Captio AI

Captio AI vs Relay Live Transcribe

Captio AI and Relay Live Transcribe side by side: iPhone or Android, captions without internet, translation, privacy, saved transcripts and price.

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

Relay

by KYB Bilgi İletişim Limited Şirketi

iPhone and iPad (no Android app)

vs

Captio AI

Our app

iPhone, iPad, Android

The short answer

Use Relay (Live Transcribe Deaf - Relay) if you have an iPhone with iOS 18 and want free, unlimited captions that run on the phone without internet, transcripts that never leave the phone, and a Flip mode for the person across the counter. Use Captio AI if you have an Android phone or an iPhone that can't run iOS 18, or if you need live translation, captions that know people by their voice (Recognize Voices, iPhone), and recordings with their audio that you can keep, share and summarise.

Choose Relay if

you have an iPhone with iOS 18, often have no signal, want free captions with no daily limit, or want transcripts that stay on the phone with no account.

Choose Captio AI if

you have an Android phone or an older iPhone, need live translation, want saved voices named on every line (iPhone), or want to keep recordings with their audio and turn them into notes and to-dos.

Side by side

Captio AI vs Relay, feature by feature

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

Captio AI vs Relay Live Transcribe: features compared, facts checked 28 October 2026
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

Relay
Yes: iPhone and iPad (no Android app)

On the App Store for iPhone and iPad, also listed for Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision ("Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS"). Relay's website only offers an iOS download, and a Google Play search finds no Relay app.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay privacy policy (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), 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

Relay
Yes: iOS 18 or later

The App Store lists iOS 18 or later for iPhone, iPadOS 18 for iPad, and macOS 15 with an M1 chip or later for Mac.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay App Store lookup (Apple)

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)

Relay
Yes, from the phone's microphone

Relay turns speech around you into text as it is spoken. Its website says to place the phone where it can hear.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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)

Relay
Yes: 60+ languages (Premium); 18 offline

Premium transcription covers 60+ languages and Standard (on-device) transcription 18. One line of the App Store description says 90+ languages for Premium; the rest of Relay's pages say 60+. Relay does not publish the list.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store)

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)

Relay
Yes, Standard mode on the phone, 18 languages

Standard mode uses Apple's speech recognition on the phone, is free and unlimited, and works without internet. Relay says it may be less accurate in hard conditions. It does not switch by itself: when the connection drops, Relay tells you and you switch to Standard.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay support (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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)

Relay
Yes, name each speaker

Version 1.26 (May 2026) added naming each speaker so you can see which part of the transcript belongs to whom. The current App Store description and website do not describe it further.

Source: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store)

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)

Relay
Not stated

Version 1.26 (May 2026) added naming each speaker; Relay's pages don't say it recognises a voice in later conversations.

Source: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store)

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)

Relay
Not stated
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)

Relay
Not stated

Relay's pages describe speech transcription only; no alerts for sounds such as a doorbell or an alarm are described.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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)

Relay
Not stated

Relay's website, FAQ and App Store listing describe captions only; no translation between spoken languages is described. The app's interface can be switched between languages, separately from the language being transcribed.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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

Relay
Yes, on the phone only, no audio

Transcripts are stored only on your device and are never uploaded; Relay says it cannot read them. Audio is not recorded or stored. You can delete transcripts in the app, and uninstalling removes them.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay privacy policy (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (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)

Relay
Yes: Share and export transcripts

A Share button (added in version 1.36, August 2026) sends transcripts to other apps, and the website says you can export transcripts to any app. The file format is not stated.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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)

Relay
Not stated

Relay's pages describe live transcription only, not transcribing audio or video files.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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)

Relay
Yes: Summarises recent recordings (App Store story)

Apple's App Store story on Relay says it summarises your recent recordings. Relay's own website and App Store description don't describe summaries.

Source: Apple App Store story on Relay

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

Relay
Yes: Premium: cloud, audio not stored; Standard: on phone

Premium streams audio over an encrypted connection for processing and does not store it; Standard mode processes audio on the phone. Transcripts stay on the phone. Relay says it is designed to be HIPAA compatible but advises asking your compliance officer before medical use. Apple's App Privacy section, filled in by the developer, lists identifiers that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites.

Sources: Relay privacy policy (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (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

Relay
No account needed

Relay's FAQ and website say no account is required; data stays on the device.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

Captions phone callsCaptio AI
No

Made for in-person speech picked up by the microphone, not for captioning phone calls.

