Pithflow

Pithflow vs Aiko

Aiko and Pithflow both turn recordings into text on the device itself, so the audio never leaves your iPhone or iPad. Aiko is a $24 one-time transcriber for 100 languages. Pithflow writes the transcript while you record, tells the speakers apart and turns it into notes; it also dictates on Windows and Mac.

Short answer: both transcribe on your iPhone or iPad and never upload the audio. Aiko is a $24 one-time transcriber for 100 languages that works after the recording and has no speaker detection yet. Pithflow writes the transcript while you record, separates the speakers and writes the notes; the first 2 minutes of every recording are free.

Feature comparison

Feature Pithflow Aiko
Transcribes on the device ✓ iPhone and iPad ✓ iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision
Transcript while you record ✓ Written as you speak — After the recording (per its App Store listing)
Who said what ✓ Speakers separated and renameable — No speaker detection yet (per its App Store listing)
Notes from the recording ✓ Summary, key points, decisions, action items —
Works without a connection Yes, after a one-time language download Yes
Import audio or video files ✓ With the Notes plan ✓
Subtitle export ✓ SRT, with the Notes plan ✓
Edit the transcript in the app ✓ Find and replace, rename speakers — Export and edit elsewhere (per its App Store listing)
Languages One per recording, from the ones your device offers 100
Price First 2 min of every recording free; $4.99/mo, $29.99/yr or $49.99 once $24 one-time
Also runs on Windows and Mac (live dictation into any app) Mac (file transcription)

When Pithflow makes more sense

  • ✓ The transcript appears while you talk, so it is ready the moment you tap Stop
  • ✓ Tells the speakers apart, and you can rename them
  • ✓ Writes the notes: summary, key points, decisions and action items
  • ✓ Free forever for the first 2 minutes of every recording, no account
  • ✓ The same account dictates into any app on Windows and Mac

When Aiko makes more sense

  • → Cheaper to own: $24 once vs Pithflow Notes' $49.99 once
  • → 100 languages, against the languages your device's transcriber offers
  • → Runs on the Mac too, for transcribing files on a computer
  • → Focused on accuracy over speed, by its developer's own description

Frequently asked questions

Do Aiko and Pithflow both work offline on an iPhone?

Yes. Aiko transcribes on the device. Pithflow does too, after a one-time download of the language you record in (and, the first time, the speaker-separation models); after that, recording, transcription, speakers and on-device notes work with the connection off.

Which one tells speakers apart?

Pithflow. It separates the speakers on the device and lets you rename them. Aiko's App Store listing says it does not currently have speaker detection.

Can Pithflow transcribe an audio file?

On iPhone and iPad, yes: import audio or video from Files, Voice Memos or another app's share sheet and it is transcribed on the device. File import comes with the Notes plan. The Windows and Mac apps do not transcribe files; they dictate live into any app.

Which is cheaper?

Aiko, if you only count the one-time price: $24 against $49.99 for Pithflow Notes for life. Pithflow is free for the first 2 minutes of every recording, and Notes is also $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

Verdict

Both keep your audio on the device, so the choice is about what you need back. If you want a plain, accurate transcript of a file in any of 100 languages for the lowest one-time price, Aiko is built for that. If you record meetings, lectures or interviews and want to read along, see who said what and get the notes without leaving the app, Pithflow is the closer fit — and you can try it on the free first two minutes of every recording.

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