Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Evernote vs Otter Transcribe Voice Notes

Evernote 4.4★ · Free + IAP 45
Winner Otter Transcribe Voice Notes
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70

Otter Transcribe Voice Notes is the better choice for users prioritizing accurate transcription and AI-powered summaries, while Evernote struggles with recent price hikes and performance issues.

Full reviews: Evernote · Otter Transcribe Voice Notes

Evernote, a long-standing note-taking app, faces significant user backlash over recent, substantial price increases and declining performance. Otter Transcribe Voice Notes, while not without its own pricing and usability concerns, is praised for its highly accurate transcription and AI features, making it ideal for meeting notes and content creation.

Head to head

Features and Functionality edge: Otter Transcribe Voice NotesR1R6R8R10
Evernote Evernote is a comprehensive note-taking app, useful for organizing documents, receipts, photos, and to-do lists across devices R8. Users appreciate its syncing capabilities R6. However, recent AI additions are criticized as making the app slow, laggy, and less reliable, with some calling the AI 'horrible' and 'weak' R10R12R28R33. There are also complaints about buggy features like scanning and PDF export R30, and issues with formatting and cursor placement R1R11.
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes Otter Transcribe Voice Notes excels at transcribing audio files, with many users finding it highly accurate and fast R62R63R65R68. Its AI features, including summaries and Q&A, are particularly useful for meetings and content creation R65R68. However, some users report issues with transcription accuracy, especially with unclear speech or multiple speakers . There are also complaints about the inability to export text and pictures together , and limited functionality beyond recording .
Ease of Use tieR6R7R8R12
Evernote Evernote is generally considered useful and easy to organize notes R8. However, recent updates have made it harder to use, with complaints about being slow, laggy, and overloaded with features R12R33. Users are frustrated by constant pop-ups, promotional bulletins, and forced customization questions that interrupt quick note-taking R6R7.
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes Otter Transcribe Voice Notes is often described as a 'game changer' and essential for workflow . However, some users find it not intuitive, hard to figure out, and with a poor user experience . Specific issues include delays in starting recordings, obtrusive alerts, and buggy editing of transcripts . There are also reports of the app not stopping recording R81 and login issues .
Reliability and Performance tieR1R6R11R12
Evernote Evernote users report a decline in reliability, with the app becoming slow, laggy, and unable to reliably find documents R12. There are complaints about frequent crashes , search engine bugs , and issues with notes not saving or displaying correctly R1R11. Syncing is generally good R6, but some users note slower loading times on Mac .
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes Otter Transcribe Voice Notes is generally seen as dependable and effective at capturing words . However, some users experience major issues with the latest version, such as the app not stopping recording R81, losing parts of recordings , and failing to upload audio reliably . Transcription quality has reportedly dipped for some , and the app is sensitive to external sounds .
Price and Value tieR1R2R3R4
Evernote Evernote faces overwhelming criticism for its significant and repeated price increases, with many long-term users calling it 'outrageous,' 'predatory,' and 'mind boggling' R1R2R3R4. Prices have reportedly doubled or increased by 350% in recent years, reaching up to $250-$260 annually R4R14R15. Many users feel the cost is too high for a note-taking app, especially given the perceived decline in quality and the availability of free alternatives R3R4R10R15. Some loyal users still find the quality worth the price .
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes Otter Transcribe Voice Notes is also criticized for its pricing, with users feeling it is 'overpriced' and a 'money grab' . There are significant complaints about being charged for yearly subscriptions after trials, with refunds denied R67R70R91. The 90-minute recording limit on paid plans is a frequent point of frustration, especially for longer meetings R88. Some users feel the free trial is a 'bait-and-switch' due to unexpected charges or limited functionality R67R88R91.
Customer Support tieR25R30R70R81
Evernote Evernote's customer support is described as 'absolutely the worst' by some users, with reports of no responses to multiple requests for support R25R30. One user detailed an extensive, unresolved issue with multi-factor authentication after a phone replacement R25.
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes Otter Transcribe Voice Notes receives criticism for 'poor customer service' and a lack of safeguards . Users report being denied refunds even when the app didn't work as expected or when overcharged due to the program not logging out R70. There are also complaints about the process for filing bugs R81.
Pick Evernote if

you are a long-term, entrenched user who values comprehensive note organization across multiple devices and are willing to pay a premium for existing functionality, despite recent price hikes and performance concerns R8.

