by country.

Who makes NALscribe?

National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL), the research division of Hearing Australia, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. Captio AI is not part of a government programme; organisations can arrange licences through captioai.app/organizations.

Does NALscribe run on an older iPad at our clinic?

Only if that iPad can update: the current version needs iOS 26.6 or later, although NAL's FAQ still names iOS 12.1. Captio AI asks for iOS 15.1 or later on iPhone and also runs on Android.

Does NALscribe send conversations to the cloud?

Online, NALscribe streams audio to Apple's speech recognition server and gets text back; offline, nothing leaves the device, and NAL keeps no audio and collects no data. Captio AI uses cloud speech recognition once you say yes; it keeps no audio on its servers, and it neither sells your content nor trains AI models on it.

What is NALscribe's 20-second setting for at a reception counter?

It clears all text 20 seconds after speech stops and offers no Save, so the next person can't read the last conversation; NAL recommends it for public counters. Captio AI is built for the opposite need: it keeps each session as a recording in a searchable library you can read and share later.

Can NALscribe translate Mandarin into English at an appointment?

Partly. Mandarin and English are both among its 12 translation languages, but you translate selected words or phrases, with a written and spoken result. Captio AI's Live Translator keeps translating the whole appointment, Mandarin to English and back, in its two-way mode.

Can I download NALscribe AR for Apple Vision Pro?

NAL describes NALscribe AR as a finished proof of concept, and it isn't among NAL's apps on the App Store (November 2026). Captio AI shows captions as text on a screen rather than placing them next to each speaker.

Does NALscribe alert me to a doorbell or a smoke alarm?

Sound alerts aren't part of NALscribe's described features. While Captio AI is recording on iPhone or iPad, Recognize Sounds slips labels like [knocking] or [doorbell rings] into the transcript, and alarm-type sounds such as a smoke alarm or a baby crying set the phone vibrating.

Try Captio AI

Free to start, iPhone and Android

Sources

Every page this comparison uses, with the date we checked it.

Captio AI

NALscribe

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.