Source: Live Captions (Captio AI)

Relay
Not stated

Relay's pages describe face-to-face conversations; captioning phone calls is not described. Despite its name, it is not an FCC relay service (see Free through a government programme).

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), FCC relay provider list (Federal Communications Commission)

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)

Relay
Yes: Unlimited Standard (on-device) captions

Standard transcription is free and unlimited. The higher-accuracy Premium engine needs a subscription or a pack of hours; whether the free tier includes any Premium time is not stated.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store)

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

Relay
Yes: US$12.99/month or US$89.99/year; Lite US$7.99/month

US App Store, October 2026: Monthly Subscription US$12.99, Yearly Subscription US$89.99, Lite Monthly US$7.99, Lite Yearly US$59.99, plus items named Core (US$22.99) and Pro (US$44.99) with no period shown. Hour packs that never expire: 10 hours US$9.99, 20 hours US$18.99, 100 hours US$89.99. The App Store description says Premium includes 15 hours a month; the FAQ says Relay Pro includes 10 hours a month. Plan hours reset each billing period. No free trial is described.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim))

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

Relay
No (not an FCC relay service)

Relay is sold through App Store subscriptions and hour packs. Its pages don't mention the FCC or phone calls, and its developer is not on the FCC's list of internet-based relay providers (updated June 2026). FCC relay services help people make phone calls and are paid from a state or federal fund.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), FCC relay provider list (Federal Communications Commission), FCC guide to relay services (Federal Communications Commission)

Key differences

What actually sets them apart

Does Relay work on Android?

No. Relay is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and needs iOS 18 or later. Its website only offers an iOS download, and Google Play has no Relay app. Captio AI runs on Android and on iPhones with iOS 15.1 or later.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay privacy policy (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Google Play search, Relay App Store lookup (Apple), Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing

Which one works without internet?

Relay. Its Standard mode uses Apple's speech recognition on the phone, free and unlimited, in 18 languages; Relay says it can be less accurate in hard conditions, and you switch to it yourself when the connection drops. Captio AI needs a connection for live captions; without one it keeps recording and transcribes when the phone is back online.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay support (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)

Can Relay translate a conversation?

Relay's website, FAQ and App Store listing describe captions only, not translation. Captio AI translates speech live in 60+ languages, next to the original captions, with a two-way mode.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI)

Does Relay remember who is talking by their voice?

Relay lets you name each speaker (added in May 2026), but its pages don't say it recognises a voice in later conversations. Captio AI's Recognize Voices (iPhone) learns a voice once, from about 20 seconds of talking, and then shows that name on every line the person says, live and in saved recordings. On iPhone 16 and later, Speaker Direction shows which side of the table a voice comes from.

Sources: Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI), Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI)

Where do the transcripts go?

Relay keeps transcripts on your phone only, without audio, needs no account, and lets you share them from the app. Captio AI saves each recording with its audio in a library synced to your account (an account is optional), and shares it as text, a link, a PDF or an email.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay privacy policy (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay website (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, AI Summary (Captio AI)

What does each one cost?

Relay's on-device Standard mode is free and unlimited. Its higher-accuracy Premium mode needs a plan (Lite US$7.99 a month, or US$12.99 a month or US$89.99 a year) or hour packs from US$9.99 for 10 hours that never expire (US App Store, October 2026). Captio AI is free with 100 free credits a day; Captio AI Plus costs US$14.99 a month or US$79.99 a year on the US App Store (October 2026), with no free trial.

Sources: Relay FAQ (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay terms (Relay (KYB Bilgi İletişim)), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)

Honest take

Where each one wins

Where Relay is the better choice

Where Captio AI is the better choice

  • It runs on Android as well as iPhone, and on iPhones with iOS 15.1 or later; Relay needs iOS 18.

    Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing, Relay App Store listing (Apple App Store), Relay App Store lookup (Apple)

  • It translates conversations live in 60+ languages, with a two-way mode. It keeps recordings with their audio, synced to your account, transcribes audio and video files, and turns a transcript into a summary, key points or to-dos.

    Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI), Captio AI privacy policy, Audio Transcription (Captio AI), AI Summary (Captio AI)

  • Recognize Voices (iPhone): save someone's voice once and their name shows on every line they say, like "Mum" instead of "Speaker 2", in every conversation after, live and in saved recordings. The voiceprints stay on the iPhone.

    Source: Recognize voices (Captio AI) (Captio AI)

  • Speaker Direction (iPhone 16 and later): with the phone flat on the table, a wave at the edge of the captions shows which side a voice comes from, in that speaker's colour.