Pick Otter Transcribe Voice Notes if

your primary need is accurate voice transcription for meetings, interviews, or content creation, and you benefit from AI-powered summaries and insights, even with some reported usability and pricing issues R62R65R68.

Evidence note: Both apps have a mix of positive and negative recent reviews, with a strong negative skew for Evernote primarily due to pricing. Otter's negative reviews often focus on billing issues and limitations of the free/trial versions.

Frequently asked

How much does Evernote cost?
Evernote has significantly increased its prices, with many users reporting annual costs of $170, $250, or $260, which is a substantial increase from previous rates and is considered 'outrageous' by many R4R14R15R22.
Is Otter Transcribe Voice Notes truly free?
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes offers a free tier, but users report it has limitations, and there are numerous complaints about being unexpectedly charged for subscriptions after trials or being cut off at 30 minutes despite advertised longer trial times R67R70R88R91.
Does Evernote's AI work well?
Evernote's AI features have received mixed to negative reviews, with many users stating that the AI has made the app slower, laggy, and less reliable, and that the integration is 'weak' or 'horrible' R10R12R28R33.
How accurate is Otter's transcription?
Otter's transcription is generally praised for being highly accurate and fast, with many users finding it the most accurate option available for transcribing audio R62R63R65R68, though some note issues with unclear speech or multiple speakers .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Evernote 1/5 · US Typing problem: When I pull up an existing note I am unable to place my curser in the title or body of the note to type? Why is that happening and how can I correct? With the increase in annual subscription cost there should be no issues…
  2. [R6] Evernote 3/5 · US Unnecessary blocking with promos: I like the app because it syncs quickly. I don’t like it when I try to open it on the fly and the screen covered with bulletins telling me about new updates. It seems like they roll them out a couple of times a week.
  3. [R8] Evernote 5/5 · US My most useful app: I use Evernote frequently on my phone and my computer for work and personal use, Evernote helps me organize my documents, receipts, photos, to do lists, etc. Very useful. Love it!
  4. [R10] Evernote 2/5 · US Pricey, Weak AI Support: I’ve been a user since 2008. Unfortunately, the combination of the huge pricing increase plus the lack of meaningful AI tools is sending me elsewhere. No .md file support, weak AI integration, and no meaningful way to connect to the most powerful external AI models.
  5. [R7] Evernote 2/5 · US Pop ups: I love this app It dose almost everything perfectly. But I use this app primarily for quick jotting down of my thoughts. I hate that I have lost many thoughts before because I have to dig through seven pop-ups before I can see my notes! that is ridiculous. I can’t tell you how many times in a quick moment where I need to write something down. I lose it because I’m interrupted while diggin
  6. [R12] Evernote 3/5 · US Horrible AI: I used to love Evernote and used it for everything, but in the past year or so, it’s gotten slow, laggy, and can no longer reliably find documents when you look for them. They’ve done all in one AI and guess what, it doesn’t work. Every AI feature they’ve added has made it worse. Whoever decided this simple little app needed AI should lose their job.
  7. [R11] Evernote 4/5 · US Fine but not awesome: Evernote has several good features and is generally good. Folders work well for organizing notes. Two significant frustrations are: 1. It doesn’t give you an opportunity to return to the same place. You leave your note for an hour, you end up at the front door. Frustrating if you’re trying to get work done! 2. Formatting is picky, idiosyncratic, and doesn’t play well with
  8. [R2] Evernote 4/5 · US Advanced rate: The attempts to charge me at the advanced rate were cheesy.
  9. [R3] Evernote 3/5 · US Pricey: The app is good, but the cost is high. The monthly cost for this app is way too high for something that just holds your notes. They act like it’s the only app you’re paying for.
  10. [R4] Evernote 2/5 · US Farewell Evernote: I’ve been using this for 10-15 years and it’s been the lil note taker I love to complain about. I won’t be paying and subsiding their AI upgrades this time around. This is a YUGE price increase. Too expensive and other free tools will be fine to use.
  11. [R25] Evernote 1/5 · US Absolutely the worst support: I thought I would come back to the app after almost a decade, not using it hoping that perhaps it would be a useful addition to my life. Unfortunately, in the past 10 years, I have replaced my phone. That means I no longer have access to the app that the code for my multifactor authentication is in. I open a ticket with support thinking that this should be a fairly ea