    Source: Speaker direction (Captio AI) (Captio AI)

  • Recognize Sounds (iPhone and iPad): sounds around you are written into the captions where they happen, like "[doorbell rings]", and kept in the saved recording. A doorbell, a smoke alarm or a baby crying also makes the phone vibrate while Captio AI is recording.

    Source: Recognize sounds (Captio AI) (Captio AI)

Try Captio AI free

Which one should you use?

It depends on where you are

Relay

No signal on a plane or in a basement

Switch Relay to Standard mode and it keeps captioning on the phone. Captio AI only records and transcribes later.

Relay

A quick chat at a counter or reception desk

Relay's Flip mode turns the text so the other person can read it, and Quick Phrases show a saved message with one tap.

Captions for this situation
Either one

A doctor's appointment

Relay keeps the transcript on your phone only. Captio AI keeps the recording with its audio and turns it into a summary and to-dos you can read again.

Captions for this situation
Captio AI

A team meeting you need notes from

Captio AI names colleagues it knows by voice (iPhone) and, on iPhone 16 and later, shows which side a voice comes from. It keeps the recording and turns it into a summary, key points and to-dos.

Captions for this situation
Captio AI

Travelling abroad

Captio AI translates the conversation live in 60+ languages. Relay's pages describe captions only, not translation.

Captions for this situation
Neither: see below

A phone call

Neither app describes captioning phone calls. In the US, that is the job of FCC relay services and captioned-call apps.

Captions for this situation
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 Relay a relay service like TRS or IP Relay in the US?

No. In the US, FCC relay services (TRS, IP Relay, captioned telephone and video relay) help people with hearing or speech disabilities make phone calls and are paid from a state or federal fund. Relay (Live Transcribe Deaf - Relay) is a paid App Store app that captions conversations in the room. Its pages never mention phone calls or the FCC, and its developer is not on the FCC's list of internet-based relay providers (updated June 2026). Captio AI is not a relay service either: it captions speech in the room and does not caption calls.

Is there a Relay app for Android?

No. Relay is made for iPhone and iPad and needs iOS 18 or later; its website only offers an iOS download and Google Play has no Relay app. Captio AI is on Google Play as well as the App Store.

Does Relay work offline on a plane?

Yes, in Standard mode: it uses Apple's speech recognition on the phone, is free and unlimited, and covers 18 languages. You switch to it yourself, and Relay says it can be less accurate in hard conditions. Captio AI needs internet for live captions; offline it keeps recording and transcribes when the phone is back online.

Can Relay caption Spanish, Japanese or Arabic?

Relay names English, Spanish, Japanese and Arabic among the languages of its Premium mode, which covers 60+ languages (one line of its App Store listing says 90+) and needs internet. Offline Standard mode covers 18 languages. Relay does not publish the full list. Captio AI captions and translates 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence.

Can I use Relay at a doctor's appointment?

Relay says it is designed to be HIPAA compatible, but advises asking your compliance officer before using it in medical settings, and its terms say not to rely on it for critical, life-safety or legal matters. Transcripts stay on the phone. Captio AI processes speech in the cloud after you agree; audio is not stored on its servers, and it lets you add medical terms and turn the recording into a summary and to-dos.

How much does Relay cost in the US?

On the US App Store (October 2026), Relay lists a Monthly Subscription at US$12.99, a Yearly Subscription at US$89.99, Lite at US$7.99 a month or US$59.99 a year, and hour packs of 10, 20 and 100 hours for US$9.99, US$18.99 and US$89.99. Standard mode is free. Captio AI is free with 100 free credits a day and 3 AI summaries; Captio AI Plus costs US$14.99 a month or US$79.99 a year, with no free trial.

Does Relay translate conversations when travelling?

Relay's pages don't describe translation; they describe captions in the language being spoken. Captio AI translates conversations live, shows the translation next to the original captions, and has a two-way mode where each person reads the other in their own language.

Does Relay recognize who is talking at a family dinner?

Relay lets you name each speaker in a conversation (added in May 2026), but its pages don't say it recognises a voice the next time. Captio AI's Recognize Voices (iPhone) shows the name of everyone whose voice you saved on every line they say, at every dinner after. On iPhone 16 and later, Captio AI's Speaker Direction shows which side of the table a voice comes from.

Try Captio AI

Free to start, iPhone and Android

Sources

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

Captio AI

Relay

Published 28 October 2026. App names and trademarks belong to their owners. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies it compares.