  12. [R30] Evernote 3/5 · US Still can not export PDF: Despite following instructions precisely, evernote no longer allows me to export a note as a pdf Zero responses from my multiple requests for support
  13. [R70] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 1/5 · US Charged me for a yearly subscription and wouldn’t refund: I used the trial run of otter to see how it was and it didn’t work as well as it says it does. The words didn’t match what the speaker was saying in many cases. I thought I canceled before they were supposed to charge me but I guess I missed the final step. When I saw the charge notification I immediately canceled and requested a refund as
  14. [R81] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 3/5 · US Major issues with latest version: Now often it will not stop recording when I hit stop, so it tries to keep recording for hours. I tried uninstalling the app and reinstalling with no luck. It is requesting access to the recordings for me to file a bug, there should be a way to do this without that.
  15. [R14] Evernote 4/5 · US No middle ground for solo reference & note users?: I've had Evernote for years, and I was more than happy to sign up for the paid version, originally. Then, the price went up to $170, and'sI grimaced but went ahead, now the price is going up to $250 a year. But there if a longtime user "up yours" choice. I use this for keeping my own records, my own notes, various reference materials and curiosit
  16. [R15] Evernote 3/5 · US Too Expensive!: Great app but the price is 7x what it used to be. I’ve cancelled my subscription and will never subscribe again. There are plenty of apps that are just as good that have either a one time fee or a minimal annual fee. I’ll be using one of those from now on.
  17. [R22] Evernote 1/5 · US Price gouging: This used to be a great app. As user for 15 years it has been my digital brain, just as it promised. But now they have more than doubled the fee two years in a row. It is now $260 per year and that is just mind boggling for my use. It’s unfortunate that they raised the price this much. I have now moved all my notes to another product.
  18. [R67] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 2/5 · US Frightened!: After reading reviews and seeing $106 and realizing how many people have been jerked around for the so-called “free trial”… also, seeing the less than stellar performance that delivers when my subscription to AI already provides me as much discernment in as many options as I really (thank you ChatGPT) I decided to close from my phone for the time being. If I become aware of improvemen
  19. [R88] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 1/5 · US ❌ Sneaky bait-and-switch. Do not trust their "trials.": I signed up for the 7-day trial of the $16.99 Pro plan specifically because it advertised 90 minutes of recording time per meeting. I needed it to keep track of a critical school district meeting for my daughter. Instead, the app cut me off at exactly 30 minutes right in the middle of the meeting. I didn't even get the extra time promised for
  20. [R91] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 1/5 · US DO NOT USE: Signed up for the “Free” 7 day trial and was immediately charged $16.99. I want my money back. Do not download this app.
  21. [R28] Evernote 1/5 · US Unreasonable rate hikes: It used to be a nice app. Now that it has been bought out several times, it’s riddled with AI and they want to charge me $250/yr. For a notes app 😂
  22. [R33] Evernote 3/5 · US Can’t use to write a book: I remember the first time that I read a review of Evernote it was by an author that said he used it to write his book. If anybody’s tried to use Evernote to write a book recently they know that that’s no longer possible - they’ve done something to the app that’s made it so bloated and over-full of features that it is no longer useful for it’s main purpose. I tried to use
  23. [R62] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 5/5 · US The best app ever!: Love using otter to transcribe any audio files I need transcription for. I’ve tried everything and it’s been the most accurate.
  24. [R63] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 3/5 · US Best Assistant Ever: This application is the best and most helpful tool to capture notes and deliverables in my meetings. It’s always accurate and detailed.
  25. [R65] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 5/5 · US Excellent Voice Notes: We’ve been using the software for almost 7 years now. It works fantastic for us. Otter keeps improving; their AI summaries and QA are super useful!
  26. [R68] Otter Transcribe Voice Notes 5/5 · US Great!: I primarily use Otter during interviews, always with the candidate’s permission. It has been incredibly helpful because it transcribes the conversation, making it easier to review and summarize the candidate’s experience while maintaining accurate documentation. Additionally, Otter’s AI Chat helps analyze the interview and provides insights into whether the candidate appears to be qualifie

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store